Going Camping/White Water Rafting

[udsweetpea]

Ok, I've never been camping and only white water rafting once, and its been so long since! I can't remember what to bring to wear! BF has all of our camping supplies, but I have no idea what clothes to bring. Can someone help me out? What kinds of shoes should I wear? We'll be camping in Ohio in September. Any idea of what the weather is like?

TIA!

[shopaholic]

I can't say for the weather, but definitely bring clothing that is comfortable and that you don't mind getting dirty (and you wouldn't be heart broken if ruined).

September might be a bit cold, especially at night so be sure to have sweat pants.

I would bring sweats or a pair of jeans. Possibly shorts for during the day if warm. Tee shirts, sweat shirts.

Definitely "gym" shoes and nothing nice either. Don't bring your cherished Nike's or Adidas shoes. Bring a ratty pair of shoes that will be ok if they get all muddy.

Camping is NOT a stylish event!

[boilermaker]

As a frequent Ohio camper, maybe I can help :)

Last Sept was the nicest month we had all year, so I am hoping for a lovely fall again. It can still be warm...but it can also be cool, so just check the weather the week before.

What to bring...definitely comfy clothes. I prefer my hiking and yoga pants over jeans, but jeans work well also. If you have hiking boots, they will definitely come in handy. Bring a raincoat. It rains pretty frequently here, so it is better to be prepared. A ballcap (or other hat you may have...I don't recommend Mickey Mouse ears as headcover though :P ) A swimsuit (bring 2 if you are planning to wear one rafting). Bring 2 outfits for each day. I find that I get dirty during the day regardless of what we are doing and it feels great to have another outfit to put on after my 6:00 shower. Bring a sweatshirt/long sleeve tee/fleece just in case it gets chilly.

For rafting, I typically wear several layers. Swimsuit, then shorts & tank top, followed by either a quickdry long sleeved shirt or a fleece depending on the weather. If it is really cold (which it should not be), the wet suit rental is worth the money. For footwear, Teva type sandels work best. I personally hate wearing sneakers because I hate having wet feet in sneakers....and yoru feet will definitely be wet.

Other essentials that your BF might forget that I would find hard to live without...bugspray (lots of buggers here) and toilet paper. Also bring plenty of water!

If you don't mind my asking, where are you going to be camping? Hocking Hills? I'm always looking for new spots...

Have fun!

[elladee]

Well I'm a frequent New York/Pennsylvania camper, so I guess my advice isn't quite as good as boilermaker. ;)

I am assuming you'll be "car camping" as opposed to backpacking. Car camping is where you drive right up to your campsite where backpacking requires you to carry all your clothes/gear/food a good distance to get to the campsite. My advice and the previous advice is based on car camping. Let us know if that's not the case because it makes a big difference (you get to bring a lot less stuff when you're backpacking).

I agree that I prefer hiking pants to jeans, but if you're not a frequent camper and jeans are all you've got, you don't need to go out and buy anything new. I also prefer more of a sneaker type hiking boot, just make sure it's got good support and traction.

For sleeping, you'll probably want pants. Nights in the fall can get chilly. I like to wear tight clothes when I'm sleeping while camping because I hate when loose things get twisted and bunched in the sleepingbag.

Rain gear=very important. So are extra clothes. I don't bring 2 full outfits for every day, but I do bring some extra clothes (especially socks) incase I get wet or exceptionally muddy.

Oh yeah, and if you're at a campsite with showers, you'll definately want flip flops to wear in the shower.

[boilermaker]

hijacking...

Ella, where in Pennsylvania do you camp? DH and I are always looking for new places to go!

In regards to bringing extra clothes, my "evening" outfit oftens lasts me 2-3 evenings, so that helps minimize the amount of stuff to bring. And as Ella reminded me of the showers, don't forget to bring a towel and washcloth!

[elladee]

continuing the hijack...

boilermaker, we mostly go to Alleghaney National Forest to backpack. My other favorite place in Pennsylvania is Ohiopyle State Park near Pittsburgh.

[LeslieandPaul]

Definitely bring a warm hat, a rain jacket and rain pants!!! If you aren't going to have access to washroom facilities I suggest bringing baby wipes rather than tp-that's what I did last summer when I went camping and had no toilet and they were great to have.
Oh, and take more than one pair of shoes!

[ManteoChik]

My suggestion is:
Bathing suit
Shorts
Tee Shirts
Long Sleve Shirt
Sweatshirt
Socks
Tennis Shoes
Teva's (for rafting b/c they have straps, also can be worn in the shower)
Bathroom things (I get everything in "travel size")

-and of course some of the obvious things that other people have posted. I usually raft in west virginia and I know the company we raft with rent certain things. We always rent a waterproof bag to put things like a towel, jacket, and medicine you might need.....the bags usually have clips and you can clip them right to the raft so they don't fall out.