Ask the Readers: Camp Much? (Chance to win $20!)

I love camping! It gives our family a chance to reconnect without all the electronics and "things." We play games, go for hikes, and enjoy each other's company. We don't spend much money, just gas to get where we are going, and food for the trip. We often go with friends and food-share so we can make large meals for everyone and have little waste.

I haven't been camping for a few years, but went a lot when my daughters were smaller. We saved money by buying groceries ahead of time and cooking most of our food over the campfire.

I have been camping 3 times this summer already! We always bring a big cooler full of ice and water instead of buying bottled water! Keep the cooler in the shade and it will stay iced water for your whole trip!

My fiancé and I go camping several times every summer. In fact, we are planning a camping wedding weekend. Yes, you read that correctly. We are making our loved ones go camping with us if they want to attend our wedding. Tent camping can be really cheap, especially if you have people to split the costs with. And I always hit up the library before I go so that I will have plenty of free reading material for entertainment.

My friends and I camp twice a year at different parks around the state. It's easy to keep costs down because between 15-20 people, everyone has what you need. My husband and I were really wanting one of those screen tents to put over the picnic tables but then two other couples bought them so now if it rains, we're covered! We're known for cooking way more food than we need and so we share it with others. Forgot the mustard? No problem. Someone else has it. It's great because it always feels like we take lots of vacations, go lots of different places and all for around $12 a night and a few groceries.

We just went tent camping last week and took our little one (13 months) for the first time. He had a blast. The only problem was that it was very hot (mid-90s) so we spent a little less active time than we liked, though we did have lake access which made it tolerable.

My hubby and I just bought a tent and I can't wait to go camping with hime!

Camping is a very economical activity - once you get started. Buying all the gear up front can be a bit daunting but if you enjoy it, and look after your gear, it's something you can do without spending a lot of money. A night's camping in a tent can often be had for less than $20 a night. My kids love it - we just came home from a trip and as I set up my tent in the yard to air it out and get it dry, my youngest son (20 months) kept saying "sleep" and "tent" - Must've made a good impression on him :)

We love to camp. but we might be skipping this summer because we have a new baby. We'll definite be back at it next summer.

Camping is an interesting hobby in that you can spend as much or as little as you want. I've slept in a $300 ultralight tent and a $30 big-box store special, and both kept the rain and the bugs off me. I've been just as comfortable on $10 military surplus stools as I have been in $80 reclining/rocking/folding camp chairs. Perfect camping pillow? Some old memory foam stuffed in a sweatshirt. Its a great way to test your reusing/recycling ingenuity: Have you been saving your dryer lint, burnt-down candles, and nearly spent chap-stick to make your own fire starters? Did you know a little yeast, sugar, and a 2-liter bottle can make a mosquito trap that bests any citronella? My biggest money-saving advice though has been touched on by others but bears repeating: don't fall victim to "grocery shopping for the camping trip". Repack what you already have instead of buying yet another bottle of ketchup, dedicated camping salt and pepper shakers, and huge Hershey bars when leftover Easter candy makes for much more interesting smores (Peep and caramel egg smore? yes please). Oh, and please don't let me see you with a coffee maker at the campsite. An acrylic french press will be cheaper, more durable, make much better coffee, and prevent you from making 12 cups when all you wanted was 2.

I think I'd like to camp, but the initial investment is so big (tents are not cheap) that we haven't been able to do it. Maybe someday.

I do not camp. When I was a kid, it was okay. But then I went in the Army. I've had enough of camping! If you do want to camp and want the supplies, go to craigslist, as I have seen stuff for camping on there for a good price.

I have great memories of camping. I love bringing my bike along. I hope my kids pass this along to their kids when the time comes.

We've just moved back to an area that is camp friendly. We were in Tx for 2 1/2 years and its too hot and full of fire ants so we didn't camp there. This year we are making up for it. I love that we all work together in all things from meals to fun.

good call on camping. You cannot beat it. I hear other people who dont even sound excited about their vacations. Staying in a resort, not even seeing the place they are.

Go camping! you dont have to go far, it is cheap (if you have supplies), and is an awesome break from the TV and BS of daily life.

reconnect, see the planet, you are only here once.

