How to practice homesteading skill while camping?

[Lost Ear]

My wife and I am very interested in developing homesteading and related skills. We finally picked up a car last weekend so we can finally go out camping! We intend to use the camping trip as a training trip for us to learn certain thing like knots, field medic care, and more. However, we are not exactly sure where to start. Any suggestion on how to practice certain thing during a camping trip?

FYI, We live in DC and I am currently looking up campsites around in WVA primarily but we are okay with going further since we are also looking at the different locations to consider moving to. So we can go far enough for around 3 days trip from Friday noon to Monday morning. if needed.

Thanks!

P.S. Do anybody here know of any survival instructor or mentor or something around here that we can work with or something?

[gone-a-milkin]

You can practice your fire skills.
Build a campfire and use it to cook and make all your beverages.

Are you going to have a tent?

Maybe a book to help ID some wild plants and trees.
Just getting away from technology and listening to your own thoughts,
and those of your partner should be very theraputic for you.

Have fun.

[Lost Ear]

Got a few SAS style survival books. Got one 9-persons tent (was on sale, $199 down to $59) and a queen size air mattress.

My main concern is that my wife only went camping once and that was with a RV and that was a bad experience for her. She is not a big nature fan though she IS a huge fan of self reliance so she is at least willing to try thing out.

[Nimrod]

If you want your wife to enjoy camping you have to do what's necessary to be comfortable.

To sleep comfortably you need a good tent, sleeping bag, and air matress. If it's cold out a 4 inch thick foam pad is much warmer than an air matress. Clear your tent site of all rocks, twigs, and pine cones before you pitch the tent. Set the tent up so it's on a fairly level spot. When sleeping, your head can be slightly higher than your feet but not the other way around. Your tent site must be fairly well drained and not a low spot. You don't want to wake up in the middle if the night and find your air matress floating.

To be comfortable during a rain storm it's best if you are not confined to the tent. String up a tarp over the picnic table and do your cooking and eating under the tarp. If bugs are a problem you can substitute a screen house for the tarp.

Everyone loves a fire. Learn to build one, it's harder than it looks. Use alternative ways to start it. Be sure to have a fire in the evening to sit around. Break out the marshmallows. Do put it completly out before you leave it alone.

Learn to cook over an open fire. Get a solar oven or a dutch oven and try baking while camping. Puriests will have a coniption fit but I like to bake the rolls that come in a tube when camping. Many foods from the store will adapt to camping. Rice, pasta, canned foods, steak, burgers, and hot dogs are a few.

Since you are car camping, you can get heavier versions of the equipment and things you would not take backpacking.

Around here the national forests have free to low cost campsites, the state forests have cheap sites or you can camp anywhere that doesn't specifically prohibit it, county campgrounds are cheap and usually not crowded, and some cities have campgrounds. I like small, free campgrounds where the sites are far enough apart that you don't wake the neighbors if you belch.

[Conhntr]

Head out 66west. For a beginer i would recomend a park, but depending on budget there are free or nearly free options. I camp out a ton in the area you are looking t here are some of the best. Check the opening and closing dates as some of the parks are seasonal and if you guys are beginers younwont have much fun in the cold!

Here are some nice places to check out;
Shenandoah national park--15$ entry and 20a night beutiful! http://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm

Va state parks are VERY nice 20$ a night
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/and.shtml
Has two campgrounds including one with sites right on the water!
This is my favorite campground in the area

You mentioned a 9person tent and the wife doesnt like camping so a developed campground probably will be bet but if you are looking for more adventure the appalachin trail runs through the area and you can park you car at most trail access for free and camp most anywhere along the trail. Check out
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wmas/detail.asp?pid=31
Has alot of parking areas and you can camp for up to 14 days for free. You need to be able to pack you stuff about a mile from the parking lots to set up your campsite.

Have fun! And my advice is to wait for the LOW temperature forecast to be at least 50* before you go or your wife will not like it!

[Usingmyrights]

Get an old BSA handbook. Mid 90s or older. I want to say it's the 11th edition. Tan cover with a few photos on front (rock climbing, rafting and one more). I'll check later to be sure of the edition, but I'm sure on the years. The newer ones get away from the grassroots stuff and are more modernized (which is why I never got a new one even when I was a leader for a short time after getting out)

[CIW]

The Boy Scouts of America also has a Field Manual that may apply more specificlly to what you are trying to do. As said before, the older editions seem to be a little better, in my opinion.
If you go to the BSA website you will find what you need, or even a used bookstore.

