Bertram
A restaurant is opening up on the OSU campus and they are offering free food for a year to the first 250 customers. Some friends and I pl,an on camping out the restaurant 24 hours in advance and I wanted to know if anyone has any tips on making this a successful and safe journey?
Its on the north part of campus, a relatively safe area.
Answer
I knew I read about this recently:
"How to Camp out Overnight in Line
Today it has become increasingly difficult to obtain hot commodity items, such as the X-Box 360, Nintendo's Wii, the Sony Playstation 3 and Tickle Me Elmo. With the holidays coming up, it is very possible that you will have to camp out in a line overnight if you want these items.
Steps [edit]
1. Assess the item you want to purchase first and foremost. Make sure you call the store beforehand and find out how many of the items they have, what time the store opens, and if they will be handing our preorder tickets (many places do now, to avoid possible madness). If there are only six PS3 stations and you are the seventh person, it's not worth your time to stay out all night.
2. Get ready! Start preparations as soon as you know what you're getting and what day the pre-order/shipment is. Make sure do not have commitments for the night of the purchase and the day after. No school, work, parties etc. You'll be too tired for any of this after the event!
3. Gather together supplies. This varies on where you live and what time of year it is, but keeping in mind it will usually be around the hoildays, and most likely cold, you will need to think ahead. See the "Things You'll Need" list for supplies.
4. Bring a buddy. If at all possible, bring a friend, husband, wife, girl/boyfriend, sibling, co worker - anyone! There is safety in numbers and you will have someone to hold your place in line during a food run or much needed bathroom break. If you can't do that, try to seek out a friend in line. Although there can be unsavory people, the chances that hardcore shoppers will stick together and keeping away stragglers cannot be discounted.
5. Check it out beforehand. If at all possible, drive to the location the day before. Seek out possible bathrooms, coffee shops and 24 hour locations. If nothing else you will want someplace to warm up. If there are no 24/7 grocery stores, look for convenience stores.
6. Dress well. When you are ready for the big day, start early and dress warmly! Three layers on top plus a coat (sweater and turtle necks), two layers on bottom (jogging pants/flannel pants and jeans), a hoodie and hat, gloves, scarf, wool or double layers of socks and warm shoes. Bring blankets as well, three at least per person, and sleeping bags if you have them. And get to the location as fast as you can - some hardcore shoppers will camp out starting at 5 PM -before the store even closes for the night!
7. Set up your spot on arrival. When you arrive chances are you won't be the first person there. Set up camp, say hello to everyone, and ask what they are there for. Find out your place in the line. Remain kind and respectful to your fellow shoppers - you'll go through a lot together that night!
8. Try to sleep if you can, as hard as that sounds. Walk around to stay warm. If you're with a partner, take car breaks/bathroom breaks, do a snack or food run and keep an eye on the time.
9. Wake early and stay alert. As you near 5AM, stay awake and do not leave the line! The manager may be out to hand pre-sale tickets out, and you do not want to miss this - you have been camping out all night for these!
Tips [edit]
* Do not give up hope!
* You need to dress warmly, this cannot be overstated! You may find a fellow shopper who is happy to help you and lend a blanket or buy you a coffee, but you will be in for the coldest night of your life if you don't plan ahead!
* Bring chairs! Do not sit on the ground, you will chill faster. Wrap blankets tightly around you to trap in heat.
* If you plan to camp out alone, there is a chance you will not find a person in line that will save you place. Assuming you have brought enough food and entertainment supplies, the only unmet need will be bathroom-related. The solution is to bring a "texas catheter" which fits over your private parts like a condom, but it has a tube attached that lead to a bag. Unfortunately, this solution does not address excretory needs. In order to deal with these issues, you must adjust your pre-camping diet for the 24-36 hours before you start camping. This technique varies by person, but the simple answer is to minimize your intake of greasy foods and other food that encourages sit-down bathroom visits. A more extreme solution is to take over the counter medicines that inhibit the need to sit down on the potty. This approach may seem extreme, but it will make for a good story to tell your friends while you play with your new game console.
