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This thread is about stopping to sleep on the way to your vacation spot. It is not about making a parking lot your end goal. You sound like a very sensitive andan extremely delicate spoiled traveler. Good for you that you can waste an extra $100 for a place you only plan on being fora few hours to get some sleep on the way to your real destination. Some of us don't have the money or just don't want to waste money when we don't have to.
Car Camping is a term whether you like it or not. If really camping I would choose a small very uncomfortable car seat over a tent any day of the week. I will be the spoiled and delicate one here and say I would quit camping if I had to sleep in a tent.
This thread is about stopping to sleep on the way to your vacation spot. It is not about making a parking lot your end goal. You sound like a very sensitive andan extremely delicate spoiled traveler. Good for you that you can waste an extra $100 for a place you only plan on being fora few hours to get some sleep on the way to your real destination. Some of us don't have the money or just don't want to waste money when we don't have to.
Car Camping is a term whether you like it or not. If really camping I would choose a small very uncomfortable car seat over a tent any day of the week. I will be the spoiled and delicate one here and say I would quit camping if I had to sleep in a tent.
No, this thread is not about stopping on the way to your vacation spot - read through the posts.
Yes, after years of tent camping, I AM a delicate and spoiled traveler, I earned it.
That said, if passing through I would park the RV at an acceptable parking lot to get rest, no biggie.
But again, the OP is looking at car camping AT the destination parking lot.
We've camped at campgrounds that range from $10 to over 100, and for free on BLM land, there are pros and cons to each.
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But seriously otter, be careful. These places can be filled with sketchy people, who do sketchy things.
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But again, the OP is looking at car camping AT the destination parking lot.
I never said that.
This thread is about "car camping" however you wish to do it -- whether en route to a destination where you'll have traditional lodging, whether that's the "destination" itself (you'll do it while there), or whether on the road for work (traveling nurses often stay in their hospital parking lots). And yes, it's essentially "boondocking," only in a smaller space than a van or RV.
Some people cannot afford a fifth wheel -- or even over $100/night for a hotel room -- to take a vacation. I personally could, but don't like wasting my money, so am exploring this. Many have been able to travel extensively utilizing this method - some of their accommodations and buildouts are amazing - and I admire their courage and resourcefulness. It's easy enough to search "Car Camping" if you wish to educate yourself.
However, this thread WAS intended for those who actually do it; not those who have no clue or just wish to look down their noses and disparage it.
I've camped in actual campgrounds, without a tent. I've also done it at events where people don't care if you have a tent or not.
I've heard there are issues in some places where car camping is discouraged and people will set up a dummy tent but I haven't had an issue to date.
I was shooed out of a NC rest stop years ago, I had stopped to take a quick nap and state police didn't like it. Wasn't even full dark and I didn't plan on staying long.
I am NOT going to call sleeping in your car at a rest area "car camping".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Threerun
I agree. Sleeping in a car at a Wal-Mart parking lot after eating some Wal-Mart chicken tenders is not camping in my book. I've slept a few nights in at pull off rest stop too- not camping. That's resting.
Some people cannot afford a fifth wheel -- or even over $100/night for a hotel room -- to take a vacation. I personally could, but don't like wasting my money, so am exploring this.
As part of a planned vacation I wouldn't resort to most of the options in the poll. Perhaps primitive camping, which I have done in the past, but only because I really wanted to visit someplace where there was no alternative. I've tried to sleep a couple of times at truck stops, but the noise and bright lights make it difficult for me to sleep. I'm exhausted after one night of that.
Staying at a state or federal campground isn't expensive. I just checked one of the Grand Canyon campgrounds, which shows $18 for a tent site, and seniors get a 50% discount. (Of course you can sleep in your vehicle, you don't need to set up a tent). That will get you a bathroom, and perhaps a place to wash dishes. Some even have pay showers. Typically it's quiet and dark, which makes for a good night's rest, and it's way more pleasant that hanging out at a Wal-Mart.
(Of course you can sleep in your vehicle, you don't need to set up a tent).
If we're talking "en route," a parking lot may not be as scenic as a state or federal park, but it's more convenient. Most parks are off the beaten path and in the wilderness by design and not on the interstate. And as a destination, actually, most DON'T allow car camping; hence the use of "dummy tents" as a common hack.
When I've done it it's mostly been at my destination.
If I were planning on overnighting along a route, I'd be careful about most of the locations simply because you don't know which WalMart in Eastern North Carolina is in a decent area and which one isn't (just as an example.)
IF I planned on a few consecutive nights in the same area I'd pony up for a campground, ideally one that also has a couple of amenities (water, bathroom maybe...)
When I've done it it's mostly been at my destination.
If I were planning on overnighting along a route, I'd be careful about most of the locations simply because you don't know which WalMart in Eastern North Carolina is in a decent area and which one isn't (just as an example.)
IF I planned on a few consecutive nights in the same area I'd pony up for a campground, ideally one that also has a couple of amenities (water, bathroom maybe...)
The point of these businesses is that they're open 24/7, there are people coming and going, and they have surveillance cameras, lending an element of security. Also bathrooms.
Again, campgrounds almost always require a tent on a tent site. That's not car camping.
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