Backyard camping

[Stephen]

Ok, someone tell me if I'm high or not.

About half of my property is woods. I didn't realize this until yesterday when I actually pulled out a measure tape (I have a 100' tape for softball) and did some rough measurements, as I'm trying to figure out how much a fence would cost me to install.

In any case, I realized I've got a good swatch of forest on my property. Yesterday, in a lucid moment of inspiration, I said , "I'm going to cut a trail out there to our very own campsite and fire pit!"

Am I nuts? I think this is a great, cheap way to start getting the kids "into it" at home, as well as get some practice with my equipment before doing the "real hikes".

Any thoughts on this? Here's a diagram (sorry to break the size guideline, Greg!). The red line is a proposed stockade fence. The green are the trees. The trail and campsite are complete arbitrary at this point in location and size... just a sketch really.

-Stephen

 

[Greg]

Just be sure to practice LNT...

 

[ctenidae]

LNT, except for the trail, of course.
I say go for it. Whatever works to get your kids interested in the outdoors.
You could even invite a bunch of yahoos over every so often (particularly around the Fourth of July and Memorial Day) to make a lot of noise and leave a bunch of beer cans around. When your kids get upset, tell them that's why the wilderness needs to be protected, and why you do practice LNT.

 

[bvibert]

I say go for it! Sounds like fun

 

[ALLSKIING]

That sounds pretty cool..Kids would love that sort of thing in there own backyard.

 

[twigeater]

Great idea!

I do that with my grandkids, and we have a blast!

 

[Charlie Schuessler]

Go for it! We did it and our son brought his friends over...no regrets.

Look into your municpal set-back ordinences for the fence installation before you install it.

 

[RossiSkier]

That sounds like a BLAST! You're so lucky to have all that land. As city folk we don't have such luxeries. I would camp in my background everynight during the summer if I could.

 

[ctenidae]

Come on, Rossi- there are plenty of opportunities for camping in the city. It's so popular, even the bums do it! It's always refresshing to see a group breaking camp on my way to wrk. Seems like some of tehm are very concerned with oral hygeine- they go through lots of mouthwash. Though, I never seem to see them spit it out...

 

[RossiSkier]

I live in North Troy, aka Lansingburgh, but soon to be Lansing-Bronx. It's a nice community, but it's not a major metropolitan area. We had a bum or two, but they moved on. Homelessness isn't a big problem on the north end. Crackdealers and ho's are another story. It's a short trip up to Paradox Lake or Putnam Pond campgrounds though. Those are my wife's favorites.

 

[ctenidae]

My company changed buildings about a year ago. I have to say, we had a better class of bums at the old place.

 

[awf170]

thats awsome, i wish i had that when i was little, i dont even have one tree in my yard

 

[MichaelJ]

Go for it! I don't know how dense your woods are, but if the vegetation fills out that you can't see the house from the site at night, the kids will love it.

Don't forget to cut out all the roots when building the firepit. And watch out for local regs on whether the fire pit is legal.