Camping Headaches/Nightmares and Unplanned Events

Michigan_Mike

I thought I'd create this discussion as a means for people to discuss unplanned/scary/frustrating events while camping as I've encountered many and my recent camping trip last week was no exception.

My wife Linda and I got up early last week after staying up late prepping, loading up the truck and trailer and headed up over the Mackinaw bridge into Michigan's upper peninsula after seemingly covering all bases before leaving, packing things up and prepping for a 4 day trip, figured everything was in order and that weather would make this trip a pleasure away from home. I found out later that I was wrong, this would not be the case and in a nutshell it created a lot of anxiety and frustration until a solution was found.

The first night out proved to be frustrating after closing the truck up, climbing into the new 400 T@B and getting ready for bed. I grabbed my CPAP bag, set it on the bed of the trailer, unzipped the bag, pulled out the CPAP unit, face-mask and hose and suddenly realized that I'd failed to pack the units power supply and cords that supply power to the CPAP unit. Normally this is something I do first, but I opted to clean the water vapor tank and wash the mask first, before packing things inside the bag. And since it was early AM I inadvertently packed things on the bed and missed the power supply unit as it was tucked neatly beneath the night stand. So panic suddenly set in, I knew that this was going to be a long, sleepless and uncomfortable night and my wife was also going to suffer too as I'm restless, snore some and it's disruptive for everyone's sleep. That proved to be the case and the next day presented more uncertainty and anxiety as well.

I decided to use my iPhone and see if I could find a supplier in the upper peninsula but knew this wasn't going to be easy nor fun and that considerable driving would be involved since we were camped in a NF campground and that major cities were not in abundance. I got online, began Goggling in locations and businesses and read some reviews too. We were about a half hour away from the Soo locks so I checked the nearby businesses, took some time to check Facebook market place and also looked around on Craigslist too, in the hopes of finding either a used CPAP unit or locating a power supply and Resmed 9 unit like the one I currently use. I called a nearby medical supply company and was greeted by a rep who informed me that he was located south of us (about 100 miles) and across the bridge in Cheboygan and that the facility I was trying to call was probably closed at the time as "these folks aren't always there and operate differently than others." He promised to get back to me and as things would work out, never did reply back as previously promised. So I told Linda that we'd better just catch some breakfast on the way and see if we can locate this facility ourselves as time was of the essence and we were both pretty cranky and anxious after a sleepless night.

So as luck would have it we did find the medical supply place, I walked in, explained my predicament and the lady said she'd check to see if they had anything I could use. About 5 minutes later she walks back up the hallway, big smile on her face and said, "You're in luck, I found an extra power supply with cords!" I breathed in a big sigh of relief, we checked the compatibility of the power supply and it worked perfectly. I asked her what I owed her, she replied,"how's $20 sound?" and I was relieved, knew this was the deal of the month, thanked her and was on my way. My second option would have been to meet up with a guy 2.5 hours away up in Marquette who called me back and I was thankful that the long distance scenario didn't need to be undertaken.

So with the above stated I've decided to assemble a good packing list, try to cover as many of the key bases as possible and be better prepared next time out. And since this was the second time I failed to pack the power supply I now have a dedicated CPAP power supply that resides permanently inside the trailer. I have been down the trail many times and normally you find these things out about 200-300 miles out away from home, so regardless of how well you think you've planned, prepared and packed there is always something you forget and unfortunately are in need of when camping. And hopefully my bad luck and morning fogged mind will help someone else who has similar needs and that this will serve as a reminder to check and re-check and not encounter a very frustrating and anxiety filled event such as the above.

If you are up to it, feel free to add some commentary and bad experiences that might help others out down the road. This is how we learn and it's a great way to share tips and ideas that can help eliminate frustration and unplanned events. And I can't count the number of times I've said, "Thank God that Walmart is nearby!"

BBsGarage

I have two stories that stick out in my mind. Both happened a large number of years ago but It's something I will always remember.

The first is back when we were tent camping at a CG near Williamsburg VA. My wife was about 6 months pregnant with our first during this trip. When we got there it was dark out so we just set up the basics and went to bed. Around midnight we heard this rumbling off in the distance that was getting closer and closer until it was deafening and out cots were literally shaking. The CG was right next to a train track and we were set up about 20 yards away. After about 15 minutes it was all over and the train had past but we were still a bit shaken. Now about an hour later we again heard the rumble off in the distance and another train was making its way past. This went on 3 or 4 more times that night.

