Camping, caravans and motorhomes

[rascal]

West Texas is notorious for sudden windstorms. Palo Duro Canyon is really bad. I had my tent set up once, and the ground is hard as rock, so I had to use weights instead of stakes. I also had a big cooler full of food, beer and ice inside -- about 50 pounds. A sudden windstorm rolled through the canyon, and my tent rolled through the campground like a tumbleweed. I had to chase it and stop it. Nothing broke, but food, ice and beer were scattered all over the inside of the tent. I tied it to the car when I got it back to the campsite.

Panoramic shot of Palo Duro Canyon -- about five shots put together in Photoshop.

View attachment 84879

CD

Dont think I'd camp there. Snakes etc. Bears??
Beautiful though!!
Russ

 

[caseydog]

Dont think I'd camp there. Snakes etc. Bears??
Beautiful though!!
Russ

Snakes are not an issue, the rattlesnake species in the canyon are not aggressive, they want noting to do with humans. No bears at all. Deer and roadrunners are very common. Wild Turkeys all over. They walk right through your campsite and the males show off their plumage as they strut though.

As for the rattlesnakes, they only strike humans if you walk up on them and surprise them. They strike low on the legs, which is why Cowboy Boots were made. That's what I wear in rattler country. The snakes fangs can't penetrate the boot tops.

I've never actually seen a snake in Palo Duro. Like I said, they want nothing to do with us.

CD

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

My camping has all been in tents, or in one of my two Teardrop Campers. I've posted the second one before, and here is the first one. Basically, a bed chamber and a galley for cooking. Mine were air conditioned for Texas summer use.

View attachment 84848

I've owned four boats and a SeaDoo, as well. But not at the same time as the Teardrops. I have tent camped on remote sites on Lake Texoma from one of the boats. Campsites you can only get to by boat. That was fun.

CD

I tent camped once at the summit of Haleakala by myself to be able to catch the sunrise.
Frozen my bum off but I wouldn't have traded that memory "for all the tea in China".
OH, I also RV camped at Halemaumau Crater in Volcanoes National Park and watched the eruption, awesome! Again though, frozen my kotukus off!

 

[rascal]

Snakes are not an issue, the rattlesnake species in the canyon are not aggressive, they want noting to do with humans. No bears at all. Deer and roadrunners are very common. Wild Turkeys all over. They walk right through your campsite and the males show off their plumage as they strut though.

As for the rattlesnakes, they only strike humans if you walk up on them and surprise them. They strike low on the legs, which is why Cowboy Boots were made. That's what I wear in rattler country. The snakes fangs can't penetrate the boot tops.

I've never actually seen a snake in Palo Duro. Like I said, they want nothing to do with us.

CD

Watched a program yesterday about fatal attacks. 1 women in cali attacked by cougar ripped left side of her face off. Others attacked it to get her free. Another guy snake bite that ate his foot but doc cut it all out.
We are free of deadly ? Things. Just people.

Russ

 

[rascal]

I tent camped once at the summit of Haleakala by myself to be able to catch the sunrise.
Frozen my bum off but I wouldn't have traded that memory "for all the tea in China".
OH, I also RV camped at Halemaumau Crater in Volcanoes National Park and watched the eruption, awesome! Again though, frozen my kotukus off!

I loved Hawaii a lot.

Russ

 

[Yorky]

After we buried the mobile home I bought a 14 foot caravan but mainly just for myself as we had accumulated two kids by then. I used it as a bedroom in Chester and Carlisle for a couple of years before selling it for buttons. Although I did take the family to Silverstone and Brands Hatch in it - they hated it.

 

[caseydog]

After we buried the mobile home I bought a 14 foot caravan but mainly just for myself as we had accumulated two kids by then. I used it as a bedroom in Chester and Carlisle for a couple of years before selling it for buttons. Although I did take the family to Silverstone and Brands Hatch in it - they hated it.

I love camping, but have friends who hate it.

I've met a lot of people over the years who hate camping because of a bad first experience. But, they tried camping without the guidance of an experienced camper. There is a learning curve.

CD

 

[Yorky]

I love camping, but have friends who hate it.

I've met a lot of people over the years who hate camping because of a bad first experience. But, they tried camping without the guidance of an experienced camper. There is a learning curve.

CD

Unfortunately in my experience that learning curve does not include three days in a flooded field in Silverstone where the inadequate number of toilets are overflowing. We had our own "portapotty" but it needs emptying occasionally.

 

[Morning Glory]

Unfortunately in my experience that learning curve does not include three days in a flooded field in Silverstone where the inadequate number of toilets are overflowing. We had our own "portapotty" but it needs emptying occasionally.

My experiences are similar in the sense of being ghastly. I stayed in a tent in the South of France. It was a two person tent with just enough space to lie down (rather uncomfortably in my view). The whole campsite was plagued by mosquitos. So - unless you got in that tent super fast and zipped up super fast there were mosquitos happily sealed in a nice small space with their human banquet. After two days we decanted ourselves into to a nice hotel.

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

My Big City Boy's first experience was with tent camping. His parents signed him up for the Boy Scouts and they had their first adventure out in the wilderness. After one night, DH ran away (it's wasn't very far to go) back to his own bedroom. He hated he said. But RVing/Caravanning is a whole different bag of beans, especially if it's a nice one in a nice locale. I'd like to park it at a beach myself.

 

[Morning Glory]

But RVing/Caravanning is a whole different bag of beans, especially if it's a nice one in a nice locale. I'd like to park it at a beach myself.

I agree. I could really like that. Facilities to cook, sleep etc. all on board and you can drive anywhere you fancy. You will persuade him eventually...

Meant to mention MrsDangermouse who does just that in Europe. I know she is a great fan.

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

I agree. I could really like that. Facilities to cook, sleep etc. all on board and you can drive anywhere you fancy. You will persuade him eventually...

Precisely!
As to persuading DH, he's on board, pun intended, but he's a real money-man and that's huge amount of money to throw into one pot, and as I mentioned, given the eco-social environment we live in today, he'd just rather stay put and count his dough

 

[Morning Glory]

Precisely!
As to persuading DH, he's on board, pun intended, but he's a real money-man and that's huge amount of money to throw into one pot, and as I mentioned, given the eco-social environment we live in today, he'd just rather stay put and count his dough

How much do they cost?

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

Morning Glory the rig that I want sells new, in the ballpark of $190,000USD.
We've been eyeing up a 2013 one for about $88,000 in Texas we'll see what happens ...

 

[Morning Glory]

Morning Glory the rig that I want sells new, in the ballpark of $190,000USD.
We've been eyeing up a 2013 one for about $88,000 in Texas we'll see what happens ...

Depends what you want of course. But if its for extended holidays then I think spend a bit less. If you are going to live in it, that is a different matter.