Plus, there is nothing like sleeping in a tent and being able to hear the waves all night. awesome!

I love tent camping. Sitting around the fire with friends and family, it doesn't get much better than that. A great time to go is in the fall/winter, yes it is cold, but many times you can enjoy great state parks with no crowds. I also enjoy cooking while camping (we bring along the cast iron) and love to come up with easy and creative meals using items we already have in the pantry.

Make a master list so that your trip is safe, on budget, and enjoyable. Just like when packing for any other vacation (medication, insurance card, emergency contact info), you need to be sure that you have EVERYTHING. If it's just in the backyard, you can run back inside for that special blankie. If you forgot the propane to the camp stove/contact solution/camera batteries, it will be ridiculously expensive in the store near the campground. Your vacation will turn into torture if you forget the toilet paper and you're miles into a National Forest. Make a spreadsheet in Excel or a pencil list in a notebook, but have a list you can check off while packing.

We go "glamping" or as my husband calls it "Martha Goes Camping" :)
There a few places in California (and i'm sure other places) where you can find these great lodge/campsites that have tent cabins/bungalows that are camping with some nice amenities (locations like beach access, saunas, outdoor showers, good food, etc.) but you can get these Out of Africa tents.
We like Costanoa (Pescadero CA) and El Capitan (Santa Barbara).

Or my favorite camping site, Kirk Creek @ Big Sur. Heaven.

Our family of 10 ( my husband,myself, and our 8 kids) camp for 10-14 days each summer. We've been doing this for years, as it's one of the few vacations a family of our size can afford. But, we don't suffer, even though we do tent it, and we camp at a forest-service campground with no electricity and no showers. Our secret? We make improving our situation a priority. Each year, we have come up with better ways to make ourselves more comfortable. After 19 years of camping with kids, we now have: a solar oven (Global Sun oven--highly recommended--I bake with it at home during the summer), a solar-powered/propane water heater for camp showers and dish water heating, air mattresses, a propane driven refrigerator/freezer that we carry in our cargo trailer, comfy camp chairs and hammocks, and kids that are well-trained in all things camping! I realize that our style of camping doesn't work for everyone (lots of set-up and clean-up), but if you aim to stay for a week or more, it makes a huge difference in the comfort level. Another thing I do ahead of time is to carefully plan our meals--marinating and freezing meats, making baking and pancake mixes (minus wet ingredients) ahead of time, and generally keeping our diet as close to the healthy diet we follow at home. We've learned that two weeks of eating junk makes unhappy campers. Hope these hints help you all as you enjoy the great outdoors!

I am the least outdoorsy person ever. I've never actually tried camping in a tent but, from the horror stories I've heard, I never would. I have stayed for a few days in cabins with no running water or electricity, and I hated every single second of it. My idea of "roughing it" is staying in a cheaper hotel with no nice restaurant in it! If I wasn't a germophobe who is terrified of bugs perhaps the camping thing would work out for me, but I'm a lifelong city girl. I'd rather pound the pavement of the urban jungle any day!

We camp a lot. Had been tenting for years (since teenager) and in 2002 bought our first trailer. Some people may say going out in a trailer is not camping, but to me it is, I just have my own bathroom. We still going swimming in the rivers, cook over a fire, and sit around the fire at night making S'mores with the kids.

Our idea of camping is in well conditioned rvs:) But on the off chance of packing it old school we like to bring prepackaged food to make it easier on us "berry pickers" rather than hunters.

We use a camper, my husband won't sleep in a tent on the ground. Here around Michigan it cost usually about $23.00 per night, of course we try to find cheaper. Nothing beats being outside, the smell of camp fire, kids riding bikes, people walking about and it is just plain relaxing. Our favorite place to go is Grand Haven. We ride bikes, walk on the pier, play at the beach (all for free) or state park sticker $25.00 for the year. Even cooking in the camper is no big deal, plus we take the grill with us.

