Am I the only one that camps to relax?

[myright]

I can't imagine that I am the only person that camps to get some relaxation tme in.

I'm going camping this weekend with a friend of mine and all he talks about wanting to do is drink the entire time and spend most of his time cooking and a bunhc of other crap that is anything but what I want to do.

This guy is a pretty close friend, I guess I'm just getting older and the things that interest me are changing.

It's crazy how your interests change and the people you hang around with do also.

I'm going camping this weekend and now I am almost not looking forward to it, because it's all of the sudden turning into work.....

UGH, it sucks getting old. I wish my wife wasn't 8 months pregnant, because she's my all time favorite camping/hiking partner.

Thanks for listening to me vent fellas.

 

[j williams]

Im all for tiping back a few, but I hear ya man. I tend to camp with my drinkin buddies less then my outdoor buddies. Both are fun to me, but I prefer, kickin back with a brewski, and watchin the fire, or reading, and workin skills w/ my sons and wife, who are my favorite people to go with......

 

[tonym]

Yeah we are all getting older and it does suck. But I think your not alone about getting outdoors to relax. When I am out my cell phone is off, I don't think about work, bills, or any other stresses in life. I just concentrte on the what ever task I am doing or just enjoy the quiet. With a 3 year old running around the house I don't get alot of quiet.

 

[theonew]

I hear ya'. I live in NYC, so I really value my time in the woods. Simple and quiet does it best for me

But I'm sure you're still gonna have fun anyway :thumbup:

 

[Guyon]

Car camping is work, but I do it so my three-year-old can get in some outdoor time. Setting up, cooking, cleaning are all chores. But there are also the moments when you get to watch your child or wet a line or see an animal. Those make it worthwhile.

Backpack camping is a little easier. Not as much gear and much easier set-up and take-down of camp.

 

[myright]

Im all for tiping back a few, but I hear ya man. I tend to camp with my drinkin buddies less then my outdoor buddies. Both are fun to me, but I prefer, kickin back with a brewski, and watchin the fire, or reading, and workin skills w/ my sons and wife, who are my favorite people to go with......

I guess that's really what it is. A drinking buddy that really thinks he's a "camper". I hope I can get the best out of the trip because it is the last rip before my wife gives birth to our first child.

I with ya, I like to watch the fire, whittle some wood, light a cigar and just relax in my own thoughts. Surprisingly my wife and I get into the same zone when we camp together and it works well.

I'm bringing my kayak with me so at least I can hit the water on my own.

I mentioned something about hitting the 4 mile loop to hike around some of the park and my buddy kind of chuckled at the idea.

I haven't been camping with this guy in about 10 years and now I'm beginning to remember why. He's an alcoholic in strong denial and it can get pretty annoying. I feel like an a$$hole saying it, but I think I would be better off without the friendship.

UGH - I just want an effing relaxing camping trip.

Like my dad says, it is what you make of it right?

 

[myright]

I hear ya'. I live in NYC, so I really value my time in the woods. Simple and quiet does it best for me

But I'm sure you're still gonna have fun anyway :thumbup:

Yeah, I'm sure I will. I just need to be a bit more positive I guess.

The bottom line is that I'm still getting away for a long weekend and getting to try out a lot of things I've learned on this form.

I'm planning on making that bowl out of hot coals and a peice of lumber that I saw in a recent thread.

 

[theonew]

I'm planning on making that bowl out of hot coals and a peice of lumber that I saw in a recent thread.

Exactly and maybe you'll even turn him on to doing some of these tasks. Its a little shocking though that he chuckled about a four mile hike

 

[ilbruche]

On my 4th of July trip my buddy whipped out a bottle of rum and passed it to me. He said I'm the only person he knows that would refuse the bottle. I don't go out into the woods to get liquored up. One of the best ways to spend my time is lying on a rock soaking up some rays and just listening to the wind in the trees.

 

[j williams]

yeah me and the misses are the same way. It clicks good. I like to get rowdy every once in a while, but I take pleasure in simpler things now. Just hangin, watchin the fire dance, listining to some ben harper, and gettin lost in thought. Im only 27, so still young, but with the stresses of my job, and kids, its what my idea of paradise is.

