Do American's Know How to Camp Responsibly on Public Land? The story is almost a cliche at this point. America's most popular National Parks (and the campgrounds within them) are overcrowded. So are many of our country's most popular private campgrounds. Many RVers are feeling frustration when they try to get reservations at these places. Here at the RV Atlas we do feel that this story has been beaten to death with very little nuance, but nevertheless, there are elements of truth to the overcrowding narrative The most popular campgrounds at the most popular places are full. But there are so many other places to go if you want more space and more privacy, aren't there? With the rise of more capable solar systems many RV owners are looking to camp a bit further from civilization. They are looking for dispersed camping spots in our National Forests and on BLM land. But are those campers prepared? Do they know how to camp responsibly on public land? This photo and featured image compliments of Brian Chaszar Many American's are heading out to camp on our public lands and they are woefully unprepared. Dispersed camping on BLM land or National Forest Service land is quite a bit different than camping at a KOA. If you want to camp responsibility on public lands it will require more education and outdoor competency. In turn, camping in these places can offer greater freedom and a wilder experience for those that want a deeper connection to the natural world. We want our readers and podcast listeners to know what they are doing when they head out for a camping adventure on public land. So we decided to interview an expert and get his best tips and tricks for camping responsibly on public land. Because we always believe that you should know before you go instead of learning potentially painful lessons during your stay. Our Interview With Author Greg M. Peters Greg M. Peters is the former director of communications at the National Forest Foundation and the author of Standup Paddling Montana and most recently, Our National Forests: Stories From America's Most Important Public Lands. Greg's latest book is truly beautiful and will look great on your coffee table or on the shelf. It is also imminently readable and the chapters can be tackled separately, or in one enjoyable read. Our National Forests is also filled with gorgeous photography. We consider it a must read for anyone that is interested in the past. present, and future of the NFS. To celebrate National Forest Week we invited Greg onto the RV Atlas podcast to help teach our audience how to camp responsibly on public land. He was so wonderful to talk to and we learned so much from him in this terrific interview. Greg M. Peters (photo compliments of Ray Foote) Greg believes that recreating in our National Forests and on BLM land is a privilege and not a right, and that we all need to learn how to camp responsibly on public land before we go. He is passionate about our public lands and wants all tent campers and RV owners to be prepared before they go camping inside of these beautiful places. Greg has tons of tent camping experience, but he is also an RV owner. His family has an R-Pod and they use it regularly to camp on public lands. To listen to our interview with Greg M. Peters click on the medial player above. Or subscribe to the RV Atlas podcast wherever you get your shows. To read Greg's show notes about how to camp responsibly on public land, just keep scrolling right here! Photo by Greg M. Peters Learn About the Place You Are Going Permits, licenses, policies, and other regs Buy online in advance, have with you… Campsite limitations and amenities Is there room for your rig, is there electricity, water, cell service, etc…
Many of our fans and podcast listeners love to cook at the campground using cast iron. For some of you that might mean bringing a 10 or 12 inch skillet and making eggs or pancakes, or searing a steak. But for others, cooking at the campground means Dutch oven cooking. Dutch oven aficionados love nothing more than lighting up the coals in your fire pit, and preparing a delicious meal or desert that the whole family will love. For many campers--Dutch Oven cooking is the quintessential way to cook at the campground. We have covered Dutch Oven cooking on our blog and podcast several times. But our podcast listeners always ask for more. So this summer we asked Linda Ly to come on The RV Atlas podcast and share some quick tips for Dutch Oven Cooking. We also asked her to share a few of her Dutch Oven recipes from her wonderful cookbooks. Linda Ly is the author of The Backyard Fire Cookbook: Get Outside and Master Ember, Roasting, Charcoal Grilling, Cast-Iron Cooking, and Live-Fire Cooking...
The Brattleboro North KOA has been an RV Atlas favorite for over a decade. We made our first visit back in our pop up camper days. Then we returned with friends a few years later and had a blast enjoying southern Vermont. We really love this cute little campground, and everything that this awesome section of the Green Mountain State has to offer its visitors. Brattleboro and its environs are packed with options for great hiking, kayaking, and swimming. We also love the quirky "shop local" vibe in downtown Brattleboro, and the local farm to table food scene is also excellent. Jeremy recently returned to the Brattleboro North KOA to film an episode of his new Go RVing show, Let's Go Camping With Go RVing. The show highlights 8 different types of camping experiences. One of the episodes gives tips for visting KOA campgrounds. Once he decided to feature a KOA in one of the episodes he knew that he would ask to film on site at the Brattleboro North KOA. Why pick this cute little campgrou...