[bassmaster17327]

It might be too far from you but there is Michaux State Forest in PA, part of the AP trail runs throughit. You can just camp anywhere as long as you are on state forest land and do not cross into the state park land. I am straight north of DC right on the MD/PA line so if yu ever want to get together for a hike or camp send me a PM, it would have to be in PA though because I do not go to MD/DC because of gun laws

[Usingmyrights]

Ok, I went and looked at a copy of my old BSA book. It's a 10th edition. The copyright date is 1990. After that year it went more liberal, thiugh I did hear that the newer ones are getting better. The field manual would have more info, but the one I told you about gives you enough to keep you plenty busy. I have my original and then found one in brand new condition at a used book store for $1 and bought it for my son. I'd go as far to say that if you had even a basic knowledge of wild edibles that you could survive short term from the knowledge out of the regular handbook.

[airotciv]

I can't remember not going camping and learning how to build a fire, fish or trap something, etc.. But I do remember teaching my kids how to do these things. Now my grandkids and I are learning many things from watching shows like, Surviver Man/Duel Survival/Man vs womam just to name a few. They all have books out and I think they can be found on the Discovery Channels web site. Also books like Peterson Field Guides to Edible Wild Plants, Medicianal Plants, he has many always fun when hiking. Now be prepared, you don't no how many times I have said Are You Kidding Me. Make a list, hammer/axe/lighter/batteries, you get the idea. But most of all have fun, that's the most important thing.

[Forerunner]

You aren't too far from NJ, where Tom Brown, Jr. has a tracking and wilderness survival skill, if that's something you're looking for.

http://www.trackerschool.com/about_tracker_school.asp

[Usingmyrights]

I just picked up about a 2 1/2" hardcover on wilderness search and rescue from a library book sale. It's several years old and I know there's new methods, but the basics are the same. Plus this shows Topo maps and the like, which is good for when GPS fails.

[simi-steading]

My best advice will be to find a campground with a shower house and a real toilet at the beginning... Most women I've known didn't enjoy camping without those...

I'm real lucky and my wife is very good at very primitive camping. While it's not her favorite to do, she will... but she didn't start off that way.. it took her a while before she wanted to lose the camper...

We take the motorcycle with a small trailer attached, so you can tell we do it with the minimum... We always have a great time, and she will even dig her own latrine


http://lincolncaverns.com/

[Marilyn]

I second the bathroom idea. I've camped all of my adult life, but my favorite trips were those where I could get a hot shower . Cooking is a lot of fun in the great outdoors, but everything takes longer, so if you want her to enjoy herself, help out with meal prep as much as you can. After awhile, things will move along a little quicker.

When we camp in places that have nice hiking trails, etc., I cancel midday meals. Everyone can fend for themselves (sandwiches, cheese and crackers, etc.) and that leaves most of the day free for everyone to enjoy.

[Lost Ear]

I may be camping by myself during the week of march 18-22. Thinking of heading to one of the state park in WVA. Hoping to use this opportunity to explore the campsite there and determine if it's a good starting point for my wife to work with me at camping. I'm a developing photographer and love the idea of maybe have access to the application trial on the mountain for this purpose.

Any good campsite recommendation? (I'm not limited to WVA but I had stayed at a mountaintop hotel there once and LOVED the view).

[simi-steading]

You need to check out Smoke Hole Caverns area.. Beautiful area... Cool caverns... Seneca Rocks is really beautiful too along with Blackwater Falls in the same area...

http://www.smokehole.com/

[Lost Ear]

Originally Posted by simi-steading

You need to check out Smoke Hole Caverns area.. Beautiful area... Cool caverns...

http://www.smokehole.com/

They do not seem to have a tent based campsite. Only lodging and RV campsites.

[simi-steading]

There are areas out there to tent camp... Along the river... I'll see if I can find you that info real quick..

My wife and I have spent a lot of time out in that area traveling around it it was the majority of the reason we bought property in WV to move to from DC.... WAY away from people...

[simi-steading]

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/campg...ia-105900.html

Big Bend Campground is one where I was thinking of... but there are other areas too...

http://www.reserveamerica.com/campin...O&parkId=70235

[simi-steading]

Highlights of the area..

http://smokehole.com/wp/our-area