I have loads of buddies that live for drinkin and gettin all rowdy, and loud, and ive known em forever so, I tolerate em, but honestly I dont see em much nowadays. Kinda just went seperate ways, and hang a few times a year. I guess this is what happens though, and im not complaining.....

Dude kayak, 4mile loop which sounds like your gonna end up doin solo sounds like a good time. It will give ya a chance to slip away, and maybe he will have grub ready and be passed out drunk when you get back! Theres always hope my man.

 

[raindog101]

I hear what you're saying, MR. But like J Williams, I also don't mind tipping back a few around the campfire. I've actually settled down a lot compared to my younger days, when me and my friends were underage, and the reason we went camping was to suck down the brews, make huge fires, and generally do things that weren't too smart. Now I'm more mellow, I like to stay up after the wife and kid have hit the tent, enjoy the fire with a nice cigar, and maybe a few nips off the single malt.

 

[myright]

yeah me and the misses are the same way. It clicks good. I like to get rowdy every once in a while, but I take pleasure in simpler things now. Just hangin, watchin the fire dance, listining to some ben harper, and gettin lost in thought. Im only 27, so still young, but with the stresses of my job, and kids, its what my idea of paradise is.

I have loads of buddies that live for drinkin and gettin all rowdy, and loud, and ive known em forever so, I tolerate em, but honestly I dont see em much nowadays. Kinda just went seperate ways, and hang a few times a year. I guess this is what happens though, and im not complaining.....

Dude kayak, 4mile loop which sounds like your gonna end up doin solo sounds like a good time. It will give ya a chance to slip away, and maybe he will have grub ready and be passed out drunk when you get back! Theres always hope my man.

I'm only 30 and am pretty much the same as how you describe.

I just don't get as rowdy as I used to.

I'll have to take plenty of pics of the trip, especially if my buddy is passed out drunk with his boots in the fire

 

[siguy]

drinking in the woods sounds like a good way to get hurt...

bummer about it not turning out the way you want it to, but you can make the best of it. take the kayak and leave him to mess around at camp.

when i have gone into the woods with my non-camping friends, i feel like a babysitter, always watching out for things and instructing them in how to do different things, often giving up and just doing it for them. it's worth it though if someone gets it and wants to learn more.

so i go it alone or with my woods friends, that way i know that i will be in good company.

my grandma was up visiting last week, and she wanted to take a hike. i told her i was looking at this one 16.5 mile dayhike. she looked ready to pass out then, so i took her on a 1.5 mile walk on sidewalks and backroads to the river instead. she enjoyed it, even though she was nagging me about not swimming in the river and be careful with this or that, and what about the snakes?!?! it was alright though, it was a nice little trip.

^^ moral of that story is keep it short and sweet with non-woods people. (i also ended up carrying her water and camera even though i offered her a pack before leaving. "oh no, i won't need one, its just a short walk")

anyways, make the best of it and enjoy your last trip for the time being. congrats by the way on the on the way child!

 

[j williams]

I hear what you're saying, MR. But like J Williams, I also don't mind tipping back a few around the campfire. I've actually settled down a lot compared to my younger days, when me and my friends were underage, and the reason we went camping was to suck down the brews, make huge fires, and generally do things that weren't too smart. Now I'm more mellow, I like to stay up after the wife and kid have hit the tent, enjoy the fire with a nice cigar, and maybe a few nips off the single malt.

Oh man, I hear that. Bonfire surfing, keg beer, music, frisbee, women swimmin topless, bong hits.... Oh to be young and dumb. We had some great blowouts out in the country,advantage of being young out in the sticks I guess. Thats the nice thing I remember about bein moved here from socal when I was 15....

Im still young, just a little smarter, and a little wiser.

 

[Bushman5]

Most if not all of my friends feel the need to bring the following with them when camping:

- boombox and every kind of music
- powerboats, atvs, motorcycles etc
- their rowdy friends
- 40 - 50 flats of beer
- genset and DVD players, TV's

etc etc etc etc


then during the day while camping, they ABSOLUTELY NEED TO go back into town to get booze, slurpees, Macdonalds food, junk food. sometime several times a day

all weekend they will blast music, rip up the landscape, drink and puke, and text message all day on their cell phones.

me i prefer to find a nice quiet spot, set up my little Lodge cast iron hibachi and stew pot, make a nice stew to simmer all day, kick back, enjoy a few cold beers chilled int he river, sleep, read, bushcraft skills, no phone, no tv, no noise. Peace and queit.


