camping

[J White]

Well, I finally made it camping, sort of. We went and got a spot this
morning and set up camp, then I came to work. What I'm wanting to
talk about is, does it amaze ya'll how people will let their kids run around
unsupervised? This morning at about 7:30, a little girl about my oldest's
age (8) rode up on her bike and asked if my daughter could play with her.
I thought, "how sweet" and said why, of course. While I was still there,
her Mom stopped by and asked if we had seen her, (unconcerned) and
we said yes, she is in the camper (ours) watching videos with our kids.
Mom says Ok and that she's leaving to go home or something.
Wife called while ago and said girl's Dad stopped by to say he was going
up to the other campground for awhile. They let her go to the beach
with my wife and kids. My wife called while ago and said she hated to,
but she finally had to tell the girl to go back to her camper, she was eating
everything in sight and bossing my youngest (4) around. I have no gripe
with the little girl, kids will be kids, and it seems that she pretty well has
to fend for herself - but I can't believe, in these times that they will let
the kid run around like that. They don't know us from Adam - we NEVER
let ours out of our sight or let them go in anybody else's camper unless
we've really got to know them over several days. Amazing...

[GlenC]

Well, I finally made it camping, sort of. We went and got a spot this
morning and set up camp, then I came to work. What I'm wanting to
talk about is, does it amaze ya'll how people will let their kids run around
unsupervised? This morning at about 7:30, a little girl about my oldest's
age (8) rode up on her bike and asked if my daughter could play with her.
I thought, "how sweet" and said why, of course. While I was still there,
her Mom stopped by and asked if we had seen her, (unconcerned) and
we said yes, she is in the camper (ours) watching videos with our kids.
Mom says Ok and that she's leaving to go home or something.
Wife called while ago and said girl's Dad stopped by to say he was going
up to the other campground for awhile. They let her go to the beach
with my wife and kids. My wife called while ago and said she hated to,
but she finally had to tell the girl to go back to her camper, she was eating
everything in sight and bossing my youngest (4) around. I have no gripe
with the little girl, kids will be kids, and it seems that she pretty well has
to fend for herself - but I can't believe, in these times that they will let
the kid run around like that. They don't know us from Adam - we NEVER
let ours out of our sight or let them go in anybody else's camper unless
we've really got to know them over several days. Amazing...

Sadly I have seen this several times when we used to go Camping/Quad riding at the beach. At times there would be thousands of people camping/quad riding on the beach. Kids ranging from probably 5yrs old all the way up into thier teens would constantly come walking or riding through our camp with no adults anywhere to be seen.

[fishman247]

i member back when i was jist a youngun, mom would say "why dont you go play in the road".......but i also remember getting my butt whooped if i got close to it..

I agree way too many unsupervised children running around..........i'm sure none of the fine people here on this board would harm a child,but leaving my child in a camper with strangers would not happen....for all they knew you could hook up and go home with their kid with you and they would have no idea as to where you went or when you left....just a shame

[CrappieLips]

J White;;; I agree there is too many unsuperviised children, We have two granddaughters 8 & 14 we do a lot of RVing, most of the parks we stay at kid's will come over to our rv to play with our girls then when they want them to come over to their spot we find out exactly where it's at and to check back in one hour don't go in, and keep each other in site at all times, I feel that 99% of RV parks are safe, I have only heard of a couple of times in the 20 years of RVing that someone has been harmed but it's always safe to keep an eye out for your kids and other peoples too.

[crappiefishergirl]

yeah, that's been our experience too. i find this at camp grounds and at playgrounds. in a way it's negligence. i want to care for the kid cuz their parents aren't, but they aren't my kids and if something were to happen i'm sure i'd be sued!

[J White]

Well, we survived the camping trip, but man, was it hot! The little
girl ended up staying at our site more than hers, and it was ok -
she is a nice little girl, just a little more rambunctious than her parents can keep up with. I did notice that her dad's boat had B.A.S.S. stickers on it -
thats probably the root of the whole problem :D KIDDING!

[Moose1am]

Well Jeff after it cools down some I am going to plan a few camping trips up to Patoka this fall. I just got me a coleman electric cooler tonight and I am testing it out. I am hoping it will keep my stuff cold without me having to constantly buy ice for a chest cooler. The only trouble is that I can't let it get wet. It has to be protected from water. It's small enough to ride in the passenger seat of my pickup truck and it operated on 12 V DC power so I can plug it into my trucks cigarette lighter and keep the food cool while going to the camp ground and back. And once I get there I have an 110AC to 12V DC power adaptor that I can plug into an AC outlet that will provide me with 12 V dc power for the cooler while at the camp site. I suspect that I will have to put it inside my tent. Which is my other problem. My tent's rain fly is ruined and I need either a new fly or a new tent. Found a new 12ft by 10ft by 6ft tall tent at Walmart tonight for only about 50 bucks. It sleeps six and it's domed shaped like my Euraka Andirondack Tent which I have had since 1986. The Eurika Tent has served me well and went though a very bad storm while I was camping at Patoka Lake and I didn't get wet at all. The tent almost collaped at 4 am in the morning due to the high winds and the fact that I camped out on a tall bluff where the winds were blowing harder than if I had camped back in the trees. But the tent held up and didn't leak at all. I sealed all the seams really good when I first got it.

So now I need a new tent or I need to order a new tent fly for my tent. The new fly cost about 55 bucks. I already called the Eurika people and got a price for a new fly. I am debating what to do. I probaby will just get a new tent and disk this old one or sell it on Ebay or something.. Not sure it's worth very much but the tent is in good shape other than the fly fell apart when those two girls grabed it and put thier sharp fingernails into the rain fly and tore holes in it. But the fly was old and it already had one small tear in it that I was going to have to fix somehow. So it's was time and the girls were just trying to help. Afterall they could have let the tent just continue to blow down the road. They were nice enough to stop their car and get out and bring my tent back to my yard. So I need to thank them for that good deed.

Well, we survived the camping trip, but man, was it hot! The little
girl ended up staying at our site more than hers, and it was ok -
she is a nice little girl, just a little more rambunctious than her parents can keep up with. I did notice that her dad's boat had B.A.S.S. stickers on it -
thats probably the root of the whole problem :D KIDDING!

[papasage]

those 12 volt colers onley keep the temp down a % of the outside temps .adding a cool pack or a zip lock bag of ice will help . they work like a heat pump .with the hot outside temps it want keep it real cold . i have 3 of them .one i used this past weakin . kept it in the motorhome with the air on .use it in the den for drinks for the grand kids . git it cold befor your trip will help . keep it in a shade .

[KARL]

...Hey Moose, if you got 110v at campsite why not just get cheap/used small dorm-sized frig for your stuff....keep in tent...you can get em size of large cooler..just another idea...good luck..