I’m used to camping in places that I can drive to, but My husband and I were trying to figure out if we could go somewhere across the country. This would mean flying, with all our camping gear or sucking it up and staying in a hotel.
Has anyone had experience flying to go camping, with a full size tent and supplies? Is this really feasible or should I get the lightweight backpackers tent? Even that would have to fit two.
I’d plan on buying all my food there, and I’m guessing I’d have to forgo my cast iron crock pot. Any other tips?
Unless you like camping like you are backpacking, or flying to camp with friends who already have camping gear there you can borrow, flying to another area to camp sucks. Even when you fly to another area, borrowing other people’s camping gear sucks because it’s hard to return it dried out and clean. It also sucks to fly and camp with local people who have many changes of clothes to stay fresh, but you just have a couple because of space constraints. But, for lack of a better option, when we flew we borrowed. We could have never brought enough stuff to regular camp without borrowing. Our existing gear at home, like bulky sleeping bags, coleman stoves, full-size pot and pan sets, tents, lawn chairs and the like, were just too bulky.
Therefore, if you can’t borrow, your only option is to pack like you’re going to be backpacking, but don’t need food and don’t care how heavy your pack is.
To be comfortable, you’ll need the following quality backpacking equipment:
-backpacking backpacks
-backpacking 3-person dome tent
-decent therma-rest type sleeping pads
-Good 0 degree or better sleeping bags (preferably down, since they pack the lightest and
smallest… just don’t get them wet).
-lightweight "Sling-Light" chairs http://www.slinglight.com/ http://crazycreek.com/product/specials/66/
-In case it rains, a couple rain-flies (from full size tents) and a lot of parachute chord
-"Nesting" camping cook pot sets and some folding handle mugs
-Silverwear and misc. cooking crap
-A couple of backpacking stoves, preferably the liquid fuel kind so you can carry an extra bottle of fuel or two.
-Obviously clothing of different climates.
-Toiletries
I could get all of the above strapped into (and onto) my large backpacking backpack, including the sleeping pad, sleeping bag, chair, and tent, but it would weigh over 50lbs., so I would count on being charged extra for your overweight luggage. I’ve flown with my backpacking backpack before (minus the tent, chair, and pad, mind you) and they made me put it in a huge, thick mil plastic bag (so the straps and such don’t rip off) and then charged me extra.
Also, if the airlines weren’t being such dumb— wussies about carry-on luggage, you could always take extra changes of clothes in carry-on daypack backpacks. But I’d call the airline about that one, thanks to underwear bomber and society’s willingness to let a few terrorists scare us into having to be treated like cattle.
