more tent camping questions

[eeyoresbestfriend]

Hi! We will be tent camping at FW, we have a preferred site, mainly because my parents who will be using their RV are camping with us. ANyway my question is, I hear about the sandy area- is that where we will set up the tent? What about staking it down? Is there more firm earth under the sand fort he stakes to lodge into? okay maybe a dumb question- but I want to be prepared!Thanks for all the information I have gotten from you all in the last cople of weeks, we are off in 6 days!! So excited!

 

[emoose]

My experience in the sand pit.

The "sand" is packed hard and you cannot push a nail spike into it.

You could probably hammer a nail spike into it but I didn't try and I would only try with good steel or very good aluminum (nobendium) nails.

Because I didn't bring a hammer I used the very soft dirt around the site with a few flat/spade spikes I had to put out my lines.

If your tent really needs good staking to stay dry I would bring sand bags or bricks to tie your lines off to.

I also found nearby trees a good place to tie off lines. This had the benificial side effect of "tripping" people who decided to cut through my site late in the evening to cut through the woods to a nearby campsite. I think I snared one nearly every night.

 

[clkelley]

The "sand" is actually coquina which is a sand/crushed shell combination and is very well packed.

I bring a Stake Mallet (Wal-Mart about $2.50) rubber mallet. I use the original stakes that came with my tents, or the Wal-Mart aluminum stakes as replacements and hammer those in at a 45 degree angle and have no problem getting them to stay. The Wal-Mart stake mallet has a hook at the end of the handle handy to pull stakes also.

 

[eeyoresbestfriend]

Thank you very much, I was a little worried but no longer I am so excited to get this trip started!!

 

[rer1972]

Thank you very much, I was a little worried but no longer I am so excited to get this trip started!!

Cool, when are you guys going? I'll be there beginning of February.

 

[eeyoresbestfriend]

Hey! We are arriving This Sunday the 12th! My parents are excited to get to see The World with their two grandchildren that they don't see too often with my husband being in the military! So it will be a nice trip for all of us, and my husband and I can even leave the kids a couple evenings, the grandparents will love to have them, and we will love the "couple time!" I hope the weather will be nice while we are there, but it doesn't really matter we will have a blast!