Tent Camping (or not!)

I wonder if I've gotten too spoiled to do tent camping anymore. I tent camped up until I got the Pup less than 4 years ago, but going back would seem hard. I still have tents. But having the PUP sure does make camping easier, comfy, and convenient.

I've still got all the tent-camping stuff. I may give it a whirl either in the spring or the fall. Anyone else interested in a back-to-the-tent trip? (I'm not talking about real backpacking or anything though.) Maybe at a cherokee nat'l forrest campground on the Watagua lake?

I'm also interested in a canoe trip on the Watagua river from Wilber Dam down to Sycamore Schoals Park. I have an old Coleman Canoe. I'm thinking a little paddling, a little fishing, and perhaps a night in a tent on an Island in the river someplace. Here's the story that got me going on this idea. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1850331/canoeing_down_the_watauga_river.html
another is at: http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?1430
Anyone else want to try?

Haven't tent camped since I was a kid. I don't think I could ever go back to those days. I am to spoiled, with all my luxuries.

Coolbreeze1

I agree with cool.. did my share of sleeping on the ground. I want a bed and AC.

Sounds like I may have to go back to my original camping club for the canoe and tent camping. You know, Boy Scouts of America.

Richard wrote:Sounds like I may have to go back to my original camping club for the canoe and tent camping. You know, Boy Scouts of America.

Now we know that Richard is getting old. He's trying to relive his youth

Coolbreeze1

Hey, I'm turning 50 in April. It's time for my mid-life crisis, but I just don't want to buy a big motorcycle and have a fling with a coctail waitress. I'll just relive my tent camping days instead. It will likely take only one night.

Richard wrote:Hey, I'm turning 50 in April. It's time for my mid-life crisis, but I just don't want to buy a big motorcycle and have a fling with a coctail waitress. I'll just relive my tent camping days instead. It will likely take only one night.

That's probably a good ideal, plus it could be cheaper

Coolbreeze1

Richard wrote:Sounds like I may have to go back to my original camping club for the canoe and tent camping. You know, Boy Scouts of America.

I was a boy scout, our troop did some great camping, I have many fond memories of those trips. It was on one of those trips when I first came face to face with a bear in the wild. It just came sauntering into the campsite late one night (probebly smelled food) and rummeged through the all our stuff. I remember sitting at the door of my tent watching this beast when I looked past him to the tent directly across the site and there stood our troop leader standing outside the front of his tent with his 375 magnum in his right hand. We both just watched until the bear apparently grew bored with our site and lumbered off into the woods. My troop leader stood by the fire for some time before returning to his tent. I don't know if he knew I was awake or not but I couldn't sleep a wink the rest of the night. That poor bear has no idea how close he came to meeting his maker. I felt pretty safe around Mr Taylor (our troop leader).

See Tim, my bear fears are not unfounded. We didn't have bears in South Alabama, just Alligators, and they stayed in the lake or the swamp.

Still, I've not seen a wild bear in 4 years of living in Tennessee.

I also never saw a shark while scuba diving and spearfishing for about 10 years. We saw some from the boat while on the way to the dive site, but I didn't see any while diving. This is not to say they never saw me.

I just knew that when I read the word BEAR in Alan's post, you would reply to it Richard. Notice also the bear didn't bother anybody. Plus how many years ago that this happened.

Coolbreeze1

coolbreeze1 wrote:I just knew that when I read the word BEAR in Alan's post, you would reply to it Richard. Notice also the bear didn't bother anybody. Plus how many years ago that this happened.

Coolbreeze1

I was 13 then and I'm 43 now, 30 years.

The last time I tent camped was around June 1970 Trying to stay dry from rain durning the monsoons In Viet Nam that cured me of tent camping and I really don't like camping when raining either but with a coach I can handle it I'm tough Yea right LOL thinking it has a shower,Microwave,TV.AC,Heat,Stove.Ref,Queen bed with a slect comford bed to adjust pressure for back,Water tank,Genny, do I need to say more well tough wimp maybe LOL. Crawford

I've always wanted to canoe the The Big South Fork National River and National Recreation Area which lies along the border with Kentucky, encompassing nearly 125,000 acres of scenic river valleys.

This is from:
http://americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/1719/

River Description
Big South Fork of the Cumberland is one of the hidden crown jewels of the Cumberland Plateau in East Tennessee. Formed by New River and Clear Fork near Oneida, Tennessee, this class II-IV run offers a big water adventure through a cliff lined gorge that is accessible only at a few points. Bring a playboat, river-runner, canoe, or raft. This run is truly a wilderness whitewater adventure.

In order to float the wilderness portion, an overnight camp is required. When the river is up and the water is flowing, parts of the river can run class V!

You want to see if you can make it to 50 Richard? I'll tackle this one with you, if you are really experienced with your canoe.

Craig

Hey Craig, Maybe. It's been years since I canoed in a river at all. Even when I'm back in top form, I'll be a bit leary of class IV and V in a canoe, especially my heavy and heavily patched old plastic Coleman. I'm going to have to run a few I and II just to work up to a III. If I survive those, I may just take you up on it. Still, my adventures aren't true thrills anymore. It takes me too long to heal these days.

Hi Richard,

I hear you. I sure wouldn't float the New River during high water... LOL

And, your right. In this type of environment, with the necessity to carry supplies in order to wilderness camp, a tip-over could be disaster.

Fun to think about though.....

Craig

Richard wrote:

Gawain wrote:I've always wanted to canoe the The Big South Fork National River and National Recreation Area which lies along the border with Kentucky, encompassing nearly 125,000 acres of scenic river valleys.

This is from:
http://americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/1719/

River Description
Big South Fork of the Cumberland is one of the hidden crown jewels of the Cumberland Plateau in East Tennessee. Formed by New River and Clear Fork near Oneida, Tennessee, this class II-IV run offers a big water adventure through a cliff lined gorge that is accessible only at a few points. Bring a playboat, river-runner, canoe, or raft. This run is truly a wilderness whitewater adventure.

In order to float the wilderness portion, an overnight camp is required. When the river is up and the water is flowing, parts of the river can run class V!

You want to see if you can make it to 50 Richard? I'll tackle this one with you, if you are really experienced with your canoe.

Craig

Hey Craig, Maybe. It's been years since I canoed in a river at all. Even when I'm back in top form, I'll be a bit leary of class IV and V in a canoe, especially my heavy and heavily patched old plastic Coleman. I'm going to have to run a few I and II just to work up to a III. If I survive those, I may just take you up on it. Still, my adventures aren't true thrills anymore. It takes me too long to heal these days.