2013 / Camping and Hiking

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    Camping Information

General Information:

• We have group campsite #D167 reserved at the Big Meadows Campground


• The group campsite is booked Thursday night (July 25th) through Sunday night (July 28th) (Check-out Monday).


• Check-in is at 12:00 noon and check-out is at 12:00 noon.


• Parking is available for a limited number of vehicles at the site. Please contact Mikko and let him know if you have a car you'd like to park at the group campsite and he'll put you down for a slot.


• Campers will be asked to contribute a few dollars per night towards the campsite and firewood fees. The final amount will depend on how many people attend, but expect it to be somewhere around $5-$10 per person per night. Please click here to pay!


• Food will be organized as group meals with a contribution in the range of $10/person/day. The Hotel/Lodge also has a full catering dining room available with reasonable prices. Please click here to pay!

How To Make Reservation:

    Simply edit your profile and mark "solo site" or "individual site". This will give us the number of people. If you are planning on staying in the group site, please be aware that there is a limit of 21 people for that site. It will be given on a first come first serve basis. However, for those staying at an individual site, you will be free to use the group site for all of our events. You just have to "camp/sleep" at your own site. The campground does accept some "first come, first served" campers; however we strongly recommend you sign up for the group site or reserve you solo site as soon as possible.

Equipment & Supplies:

    The following is a suggested list of gear to bring on on the camping trip. The list is not exhaustive, and if you have any questions feel free to ask any of us!
Seasonal average temperatures for Shenandoah National Park in mid July are daytime highs of around 27°C/80°F, night time lows around 15°C/60°F. While generally dry, sudden rain and even thunder showers are possible in July.
(List adapted from this post on Tree-Of-Souls.com)

• Good outdoor shoes or hiking boots with appropriate socks.
   Something at least water resistant is a good idea, and ankle support is preferred by many.


• Waterproof shell layer / rain gear.
   There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate equipment. We aren't expecting much rain in July, conditions can change fast!


• Hat, long sleeved light clothing for sun protection.
   Combined with sun screen, carrying your own shade with you makes for a more pleasant time if the weather is hot.


• Dressing in layers makes it easy to regulate temperature.
   Wool & synthetic materials will keep you warm, even if wet. Cotton is a bad idea if it rains. A full change of clothes is important to have in case one set gets wet.


• Sleeping clothes
   You will want something warm & cozy to sleep in that isn't your day clothes.


• Small backpack / day-pack.
   You don't want to haul all you gear with you on day hikes, but you'll want something to carry your spare sun screen, water and snacks for the trail.


• Flashlight / Headlamp.
   There's no power in camp, and unfortunately Shenandoah National park doesn't have much bioluminescence either; so make sure you have a source of light.


• Water bottle, or two.
   Water is available at the camp site, and we should have some larger containers to bring water back to camp, but you'll want to be able to carry plenty of water on the trail with you. A couple of liters (couple of quarts) is a good amount to bring with you on an afternoon hike in the summer. If you don't have one, a basic Nalgene type water bottle is a great investment and helps keep single-use water-bottles from polluting our planet.


• "Mess kit" = Knife/Fork/Spoon/Spork, Cup, Bowl.
   Again, we don't want to use single use plates or cutlery. A spork, basic camp cup and a high-walled plate/wide bowl can be purchased for less than $10 each.


• A towel, Swim gear.
   If you get wet or decide to go for a swim. The campsite does have showers available. Always know where your towel is. Some people also bring a small towel for cleaning their dishes.


• Small first aid kit, sun screen, insect repellant/"bug dope", any personal medications.
    Unless it's something major that's going to require a trip to a hospital, you want to be able to treat minor issues without a long trip to a town. Be sure to remember personal medical equipment like asthma inhalers or allergy medications or epi-pens.


• Other personal hygiene equipment.
   A travel bar of soap and a washcloth can help keep you clean at the camp shower.


• Tent / tarp / bivy-sack / hammock.
   Your choice as to how you wish to sleep, but you'll want some form of shelter that can keep you dry and bug free. Normally rain means no bugs, hopefully we'll have neither. Most tents sleep 2 or 3 people, so you can team up and share here.


• Sleeping bag & pad, or cot.
   The ground is hard, so an inflatable "Thermarest" or foam camping pad are good to give you a soft place to sleep while providing some insulation from the ground. The nights shouldn't be too cold in the summer; so a lighter sleeping bag or camping quilt should suffice, especially in a tent which tend to be a little warmer.


• Toilet paper.
   Camp outhouses "should" be appropriately equipped. You probably don't need a whole roll, but a few sheets can be handy.


• Fire starter/matches/lighter.
   Group camping, we should be set; but again it's never a bad idea to have a few basics yourself also.


• Binoculars, Camera, etc...
   Spare batteries for these and your flashlight.


• FRS radios / walkie talkies
   We use these for communicating around camp, again make sure you have batteries!


• Playing cards, camp games, etc...

We have group discussions on IRC every so often.
Server - irc.GeekShed.net
Channel - #AvatarMeet