We were up at the crack of dawn, packed everything up and went out for breakfast. Went back to the CG when the office opened up and canceled our remaining stay. They must have been used to this because not a single question was asked. We found a KOA CG near by and was able to book the rest of out trip there. This was all before the internet so we only had the CG guides to go by, now I always use google maps to check the surrounding area for potential problems like this.

The next one was a number of years later, we had a pop-up and were at Cherrystone CG again in VA. Always being the odd ones in the group, we also had our cats with us on this trip. This CG is on the Chesapeake bay, is a great family place with several pools and you can go out in knee deep water and pull up soft shell crabs by the dozen. About 3 days into our trip there was a severe storm warning along with tornado warnings. Having two small kids and two cats the decision to bail wasn't a hard one. So we put whatever was outside the camper either inside it or in the car, popped it down and went to find a place to stay for the night. Fortunately there were a number of hotels with vacancies so it wasn't too hard, but we did have to sneak in the cats.
While there were no tornadoes at the CG, across the way in Norfolk there was one reported. Those that did stay at the CG said they wound up in the bath and shower houses due to the lightning and wind.

Something that I would think is common practice when camping is to keep an eye and ear out for the weather. Listen to local channels or use a battery operated weather specific radio. I've heard several horror stories of people either trying to weather out the storm so to speak or just being oblivious to whats coming.

Aspen

This is by no means as serious as the other unfortunate events posted above, but a funny story nonetheless.... I was out for my first solo trip with my new T@G and my dog Bandit. I was a bit nervous and anxious while packing and had everything and anything packed that I though I might need (which turns out is way too much if you know what I mean!). Now, Bandit is not human or dog friendly so I need to manage him quite closely and not leave him unattended (and so far very successfully). It was one of the hottest weekends we had this summer in New England and I didn't dare leave him in a running car with A/C on to run into a pet store after I discovered I forgot all his dog food at home ( I couldn't risk somebody smashing the windows to let him out). Fortunately I had a pound of diced meats and cheeses to use for training purposes on hikes, but he also ended up eating all of my eggs, chicken, yogurts, veggies and fruits. Therefore, out of mother's guilt, all I ate was junk food for 3 days while he dined like a king. Unfortunately, all of that unfamiliar food disrupted his GI tract and the inside of the T@G became quite an odorous place for me to sleep. I had to turn off the A/C and open all the windows for fresh air.... so we both sweated it out in hot humid temps for 2 nights, but he was a happy camper, nonetheless. So lessons learned... now the first thing I pack on our camping trips is dog food!

TomD

Wow! Wimp story alert.
I’m a reservation freak when it comes to popular State and National sites. I had reservations at Joshua Tree in one of the most popular sites there that I had made many months in advance. We traveled 9 hours from home to the site. When we got there somebody was set up in our reserved site. It was sunset time so nobody was at the camp site to quibble with. We tried to physically find and contact the Rangers but they were all off duty. No camp host either. We ended up calling the posted info number at the ranger kiosk and leaving our grievances on a message machine. As the dark set in and still no campers for us to quibble with we ended up in Twenty Nine Palms for the night... not camping. Next morning the Rangers called and got us set up for the remainder of our reservations. Undue stress and difficulties are and will always be a part of the camping experience. I love it, accept it and that’s why I keep on keeping on.

WilliamA

My ex has been trying to train me to use "lists". While I generally abhor the thought of it, I have acquiesced a little and agreed to use an app (another acronym I hate) called "keep" or Keeper or something like that. It allows us to share grocery lists etc and I actually find it useful to the point of actually making my own version for my camping stuff. Once made, you can check things off as you load them and the item goes from one category (to take) to another (packed) without actually being deleted. In addition, the list can be shared across platforms with others so it's a good way to mind the store.
As to shopping in the U.P. Well, I do love it up there but shopping opportunities are slim. Couple that with my pathological aversion to bridges (yes, I'm one of those. It's a PTSD thing) and I'd rather swim the Mackinaw straits than cross that bridge on purpose. Sigh. But we all have our dirty little secrets, don't we...
WilliamA

