Camping on the beach?

Amanda L

Ok, for all you seasoned beach campers out there...

I am planning a camping trip for Mustang Island which is north of the Padres in Texas.
I need to know the items I will need to pack (I don't own a single camping item yet) any tips for a fun, non-hectic time, and the know-how on starting a campfire (we attempted one on V-Day and it was a success 4 hours and a bottle of charcoal fluid later).
Any advice and helpful hints would be AMAZING!
THANKS!

Answer
Beach camping is different from other types of camping. Pitching a tent in the sand is difficult. Beside all the normal gear (tent, sleeping bag, clothes, food, etc):
1. Bring LONG tent stakes - 12 inches or more to use in sand
2. Be prepared for a constant wind on or off shore. Pitch your tent with one corner into the wind. Otherwise your tent will lean under the onslaught
3. Plan on finding sand in everything - shoes, crotch, sleeping bag, food, auto, etc
4. You MUST have a wind break for any cooking fire or stove. The wind makes it difficult to keep a stove lit and blows your heat away from the pans and grills.
5. Sunblock - lot of it and reapply regularly and often
6. Watch out for auto/truck traffic. Don't camp your campsite in the middle of the beach. You'll get run over in the middle of the night.

Where can I buy extra long tent stakes for beach camping?

Glenn Beck

Some friends and I are camping at on the beach this summer. Every guide I've read about beach camping says that we must get extra long stakes because of the sand. I'm having a hard time finding these - does anyone know a good store to buy them at, or what terminology I should use to search for them online?

Thanks!

Answer
You need curved or v section pegs, not the straight rod type unless they are very long ....and then you find a rock buried eight inches down just where you're knocking the peg in. Beaches do that deliberate..
If you can find some pegs with a saw-tooth edge, even better.
You can get thick plastic ones like that or straight-edged, quite cheaply, or wide alloy pegs fairly cheap or stainless steel, even titanium...very expensive for those..
Wide pegs can be shorter than thin ones and then you get still more grip in the sand without having to go very deep.
Another trick is to put heavy rocks over the pegs. Bang or push the pegs right in to the sand so they're flush,and use big hopefully flattish rocks so they don't tip or roll, to put some weight on them. Same on snow. Pile some rocks over the pegs and build a bank of snow along the sides and back of the tent for better stability. Some tents have snow valances for doing that...very handy.
You can also use boulders to tie onto, scooping sand out from the base to get low. Sometimes handy for one peg at least to get a good fix in one corner and use the boulder for shelter or privacy. Put the cord through the peg loop and right round the boulder, then tighten up and tie it off. Put the sand over again and you've got a low fixing without using a peg.
Of course sands vary like soils vary. On the west coast of Denmark we drove a convoy of big Army trucks right along the beach for twenty miles on the hard sand ....as good as a road.
Even cycling on it on holiday later was a dream....not hard going at all..
Normal pegs were fine in it too.
Here are some sand and snow stakes...a lot of companies make similar ones.
http://www.buachaille.com/p1852-2-66/Tent-Accessories/Cotswold-Snow-or-Sand-Stake-Alloy.html . . . . . .

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Where can I buy extra long tent stakes for beach camping?

beach tent stakes image

Glenn Beck

Some friends and I are camping at on the beach this summer. Every guide I've read about beach camping says that we must get extra long stakes because of the sand. I'm having a hard time finding these - does anyone know a good store to buy them at, or what terminology I should use to search for them online?

Thanks!

Answer
You need curved or v section pegs, not the straight rod type unless they are very long ....and then you find a rock buried eight inches down just where you're knocking the peg in. Beaches do that deliberate..
If you can find some pegs with a saw-tooth edge, even better.
You can get thick plastic ones like that or straight-edged, quite cheaply, or wide alloy pegs fairly cheap or stainless steel, even titanium...very expensive for those..
Wide pegs can be shorter than thin ones and then you get still more grip in the sand without having to go very deep.
Another trick is to put heavy rocks over the pegs. Bang or push the pegs right in to the sand so they're flush,and use big hopefully flattish rocks so they don't tip or roll, to put some weight on them. Same on snow. Pile some rocks over the pegs and build a bank of snow along the sides and back of the tent for better stability. Some tents have snow valances for doing that...very handy.
You can also use boulders to tie onto, scooping sand out from the base to get low. Sometimes handy for one peg at least to get a good fix in one corner and use the boulder for shelter or privacy. Put the cord through the peg loop and right round the boulder, then tighten up and tie it off. Put the sand over again and you've got a low fixing without using a peg.
Of course sands vary like soils vary. On the west coast of Denmark we drove a convoy of big Army trucks right along the beach for twenty miles on the hard sand ....as good as a road.
Even cycling on it on holiday later was a dream....not hard going at all..
Normal pegs were fine in it too.
Here are some sand and snow stakes...a lot of companies make similar ones.
http://www.buachaille.com/p1852-2-66/Tent-Accessories/Cotswold-Snow-or-Sand-Stake-Alloy.html . . . . . .

