Camping tips

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just bought a Dutch oven, wants to cook on fire no propane

Wow, I didn't think that you'd go that far. You can cook some great meals in a dutch oven. Its definitely the best way to cook over an open fire. Stew, pot roast, lasagna. Then clean it out and make some cobbler for desert later on.
 
My wife and I have done a few camping trips on a motorcycle with a small trailer, I like having an easy up to cover a table to cook and eat under, you can also make something with a rope and tarp using trees, we use the blow up mattress sleeping on top of a sleeping bag to stay warm. I suggest a stainless coffee pot over the aluminium ones. I second the grate over the camp fire coals. You Will need pot holders of some kind
I freeze blocks of water and use it in a "food" cooler with frozen food and use another cooler for drinks and condiments when we go camping in the truck, ice usually last 5 or 6 days if covered with a reflective cover. Take plenty of drinking water and cleaning water, get a good first aid kit
 
Wow, I didn't think that you'd go that far. You can cook some great meals in a dutch oven. Its definitely the best way to cook over an open fire. Stew, pot roast, lasagna. Then clean it out and make some cobbler for desert later on.
That's all her! I don't even know what the heck a Dutch oven was until last night. I told her leave all that and we will figure something out.
 
If part of her impetus for camping is cast iron cookery, then by all means go for for it!
IMHO, money spent on cast iron cookware is never wasted.
Lodge sells pre seasoned stuff if you don't want to DIY. You can get liners for dutch ovens, which simplify clean up. Hobo packs are even simpler.
Walmart seems to have the best prices in my 'hood for skillets and frying pans. Sportsman's Warehouse for Dutch Ovens. Check around! Sometimes the local ACE has a sale,
Kingsford or Royal Oak briquettes may give you better accuracy with hitting desired temperatures. IIRC there are even some cast iron cookbooks that specify how many briquettes above and below the oven for different recipes, but dutch ovens are very forgiving (as long as you don't touch 'em when they're hot:what:)
 
This is funny...

I come out of the bathroom at Walmart and she is in the camping section trying to shove a 24'' high queen size air mattress under the cart. I said ehem! what are you doing? She jumped and turned around with a giant smile and started laughing! She says I am getting ready for our camping trip! lol. I said I don't know if that giant mattress will fit inside my tent. Oh, well we need to buy a bigger tent then don't we? I told her lets set my tent up, make sure its not crap, get the air bed and see if it fits and if it does we will use what we got. She started grabbing pots and pan sets, lanterns, grill stuff, etc. I said slow down killer one thing at a time.
 
She must like you. ;):D

She is "nesting" to spend quality time with you and create happy memories.

I knew when I was dating my wife she had potential to be my wife when she showed interest in my hobbies (camping, riding sand dunes with quads/4x4s, hiking mountains, fishing/oceans, shooting/USPSA, BBQ, etc.) and my dog.

She WANTED me to be HAPPY, pursuing my interests and hobbies because they DEFINED who I am.

After 24 years of happy memories camping all over the state, I too have returned the favor and helped my wife pursue her interests and hobbies so she too can be HAPPY defining her self.

At our retirement acreage with 150-200+ feet redwood trees she says she is "camping" everyday, just with a really big 1800 sq ft tent along with her chickens, turkeys, mini piglets and 3 dogs.

My next retirement project is to build her a tree house to take her afternoon naps. :D

"Nesting" is good. If you like her, do whatever you can to make her comfortable. Since we camped often, I quickly ditched my small tent for a large stand up dome tent and bought a 3" thick queen size memory foam mattress topper and 2 comfy zip-together sleeping bags. Believe me, everyone is happier when girlfriend/wife gets a good night's rest. ;)

While cooking over open fire is romantic, I always packed propane stove and non-stick frying pan. Wife likes her coffee in the morning and percolator on propane stove is eazy. And of course, wife's favorite ribeye steaks were always the highlight entree along with Hebrew National beef hotdog/sausages for me.

Whether "rough" camping or pampered at resorts, as long as you are with the right person, it's the companionship that will matter whether you are dining on hotdogs cooked on open fire or eating ribeye steaks at high-end steakhouses.