Warnings [edit]
* Do not start fights or arguments with people who drive by. Some may drive by, say they are the manager and that you are too late. Just ignore them.
* Don't carry cash on your person. Use a debit or credit card, or pay by check. Leave your purse at home.
* Carry a cell phone for time, safety and in case you need to call a relative or the hospital.
Things You'll Need [edit]
* Backpack to hold supplies
* Energy drinks, soda, or coffee/cocoa in a thermos
* Magazine or book for possible reading material
* Foldable lawn chairs
* Blankets, comforters and a pillow
* Space heater (if temperature dips below zero)
* Snacks - chips, gum, possibly candy
* Cell phone
* Ipod, portable DVD player, or handheld game system or laptop to relieve boredom"
I knew I read about this recently:
"How to Camp out Overnight in Line
Today it has become increasingly difficult to obtain hot commodity items, such as the X-Box 360, Nintendo's Wii, the Sony Playstation 3 and Tickle Me Elmo. With the holidays coming up, it is very possible that you will have to camp out in a line overnight if you want these items.
Steps [edit]
1. Assess the item you want to purchase first and foremost. Make sure you call the store beforehand and find out how many of the items they have, what time the store opens, and if they will be handing our preorder tickets (many places do now, to avoid possible madness). If there are only six PS3 stations and you are the seventh person, it's not worth your time to stay out all night.
2. Get ready! Start preparations as soon as you know what you're getting and what day the pre-order/shipment is. Make sure do not have commitments for the night of the purchase and the day after. No school, work, parties etc. You'll be too tired for any of this after the event!
3. Gather together supplies. This varies on where you live and what time of year it is, but keeping in mind it will usually be around the hoildays, and most likely cold, you will need to think ahead. See the "Things You'll Need" list for supplies.
4. Bring a buddy. If at all possible, bring a friend, husband, wife, girl/boyfriend, sibling, co worker - anyone! There is safety in numbers and you will have someone to hold your place in line during a food run or much needed bathroom break. If you can't do that, try to seek out a friend in line. Although there can be unsavory people, the chances that hardcore shoppers will stick together and keeping away stragglers cannot be discounted.
5. Check it out beforehand. If at all possible, drive to the location the day before. Seek out possible bathrooms, coffee shops and 24 hour locations. If nothing else you will want someplace to warm up. If there are no 24/7 grocery stores, look for convenience stores.
6. Dress well. When you are ready for the big day, start early and dress warmly! Three layers on top plus a coat (sweater and turtle necks), two layers on bottom (jogging pants/flannel pants and jeans), a hoodie and hat, gloves, scarf, wool or double layers of socks and warm shoes. Bring blankets as well, three at least per person, and sleeping bags if you have them. And get to the location as fast as you can - some hardcore shoppers will camp out starting at 5 PM -before the store even closes for the night!
7. Set up your spot on arrival. When you arrive chances are you won't be the first person there. Set up camp, say hello to everyone, and ask what they are there for. Find out your place in the line. Remain kind and respectful to your fellow shoppers - you'll go through a lot together that night!
8. Try to sleep if you can, as hard as that sounds. Walk around to stay warm. If you're with a partner, take car breaks/bathroom breaks, do a snack or food run and keep an eye on the time.
9. Wake early and stay alert. As you near 5AM, stay awake and do not leave the line! The manager may be out to hand pre-sale tickets out, and you do not want to miss this - you have been camping out all night for these!
Tips [edit]
* Do not give up hope!
* You need to dress warmly, this cannot be overstated! You may find a fellow shopper who is happy to help you and lend a blanket or buy you a coffee, but you will be in for the coldest night of your life if you don't plan ahead!
* Bring chairs! Do not sit on the ground, you will chill faster. Wrap blankets tightly around you to trap in heat.
