The initial soaking. The subsequent ones got much worse.

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btw your ground cloth should be not be exposed but you probably know that now...

looks to me like the tent has a built-in and is just pitched on top of a bigger ground sheet?

Holy cow, the Gourmet goes wild, you probably used a fork too. :haha:

Tru-nuff. Still a good habit in case of holes.

Griff/monster - yes, there is a separate tarp underneath the tent. I couldn't find a tarp the correct size, so this is slightly bigger. It's for extra protection and insulation. I am pretty sure the bottom of the tent would already be holey by now if not for that!

Bruce - I did use forks!! :D The last lunch was going to be faaaannnncccyyyy - Pork chops and bulgur!!

No fair just showing us the little car and hiding the truck.

?? I don't have a truck or a car. I have a Nissan Rogue.

When a big tarp/groundcloth sticks out from under the tent so that a few inches or a foot are exposed, you get puddling on the top of that tarp/groundcloth, and the puddles flow under the tent getting the floor wet. It's much more effective at keeping you dry if you fold those flaps of extra tarp under the tent so they are not exposed to the rain.

Gotcha. It was actually dry inside the tent itself, even with the over hang

Sorry to hear you were rained out. Bummer!

I am more hardcore and camp no matter the weather since my goals are different than yours. Sleeping in a hammock takes practice, esp since I toss and turn a lot. My hammock is a tent model, so that no actual tent is needed. This is the shelter I plan to use during the zombie apocalypse, where I shall sleep high in sturdy trees to avoid hungry zombies. I wonder how Rick and the others would be doing had they tried that early on?

I am pretty sure I slept in my hammock during the non-rain part - lol. If I had my rain fly for my hammock and my tarp set up, I don't know if I would have left.

I am not sure what a tent hammock actually is. If I had the rainfly, the hammock I have is all that is needed - no tent required. If I transition fully to hammock sleeping, I wouldn't even set up the tent. Just the changing shelter :D

Some calls 'em a jungle hammock:

Attachment 63905

Many styles, but ya get the gist of it.

Basically a hammock w/a roof.

ETA:

Attachment 63906

Attachment 63908

Mine looks more like the second one, but without the top half of the hammock. If you google eno hammock with rainfly, you'll see what I've got. I would upload pictures, but I am at work and they have that blocked :/

I think I would get claustrophobic in those. except the last one.

I've just made a new reservation for next weekend. It'll be only a one night stay, so I am trying to think of the best way to pack as little as needed. I may use this to try sleeping in a hammock. I won't be taking the grill or all the kitchen implements. I want to use the camping stove to cook/reheat all of the food. I'll still have a cooler, though, because I hope to be out in the area most of the day and the next day.

It's mainly so I can hit a beach park not far from where I am camping instead of leaving crazy early in the morning for a 4 hour trip. I'll need to take at least a beach chair. I may just use the one I take camping with me.

I hope it doesn't rain.....

I went bicycle camping over the weekend.

The Scout troop was having a "wilderness survival" merit badge camping trip nearby, and it was the perfect opportunity to do something my son and I have always wanted to do, which is carry all your crap on your bike to go camping.

The site is Marsden Tract group campsite, and it's right next to an old canal tow path in Great Falls National Historic Park. The canal is level, with occasional small hills where there are locks, so that part of the ride promised to be easy. It's 12 miles from our house.

One of my son's best friends is a neighbor and also in the troop, so he agreed to join us on the ride.

Since it was wilderness survival themed, the boys planned to build shelters and sleep in them. Each boy packed a hammock though as backup. They each travelled very lightly.

I travelled more heavily. Two water bottles in holders on my frame. I have a rear rack on my bike that I bought specifically for this little trip, and I had a couple small bags lashed to that: A small tent. A dry bag containing my sleeping bag, pad, and some clothes. And my backpacking folding chair. Small improvised panniers had things like a mess kit, flashlights, toiletries, and a tiny camp stove and pot that I never used. I also had a daypack on my back containing basically just a huge expedition crew sized first aid kit. And the pack gave me a place to lash my trekking poles that I need to set up my tent.

