I've often thought about this. My first impulse would be to say every weekend, but I can't help but wonder if camping every weekend would over time cause my camping trips to become a bit ordinary.
A big part of what I love about camping is that when I do go, I feel as if I have just escaped a life that has gotten a bit too stressful and a bit too complicated. We unwind as we hike, kayak, go fishing and enjoy the outdoors. I enjoy the feeling of escape.
I guess for now I'll just have to say that I don't go camping nearly enough and I guess I hope I will always feel that way. I don't want to reach a day when I feel like I go camping entirely too much.
How about you.
I think if I could go everyweekend would be great... but it wouldn't be as special, as it is now knowing we are away from the house... But when we camp its alot of work, with cooking, dish washing, walking the dog, and starting the fire.... and we call that fun...:yikes: We have toyed with getting a permanent site with a TT, to go away for the weekends and would would still be doing the same things as we do with the PUP... So my answer would be more than we did this year... we did 3 camping trips one of them being a week long.
I would like to go camping maybe once a month or so. Then if we could take a week off here and there, possibly a couple of times a year I think would be great for us.
It has been August since we last went out and that was for a week.
Our next time planned is for October 2, 3 with another couple that have just started to camp with a pup.
It is a lot of work to camp but it also lets us appreciate our "comforts" when we return home like our own showers, etc.
Having been on one trip where we camped for 56 nights in a row (in 17 states), and on a second occasion where our only home was our pop-up for about 5 weeks, I would camp a lot more than we actually do.
I think we'd camp almost every weekend from mid-May until the end of June, and then a few weeks on the road during the summer, then almost every weekend from September to mid-October. Also, a few week-long or two-week long trips into warmer climates during the spring and fall would be nice.
Austin
During camping season (May - November), I'd love to go every 3 weeks. More importantly, I'd like to go for longer trips. Most of ours are Fri-Sun and its nice when we can extend it by a extra day.
About 2 months ago, we sat down and did our 2010 budget. We knew that we were buying a new truck but determined that would make no negative impact on our camping schedule. We figured that we would continue to camp 2, 3-day weekends per month, as long as we could keep the cost of the campsite reservations to an average of about $25 per night (we camped a lot at Pt Mugu @ $15 per night).
Last month, CA decided to nearly double the campsite fees at all of the State Parks and possibly close many of the parks that we like most (including Pt Mugu). This has severely impacted our budget (we do our budget in total dollars, not camping nights).
As we would like to continue camping @ about 20 camp-outs a year, it just isn't financially freezable or responsible.
I have also noticed that very few SCCAMPERS are talking about future camp-outs, even though some insist that the price increase will not effect their camping schedule.
The bottom line is, people everywhere, are very concerned about their finances and budgeting for the future. Those of us with any financial savvy at all, realize that this country is in for a pretty dramatic inflationary period. The more that the gvm't messes with the natural order of a capitalist society, the more that this inflationary period OR the advent of Socialism is inevitable. This has the national "Personal Savings Rate" on the increase and spending is down. Anyone that says that these price increases will not effect their camping budget is either independently wealthy (which we aren't), financially irresponsible or they are kidding themselves.
I'd be VERY happy with one weekend a month (some of them 3-nighters), and a 2-week trip or so during the summer. :D
If we had a campground nearby that I really enjoyed I wouldn't mind going every other weekend but in our present circumstanced I would be happy with once a month.
I guess I will just wait for retirement (20 years:confused:). As long as gasoline doesn't get out of control again we are planning on cruising the US and going where ever the wind takes us. I can't wait!!
Jacqui
I go as often as I can- I have 3 trips planned this month alone and next month 2 trips-
I don't mind the work that goes along with camping as most of my camping friends can say- It makes the work week- seem just a little easier
I thank God for the friends that I have made camping, and if I had not camped I would of never meet most of them.
THANK GOD FOR FRIENDS:sombraro:
Quote from: cndlzrus;210585I think if I could go everyweekend would be great... but it wouldn't be as special, as it is now knowing we are away from the house... But when we camp its alot of work, with cooking, dish washing, walking the dog, and starting the fire.... and we call that fun...:yikes: We have toyed with getting a permanent site with a TT, to go away for the weekends and would would still be doing the same things as we do with the PUP... So my answer would be more than we did this year... we did 3 camping trips one of them being a week long.
You would think that a permanent place would make you camp more. We no longer have a camper due to DD getting braces (hard choice), but we have always had a cabin at a lake 30 minutes from our home. Love it there, no big roads nearby, love watching nature, swimming, and just being away from the everyday hussle of life. But how many nights have we spent there this year? Two nights in June, one night in July and one night in September. Would I sell it because we are not going there a lot now? Never!!! With three kids and school and sports it is hard to get a free weekend just to sit down. But gotta love it!!