* If you plan to camp out alone, there is a chance you will not find a person in line that will save you place. Assuming you have brought enough food and entertainment supplies, the only unmet need will be bathroom-related. The solution is to bring a "texas catheter" which fits over your private parts like a condom, but it has a tube attached that lead to a bag. Unfortunately, this solution does not address excretory needs. In order to deal with these issues, you must adjust your pre-camping diet for the 24-36 hours before you start camping. This technique varies by person, but the simple answer is to minimize your intake of greasy foods and other food that encourages sit-down bathroom visits. A more extreme solution is to take over the counter medicines that inhibit the need to sit down on the potty. This approach may seem extreme, but it will make for a good story to tell your friends while you play with your new game console.
Warnings [edit]
* Do not start fights or arguments with people who drive by. Some may drive by, say they are the manager and that you are too late. Just ignore them.
* Don't carry cash on your person. Use a debit or credit card, or pay by check. Leave your purse at home.
* Carry a cell phone for time, safety and in case you need to call a relative or the hospital.
Things You'll Need [edit]
* Backpack to hold supplies
* Energy drinks, soda, or coffee/cocoa in a thermos
* Magazine or book for possible reading material
* Foldable lawn chairs
* Blankets, comforters and a pillow
* Space heater (if temperature dips below zero)
* Snacks - chips, gum, possibly candy
* Cell phone
* Ipod, portable DVD player, or handheld game system or laptop to relieve boredom"
I want to camp around, not really in, Death Valley, is there a place I could do so without a tent?
Grey_Sweat
I would like to drive out to the desert (either in or around Death Valley, CA) and camp there, with just the earth and my car (and my best friend) and spend two days there, completely, without having to leave for food or perhaps facilities?
Where is a good place to plan on driving too. Distances is not a problem, i already plan on driving from Ohio to Nevada or so.
Also, what is the terrain like? Is it all sand or is there grass?
Links to the place you are speaking of would be grand. But if you could at least tell me a park, camping site or city, that'd be great.
I'm looking for a place that I could sleep in the beauty of nature.
Answer
The first thing to understand is that Death Valley National Park encompasses 3+ *million* acres, with elevations from 282' below to over 11,000' above sea level. The high elevation areas are covered with snow this time of year, so you won't be able to get to them. There are several campground that you can car camp in, but as one of the other answers already noted, if you want to camp outside a campground, then you must hike 2 miles away from the roadway...and, thus, your car.
As someone also noted, go to Furnace Creek Visitor Center and ask for good places. Note the Visitor Center is under construction (repair/rehab) right now, so they have a temporary Visitor Center set up at the front of the Furnace Creek Ranch, about a 1/4 mile from the old Visitor Center. I doubt you'll want to stay in any of the Furnace Creek camp grounds, they can be pretty...urban, shall we say?... If you have a good sleeping bag, then Thorndike and Mahogany Flats are great campgrounds at high elevations, both on the west side of the park. They may be closed due to snow, so call ahead. The mid elevation campgrounds are Wildrose and Emigrant (also on the west side, although Emigrant is pretty close to the highway), and Mesquite (on the north side) -- I would personally recommend Mesquite. If your sleeping bag isn't a good cold weather one, then stick to the lower elevations, where temps should stay at or above freezing this time of year...unfortunately, these campgrounds are ALL around the "built up" areas: Stovepipe Wells campground (at Stovepipe wells, right off the highway, but you can walk to a restaurant, and Stovepipe has its own ranger station, so you wouldn't have to go to the main visitor center); and at Furnace Creek (Texas Springs, Sunset, and Furnace Creek campgrounds). Of the three, Sunset is the easiest one to dismiss, as it is really an RV campground built on the old airstrip, and is right off the highway. Texas Springs segregates RV and campers, and is a good distance from the road...but is quite popular for just that reason. Furnace Creek campground has some nice camp spots that aren't too close to the roads, and is walking distance to just about everything...but RVs are awfully close to the camping area. All the campgrounds have no-generator hours, so you don't have to worry about generators running all night.