Here's the thing. I don't ride bikes much at all. A handful of times a year. You use different muscles when you ride, and those muscles were not in shape. Getting from my house to the canal tow path was all on maybe 5 miles of surface streets in Arlington. Lots of steep hills to traverse before the easy towpath. But I did it. Only had to force the boys to stop and rest at the top of one hill. I had to catch my breath. Google maps thought it should take 1:15 for an average cyclist to do that 12 mile ride. It took us with all our extra weight and my out of shape condition 1:25 to get there. Pretty good, I thought.

The ride back was worse, because I had taken a 2 hour midnight to 2am shift to sit by the fire. The idea was that any of the 20 or so boys who were "sleeping" in the shelters they built might get scared or need help and want to come huddle by the fire for a bit. Took a while for me to fall asleep again after being up for so long in the middle of the night. So I was pretty tired. Plus it was more uphill to get home. Sea level to 300 feet elevation, plus all the ups and downs in between. Anyway it took 1:35 getting home instead of the 1:15 Google predicted.

I really enjoyed it though. Bike camping is cool. I rode from my house to this beautiful location that felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. It helped a lot that I met up with the full troop that had purchased food so I didn't have to carry that.

Couple pictures from the trip:
The canal, about 50 yards away from our site, which was tucked back in the woods. You get a lot of people on this path on a weekend afternoon, but I can tell you there is not a soul there at 2am except me peeing into the canal and a million fireflies.
Attachment 64057
A deer in the canal.
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One of the wilderness survival things we were trying to teach the boys was signaling. This is them practicing with mirrors. Some were really good at it, and some terrible.
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We made each boy try until they got the hang of it.
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And my gear.

This is my bike. Unfortunately I had already unpacked so you can't see it loaded. The panniers improvised out of a couple fanny packs are still on there though.
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And my tent and chair.
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Very cool glatt! I don't know that I've ever heard of bike camping. I still think that you did well in the bike time - especially if you don't bike often. You were only 10-20 minutes longer. It would be worse if you were like an hour longer. Plus, all the weight on the bike.

Was there a smooth path like that the whole way? I would expect it to be a bit harder if it was a rocky hiking trail to get to the site, right?

Also, aren't you supposed to be 200 feet AWAY from water when going to the bathroom? And definitely not peeing right into it? Leave no trace and all.

Ha ha ha, when I was reading that I thought bbro had written it and the peeing in the canal stopped me cold. :haha:

Pretty smooth the whole way. Yeah. Although my street tires didn't like the gravel. I was glad I didn't get a flat because once we were halfway there, I asked my son if he had brought a patch kit and pump and he had not, so that would have been a big pain. But the tires held. They were slightly underinflated, and I think that helped.

:o
It's bad form to pee in a canal, but it didn't harm anyone or anything. There's actually a municipal water spigot about a hundred feet away, so nobody is gathering this water to drink when they have readily available tap water.

In the backcountry where people are gathering stream water to drink, I would never do that. Besides, pee isn't going to get you sick. It's just gross. It's poop that's the real danger.

This was just as we were heading out from my front yard.

You can see the gear I brought. My wife just forwarded this picture she took when we departed home.

Attachment 64062

You can find the 200 foot rule for both #1 and #2.
I think it was written by someone who maybe didn't know the difference.

If you search "camp pee" or such, 98% of the advice is for females.

Bullshit, that just got you warmed up!:p:

I'll forgive you this one time. :p:

Not as much stuff on the bike as I would have expected. Very cool. Are you going to do it again?

Very cool glatt!!

Bike touring runs the full spectrum from supported tours to hardcore back country bike packing. You can do anything from nice road based stuff to brutal bike carries deep in the wilderness. I've never done anything heavier than week long bed to bed road tours. If you start searching youtube you'll see how wildly variable the adventure and equipment can be. Fun for many different levels of rider.

Bike camping sort of brings to mind the brutal trek that thousands of North Vietnamese made down the Ho Chi Minh trail, using bicycles to carry hundreds of pounds of food, weapons, ammunition and other supplies.
American artillery, mines, B 52's and such added some challenges.

Sort of.

Heh, I was gonna say 'Kinda'.

Boy, that Ho Chi fella musta been one helluva hiker to have a trail named after him and all.

