Winter in Wisconsin
Photo by: jnystrom (Stock Exchange)

Hello and welcome back to AllCampgrounds!

You know, as much as we all love camping, it’s a fact that just about nobody spends the holiday season in the wilds: you have to come in for all the celebrations, even if you spent all kinds of time building your own igloo to extend the camping season that much longer!

But that doesn’t mean that we just forget about camping or that there aren’t any campers on our holiday shopping list.

So, today, we’ll look at some ideas for those who are doing last-minute holiday shopping (or early New Year shopping) for campers of all kinds.

Camping and Hiking Gifts: Interesting suggestions, including some neat little utilities like GPS, a pocket video camera for when you run into amazing sights out on the trail, solar chargers for your gear, and a whole bunch more. There are at least a few things here for campers of all experience levels, and definitely a big handful that took creativity and imagination to come up with. Overall, a great list for all tent camping enthusiasts.

RV Art Gallery: Whether you spend the whole year or just the warm season in your RV, there’s no missing the fact that an RV is a home away from home. Why not help the lifestyle RV campers in your circle decorate appropriately with some of the unusual finds in the RV Art Gallery? In addition to wonderful seasonal pieces, there are several picks here that your giftees will enjoy all year around.

REI Gift for Campers: REI launched itself from a regular camping supplier to a great source of information when it inaugurated its outstanding knowledge database earlier this year, including a ton of articles and videos focusing on key outdoor skills. Now, it helps out with the holiday shopping thanks to the new Gifts for Campers section. You’ll find attire, equipment, and handy outdoor tools for both tent campers and RV campers, and even a few things made especially for younger campers.
RV Ornaments and Gifts: No matter what you celebrate, a big part of getting into the holiday spirit is enjoying the fun and excitement of decorating. Full-time RV campers don’t need to be left out of the loop, thanks to these unique RV gifts. Remember, space can be a factor when it comes to getting gifts for RV campers — so, what better thing to offer than a set of ornaments that will make your favorite RV campers’ next year more festive? Plus, they get to think of you each year!

By the next time we see you on AllCampgrounds, it’ll be the day before Christmas Eve. So, get that holiday shopping done right and enjoy a little break from the great outdoors: we’ll see you on the trail again soon, bringing you even more camping news and information! Thanks for stopping by!

Pinhoti Trail Marker at Talladega National Forest
Photo by: Jonathan Kendrick (Stock Exchange)

Welcome back to AllCampgrounds, camping fans and nature lovers!

In today’s special post, we’re going to explore some news for RV campers.

When it comes to RVing, the community is just as good at moving fast as it is at taking its own pace, and there are a lot of exciting events, ideas, and RV camping opportunities out there that we’d like to share with you!

More tent camping and great ideas about fun in the outdoors in next week’s post.

For now, let’s join the convoy and roll on!

Talladega Superspeedway Lands a Title Sponsor for its Fall Race: Not too long ago, we discussed the folks who combine RV camping with a love of NASCAR to create an awesome group excursion that follows the sport around the country. Some RVers have been doing it for years, and the camaraderie and excitement is contagious. Well, now, one of RV camping’s most trusted organizations is getting in on the act. Good Sam Club, a terrific RV owners’ organization that provides discounts at selected RV campgrounds, has taken on the Talladega 500; now known as the Good Sam Club 500. Check out their site if you’re not familiar with Good Sam’s offerings for RVers. Congratulations, Sam!

Caravan That Transforms into a Boat: It may not be quite as large as an RV by U.S. standards, but the new “Sealander” now being manufactured in Germany is an intriguing concept. Combining the functionalities of a camping trailer and a boat, this mighty little “caravan” includes on-board facilities for sleeping, eating, and washing. It’s your home away from home while at camp, and when it reaches the water, it transforms into a totally functional motorized sea craft. You do have to tow it from place to place on the back of another vehicle, but for a first design, it really shows some promise!

DISH Launches “Tailgater,” a Robotic Mobile Satellite TV Antenna: RV campers have always faced a somewhat mixed bag when it comes to television service. While more and more RV parks and campgrounds are offering free wireless internet, the best place to get a good TV reception has traditionally been the camp clubhouse. Now, DISH Network plans to change all that with the brand new “Tailgater.” “As long as there’s a line of sight between the Tailgater and the southern sky,” you’re all set; the dish itself remains safely protected from the elements and swivels to lock on to the signal no matter where you are. At $350, it’s also much cheaper than competing models that can run nearly $1,000 each.