LuckyJ

@Aspen said:
This is by no means as serious as the other unfortunate events posted above, but a funny story nonetheless.... I was out for my first solo trip with my new T@G and my dog Bandit. I was a bit nervous and anxious while packing and had everything and anything packed that I though I might need (which turns out is way too much if you know what I mean!). Now, Bandit is not human or dog friendly so I need to manage him quite closely and not leave him unattended (and so far very successfully). It was one of the hottest weekends we had this summer in New England and I didn't dare leave him in a running car with A/C on to run into a pet store after I discovered I forgot all his dog food at home ( I couldn't risk somebody smashing the windows to let him out). Fortunately I had a pound of diced meats and cheeses to use for training purposes on hikes, but he also ended up eating all of my eggs, chicken, yogurts, veggies and fruits. Therefore, out of mother's guilt, all I ate was junk food for 3 days while he dined like a king. Unfortunately, all of that unfamiliar food disrupted his GI tract and the inside of the T@G became quite an odorous place for me to sleep. I had to turn off the A/C and open all the windows for fresh air.... so we both sweated it out in hot humid temps for 2 nights, but he was a happy camper, nonetheless. So lessons learned... now the first thing I pack on our camping trips is dog food!

Wow, chossing between odor and warm temp. Lol

Question, why did you turm off the AC? During the summer, when it is really hot outside and I am at the cabin, I sometime turn on the AC with a door open, just so my malamuthe have a place to sleep in a cooler area than outside when I am also outside and it work beautifully. I do not have AC in the cabin.

Aspen

@LuckyJ, I probably could've gotten away with the windows open and still have the A/C blowing full blast, but it was my first time using the unit and was so confused why it was working so wonky as it is. I figured adding humidity to the cabin wouldn't help with the inherent problems of the A/C in the T@G. All windows open and fan vent exhausting definitely solved the odor problem so I just sweated it out. Lol!

LuckyJ

@Aspen But I just want to add that I know how it can be, since our two dogs ( 85 lbs alaskan malamuthe and 8 1/2 lbs bichon) also have a tendency to perfume the air with some smell that do not compare to roses. Lol

Michigan_Mike

I’ve had a number of conversion vans in my life and have traveled extensively in them. I also owned an Irish setter who on occasion had some issues with his digestive system. I remember a few times that I was very happy that I had chosen vinyl seats in the van after returning to it after stopping in a restaurant one day. LOL

And William, your list sounds like a decent app, can you share the link?

Michael

Keep.google.com maybe? I use it..

SueBHunny

https://keep.google.com/ Google Keep is awesome. That's where I store all of my camping lists. Makes it easy to work from my computer, phone, or tablet and all three are up to date.

Michigan_Mike

@Michael said:
Keep.google.com maybe? I use it..

I'm always open for new innovations and will give this one a try. Thanks for sharing!

Michigan_Mike

And speaking of nightmares, have I told you the one last year about dumping the black tank on a 29' travel trailer I have parked out in Why, AZ? Well don't ask as I don't want to go there!!!

Just watch the Robin Williams RV movie for a sneak preview! It wasn't quite that bad but any break experienced in a black tank dump hose is nothing to sneeze about.

tagurit

On our Route 66 trip this summer, there were a couple of stops where there weren't any state or federal campgrounds near by (always our preference) so we made reservations at commercial campgrounds on line or by phone based on website info/pictures/reviews. There were two where the actual situation we encountered didn't exactly match what we expected. The first's "newly remodeled and expanded sites" turned out to be essentially a terraced gravel parking lot with hookups, not exactly the best place for camping in a teardrop in 105 degrees of bright, afternoon sun. After we threatened to leave they did find us a small tree!

Two stops later we were at a national chain and encountered a similar shade situation, this time it was 109 degrees on arrival. Granted, this was not all their fault, they had had some recent significant fire and flood damage but they could have said something when we called to confirm. Things were somewhat mitigated by them leaving the pool open well after hours and ignoring the adult beverages we brought poolside. An overnight thunderstorm cooled things down a bit to make cooking breakfast almost enjoyable until the folks in the rented travel trailer next to and upwind to us botched disconnecting their sewer hookup as they were preparing to leave!

WilliamA

@tagurit said:
After we threatened to leave they did find us a small tree!!

Lol! That's funny! I'm reminded of a recent past life doing the car show circuit with the guy I used to build custom cars for and a couple of friends; now I'm a sunshine junky and if it gets above 80 or so up here (unlikely) you might be part of the crowd that gathers to watch me take off one or two of my sweatshirts. The rest of my beloved friends (lots of Swedes, Norwegians and Germans up here) are spontaneously combusting like zombies in Minecraft when the sun comes out. At one particular car show, I watch as my boss and two friends fight over the shade of the single telephone pole in the fairgrounds parking lot. If I had deployed my Ez Up, I could have rented shade for $20 dollars a minute. As for me, I always assume that the commercial RV parks will be like a truck stop, but with electricity.
WilliamA