my first tent camping trip

[McRed]

I'm going tent camping with some old college friends this weekend. We do this every year around July 4th on a friend's farm near Louisville. You have to take a tractor trail and cross several creeks to get to a clearing that has a deer lodge similar to your friend's. We basically drink lots of beer and sit around the campfire and make up stories about each other.
BTW....the ticks have been really bad here in Kentucky this year to.

 

[ntsammy5]

Oh BTW, for future reference, coming down a mountain in the dark can be very dangerous!

 

[Laurabearz]

Glad to hear no tick encounters to report!! The place looked lovely! Sorry to hear tenting is not for you, but you seem like your over it lol

 

[Pinkee77]

OH MY!

I'm thinking my first tent camping trip may be a little easier than your's!

I have to ask for clarification he got the chickens at Wal Mart?? I'm sure different stores carry different products according to the local demand but live chickens? lol.

 

[lucy_love]

OH MY!

I'm thinking my first tent camping trip may be a little easier than your's!

I have to ask for clarification he got the chickens at Wal Mart?? I'm sure different stores carry different products according to the local demand but live chickens? lol.

haha no, we go them on our way home from Wal mart

 

[Pinkee77]

Phew!! I was wondering. lol.

 

[Shannone1]

Great Pictures !! You never did tell us your first name though I know your dog is Lucy I have one question about your friend's set up.....does he have a real bathroom ?!?!?!

Jeff- great family history about the Biltmore

 

[2goofycampers]

Great Pictures !! You never did tell us your first name though I know your dog is Lucy I have one question about your friend's set up.....does he have a real bathroom ?!?!?!

Jeff- great family history about the Biltmore

Her name is Ashley.

 

[lucy_love]

Her name is Ashley.

Haha thanks, I thought I put in the "tell us your name thing" that my name was Ashley but maybe I forgot

They have a shower house thing but it's quite a hike so they pee in the woods and shower like once a week

I used the shower house and I first checked it for bugs then hoped in and turned it on and 3 bugs came falling down at me!! I was trying to crush them down the drain with my shampoo bottle but the daddy long legs was to big,

 

[stky6]

I started out sleeping under my truck, got married and had to move into a tent...best way to camp

We have a 12x18 tent with a/c, and 18 foot round canopy and all the comforts of home, even cook up a roast and cinnamon rolls in the camping oven.

btw, you should be more worried about tics crawling up from the ground than doing a freefall basejump from a tree, they like hiding in the grass instead of hanging out on braches and becoming a tasty snack for a bird

 

[cajunpeach]

I didn't know Wal-Mart sold LIVE chickens

How did you like the Biltmore?

During the Depression my Grandfather and Great Grandfather worked at the Biltmore as carpenters (the last big renovation). One of the benefits was all of the recycled material went home with them and they built My Grandparents house(now aunts). Anothor benefit was if you bent a nail in the board you were installing you replaced the hole board not just the nail you bent. They bent a lot of nails as they were finishing my Grandparents home and needed more lumber. Thanks to the Biltmore My Grandparents had a new house in the Depression. With top of the line materials for close to nothing. My Grandfather also said the renovation time (years) would have been shorter if all of the tradesman worked on the biltmore as much as they did building there own homes.

I know I'm about 2 weeks late reading this. I just wanted to say, cool story!!! I imagine your grandparents (now aunts) home is really nice!

 

[Colson39]

Looks like you had a blast!!! Great pics, thanks for sharing I haven't been white water rafting in forever, I need to make a trip soon...lol

 

[lucy_love]

Looks like you had a blast!!! Great pics, thanks for sharing I haven't been white water rafting in forever, I need to make a trip soon...lol

Thanks! There are quite a few places to raft in that area of NC/TN/GA

 

[mamaloya]

Ashley, FYI, a hat won't stop a tick and your head is not the only place you have hair.

I was bit by a tick in Williamsburg, VA. A few weeks later, after several days of 105 fever, I went to the ER. I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. I am now part time in a wheelchair and the pain is unbelievable. I went through 2 long courses of doxycycline to rid my body of the bacteria. I am not sure if the only reason it is so bad is because I already had rheumatoid arthritis or if it is always like that. After the ER visit I could barely walk around in my house for weeks. I used to run rings around everyone in my family, hiking, canoeing, etc. Now I struggle just to get groceries. I did recently go on a canoeing trip in Hot Springs and it was awesome. I was not on my feet, so I was OK, but still in pain. I just wasn't going to miss out on that.

The best way to prevent Lyme is a multi step process:
1) High deet bug repellent
2) Long pants and tuck into your socks
3) Check for ticks as soon as you get back inside (especially the warm areas)
4) If tick is found, remove with tweezers by the head immediately, the longer the tick feeds the greater the chance of transmission.

BTW, we were camping in our RV when this happened. It doesn't matter where you sleep, it is where you hike.

I still love the outdoors, just am more careful. We are also planning on buying a tent so we can do some "real" camping from time to time.

Isn't there a country song about a guy wanting to check a girl for ticks? I suspect he had ulterior motives, but I guess it is the thought that counts.

Well, back on topic.

Looks like you had a good time. But, not all tent camping is like that. Easiest tent camping we ever had was at Fort Wilderness. That's another reason we want a tent. If we ever can't get an RV site, we can get a tent site.

 

[lucy_love]

Is this serious?

If so, I am so sorry about what happened to you! I am never stepping foot under a tree again. I am pretty sure the fort sprays constantly (I hope). Yes, there is a country song about that! I heard it the other day and died laughing.

 

[mamaloya]

Ashley,

I am sad to say that I am very serious. Don't stay inside though. Fear is not a good thing. Don't let it stop you from seeing the world. Just take the precautions that I mentioned. I still don't let it stop me. I am camping right now. It has slowed me down, but it won't stop me.

Live your life to the fullest. You never know what tomorrow holds.

 

[lucy_love]

Wow, I am so sorry that happened to you but I am glad that it hasn't stoped you from doing what you love to do. Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it.

 

[Gatordad]

Nothing stops Momaloya.

 

[ntsammy5]

I was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Man, that really stinks! I don't know anyone who has it, but I know it can be really bad! I feel for you - we spend weeks in the woods every year - don't hunt much any more, it kind of lost it's appeal, but we are in the high risk category, we do check for ticks regularly and almost take a bath in deet sometimes - wish it would work better on black flies - but any way good luck. I never would have thought Williamsburg though!