Some of fondest memories from our 20s-30s dating are from sleeping in my old 4x4 truck eating cheap food but enjoying the same mesmerising star lit night sky over a campfire. Good times.
 
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This is funny...

I come out of the bathroom at Walmart and she is in the camping section trying to shove a 24'' high queen size air mattress under the cart. I said ehem! what are you doing? She jumped and turned around with a giant smile and started laughing! She says I am getting ready for our camping trip! lol. I said I don't know if that giant mattress will fit inside my tent. Oh, well we need to buy a bigger tent then don't we? I told her lets set my tent up, make sure its not crap, get the air bed and see if it fits and if it does we will use what we got. She started grabbing pots and pan sets, lanterns, grill stuff, etc. I said slow down killer one thing at a time.

Get the bigger tent so you can fit the queen size mattress. Trust me.
 
Without reading through the replies I say this:
Spring clothes pegs and paracord come in handy for a multitude of things. Pack plenty.
Yes cast iron should be seasoned..
I pack a stovetop espresso maker.
 
she is in the camping section trying to shove a 24'' high queen size air mattress under the cart. I said ehem! what are you doing? She jumped and turned around with a giant smile and started laughing! She says I am getting ready for our camping trip
Translation: Maybe she WANTS YOU to be COMFORTABLE too. ;)

I said I don't know if that giant mattress will fit inside my tent. Oh, well we need to buy a bigger tent then don't we? I told her lets set my tent up, make sure its not crap, get the air bed and see if it fits and if it does we will use what we got.
Translation: She picked out the bed to give you a clue to build the tent around the bed. For men, bed is often an afterthought, a place where we crash. For women, it means much more, perhaps "mating chamber" or comfortable snuggle place of intimacy.

Yes, we went through the "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus" only to find out men are indeed from Mars and women are indeed from Venus! :eek: We are wired differently and have different perspectives. Which by the way, is not bad and sometimes OK. Now, when men starts acting like they are from Venus and women are forced to act like they are from Mars ... Trouble for relationship/marriage. :D

She started grabbing pots and pan sets, lanterns, grill stuff, etc.
Did I mention she is "nesting"? Perhaps she is not only fulfilling her "dreams" but also trying hard to make the camping trip memorable FOR YOU as well?

I did lightweight packing and solo hiking in my early 20s before I met my wife. When we started camping together, my lightweight gear got set aside for HEAVY but COMFORTABLE camping gear. Our camping trips became less of hiking journeys and more and more tailgate/campsite camping which moved towards family centered camping as children came along. In fact, our baby daughter slept through the night for the first time when we camped at the beach campground. Being able to hear the ocean waves crashing instead of a screaming baby was confirmation that we were meant to be camping at the beach instead of toiling at the house for the weekend sleep deprived.

Who knows, maybe it's just a camping trip. But I bet it's way better to be sleeping next to your girlfriend than couple of hairy snoring hunting buddies. ;)
 
Translation: Maybe she WANTS YOU to be COMFORTABLE too. ;)


Translation: She picked out the bed to give you a clue to build the tent around the bed. For men, bed is often an afterthought, a place where we crash. For women, it means much more, perhaps "mating chamber" or comfortable snuggle place of intimacy.

Yes, we went through the "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus" only to find out men are indeed from Mars and women are indeed from Venus! :eek: We are wired differently and have different perspectives. Which by the way, is not bad and sometimes OK. Now, when men starts acting like they are from Venus and women are forced to act like they are from Mars ... Trouble for relationship/marriage. :D


Did I mention she is "nesting"? Perhaps she is not only fulfilling her "dreams" but also trying hard to make the camping trip memorable FOR YOU as well?

I did lightweight packing and solo hiking in my early 20s before I met my wife. When we started camping together, my lightweight gear got set aside for HEAVY but COMFORTABLE camping gear. Our camping trips became less of hiking journeys and more and more tailgate/campsite camping which moved towards family centered camping as children came along. In fact, our baby daughter slept through the night for the first time when we camped at the beach campground. Being able to hear the ocean waves crashing instead of a screaming baby was confirmation that we were meant to be camping at the beach instead of toiling at the house for the weekend sleep deprived.