Lakewood Camping Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is one of the biggest RV campgrounds in the country. We are exciting to bring you a campground review since it is in Myrtle Beach, the camping capital of the East Coast (in our opinion!). Lakewood Camping Resort is more like a small town for campers. With a lazy river and waterslides, it's nonstop fun.
We know how much you all love campground reviews, so we are excited to bring you a few from our spring break trip, starting with the Wilmington KOA Holiday in Wilmington, NC. This was a perfect layover on our way down to Myrtle Beach, especially since we wanted to explore downtown Wilmington, which we've heard a lot about but have never seen. Spring break feels more like summer in Myrtle Beach, making it a great spot to hang for us Jersey folks in April. Truth be told, we didn't have to add a stopover in Wilmington, but we are glad we did, especially for a short stay. This KOA was cute, and downtown Wilmington was filled with great shops and places for food and drink. To hear Jeremy and Stephanie (yes, Stephanie!) give a full review of the Wilmington KOA Holiday, press play on the player above or look for The RV Atlas wherever you find your favorite shows. Wilmington KOA Holiday Campground During Spring Break, we visited the Wilmington KOA Holiday. We spent two nights at this charmi...
If you are looking for an ultimate family-friendly campground destination, you have to check out Lighthouse Point. Lighthouse Point is a campground located next to Cedar Point, an amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio.
We loved our pop up camper. It was our first RV and we spent two years in it camping up and down the East Coast and falling in love with the RV lifestyle. That pop up gave us a lot of trouble too, but overall, our memories of those early camping trips are overwhelmingly good. After two years we decided to upgrade and sell the pop up. We were fairly certain that we would buy a Jayco X23B, one of the company's most popular Hybrid Travel Trailers. But we ended up getting a regular 33 foot travel trailer instead. Our salesmen convinced us that we would probably just want to trade in a hybrid travel trailer after a year or two anyway. Maybe he was right. We did end up keeping the travel trailer that we bought (a Jayco Whitehawk 22SQB) for over six years--and we did love it. But we have always felt that we skipped a step--that maybe we should have bought one of those Jayco hybrid travel trailers that day. Why? Because we both love canvas and the open airy feeling that pop ups and hybrid t...
Do you enjoy making delicious drinks while you are at the campground? Are you looking to stock up your RV bar and take your mixing skills to the next level this summer? Then look no further. On today's episode of The RV Atlas podcast Jeremy interviews Claudia Jack Sutton. She is a passionate Airstream owner, an author of two books, and a chef and expert mixologist! Her first book is called A Movable Feast: Recipes for Rolling Kitchens.But for her first appearance on The RV Atlas podcast the topic is her second book, Campfire Cocktail Hour: Appetizer and Drink Recipes for Airstream & RVers. from the bio of her latest book: "Claudia Jack Sutton's second book, Campfire Cocktail Hour, chalk-filled with over 120 appetizer and drink recipes, was designed with the Airstream and RV enthusiast in mind. Part cookbook, part "how-to," you will learn time saving food pre-prep techniques, tips for stocking your bar, and enjoy countless recipes. So, whether your creating an intimate evening or ent...
Who doesn't love eating a delicious breakfast at the campground? We certainly do! Some mornings we keep it light and simple, especially if we are heading out for a hike or an active adventure on the water. But other mornings we love to laze around at the campground and make a big breakfast. There is simply nothing quite like the sound and smell of bacon sizzling on the Blackstone, or the simple pleasure of flipping a huge pancake onto a child's plate. Emily Vikre's brand new book The Family Camp Cookbookis absolutely jam packed with delicous camping breakfasts that will satisfy your entire family. This delightful book also includes chapters on "Lunches and Foods on the Go," "Dinner," and "Treats and Drinks." But the focus of the latest episode of The RV Atlas podcast is on camping breakfasts. We were pleased to invite Emily on the show to share six of her favorite camping breakfasts from The Family Camp Cookbook. Each and every one of them made us incredibly hungry and we plan on ma...
Want to do some baking at the campground but don't have a stove? The Omnia Stove is a cool cookware gadget that will let you live your baking dreams. This versatile circular oven is great for campers who don't have a built-in oven, since it is super easy to transport and to use.