Hipcamp

While the website, Hipcamp, is currently only available for the state of California, they plan on expanding to 20 new states by next summer—just in time for teardrop camping. Hipcamp is a new website and team focusing on not only campgrounds and campsites, but the amenities that surround them. The site covers everything from campgrounds near the best wineries and stargazing to the best rock climbing and surfing.

I spoke to Eric Bach and Alyssa Ravasio, the owners of the site and avid campers. Alyssa's frustration with finding campsites online was the catalyst for the creation of Hipcamp. Eric is a world traveler, backpacker and a member of the purple-clad trio, the "Modern Gypsies", who won ABC's "Expedition Impossible". They both wanted a better search system online. They are also big fans of teardrop trailers and plan on having their own Hipcamp wrapped and branded teardrop soon.

Tell us a little about how HipCamp came about. What do you want users to get from it?

Hipcamp was born out of the frustration to discover and book campsites. The process seemed extremely fragmented. We'd have to go one place for official government information, another for photos, another for reviews, and then another place to book. We thought it could be done better and thus enable more people to get outside.

The goal is to give users a single source in which they can do everything they need to in order to make a camping trip happen. We want the users to have a simple, engaging, and fun experience while doing so. 

What has been the response to the site?

We've had a great response to the site! People are excited to move to new states and so are we. Our goal is to get to 20 more states in the U.S. by next summer. We'll also be adding in features such as user reviews, user uploaded photos, and new opportunities for our community (or tribe as we like to call it) to engage.

Which campgrounds seem to get the most traffic? What amenities are people interested in?

Some of the campgrounds that get the most traffic are Bullfrog Pond (in Austin Creek), Wildcat Campground (in Point Reyes), Bothe-Napa Valley Campground (in Bothe-Napa), Steep Ravine Cabins & Campground (in Mt. Tam), Pfeiffer Big Sur Campground (in Pfeiffer Big Sur), and of course Upper Pines Campground (in Yosemite). 

I think people are really interested in our activities, amenities, and features filters. That's one of the coolest things about Hipcamp, is that you can use the filters to get the exact type of campground you want. It's very personal.

Can you think of any California campgrounds for people who lean toward teardrops and tiny trailers?

Hmm...well some of my favorites are Huckleberry Campground at Big Basin Redwoods, Andrew Molera Campground, Steep Ravine Cabins, and Borrego Palm Canyon Campground.

Have either of you had any experience with teardrop trailers?

I've had experience with trailers in general, but not teardrops yet. However, it is our dream to own a Hipcamp teardrop trailer. It would be so cool to have one that is Hipcamp branded, but still feels natural and vintage.

We'll all keep an eye out for you on the road, Hipcamp!

CampingRoadTrip

Memorial Day is coming up and the beloved three-day weekend is the official kickoff of the summer camping season. To plan out our summer teardrop camping trips (and some future trips), I've been playing around with the CampingRoadTrip website. This site lets you do refined or broad searches for campgrounds in your chosen city or area of the country.

The site is clean, uncluttered and easy to use. You can search for campgrounds by state, city or by campground name. You can also define your search to a specific mile radius of a city or town. The site also has a review area where you can add your personal review about a campground. The breakdown of each campground gives you the location, photos, basic descriptions, price and ratings. The detail page of each campground gives you everything including weather in the area, larger photos, reviews, electrical hookup details, and facility and service information.

The website also has a forum that has topics on everything related to camping including workamping, types of trailers (teardroppers need to represent!), things to see and do in various regions and the best road trips. CampingRoadTrip also includes tips and articles on attractions and events all over the country.

 

But I Hate Campgrounds

When some of my diehard backpacking friends learn that I camp in a teardrop, I get the inevitable…"But I HATE campgrounds!" Granted, it would be wonderful to be able to camp out in the wilderness all by yourself all the time, but most of the campgrounds we've visited have been wonderful. It's true that you have to share your space with sometimes hundreds of people, but I think many campgrounds are wonderfully designed for peace, quiet and privacy.