We try to get out at least twice a month for five nights at a time however with the new Cal prices and with gas prices creeping up it does make a dent in the budget. We are retired and must count our pennies. We'll just keep trying to get out as many times a year that we can... Hubby's health popped it's ugly head a few mo's back and it showed us how important everyday we have together is and it's now we must make the time.......One never knows when it'll all come to an end.
We love to camp and we love camping with our SCCampers family
We have plans to full time in a few years. I guess our answer would be every day.:-()
I go nearly every weekend, plus two 10 day trips every year. I don't feel it get's old, as I try to go to different parks every month.
I'd like to do a week or so a month until I've downsized and eliminated more of my responsibilities, then, I'd like to try a 'month on the road', a month home, with the intent to full-time upon the horizon.
As to places to camp, if I were to go this route, my campground memberships would make it a very affordable avenue.
This year has been semi-sucky for camping - - too many household and financial responsibilities. Only got in 2 trips - one for 12 nights and another for another 10 or so nights. Might have another one or two quick trips later this year - we shall see.
We've gone once a month this year except for July. That's about right. If I had a Class C or A RV I'd like to try 6 months on/off. We did a 2 week trip in June down the coast of Oregon and CA. I was ready to come home after two weeks mainly from the stress of knowing that I needed to be back at work, if I didn't have to do that it would have been much more relaxing. That and the Tow Vehicle threw a code and I had left my OBDII reader at home.
Quote from: wavery;210599Anyone that says that these price increases will not effect their camping budget is either independently wealthy (which we aren't), financially irresponsible or they are kidding themselves.
There is a third option: Some of us are cutting out other fun stuff to be able to still go camping.
Austin
My absolute ideal would be every day, but not in the popup. Instead I would like to be bicycle touring/camping cross country.
Since I don't have the time or money to do that now, I am quite happy with camping in the popup one long weekend per month, starting with Easter and camping through Thanksgiving, with a week-long trip in between.
Quote from: AustinBoston;210739There is a third option: Some of us are cutting out other fun stuff to be able to still go camping.
Austin
The only other "Fun stuff" that we could cut out would be eating (and we don't eat out).
We purchased a home in 2006 (DUH!!) and had a 7-year plan to pay it off and retire (2013). That's pretty aggressive but we are still on track (although it would be nice if the property value wasn't declining at about the same rate that we are paying it off :p) and our budget is important to us.
If someone is a regular camper (like a lot of us), this price increase will have to effect that person in some way. To say that it will have no effect is not facing reality. It has to effect something unless that person can go to his employer and say, "Hey, they just doubled my camping fees and I need a $200 a month raise" and the employer agrees (I wanta work for that guy).
I would like try full timing it for a while to see if I get sick of camping.
It's not likely. :U
We went about 35 nights this year; and have a few more on the calendar. That seems right. A week at spring break, a week in the summer and a bunch of 2 and 3 night campouts between spring and fall. The kids think that's too much, but getting away from work, email and the phone have been heavenly for me and the missus.
jps
We try to get out once a month, can not always reach that goal. We try to keep thing as cost efficient as we can and still enjoy ourselves. Wavery is right about cost. Everything is going up except our wages and that is the trend for now. Mark
We're leaving tomorrow for 12 days.....Can't wait....
In prior years, we used to camp one long weekend each month of the year, so about twelve times a year. Being that we live in GA, it was possible.
In my last place of employment, I would average a paid vacation day every three weeks and was not allowed to carry them over, so that was the determining factor for us.
This was a perfect amount of trips for us.
Now-a-days, it's down to 4-5 long weekends a year.
Every other weekend would be great, with a couple of week to ten day long trips in the summer. However, like many of us here, the budget is a factor. As much as I say that we still have to eat, so the groceries aren't a factor we do spend extra on things like firewood, bug spray, batteries, etc. Add the cost of the site and we spend close to $100 on a weekend trip. Fortunately we live in an area with many campsites close by, so gas is a small percentage of the camping budget. This year we have been out eight weekends and one eight day trip, between May to Sept. Much more this year than the past two, thankfully. One final trip planned Oct 23-25. If we lived in a warmer climate we would keep camping all year.
Since I live in Southwest Missouri and I am surrounded by beautiful lakes with great corp's campgrounds I try to go every other weekend during the warmer months and a couple of cool weather times to boot. I find the time spent at the campgrounds relaxing and talking with fellow campers to be very re-generative for my inner peace.