We went camping quite a bit when I was a kid, and I plan to take my own kids when they're a little older (my youngest is 1). It is affordable, but also I remember it being a lot of fun. We'd go hiking and climbing, swimming and building sandcastles. We roasted marshmallows and ate watermelon. My parents had a camping stove so they would make coffee and pancakes in the morning. As a little kid it seemed like a big adventure (even though we were just at some state parks in Indiana). I want to give my kids that kind of adventure.

My husband and I have been camping with our friends for 8 years at the same campgrounds and at the same time of year. We bought a no frills pop up camper ($100), invested in a compact freezer (no more buying ice or having spoiled meat), and bring most of our food from the pantry supplies and freezer. We go fishing, hiking, pick berries, watch DVD movies (when it rains) and play Yatzhee.

I love camping. Whether I am hiking in for a few days, or driving up to a provincial campground, it's always a great experience. I won't go into why I love camping because other posters have and I couldn't possibly add anything more to that conversation.

Camping always leads to a less expensive weekend for me and my husband, which is somewhat counter-intuitive. When we stay home for the weekend, all we really need is food (we don't drive within the city or go to movies very often). When we go camping, we have the additional cost of gas, firewood, and the occasional park fee and we always buy a 6 pack and a tetrapack of wine. you'd think we spend more than staying at home, but we never do. This is most likely because we pay for everything we think we might need for the weekend up front instead of paying as we go, which means we stick more closely to our budget.. There also aren't extra spending opportunities. Nor are there restaurants, invitations to go out dancing with friends, or pubs. Really, it's the temptation to spend at home that kills us on weekends.

As for equipment, we invested all we needed a few years back. It was expensive, but considering that we start camping while there is still snow on the ground and go right up to when the rain starts in the fall, it was well worth it. For those who don't want to invest, there are some cheap rental services (through some outdoors stores such as MEC, and sometimes through universities).

We love to go camping and do so each year...some more than others. We tent it but because the last few years I have been pregnant or had a small child we stick to campgrounds for the outhouse (no flush toilets). We have gone in the cold and in the warmth of summer (gotta love Idaho!) and I now can set up camp pretty fast and take down fast too as well as have learned what to bring to stay warm at night (always wear a stocking cap!). LOVE TO CAMP! PS. Split the costs of food and such with friends and its less work and more affordable for all!

We once owned a 27ft travel trailer, it had a private bedroom, bunks, full bathroom, microwave, tv. We soon grew tired and stopped camping. When we first started camping we used a tent, enjoyed it so much then decided we needed to upgrade. Much to our surprise it was the closeness and the creative ways we made do with or should I say without that made it so much more fun to tent camp. It is carefree, stressfree and a whole lot of fun to explore ways to do things without the luxury of "THINGS". It is the simple things in life that bring us the most pleasure. In two weeks I turn 40 and for my birthday celebration we are planning a tent camping trip.

This is the 12th year that we have camped with the same five families. When we started, there were 16 of us, now there are 26 of us!! We are so fortunate to have awesome friends! We all share the food and it makes it so easy. Highlights include making baggie ice cream and baggie omelets and of course s'mores.

We enjoying tent camping! Its a great way to make some amazing memories with your kids. We usually camp at state parks, cook from a small grill and enjoy lots of different activities. Stocking up on items for our trip throughout the year (especially after holiday and season sales) helps us keep cost down.

We love camping. If you get a "lake view" hotel you have pay an arm and a leg. Lake view campground <$20. We have not done backpacking yet, slowly getting there. We just came back from a road trip/camping trip, so I was planning to write a post on that but this inspired to make it soon :)

My blog post on how we make our camping comfortable - How to make tent camping comfortable? - http://www.wealthinformatics.com/2010/07/14/comfortable-tent-camping/

My boyfriend and I go camping every summer. I actually make a fire starter that I learned to make in Girl Scouts instead of buying one: take strips of corrugated cardboard and roll it tightly to fill the inside of a tuna fish can. Pour some melted parafin wax 3/4 of the way up the holes, and this turns into a giant candle that you can place under your kindling.

My husband and children enjoy camping as a family but don't get out as often as we'd like. We're spoiled by the luxury of our Jayco pop-up camper.

When we're choosing a destination, we look for parks that offer learning activities like guided hikes and science hours for the kids. Devil's Lake State Park, WI, is one of our favorites.