# Camping



## pilgrimmom (Sep 15, 2005)

Deleted


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## Dirtslinger (Feb 10, 2007)

I'd suggest getting a mobile home placed on the land.

If there are zoning bylaws make sure you conform to that.


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

If you are going to camp get a large dome tent for the sumer or a wall tent for the fall or winter. One of the main threats is weather. It can be verry hard to have a thunderstorm and have agreat time. Wind can cause trouble or even the sun. If you may be camping all sumer and part of the fall you need to have a second tent to move into if anything hapens to the first one which probily going to hapen. I have had severial tent go up on my property and they leave them for the summer and by the fall they are torn up by the sun rain and wind. If you have the opretunity you might think of buying a travel trailer and useing that. That way if you are there when winter comes you will be fine.


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## FreightTrain (Nov 5, 2005)

old beat up RVs are cheap and provide bathroom and showers.

old pop up campers are also dirt cheap and may be perfect in addition to a few oneman tents

I would pefer multiple one-man tents (under 6 pounds each) since sleeping along with others bites. also they can be set-up or broken down in minutes and in more locations than large tents.... no need to leave em standing when not in use. they are also more versitle and can be used backpacking. a 40 pound family tent is only good for car camping... and is a poor choice for that.

ANY tent you buy will be too hot to stay in during the day and will only be tollerable well after the sun goes down... the fine mesh bug screens on tents block out all but the strongest breezes so they will be stuffy too.

if your going the tent route then I would add one of them screened in gazeebos for lounging in untill its time to turn in...

you can make a sawdust toilet and compost the humanure...

showers , there are "zodi" shower systems... but solar showers are easy to make as well as heating water on a wood stove or fire and using a garden sprayer to deliver the warm water


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## Guest (Apr 6, 2007)

I had a friend who camped out all summer while building their new house. He and his wife, 2 daughters, and one son just basically stayed under a canvass tarp. Used colman camp stoves for all their meals. 

If it was me I would use a regular dome tent in the summer. A dome tent has a floor and will let fresh air in through the window screens. Hopefully by the time fall arrives you will have enough house built that you can go ahead and move in. 

Also, buy yourself some dutch ovens and learn how to cook with them. Just about any meal that you cook in the house can be cooked outside in a dutch oven. Learn to cook with wood coal as it will be a whole lot cheaper then buying charcoal briquetts.


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## Guest (Apr 6, 2007)

I have camped out many of a summers. I did not have a family but though I would share some of my experiences and thoughts with you.
Yes a camper is great as long as you have a power source around for the AC. Otherwise that camper will be nothing but a oven in there. I remember one summer I had a camper and ended up getting a dome tent because it was cooler than the camper was.
Like most mentioned I would say a dome tents. Find a good hi dry spot if you have to make a small pad to set the tents up so that you donât get flooded out during a rain storm. I would recommend to set your tents up in the woods and put tarps above each tent. 
As far as cooking goes I recommend all cast Iron pots easy to take care of after they are cured. Dutch ovens are great!! Some area frown at camp fires during a dry summer. I would keep this in mind. I would have some sort of a stove for these times. A outdoor kitchen is great. As far as showers go solar showers work well. You can make your own easily. I must warn you they can get hotter than what you can stand sometimes.
Do you have a water source of your own were you going to be? There are so many possibilities if you do.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

This is what my DS and DIL stayed in on my place.Just a Dome Tent that you can get at WalMart.










I know our state has several places you can Camp two weeks at a time before having to move for Free.

There is Low Cost Camping with water and Showers on some State Ground.

Around here if you go to the Courthouse you can find Camp Lots and Building Lots around the Lakes for back Taxes.Most have water and Shower House.

There is some Properties you can Buy for No Money down . :shrug: 

Some State Parks you can get away with getting water and taking a shower when needed.Plus you use to be able to go around to Truck Stops and talk Truckers out of extra Shower Tickets.

big rockpile


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## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

Hey.

Where's the land? That will help determine what to use.

In some places tents aren't the hot ticket due to scorpions,snakes,ticks,bear,etc.

A mobile home would raise your taxes.

An old 38 foot rv from the 1970's would be good. You would keep taxes down, have electric and heat,bathroom,stove,fridge, and just enough room to sleep 8. Cost would be from $1,000-$3,000 depending on what you get.

Campground could be good if not too far away from land. Having to drive back and forth can waste alot of time and gas.

RF


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

This is what we used at "The Place" for several years.
Wife didn't want to sleep on the ground any more.

