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I am new to tent camping and need help. How do you use an electrical hookup in a campground?
I am going to camp in a Yogi Bear campground in a site that says “Water and Electrical Hookup”. Does that mean I can use an extension cord with a strip on the end of it that has plugs in it? I can find lots of info on tent camping on the internet, but nothing that explains electrical hookup. I’m a single mom. I hope I can find a veteran camper who can help me with my camping questions.
Typically, “Water and Electrical Hookups” are referring to convenient places an RV or trailer can plug in to for power and running water. Chances are, you should be able to plug an extension cord with a power strip for running some electrical items. I say plan your trip as if the electrical won’t be available, but bring a few things that will be helpful in case it is. A few helpful camping tips: If there’s a firepit, bring a couple Duraflame logs. They last a couple hours, don’t take any special gymnastics to ignite, and you can always throw regular wood on after the duraflame is burning. Remember to smother your campfire before you go to bed (Shovel dirt on it, etc). Bring a stiff rake. Rake out the spot where you’re putting your tent(s). This way, you don’t end up rolling over onto a rock or acorn. Please, please, PLEASE, clean up when you’re gone. Have your kids walk all over your campsite and pick up every little bit of trash possible. (Also, bring trashbags! Not all campsites have convenient trash receptacles). Check the temperature ranges in advance, and pack accordingly. It’s a very long night when it’s freezing cold and you didn’t bring the winter sleeping bags. Remember that tents catch fire VERY easily, so don’t put the tent next to the campfire, and don’t bring electrical or gas heaters into the tent. Bring fresh drinking water. (Those 2.5 gallon jugs with the convenient spigot are good…) Bring a medical kit w/ all the usual refinements. Kids will always find a way to get boo-boo’s. I can almost guarantee that you will certainly overpack for your first trip. You’ll find that over time you’ll be able to whittle it down to the stuff you *really* need, as opposed to the stuff you think you’ll need. If you’re with someone who is not a morning person, they will be much worse in the morning. Trust me. Good luck!
4 Responses to “I am new to tent camping and need help. How do you use an electrical hookup in a campground?”
Leave a Reply
August 11th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Hello-I can help. I have camped since I was in diapers and am now, over 30 and holding-lol.Can you explain what you mean by "with a strip on the end"? Are you talking about just an extension cord? If so, you can plug an extension cord into the outlet. If you are still unsure-ask when you get there.
References :
Personal experience
August 11th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
If you’re going to "tent", do it the fun way: forget about water& electric hook-ups! Get a lantern for light, or one of the new LED lanterns (safer), carry your own water from the faucet You’ll now appreciate all the modern amenities you have at home instead of taking them for grantit. Your kids (I assume they’ll be with you) will think it fun to "rough it", if you make a game out of roughing it it’ll make your tenting experience much more fun.
Electric use in a tent can be dangerous! What if it rains and the tent leaks? (Almost all tents leak, especially if they’re new) Especially around floor seams, where most likely you’ll have that cord andit’s "strip" lying -ZAP! You & the kids are done for! If you honestly don’t think you can’t go without hook-ups in a tent, buy an RV, that’s really why the hookups are there. (And, of course the shmuck that brought the Mr. Coffee machine with ‘m ) If you’d like to know more, email me.
References :
I was (until 5 months ago) a full time camper,& RVr, lived in the woods and campgrounds for 25 years! No more than you’ll ever learn in books. By-the-way: You won’t be alone when you tent, moma, the campgrounds are loaded with divorced wives and husbands with their kids. Go, and enjoy, it’s another world. "Pick some brains" while you’re there, nice campers enjoy educating and informing others. hoboandsqueek@peoplepc.com
August 12th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Typically, "Water and Electrical Hookups" are referring to convenient places an RV or trailer can plug in to for power and running water. Chances are, you should be able to plug an extension cord with a power strip for running some electrical items.
I say plan your trip as if the electrical won’t be available, but bring a few things that will be helpful in case it is.
A few helpful camping tips:
If there’s a firepit, bring a couple Duraflame logs. They last a couple hours, don’t take any special gymnastics to ignite, and you can always throw regular wood on after the duraflame is burning. Remember to smother your campfire before you go to bed (Shovel dirt on it, etc).
Bring a stiff rake. Rake out the spot where you’re putting your tent(s). This way, you don’t end up rolling over onto a rock or acorn.
Please, please, PLEASE, clean up when you’re gone. Have your kids walk all over your campsite and pick up every little bit of trash possible. (Also, bring trashbags! Not all campsites have convenient trash receptacles).
Check the temperature ranges in advance, and pack accordingly. It’s a very long night when it’s freezing cold and you didn’t bring the winter sleeping bags. Remember that tents catch fire VERY easily, so don’t put the tent next to the campfire, and don’t bring electrical or gas heaters into the tent.
Bring fresh drinking water. (Those 2.5 gallon jugs with the convenient spigot are good…)
Bring a medical kit w/ all the usual refinements. Kids will always find a way to get boo-boo’s.
I can almost guarantee that you will certainly overpack for your first trip. You’ll find that over time you’ll be able to whittle it down to the stuff you *really* need, as opposed to the stuff you think you’ll need.
If you’re with someone who is not a morning person, they will be much worse in the morning. Trust me.
Good luck!
References :
August 12th, 2009 at 12:18 am
Like some of the others, I agree that "water and electrical" hookup is for the RV and travel trailers. I also have reservations about using a power strip in a tent as the possibility for rain water or dew or condensation can make it unsafe – water and electricity DON’T MIX! That said, if you insist, make sure your power strip has a built in GFIC, sometimes called GFC or GFI – this stands for "ground fault interrupter". It is the same type of device you see in modern bathroom outlets and the bathroom outlets in most hotels (with red and yellow "test" and "reset" buttons). A lot of hairdryers these days have them built right into the cord. What this device does is detect any leakage of the current in the electrical circuit. If the device sees any electrical leakage (like you getting zapped in your rain filled tent) it will act quickly to cut the juice and shut off the power strip. You will still get shocked for a split second but probably not killed. Thats why they are so predominant in bathrooms or around sinks – if you dropped the hairdryer in the bathtub it won’t kill you anymore.
Even if you do use a ground fault interrupter circuit on your power strip, I still advise against this. The risk of a problem is great. My personal opinion too is that part of what makes camping a different experience is the lack of everyday convienance. You’d be surprised at how late you and your kids and even your camping site neighbors will stay up talking over the campfire and looking at the stars. Leave the coffeemaker and TV at home. Enjoy your kids, enjoy the outdoors, enjoy roughing it for a couple days. Even if there are lots of bugs and a snake and it rains, it still beats being at work lol
References :
Electronics Technician by trade