NCPatrick
06-05-2007, 07:35
Took my 7 year old daughter hammock camping last Friday night to Hanging Rock State Park, NC. It was our first trip together. Got in late Friday afternoon, still light, but almost no sites left in the fairly large campground. We found a spot across from the campground host's large air conditioned motor home. Mistake!
A.G. was set up in an HH Expedition, and I had my HH Explorer Deluxe. Someone at home had moved my underquilt and quilt while I was loading the car, and so it got left somewhere at home (thought it was in the car). Luckily I brought an extra fleece blanket and a raincoat. I wore those to sleep in and only woke up occasionally to get warm again. It was very windy.
We had a good campfire, went to bed, and went to sleep listening to the "relaxing" sounds of the 2 rangers and campground host's multiple police maneuvers and raids to curb the apparently rampant drinking in the campground. <gasp> (and I always wondered what the tactics were on that side of the equation, very interesting :cool: ). Also, the hosts sold firewood at their site, and far too many folks decided even after 11:00pm (or later?) to go buy more firewood with all their friends... talking loudly the whole while and shining their lights on our tents... <sigh>. Some folks even drove their cars from the sites to buy the firewood and then left their headlights on us.
One guy next to us I think was a vampire. He spent all night up banging around with his stuff, then was asleep all the next morning. We made sure to make some noise of our own in the morning, just for him. There were a lot of dogs in camp too, and if you wandered too far into the bushes to "water" them they'd bark at you. Nothing too bad though.
The night was very windy. I was camped under a whole lot of large dead branches (no choice). I worried about them falling on me. Didn't happen.
A.G. did great, she only woke up once at around 3:30am. "Vampire guy" was still banging around, and he had flashed his light on her tent enough to wake her up. I got up to "water the bushes" (bark! bark! bark!) and then talked her back to sleep. We woke up in the morning with some crows having a conversation at 5:00am, breakfasted, hiked, canoed, swam, had ice cream... a lot of fun.
She wants to go again, so she must have had fun. Despite the crowd and all the other things going on all night, I had a lot of fun too.
A.G. was set up in an HH Expedition, and I had my HH Explorer Deluxe. Someone at home had moved my underquilt and quilt while I was loading the car, and so it got left somewhere at home (thought it was in the car). Luckily I brought an extra fleece blanket and a raincoat. I wore those to sleep in and only woke up occasionally to get warm again. It was very windy.
We had a good campfire, went to bed, and went to sleep listening to the "relaxing" sounds of the 2 rangers and campground host's multiple police maneuvers and raids to curb the apparently rampant drinking in the campground. <gasp> (and I always wondered what the tactics were on that side of the equation, very interesting :cool: ). Also, the hosts sold firewood at their site, and far too many folks decided even after 11:00pm (or later?) to go buy more firewood with all their friends... talking loudly the whole while and shining their lights on our tents... <sigh>. Some folks even drove their cars from the sites to buy the firewood and then left their headlights on us.
One guy next to us I think was a vampire. He spent all night up banging around with his stuff, then was asleep all the next morning. We made sure to make some noise of our own in the morning, just for him. There were a lot of dogs in camp too, and if you wandered too far into the bushes to "water" them they'd bark at you. Nothing too bad though.
The night was very windy. I was camped under a whole lot of large dead branches (no choice). I worried about them falling on me. Didn't happen.
A.G. did great, she only woke up once at around 3:30am. "Vampire guy" was still banging around, and he had flashed his light on her tent enough to wake her up. I got up to "water the bushes" (bark! bark! bark!) and then talked her back to sleep. We woke up in the morning with some crows having a conversation at 5:00am, breakfasted, hiked, canoed, swam, had ice cream... a lot of fun.
She wants to go again, so she must have had fun. Despite the crowd and all the other things going on all night, I had a lot of fun too.