Another failure under the belt. I stayed a total of 4ish hours before leaving. In that time, I got 11 bug bites. Through the bug spray. That was applied multiple times. And clothes

I didn't bring my tent because I didn't want to pack it and I don't have a bug net for my hammock or I may have toughed it out. Bug nets are EXPENSIVE!

There was also torrential down pour - which my rain fly did a good job of keeping off the hammock. If what I drove through heading home was on it's way to the campsite, I may have made the right decision.

One of these days, I'll get it right. Next one is in July in the mountains. So, I have a couple weeks to either make a net or buy one just in case.

You did get it right, first rule of camping, if it sucks leave. :thumb:

1st rule of camping: Forecast, check it.

I did. It was 30% chance. I chanced it. It turned to 50% chance. I am the rain queen

Camping in the rain is possible, trust me. But it's not easy or nice if you're not prepared. I don't know if it's my inner Boy Scout or my inner FAWET-fanatic, but being prepared for rain (or many other trip ruining calamities) is part of the pleasure. It sounds like you were able to weather the storm fairly well, though I wonder if the water/rain/sweat/stress diluted/removed your bug dope. Maybe you're just really tasty! Anyhow 100% DEET is the way to go for me. But then again, I've been told I have terrible taste.

DON'T GIVE UP!

Camping in the rain has joys most people never experience, like having the trail or campsite to yourself. Also, protip--after your self-massage with the DEET, wash your hands. That shit tastes like poison... (wonder why??)

I actually liked it when I was in my hammock, under the rainfly. If I had bug netting, I probably would have toughed it out. I am 100% tasty to bugs. I was using 30% DEET spray. I sprayed it, rubbed it on, not 2 minutes later, I killed a bug biting my arm. I was feeling funky with so many applications. I am not sure DEET is good for me. I need to find my other stuff. It seems to work better, but I haven't used it in a situation like that.

I haven't given up yet! Hopefully the July trip will go well. It is in the mountains, so the bugs should be better. Now, if only the rain would stay away.....

:lol2:

WTF does FAWET mean?

Google does not enlighten.

Hook up with the Fire King for a steamy relationship. :blush:

This outfit is holding a campout for several hundred people near here this weekend.
https://www.tentsile.com/
Their products look like interesting alternatives to old technology.
All you need is three willing (and strong) trees. And money.

Thank you very much!

Sooo back when I hiked the Smokies I bought an Army hammock from the military surplus store. It has a roof, skeetter screens, rain covers and everything zips from the inside or outside. Later when motorcycle camping is when I bought a tent.

I realized I had a camping trip this upcoming weekend. Excitement ensued. Then, I checked the weather. Mother fucking rain. Again. Still on the fence about going or not. The problem is that I took a day off work. It's not that easy to switch them around. Which means if I try to camp there again, it will just be over night.

Why does the universe not want me to camp?

One summer when I was working at the speed shop, the drag races got rained out 13 Sundays in a row. :(

That sucks. Last weekend was gorgeous. Should've camped then. Probably would have still rained.

I'm trying to outsource the decision. So far it's 50/50. One for reschedule and one for go

Fuck it. I'm going. I'm more prepared this time. I'll actually set up a tarp. At the worst, I'll be "stuck" in my hammock during the rain. oh no!

Have you considered the possibility it will only rain if you go? :lol2:

Yes. Yes I have :right:

You could stand at the entrance to the campground and promise to leave if they pay you. You know, make lemonade. ;)

Considering that the Park Rangers are another branch of law enforcement here in NC, I don't want to go to jail. Plus, that wouldn't really help with the rain

I went, it rained, I survived.

I got everything packed and went on my way Saturday midday. Unfortunately, my brain does everything in it's power to forget that Stone Mountain exists (even typed it wrong right there), so I headed to South Mountain instead. I realized my error and turned around. I got there around 4pm. It could've been 2:30 if I had entered the right destination.