Started with and old Shasta 1965 with furnace. $400 bucks. (someplace to run electric to.) (deer hunting at -10 degrees)
Next was the "Blue room" "A" frame, "guest room and shed. $0 (given to me for the hauling, thought where else could I get a shed/storage that was mobile, wired/furnace and had bunks, for free).

Next came the "Tajhma shed", bath room/(compost toilet, shower/storage).

Cabin was put up 2004, rest of it still there, waiting disposition.


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## fantasymaker (Aug 28, 2005)

Id start with a wooden floor Ive spent many summers in tents in field camps and a wooden floor makes a diference! If you plan ahead it can be the start of your first shed. If its 8 wide is totally transportable and a 10 or 12 0r even 14 is movable then you get the property complete the shed and use it for temperay quarters while you build the other structures.


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## FreightTrain (Nov 5, 2005)

fantasymaker said:


> Id start with a wooden floor Ive spent many summers in tents in field camps and a wooden floor makes a diference! If you plan ahead it can be the start of your first shed. If its 8 wide is totally transportable and a 10 or 12 0r even 14 is movable then you get the property complete the shed and use it for temperay quarters while you build the other structures.


why on earth would you want to sleep on a hard wooden floor when mother earth compensates for things like hip bones and is sooo soft and cuddly? :shrug:


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

I just refed your post again. Since you will be camping while waiting to get to your own land go to any State parks or any core of engeners park in your area. They all have shours and water and electricty. They are only about $3 per day. 

When you get on your land then you can build a simple shelter to move into. The first thing that I would do is to get electricty and water then bild a simple shelter.


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2007)

I was thinking if you build a shed it may be a good idear. A place to go when it rains and hang out.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

pilgrimmom said:


> I just read all these great ideas to my husband and daughter! I am greatly encouraged!
> 
> We are in Missouri. The Corp camps here cost $9.00 for just tent spots, not water and electricty. If you want that $17.00 Maybe it's more spendy here because of the proximity to Branson.
> 
> ...



Finally know where you are at.Lots of MDC Land is Free to Camp,so is Mark Twain Forest.But you can only camp in one spot 14 days.As far as water you can use creek water for washing and go to Gas Station or Park to get drinking water.

Don't know if your intrested or not but you can find cheap Lots up by Truman Lake.

big rockpile


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

We camped for several months while building our home. The first thing we did was to build a wooden platform on blocks for the tent. We made it a couple feet larger than the tent so we could have dry area to get out of the weather. once the tent was up, we hung a much larger tarp over the whole thing. The Tent was just for sleeping but we used the dry and shady area alot. It rained, and rained and rained that year here (2003). We were very comfortable. We also set up two other areas under tarps. One for a kitchen and another one for hanging out or whatever.
Since you have a family, I would suggest getting several small tents instead of one big one. Use 1/2-3/4 inch OSB and concrete blocks for the platforms. The paltforms keep you high and dry. The smaller tents will keep you warmer when the weather turns cold and give everyone privacy.
Also, I learned that if you place a ball jar on top of the center pole for your tarps, you won't wear a whole in the tarp 
It is important to have the tarps over the tents, because it keeps the tent dry and provides a place other than the tent to get out of the rain. Also, while it is warm you can leave the fly off of the tent and be much cooler.
We have both lived in tents for extended periods and I am sure you will enjoy it greatly. My first experience with long term tent living was living an entire winter in a tent while hand planting trees. It taught me many valuable lessons. The first being that you can be durn happy and comfortable with very little. And, if you are not, you can pick up and leave in 20 minutes 
My favorite memory is of a huge thunderstorm one night in the Georgia mountains. My tent was almost layed over in the wind and the walls were flapping so loudly I could barely hear the thunder. I felt so small, but comfortable, warm and dry.


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## fantasymaker (Aug 28, 2005)

FreightTrain said:


> why on earth would you want to sleep on a hard wooden floor when mother earth compensates for things like hip bones and is sooo soft and cuddly? :shrug:



LOL totally agree but I dont think they envision that kind of camping more like tempery rural living quarters
And that hard wooden flooring keeps your place cleaner and dryer and more of the critters outa your bed.


Im still waiting to find out how to sleep in a desert crawling with things that bite sting scratch and poision and not be disturbed.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

pilgrimmom You got a PM.

big rockpile


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## FreightTrain (Nov 5, 2005)

shawnfromMaine said:


> I was thinking if you build a shed it may be a good idear. A place to go when it rains and hang out.


LOL im living in my 10x16 shed now... the tipi was just too cold for me and Ol Art-thritis  

I built two AT shelter style bunks and a desk for the Computer... moved in the wood stove, a lazyboy and added insulation...
instant cheap living and it kept me n fido warm when it was -30s chill outside :hobbyhors


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