Who knows, maybe it's just a camping trip. But I bet it's way better to be sleeping next to your girlfriend than couple of hairy snoring hunting buddies. ;)
I agree with you on all accounts. I have most the stuff and offered to buy everything but we battle all the time because she always wants to buy stuff.
 
Are you ready for marriage? .... Because that is what she's getting ready for.
Not quite yet. Still have another year of school to finish up and then maybe. She is great and even if the trip went to hell it would be fun cause I’m with her. She wants to go when we hunt and I said no. She’s city girl and loves animals so last thing I need to do is bring back dead animals.
 
Talked about it tonight and she says no state park I wanna primitive camp in the state forest. I’m completely cool with digging a hole and pooping in it! I just about spit pop all over my windshield. She said my tents fine, wants an air mattress, just bought a Dutch oven, wants to cook on fire no propane. I’m bringing my propane stove anyway. Kind of have her talked into cots instead of air bed. She wants the whole experience but agreed to the state park with shower and toilets the first trip and primitive the next. I’m not completely new to camping just never actually did it the proper way or with a girl. I would lay in a soaked tent for 5 days and eat chicken noodles soup for a week and not care.


If you go primitive.. Bring lot of babywipes. Like 3 or 4 big packs.

Start at the top of your head and work south. Women should always wipe front to back.
 
Well this isn't going to work very well. The state campground we wanted to go to is booked every weekend for the next 6 months. They offer free primitive camping and when they say primitive they mean it. 4x4 trucks needed and all. If we must go this route I will setup a smaller tent with a porta jon in there for her. There is a private campground that's $40 night with a crap ton of restrictions that I'm going to look into. I may call the state campground and ask what the deal is with tent sites being booked months in advance.
 
There is a private campground that's $40 night with a crap ton of restrictions that I'm going to look into.

I think I would start with a $40 private one first, unless you know someone that owns land.

We have had lots of first time campers at our farm in my lifetime and even more before I was born. More than a few didn’t make it through a weekend without coming to the cabin but some never even set foot inside.

I have only camped public a few times and how that works out is very dependent on who is around you. Booked for half a year sounds like a place I would avoid for a romantic getaway or even just quiet time.
 
I come out of the bathroom at Walmart and she is in the camping section trying to shove a 24'' high queen size air mattress under the cart. I said ehem! what are you doing? She jumped and turned around with a giant smile and started laughing! She says I am getting ready for our camping trip! lol. I said I don't know if that giant mattress will fit inside my tent. Oh, well we need to buy a bigger tent then don't we? I told her lets set my tent up, make sure its not crap, get the air bed and see if it fits and if it does we will use what we got. She started grabbing pots and pan sets, lanterns, grill stuff, etc. I said slow down killer one thing at a time.

Ah well you're rapidly approaching glamour camping aka Glamping. You might as well look into bed frames you can modify to break down and put on the roof of your car.
BED FRAME.jpg

Cause this is where it sounds like she's headed

BED FRAME @.jpg

LD
 
What State are you in? Maybe "locals" can give advice on the availability of less crowded campgrounds.
If you're in Central CA, I can suggest a few.
 
Well this isn't going to work very well. The state campground we wanted to go to is booked every weekend for the next 6 months.
LIFE HAPPENS but how we choose to respond DEFINES US.

Things may never go the way you had planned in life but as I already posted, if you are with the "right" person, it doesn't matter where you go and what you do and what you eat ... It's ALL GOOD. ;):D Just have a lot of contingency plans and go with the flow and have fun.

During our dating years, we did stupid last minute things like, "It's Friday afternoon, let's chase the sunset to the coast for the weekend!" :eek: With nothing packed, we jumped in my truck and chased the sunset and had great time "caveman" rough camping at the beach riding the sand dunes on quads. On many trips to the beach without planning when all the lodging were sold out, we slept many trips in the truck bed and even inside the single cab with our legs going crazy half way to the beach one night because we had quads loaded in the bed and we were extremely tired. Wife never complained about what we ate. Even Taco Bell or McDonalds was fine with her although I always tried to get her at least one good meal or two each day at a sit down restaurant. On one trip, we packed so little clothing that we had to do a load of wash at the laundromat. Good times.