I had plenty of time to set up camp. I had my hammock with rainfly, tent, and a shelter that I put a chair under (pics to come later). It seemed to work initially, but then I was sitting in the chair and my head was touching the tarp. Something happened, but I don't know what. I ended up putting a trekking pole under to hold it up. It worked well enough. I also checked out the site I had reserved previously (I changed it when I was paying more attention). It would have SUUUCKED. Almost no trees, so shelter would've been minimal. Stuck in hammock or tent kind of camping.

Unfortunately, I couldn't stake my tent. There were rocks everywhere in the tent pad area. I don't know who thought that was a good idea, but I bent a fucking stake trying to get it in. I finally gave up, threw my shit in and crossed my fingers. It stayed put, so that was good.

I was able to cook Saturday evening. Just as I was finishing, the rain came in. I was able to hang out in my chair and in my hammock. The only problem was I always underestimate how cold it is going to be. The hammock is REALLY cold. the good news is that I really didn't get too wet. I was prepared this time (unlike when I was at hanging rock and bailed the second night).

The next day, I did a small hike to the summit of Stone Mountain. I was warned by a friend that the rocks can get very slippery in the rain. He said not to try to hike in the rain. Since I had NO service, I had no idea what the weather was going to be. I risked it and headed out around 10am. I could see why it would be bad to get caught there in the rain.

At the summit, some idiot broke a tree branch to hang a flag, basically ruining the view. I didn't stay there long because it pissed me off how many people saw it and said "Cool". I went to a lower outlook that I preferred. I did see a storm coming in, so I went back the way I came instead of completing the loop. Torrential downpour started as I pulled into my campsite.

I started getting a migraine, but forgot to bring my meds with me. I accepted having to just deal when I said WTF? I can run to the store. I fumbled around trying to find a signal so I could get maps to find a place for pills. I finally got it, grabbed some Excedrin PM and hustled it back to the site before the gates locked. It was much more pleasant after taking the pills, but I didn't feel like cooking what I had planned and it was still raining. I decided to just make some soup on the camp stove. It was tasty AND fun!

Monday was when I was leaving. My friend had texted me the forecast the day before and it was supposed to rain at noon. I left 8ish to go see a waterfall. It took about an hour. I came back and proceeded to clean up everything but the hammock. I didn't feel like racing the rain to grill, so I had a snack instead and McDonald's (SHAME) on the way home. Apparently the forecast changed and I could've cooked with no problem.

I got home and actually unloaded the car the same day. Except the cooler. I have to dump the water from that. I think it was because, for once, I didn't just shove everything in and run. I only ended up with 4 bug bites, too.

Something that would be great is something that I can use for the weather when I have no signal.

Next trip is in a month. It would be really nice to NOT have rain when camping. Pics to come later (today maybe?)

Sounds... Good?

Better anyway. You stayed pretty dry, only 4 bug bites.

I'm going camping this weekend, if the rain lets up.

It's funny - my mom kept asking if I was having fun, but I wouldn't call it "fun". Was it enjoyable? Mostly. I was relaxed. I was only annoyed at the migraine, but I was happy I didn't suffer through it like I planned. I was able to be smart and abandon camp to go get meds.

I'm calling it a win because not only did I not bail, but I wasn't miserable the whole time like the other trips. It was work to force myself out of the hammock to go hiking, though. MAN, I love that thing. :heart-on:

If you take canned condensed soup, the rain will add the water while it heats. ;)

Dude, come out of the stone age, they have canned soup that needs no water added!! :sweat:

Yes, but they are heavier to carry and get watered down in the rain. Maybe dry soup then. ;)

Someone here used have the signature line "Never eat soup in the rain. Unless you're fast, you may never finish."

Who was that? Lamplighter, maybe?

Try renting a rustic cabin somewhere.

bbro, if you were camping with the right partner, at the end of the weekend you wouldn't even know if it had rained. :cool:

@captainhook455 - I have specific parks in mind to camp out. I think I mentioned that I am doing the NC State Park Passport challenge. I need to go to state parks to get the stamp. The ones further away, I am mostly camping at.

@xoxoxoBruce - Ew

Please call me Cap. You probably won't like NC parks. There are no hookups at any site. The vegetation in the campground looks like a Jungle Jim movie. At dusk the no see ums come out to eat you. SC parks are a world away from NC facilities. We like to go to Bucks Creek just north of Charleston.