-

 

[ROCK6]

she's my all time favorite camping/hiking partner.

That's how my wife and I are...we both love camping and outdoors activities. We do take a bottle of wine and maybe some beer...but that's for when the kids are down for bed and we can relax together by the campfire. We do a lot of activities...swimming, hiking, rock climbing, canoeing...most of it is physically exhausting, but quite mentally refreshing. My morning cup of Joe or just staring into the fire and listening to the sound of the wind and night critters; having no email, ringing mobile or buzzing Blackberry...that's truly peaceful

You're not getting old, you're just maturing into a professional outdoorsman that gets out to enjoy nature and not relocating your typical activities to an outdoors location.

ROCK6

 

[RescueRiley]

I usually bring a flask to sip at night more for the ambience...Being a 33 yearold irishman that ain't enough to raise the sails anymore but it's nice to kick back and enjoy the flavor of an irish whisky..I might toke a pipe as well (tobacco) but these are more meditative the recreative....I Love bein in the woods.. I need it! SO I definitely want to be sober enough to enjoy it and remember it...Went campin once with a group of friends..I turned in early got up in the middle of the night to facilitate.. and saw a beam of light projectin upward from the ground about 50 yards off..a buddy got so tanked he wandered off and passed out with his headlamp on in the middle of the woods..LOL (talk about covered in ticks..) I'm not cut out for that anymore..it's not the years though, Just the milage...My Right..I get out alot more since I've had my Son..So much of my time is taken up with him and the wife that I make sure all my alone time counts...

 

[j williams]

me i prefer to find a nice quiet spot, set up my little Lodge cast iron hibachi and stew pot, make a nice stew to simmer all day, kick back, enjoy a few cold beers chilled int he river, sleep, read, bushcraft skills, no phone, no tv, no noise.

Thats what im talkin about. Sounds perfect.


Dont you hate it when youre out at a creek campin or somewhere, and those kind of degenerates show up. At least our parties were on private property, they come out loud drunk disrespectfull, and choke you with atv fumes all day. Makes me wanna strip nude and run around with my tomahawk, and my sons floaties and chase them off.

 

[j williams]

I usually bring a flask to sip at night more for the ambience...Being a 33 yearold irishman that ain't enough to raise the sails anymore but it's nice to kick back and enjoy the flavor of an irish whisky..I might toke a pipe as well (tobacco) but these are more meditative the recreative....I Love bein in the woods.. I need it! SO I definitely want to be sober enough to enjoy it and remember it...Went campin once with a group of friends..I turned in early got up in the middle of the night to facilitate.. and saw a beam of light projectin upward from the ground about 50 yards off..a buddy got so tanked he wandered off and passed out with his headlamp on in the middle of the woods..LOL (talk about covered in ticks..) I'm not cut out for that anymore..it's not the years though, Just the milage...My Right..I get out alot more since I've had my Son..So much of my time is taken up with him and the wife that I make sure all my alone time counts...

HAHAHA man I wish I could have seen that. Probably looked like a freakin ufo or something from a distance. At least he had it on so you all could find him. Not the smartest thing to wonder off drunk in the woods....

 

[myright]

I usually bring a flask to sip at night more for the ambience...Being a 33 yearold irishman that ain't enough to raise the sails anymore but it's nice to kick back and enjoy the flavor of an irish whisky..I might toke a pipe as well (tobacco) but these are more meditative the recreative....I Love bein in the woods.. I need it! SO I definitely want to be sober enough to enjoy it and remember it...Went campin once with a group of friends..I turned in early got up in the middle of the night to facilitate.. and saw a beam of light projectin upward from the ground about 50 yards off..a buddy got so tanked he wandered off and passed out with his headlamp on in the middle of the woods..LOL (talk about covered in ticks..) I'm not cut out for that anymore..it's not the years though, Just the milage...My Right..I get out alot more since I've had my Son..So much of my time is taken up with him and the wife that I make sure all my alone time counts...

Glenfiddich will be with me for a little sip at night

Passed out with a headlamp straight up in the air, now that's funny.

It's good to hear that you get out a lot with a kid. Since my wife and I camp and do a lot of things outdoors the kid will have no choice.