One of my favorite things about campgrounds is that even though they are usually open to everything, there is a delineation of space that is oddly respected by people who are used to camping. This small space in the outdoors is yours for just a few nights, and other campers understand that. Also, I love it when night comes and each site comes to life with a campfire, small lanterns and the relaxed talking of people enjoying their vacation.

A few years ago, my husband and I were camping for a week at Humbug Mountain on the Oregon Coast. Every night, after dinner, we would hold hands and stroll through the campground looking at campsites, other campers and the stars. Each of the campsites were lit up with lanterns and campfires – shining on the faces of the occupants and glowing along the sides of tents and RVs. One campsite had a family with about four or five children. Each night, they would gather around the campfire while their mother read to them from one of the Harry Potter books. The kids were enchanted by the story and just sat quietly and listened – no iPhones, iPods or iPads in sight. We would hover in the dark near a large pine tree to also listen to the tales of Harry, Hermione and Ron and afterwards, we'd walk quietly back to our own camp.

Photo by JelleS/Flickr

Camping Podcasts

In these cold winter months when I am not able to go camping in my teardrop, I'll get my camping fix by listening to or watching various camping or RV podcasts on my iPhone. Unfortunately, there are no teardrop trailer podcasts (a hint to all those audio experts out there), but there are a few informative and professional podcasts available on iTunes for camping buffs.

My personal favorites are the following:

Living the RV Dream

John and Kathy are full-time RV'ers living out of a Class C motorcoach. They've been traveling around the country for eight years and give tips on living and making money on the road, campgrounds, places to see and gear recommendations.

In the Field Camping Podcast

I've just started listening to this podcast, but I love that it's being recorded on-site in various campgrounds. Chris Rodriguez gives information on campgrounds, equipment, camping tech and tips and personal camping stories.


The VAP — Vintage Airstream Podcast

This podcast is for the ultimate Airstream fan. The VAP discusses trailer purchasing, repairs, restoration, camping and campgrounds. The hosts are funny, but can go off on rants or rambles sometimes.


Camping Gear TV

This video podcast series (completed) shows the latest in camping gear and the hosts do interviews with camping experts. The hosts are a bit goofy, but they show some interesting gear that you never knew existed.

Backpacking Light Podcast

These have not been updated for a few years, but they give some great information on backpacking and hiking gear, places to go, living lightly on the land and professional advice.

Podcasts from the National Park Service

These podcasts on various national parks (Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Badlands, Yellowstone, etc.) are video podcasts about certain features, amenities and campgrounds put on by the NPS. They are short but informative.


Photo by lowjumpingfrog

Campsite Photos

Have you ever wanted to get a detailed view of a campground or campsite before you went camping? Before you pack up your teardrop, visit Campsite Photos.com, find your chosen campground and get a view of the perfect campsite before you even get into the car. It's a nice way to see if a site has shade for the summer, sunshine for the cooler seasons, a picnic table and fire pit, a view or privacy.

The website covers both public and private campgrounds around the U.S. and there are articles on camping resources, national parks, RV gear, photography and nature.

If you are an avid camper, you might even get paid for your campsite photos. Campsite Photos will pay a certain amount per campground for clear photos of each campsite and other photos of the surrounding area. Contact the website and tell them what campgrounds you are most likely to visit and they will let you know what they need. Once you become a Campsite Photos photographer, you will get a cool t-shirt and some business cards to give to your fellow campers.


Photo courtesy of Campsite Photos.com

Camping in the Sunflower

We have camped in a multitude of places with the Sunflower. Some of our favorite spots have been in Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah. The Eastern Sierras, the Nevada desert, Death Valley, Lake Tahoe, the California Coast, southern Utah and Crater Lake have ranked as having some of the best campgrounds around...and the spots fit a teardrop trailer perfectly.

Ocean Cove, California

Hickison Petroglyphs State Park, Nevada

Twin Lakes, California

Twin Lakes, California

Crater Lake, Oregon

Lower Blue Lake, California