Camping turned into a disaster

[F22RaptorDude]

Camp was destroyed by 60+ MPH winds Thursday night. We had to take cover in the bathroom across the street, we waited there for about 20 minutes until the main storm passed. The adults came back in and told us the extent of the damage. Tents were in tree's and the trailer that carried all our bags to the camp ground had flipped over. People were soaked for hours before we got home. Amazingly My phone is the only one that got caught in the storm because mine was the only one left in the tent because it was charging. Cell phone is done for i'm sure I found it submerged in water along with my camera and DVD player but those two still work. Phone won't turn on now. Got home around 4 in the morning still soaking wet and went to bed, I just now woke up at around 6. I think I can honestly say this will be my only camping trip I ever take.

Only advantage was the pictures of the museum I got.  

Edit: I might also add we had no time to really react. We were playing xbox(some kid brought his) on the projector screen the adults brought when we just got hit by a wall of wind that knocked all the gear off the picnic tables. I immediately ran to my tent about 40 feet away and tried to get the door open so I could grab my stuff but my tent was pancaked and the rain cover was flapping everywhere barley hanging on to the tent meaning that water was getting into the windows, one of the adults ran over to me and told me to take cover in the bathroom. After everything happened I called my mom on my friends phone and told her what happened, she asked if it was a tornado and I said "From my viewpoint you would think it was" It took us an hour to get everything in the trailer.

[MaSonZ]

pull the battery out of your phone, and keep it apart. put it in a bag of rice. itll give your phone a chance to survive.

on a side note, the part about never going camping anymore is (i feel) kinda stupid. it was one bad expierence, just bad luck on the planners behalf. in the future give it another try. youll enjoy it.

 

[Babalonian]

O California,
Our home and native land!


Sucks, check the weather report ahead of time next time, you'll have a better experience next time.  Also, leave the electronics at home or in the car, it's an immersion thing.

[pirhana6]

IMO, camping doesn't "turn into" a disaster. It's a disaster from the beginning.

[F22RaptorDude]

pull the battery out of your phone, and keep it apart. put it in a bag of rice. itll give your phone a chance to survive.

on a side note, the part about never going camping anymore is (i feel) kinda stupid. it was one bad expierence, just bad luck on the planners behalf. in the future give it another try. youll enjoy it.

 

Thanks I'll put it in when I get downstairs. And I guess i'm still really mad about it all, plus my family isn't a camping family(meaning this was my first time) we are a beach family. But maybe i'll come around when I do camp again next year.

O California,
Our home and native land!


Sucks, check the weather report ahead of time next time, you'll have a better experience next time.  Also, leave the electronics at home or in the car, it's an immersion thing.

I checked the weather many times that night, all it said was a 30% chance of scattered thunderstorms all night long. When we looked at the radar in the bathroom(One of the adults was checking) there was a giant Purple dot over Macon County.

[GNucks]

Camping is always a great experience. If the weather is good you'll have fun, if the weather is bad it's a challenge to be faced. I went on backpacking trips once or twice a month for maybe five years while I was a Boy Scout. Now if we ever met weather like 60mph winds we'd probably have to call it, but otherwise rain or shine we'd finish the trek and share the experience.

Summer Camp is always pretty neat, but I highly recommend finding a Troop that knows their outdoors, you'll learn a lot and the friends you make in the BSA will always be better than the ones you meet at school.

[B-17]

i love camping...its fantasstic and at least it wasnt an 'immersive' experience

[F22RaptorDude]

Camping is always a great experience. If the weather is good you'll have fun, if the weather is bad it's a challenge to be faced. I went on backpacking trips once or twice a month for maybe five years while I was a Boy Scout. Now if we ever met weather like 60mph winds we'd probably have to call it, but otherwise rain or shine we'd finish the trek and share the experience.

Summer Camp is always pretty neat, but I highly recommend finding a Troop that knows their outdoors, you'll learn a lot and the friends you make in the BSA will always be better than the ones you meet at school.

Like I said we had no idea the weather would act up. It was a 30% chance of rain until 3 in the morning. And trust me the adults knew their outdoors, they do this every year for the past 6 years twice during the summer, and a few of the adults were in the Marines. I think this leads up to inaccurate weather predictions.

[MaSonZ]

Like I said we had no idea the weather would act up. It was a 30% chance of rain until 3 in the morning. And trust me the adults knew their outdoors, they do this every year for the past 6 years twice during the summer, and a few of the adults were in the Marines. I think this leads up to inaccurate weather predictions.

thats all it is. dont let one bad expierence get you down.

[F22RaptorDude]

thats all it is. dont let one bad expierence get you down.

I know, I mean it was really fun until that happened I was really enjoying myself.

[M0nkey_Man]

fun, i had to build a wood fence today

[F22RaptorDude]

fun, i had to build a wood fence today

I would have rather done that. Camping just isn't for me, for one I need my bed 

[MaSonZ]

I would have rather done that. Camping just isn't for me, for one I need my bed 

come live with me. ill get you used to anything haha.

[68ZooM]

Camping is one of the most relaxing things to do, plus depending on how and where you camp it can be a blast. when i go camping i load up the boat and will go find Coves along the lake to set up Camp, one thing nice about Boat camping is your very seldom disturbed by people being to close, Last year me and 4 other mastercraft owners all went island camping on the Columbia River on Labor Day, between the 5 boats we hauled 30 plus people, camping gear and a ton of food and booze  haha, i can't tell you the amount of fun i had, there were parties all up and down the river 

[saggs]

I would have rather done that. Camping just isn't for me, for one I need my bed  

Pansy  

Just so you know how I feel about camping.   I've spent 7 summers as a full time backpacking guide, 2 in Yellowstone/Tetons, and 5 in the Wind Rivers.  Plus I try to do at least 2 (one winter, one summer) personal trips a year.

You said you had a bathroom across the street, electric power to your tent, a cell phone, and DVD player, and an XBOX      THAT IS NOT CAMPING!!!  

Camping is when you leave all that crap behind, carry just what you need on your back, get as far from civilization as possible, and (re)connect with nature.

Anywaysss, here's a tip for next time.   When you see a storm coming, and you have a cheap tent that can't stand up to wind, just take the poles out of the pockets to drop it, and throw some heavy rocks on the corners.  It won't catch the wind, and won't blow away.   If you do a lot of camping you will quickly realize the value of a good tent that can stand up to storms.