She is great and even if the trip went to hell it would be fun cause I’m with her. She wants to go when we hunt and I said no. She’s city girl and loves animals so last thing I need to do is bring back dead animals.
I grew up riding dirt bikes in the Mojave/Red Rock Canyon/Barstow deserts driving out of Los Angeles. Early in our 24 years together, wife wanted to go camping/shooting in the desert to ride quads but I told her there were no services and no showers/bathroom facilities for comfort and I suggested we stay with coastal dune camping with showers/bathrooms and restaurants nearby.

Well, she is Irish/Scottish/Cherokee with a strong will (I was forewarned by EVERYONE) and however primitive the camping trip, she still wanted to go. So I bought a detachable tank porta potty and other necessities along with 2 spare tires (I always carried 2 spares to the desert and in one trip, had to use both spares to get back), off we went totally primitive camping out in the middle of ******** desert. To my surprise, even through sand blasting wind storms, skin blistering hot sun, absent of any services, she was a trooper and time we spent looking at the mesmerizing night sky with a campfire eating simple food transformed my strong willed girlfriend into a huggable soulmate. Waking up to sand covered truck/quads with stiff/sore back with cow licked hair and squatting to use the porta potty wasn't ideal but made us laugh at each other like we were children and returning to civilization sun burnt and absolutely physically drained from rough riding quads on desert canyon terrain/dry river beds created bonding at fundamental level that persevered through 24 years.

Ultimately looking back, where we camped or what we did was secondary. What mattered was we created lasting memories TOGETHER. It did not matter what brand of trucks, quads, sleeping bags we used or where we ate from. What mattered was we became companions who wanted to share life's journey together whether pleasant or less than comfortable. I believe us rough camping proved to each other that we would be supportive of each other through rougher times in life as we were willing to overlook the minor discomforts of camping which later translated to us overlooking minor imperfections of marriage/family life when times got hard.

So to your girlfriend, rough camping, even hunting may not just be a "camping trip" but rather a test of life/marriage with you. Seeing how you respond/resolve camping issues and problems may speak to her heart loudly as to how you may respond/resolve life/marriage issues and problems. If you are resourceful with contingency camping plans and still have fun, you may also be resourceful with contingencies of life/marriage when things don't go as planned. ;)

Best that I can suggest is regardless what you do with your girlfriend, make her comfort your priority. If whatever the camping trip or time you spent together is focused on her and creating happy memories together, she will likely go to the ends of the world with you.
 
LIFE HAPPENS but how we choose to respond DEFINES US.

Things may never go the way you had planned in life but as I already posted, if you are with the "right" person, it doesn't matter where you go and what you do and what you eat ... It's ALL GOOD. ;):D Just have a lot of contingency plans and go with the flow and have fun.

During our dating years, we did stupid last minute things like, "It's Friday afternoon, let's chase the sunset to the coast for the weekend!" :eek: With nothing packed, we jumped in my truck and chased the sunset and had great time "caveman" rough camping at the beach riding the sand dunes on quads. On many trips to the beach without planning when all the lodging were sold out, we slept many trips in the truck bed and even inside the single cab with our legs going crazy half way to the beach one night because we had quads loaded in the bed and we were extremely tired. Wife never complained about what we ate. Even Taco Bell or McDonalds was fine with her although I always tried to get her at least one good meal or two each day at a sit down restaurant. On one trip, we packed so little clothing that we had to do a load of wash at the laundromat. Good times.


I grew up riding dirt bikes in the Mojave/Red Rock Canyon/Barstow deserts driving out of Los Angeles. Early in our 24 years together, wife wanted to go camping/shooting in the desert to ride quads but I told her there were no services and no showers/bathroom facilities for comfort and I suggested we stay with coastal dune camping with showers/bathrooms and restaurants nearby.

Well, she is Irish/Scottish/Cherokee with a strong will (I was forewarned by EVERYONE) and however primitive the camping trip, she still wanted to go. So I bought a detachable tank porta potty and other necessities along with 2 spare tires (I always carried 2 spares to the desert and in one trip, had to use both spares to get back), off we went totally primitive camping out in the middle of ******** desert. To my surprise, even through sand blasting wind storms, skin blistering hot sun, absent of any services, she was a trooper and time we spent looking at the mesmerizing night sky with a campfire eating simple food transformed my strong willed girlfriend into a huggable soulmate. Waking up to sand covered truck/quads with stiff/sore back with cow licked hair and squatting to use the porta potty wasn't ideal but made us laugh at each other like we were children and returning to civilization sun burnt and absolutely physically drained from rough riding quads on desert canyon terrain/dry river beds created bonding at fundamental level that persevered through 24 years.