Also, there is a campground at Panamint Springs on the west side, but since it is a private affair, I don't know much about it. Like Emigrant, it is near the highway. And, it is near the Panamint Springs resort, so near a restaurant and services.
There is also a lot of BLM land and Forest Service land around the Death Valley area. For those, you could drive off the main drag a ways and snooze as you like, or contact the FS or BLM offices for campgrounds (there is a joint visitor center in Lone Pine, CA that can tell you about all BLM, FS, and NPS camping).
Oh, about the sand or grass...there are (if memory serves) 5 sand dunes in Death Valley proper. If you aren't at one of the dunes, there won't be any sand. There will be clayey dry lake beds or salt pans, or rocky alluvial fans. The salt pans are the only places pretty much devoid of life. The lake beds and alluvial fans will mostly have desert brush. If you can find one of the springs, you will find an abundance of greenery (Darwin Falls is easy to find, but a long drive, on the west side).
Last bit, get gas before entering the park, but if you need to get gas in the park, Stovepipe has the best prices (but no diesel).
The first thing to understand is that Death Valley National Park encompasses 3+ *million* acres, with elevations from 282' below to over 11,000' above sea level. The high elevation areas are covered with snow this time of year, so you won't be able to get to them. There are several campground that you can car camp in, but as one of the other answers already noted, if you want to camp outside a campground, then you must hike 2 miles away from the roadway...and, thus, your car.
As someone also noted, go to Furnace Creek Visitor Center and ask for good places. Note the Visitor Center is under construction (repair/rehab) right now, so they have a temporary Visitor Center set up at the front of the Furnace Creek Ranch, about a 1/4 mile from the old Visitor Center. I doubt you'll want to stay in any of the Furnace Creek camp grounds, they can be pretty...urban, shall we say?... If you have a good sleeping bag, then Thorndike and Mahogany Flats are great campgrounds at high elevations, both on the west side of the park. They may be closed due to snow, so call ahead. The mid elevation campgrounds are Wildrose and Emigrant (also on the west side, although Emigrant is pretty close to the highway), and Mesquite (on the north side) -- I would personally recommend Mesquite. If your sleeping bag isn't a good cold weather one, then stick to the lower elevations, where temps should stay at or above freezing this time of year...unfortunately, these campgrounds are ALL around the "built up" areas: Stovepipe Wells campground (at Stovepipe wells, right off the highway, but you can walk to a restaurant, and Stovepipe has its own ranger station, so you wouldn't have to go to the main visitor center); and at Furnace Creek (Texas Springs, Sunset, and Furnace Creek campgrounds). Of the three, Sunset is the easiest one to dismiss, as it is really an RV campground built on the old airstrip, and is right off the highway. Texas Springs segregates RV and campers, and is a good distance from the road...but is quite popular for just that reason. Furnace Creek campground has some nice camp spots that aren't too close to the roads, and is walking distance to just about everything...but RVs are awfully close to the camping area. All the campgrounds have no-generator hours, so you don't have to worry about generators running all night.
Also, there is a campground at Panamint Springs on the west side, but since it is a private affair, I don't know much about it. Like Emigrant, it is near the highway. And, it is near the Panamint Springs resort, so near a restaurant and services.
There is also a lot of BLM land and Forest Service land around the Death Valley area. For those, you could drive off the main drag a ways and snooze as you like, or contact the FS or BLM offices for campgrounds (there is a joint visitor center in Lone Pine, CA that can tell you about all BLM, FS, and NPS camping).
Oh, about the sand or grass...there are (if memory serves) 5 sand dunes in Death Valley proper. If you aren't at one of the dunes, there won't be any sand. There will be clayey dry lake beds or salt pans, or rocky alluvial fans. The salt pans are the only places pretty much devoid of life. The lake beds and alluvial fans will mostly have desert brush. If you can find one of the springs, you will find an abundance of greenery (Darwin Falls is easy to find, but a long drive, on the west side).
Last bit, get gas before entering the park, but if you need to get gas in the park, Stovepipe has the best prices (but no diesel).
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