Recent car camping experience (not so good)

It has been too hot around here to convince any of my camping friends to go backpacking or camping lately so the last three out of four weekends I have gone car camping by my self. Last weekend I went to a state park in Arkansas. The campsite was nice but I have never been attacked by so many mosquitoes in my life. I shined my flashlight on my legs and there were at least 30 on each leg. However, a truck rode through the campsight spraying a mist that cleared out all of the mosquitoes for about two hours. Then they came back in force. I couln't stand them anymore so I decided to go into my tent. Somehow about 50 had already gotten in there so I thought I would just let them fill themselves up on my blood so they would leave me alone. Actually, they didn't bite very much in the tent.

So I went to bed and it stormed all night long. everytime the thunder woke me up I felt my tent floor to see if it was still dry and it held out pretty well most of the night. However, when I woke up at about 8am it was still storming, I felt the floor and realized I was floating (on an air mattress) in about 4 inches of water. Everything in my tent was either floating or soaked and under water!

It turns out that the platform made for the tent was made out of a square of 8x8 lumber that was only half filled with sand/pebbles. As the rain water ran down the hill it filled the platform the rest of the way and turned it into a little pond.

I was planning on staying another night but at that point everything was soaked and I was actually a little cold.

Oh, well. It was an experience and I thought I'd share.

 

mozzies - try taking some lavender oil with you next time i've found that they don't like it

 

That's not much fun...but atleast you went. I haven't really been camping all summer,none of my friends ever want to go. I have woods all around but I hate to go alone. I hear every little noise....the same thing happens when I build a fire in the field..I sit around a few hours until I start hearing things in the weeds. I convince myself it's a bear or a wild cat...then I go inside lol.

What was the truck spraying,though...pesticide? I don't know which would be worse around your campsite...pesticide or bugs.

 

I'm not sure what it was spraying, either a pesticide or a repellant. I wasn't too content about breathing the mist from the truck but I didn't have much of a choice and it worked wonders on the mosquitoes, at least for a couple of hours.


I occaisionally go in the backcountry by myself. At times it gets a little spooky but I crave that sort of exhiliration sometimes. It tends to be more fun with other cool people, but I can't always find those people when I want to go camping.

 

FeelinGroovy, I hear you, I take off on my own at times out of want, othertimes out of neccessity.... We are pretty close to each other, give me a holler if you need someone to tag along.... I might be able to .

 

You would never have that problem in a hammock
You can sleep on your side in them too

 

I agree. My problem is that I have a difficult time sleeping comfortably in a hammock, but I'm working on it.

 

wow that's strange.. hammock sleeping is more comfortable than anything for me.. maybe your hammock isn't long enough? I know I'm 6'1 and I had to get a larger hammock to be able to stretch out and feel comfortable.