How do I get tent stakes to hold in sand?

icarusny69

I'm looking at doing some camping on the beach and not sure how this will work...

Answer
Regular stakes, even extra long ones, won't hold in sand. Instead you construct a dead-man.

Tent stakes sometimes work for this, but you're better off with something thicker. A tree limb, for instance. Tie a line to the middle of the dead-man, and bury it in the sand horizontally, and parallel to the side of the tent. The deeper you bury it the better.

Back fill the hole, and tie the line to the loop in your tent where the stake normally attaches.

What happens is that the dead-man resists being pulled through the sand, thus anchoring the tent.

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What kind of materials and food to bring on camping trip?

beach tent stakes image

kimberly

I am going camping for the first time with some friends and i was wondering what sorts of materials and food we should take? Any tips/advice helps! Thanks in advance :)

Answer
Here is a list of things you might need...
Oh and contrary to what somebody else said, I'd plan on having a campfire. That's one of the best things about camping. Even if this is your 1st time camping, I'd still do a fire. Bring some old newspapers and lighter fluid to get it going. Old dry pine needles are a great fire starter if they are laying around too.

___ Tent
___ Tarp
___ Tent stakes
___ Sleeping bags/blankets/sheets
___ Pillows
___ Folding chairs
___ Old blanket for laying on ground
___Beach umbrella
___ Flashlights
___ Batteries (For flashlight and radio)
___ Clothes line/Rope ___Clothes pins
___Broom/Dustpan
___Books
___Pens ___Puzzle books ___Cards ___Games ___Frisbee ___Balls ___Radio ___CDâs
___ Camera
___ Cloth bags
___ Lighter fluid (Outside deck)
___ Matches (Packed in garage)
___ Wood unless it's provided at the campground (Possibly an ax if you have one handy to cut your own wood).

___ Pans/Pots with lids
___ Strainer
___ Pot holders
___ Coolers
___ Water Bottles
___ Plates
___ Bowls
___ Cups
___ Silverware
___ Spatula
___ Tongs
___ Knife
___ Ladel spoon
___ Scissors
___ Can opener
___ Trash bags
___ Gallon size bags
___ Foil

___ Big buckets/Dishpans (2 for doing dishes)
___ Sponge/Scrubber
___ Dish soap


___ Towels___ washcloths ___ dish towels
___ Hand sanitizer
___ Paper towels/napkins
___ Wipes
___Disposable Gloves

___ Bandaids ___Neosporin ___Calamine Lotion
___ Sunscreen ___ Aloe ___Burn Spray
___ Meds ___Tylenol ___Motrin ___Thermometer ___Benadryl

___Bug spray ___Citronella Candles
___Raid

___ Soap ___Shampoo ___ Conditioner
___Shaving Cream ___Razors
___Pads/Tampons if needed
___Toothbrushes ___Tooth Pastes ___Mouthwashes
___Q-tips
___Laundry Detergent?

FOOD: (My son and I are Vegan, my daughters and DH are meat eaters; this is the food list I bring for 4 nights. You can adjust it to meet your needs better. It was just easier for me to copy and paste it from my word document I saved it on...)

___Water Gallons (3-4) ___Water bottles (Large container)
___Flavored waters
___Soda ___Juice boxes ___Crystal Lite packets/Kool-aid
___Ketchup ___Mustard ___3-4 BBQ Sauce ___Salt ___Pepper ___Seasonings
___Mayo ___Fake mayo ___Power-aid ___Sugar (Small)
___ Cereal ___Oatmeal ___Parmalat Milks ___Shelf-Stable Soy Milk
___ Protein bars
___1 box Boca Burgers ___1 pack Smart Dogs ___2 Pack Chicken patties ___1 box Boca Chicken Burgers ___Tuna 1-2 cans
___Burgers ___Hotdogs ___ (Small pack)Chicken
___ 1 Ribs ___ Pork Chops

___Cheese
___Pickles
___ Peanut butter ___Fruit spread ___Margarine
___ Hummus powder
___Bread ___Hotdog rolls ___Burger rolls
___Pretzels ___Crackers ___Fruit snacks ___Corn chips ___Sun Chips
___Popcorn (Jiffy pop in pan)
___Marshmallows
___Chocolate ___Vegan chocolate
___Graham crackers
___Noodles
___ Macaroni ___Spaghetti ___Sauce (1)
___ Cans fruit ___Applesauce ___ Dried fruit ___Watermelon
___Other fruits
___Tea ___Cocoa ___Coffee(Instant-Small)
___Nuts
___ Bagged rice
___ Lettuce ___Tomato ___Cukes with dressing
___Corn on the cob ___Onion
___ Nuts

Clothing: (How much clothing you will need depends on how long you will be camping. You will want at least a couple more outfits then you believe you'll need. The sweaters are a good idea even if it's planned to be hot during the day. At night for walks to the bathroom, etc it can be chilly as it can early in the mornings.