Ultimately looking back, where we camped or what we did was secondary. What mattered was we created lasting memories TOGETHER. It did not matter what brand of trucks, quads, sleeping bags we used or where we ate from. What mattered was we became companions who wanted to share life's journey together whether pleasant or less than comfortable. I believe us rough camping proved to each other that we would be supportive of each other through rougher times in life as we were willing to overlook the minor discomforts of camping which later translated to us overlooking minor imperfections of marriage/family life when times got hard.

So to your girlfriend, rough camping, even hunting may not just be a "camping trip" but rather a test of life/marriage with you. Seeing how you respond/resolve camping issues and problems may speak to her heart loudly as to how you may respond/resolve life/marriage issues and problems. If you are resourceful with contingency camping plans and still have fun, you may also be resourceful with contingencies of life/marriage when things don't go as planned. ;)

Best that I can suggest is regardless what you do with your girlfriend, make her comfort your priority. If whatever the camping trip or time you spent together is focused on her and creating happy memories together, she will likely go to the ends of the world with you.
Man BDS it sounds like your trying to get me hitched with this girl. :)

We are going to try a private camp ground with showers and toilets that gives 15% off canoe rides and mini golf if you stay there. They have primitive sites in the woods, so we will do those and get the discount on the attractions. We now have another trip planned to Hocking Hills Ohio and horse back rides in the National forest. I have a list of gear I need to find in the garage, basement and barn this week and we maybe leaving this Friday. Things are coming together. Someone gave her a camp fire grate, the air bed went on clearance, weather looks decent. She says she will buy cold coffee in the bottles.
 
Just a heads up on Dutch oven cooking, specifically baking.

The use of charcoal brickets instead of using wood of unknown type/water content/ect turns what can be a witchcraft/art into just following a recipe.

The ratio of top to bottom charcoal and over all amount of charcoal to cook time is crucial, and can be controlled and duplicated much easier with brickets.

And propane stoves instead of campfire grills is so much easier/cleaner/safer/faster/locally enviormently friendly. Camp fires are great for warming up and drying off, but make you stinky/dirty/puts holes in your goretex/gives away your position.

In many areas you have to use self contained stoves that can be immeatly turned off in the forest through times of increasing fire danger when campfires are prohibited but camping is still legal.
 
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We are going to try a private camp ground with showers and toilets that gives 15% off canoe rides and mini golf if you stay there. They have primitive sites in the woods, so we will do those and get the discount on the attractions. We now have another trip planned to Hocking Hills Ohio and horse back rides in the National forest. I have a list of gear I need to find in the garage, basement and barn this week and we maybe leaving this Friday. Things are coming together. Someone gave her a camp fire grate, the air bed went on clearance, weather looks decent. She says she will buy cold coffee in the bottles.
Awesome!

Man BDS it sounds like your trying to get me hitched with this girl. :)
You never know. Life is short and we all grow old and die and stuff. :D

Wife said the girlfriend sure looks like trying. :p

Have fun!
 
Awesome!


You never know. Life is short and we all grow old and die and stuff. :D

Wife said the girlfriend sure looks like trying. :p

Have fun!
She just drove 20min one way to have lunch with me at work the second day in a row. She says I am so excited I'm going to Walmart tonight to buy stuff. Thanks for the tips and advice. :)
 
Anything to help a fellow THR member enjoy life! :D

Wife and I are retiring this year (July 5th) and we can't believe how 24 years flew by. Life, sure is short.

Looking back, we wished we fussed less about details of camping and just enjoyed the moment/each other more. And it didn't matter how much we spent on food all those 24 years, in the end, it all worked out.

So, knock yourselves out and enjoy the "finer" things in camping life now together ... You will thank me in 20 years. ;) I guuuuaaaaroooonnnnteeeeeee. :D
 
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