We usually go for 4 nights and this is what I bring...
___ Socks, ___ flip flops ___ underwear (8) ___Bras (3-4) ___T-shirts/tanks (5) ___ Shorts (4-5) ___bathing suits (2) ___Pants(2) ___warm pajamas ___ sweaters (2) ___Lotion
___ Lightweight jacket ___ sneakers ___ Pants ___Belt
___ Hair scrunchies/barettes ___Deoderant ___Brush

What are some things to do outside for the summer?

CC Cutey26

I love being outdoors and I was wondering what are some things I could do this summer during my free time.

Answer
1 Hold a Skee-Ball tournament with your pals at the arcade. At 25 cents a pop, the fun 'n' games won't break the bank. The champ gets all the prize tickets!

2 Make a summer scrapbook. Include everything--even the little stuff. The price tag from your fave sundress, amusement park ticket stubs, photo booth pics of you and the crew and vacation postcards are all awesome additions to your book. It'll be a summer you'll never forget.

3 Grow a green thumb! Purchase some packets of flower seeds--cosmo, poppy, sunflower (unsalted, of course!)--and plant them in your own garden patch. Tending to your sprouts will keep you super-busy, and it's oh-so satisfying to watch as your blooms blossom.

4 Rent a tandem bike for a day. It's a bicycle built for-two. Grab a pal, hop on and pedal off for some good laughs: Yeah, it's goofy.... So what?

5 Get a cool deck of cards, and enjoy tons of fun playing Butthead, Blitz and Blackout with your pals. Don't know how? Check out www.pagat.com to learn these and other games--and a few you can play by yourself, too.

6 Do some flower projects. Pluck a few wildflowers from a field, and press them between the pages of a phone book for about two weeks until dry. Then, use them to decorate stationery, picture frames, bookmarks, whatever. Surprise friends and family with your flower creations--just as nice as a bouquet!

7 Head for the nearest gumball machine. Now, get four gumballs for a buck for you and each of your girls, and have a contest to see who blows the biggest bubble.

8 Speaking of bubbles... Hit the kiddie section of the dollar store, and buy a few bottles of soapy bubbles. You're never too old to blow bubbles!

9 Buy some zany sunglasses, and wear them in public. They can be ultra-glam, ultra-goofy, ultra-big, ultra-anything! The trick is to find a pair that really attracts attention. You're guaranteed to have an ultra-hilarious day!

10 Play the claw machine two times for a buck. You knaw--the one in which you try to pluck prizes with a mechanical crane. Yeah, it's usually a waste of money... but it's sooo irresistible!

11 Fly a kite on a windy day. Haven't flown a kite since you were a tot? You're missing out! It's not easy to keep that thing gracefully floating up there--but that's what makes it challenging! Fly your kite on the beach or in an open field, where the wind is often at its strongest mph.

12 Turn into an expert. Pick a topic you're really interested in (like surfing, Linkin Park, Paris, butterflies... whatever) and spend a little time each week researching it online. By the end of the summer, you'll practically be an expert on the subject.

13 Go backyard camping. Call your pals, pitch a tent, grab some sleeping bags, and head out your back door. OK, you'll have to forget about the campfire, but that's no reason to forgo the traditional campfire songs and tales. Have a blast sleeping under the stars-while enjoying the indoor plumbing just steps away!

14 Become a bookworm. Make it a goal to finish off a certain number of books this summer. Pick a genre you've never tried before--biographies, sci-fl, historical fiction--and then stake out a few reading spots. Climb a tree, stretch out on the porch swing, or even curl up on the couch on a rainy day.

15 Decorate your tank top. Start with a solid-color tank, and then go all-out with glitter, beads, crystals, markers, you name it. Personalize your shirt to reflect your unique style. Think of it as a summer souvenir!

16 Have a water fight. Get all your pals together, and designate teams. Then grab your water guns, water balloons, buckets, hoses and whatever else you've got...and ATTACK

17 Catch fireflies in a jar. Make yourself an all-natural lightning-bug strobe-light lantern for the evening. Don't forget to throw in a few blades of grass and poke holes in the lid. Just be sure to let them go after a few hours!

18 Become a volunteer at your local nursing home. Your electric smile and enthusiastic personality will have folks at the local home uplifted in no time. Spending even an hour a week playing board games or just talking with residents whose families can't (or don't) visit makes a big difference in their lives. Oh, and the stories they tell!

19 Start a cool collection. It doesn't matter what you collect--just pick something you like, and go for it! Sea glass, shells and bottle caps are popular summer collectibles. Or be a collector of something totally unique, like ceramic cats, funky bandannas or vintage buttons. To get into the collecting groove, visit a local museum and check out its collections for inspiration.

20 Play tag--in the rain. Why stay indoors just because the sun's not shining? Nothing screams summer like a game of soggy tag. Running around in the rain (um, as long as there's no thunder and lightning!!!) is a great way to cool down.
21 Check out any local, free-admission, all-ages music festivals. Many local bands enjoy performing outdoor conce

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