Is this your rig’s next stop?
Photo by: Ginger Garvey (Stock Exchange)

In last week’s AllCampgrounds blog, we introduced “boondocking,” low-cost camping opportunities for RVers. This time we’ll be looking at a few more unusual RV camping opportunities that even the pros might not know about. There’s always something new to do with your RV, and at AllCampgrounds, our goal is to keep camping fun for everyone. So let’s check out some specialty RV camping opportunities you won’t hear about anywhere else. All aboard for RV parks and campgrounds!

NASCAR RV Camping

There are plenty of RV parks and campgrounds around major race tracks associated with NASCAR. If you love these high stakes, high speed races, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding places to park your rig for a few days or even longer. For a prime example, drop by International RV Park and Campground of Daytona Beach. As the name suggests, this camp plays host to guests from all around the U.S. and the world for race season. It includes extended amenities: full hook up, pool, and full bath and shower.

NASCAR RV camping is still unknown to lots of folks, but it’s popular enough to warrant its own internet hub site, appropriately titled NASCAR Camping. RV campers use the site as a social tool to get together, plan trips, keep an eye on the race schedule, and more. Camping and NASCAR info combine in the site, with everything from different RV parks to visit to information on getting tickets. Each and every major speedway has its own page for easy reference. Sizzling stuff if you love NASCAR!

Running an RV, you can pretty much head wherever you want. While there are a lot of terrific RV parks and campgrounds all around America, there’s no reason why beach fans can’t enjoy their favorite natural habitat from their RV. Plenty of RV parks are tucked out of the way … you can find them on islands and around high quality beaches.

One example comes in the form of Island RV Park out on Clear Lake, about two hours from San Francisco. There’s also Island RV Resort, billing itself as “The Premier Texas Gulf of Mexico RV Destination!” Are you down the other way? Island on the Chain, just north of the city of Chicago, features all seasonal waterfront sites. No matter whereabouts they are, island RV camps tend to be a little less hectic and a little more personal than your average park that’s just off the highway.

Maybe islands aren’t your thing, but you’d still like to roll down to the beach while the getting is good. Plenty of famous beach country is dotted with premier RV parks. You can check out some of our recent posts over the summer to get a few ideas. The AllCampgrounds favorite? I wouldn’t mind trying out Malibu Beach RV Resort for its cliff-side views of the Pacific Ocean, though word on the street is that the campground rules are pretty strict. All beach side RV resorts tend to have more rules than those in less fragile environments, but not all camp grounds enforce them the same way.

That’s it for today’s AllCampgrounds. See you next time – on the road and at the blog!

Camping ... it’s out there!
Photo by: Victor Zuydweg (Stock Exchange)

Today’s AllCampgrounds blog will explore what we might call “advanced” RV camping.

Even with RV parks and campgrounds dotting the landscape all around North America, there are a few unusual RV camping opportunities that even seasoned campers might not know much about.

For this post, AllCampgrounds will be shining a light on one of the more intriguing, less well known styles of RV camping, to really give you an idea of how versatile your rig can be.

Yes, today’s AllCampgrounds adventure is all about boondocking!

Boondocking for RV Campers

For RVers, boondocking is a form of low cost, long term camping. It might be thought of as the equivalent of backcountry camping among tent camping enthusiasts, which we talked about in Camping for Everyone: “Primitive” Campers. Boondocking gives you access to some unusual locations off the beaten path, as long as you’re willing to go off the grid, leaving conveniences like electricity hookups behind in favor of your battery.

Naturally, you shouldn’t try boondocking where RVs aren’t actually welcome. However, not all RV camping takes place at developed RV parks and campgrounds! Here are a few resources to help you find legal free and low cost camp grounds you won’t usually see on the map.

The Boondocking Guide: This great boondocking site includes routes and destinations, principally on the west coast and extending out as far as about Salt Lake City, Utah. It ranges through North America all the way up to Vancouver, too! But probably the most valuable resource here is the guide to long term camping on public land, derived from the official guidelines at the Bureau of Land Management.

Free Boondocking Database: This “crowdsourced” database of free RV camping includes entries from astute campers, public land visitors and even private landowners who have welcomed RV campers to pay an occasional visit. You can search or add to the database at will, but be sure to do your homework and double check on the recommendations before you build any camping plans around the database.

RV Boondocking News: A new but very promising blog focusing on issues surrounding boondocking. Though it’s fresh off the presses, it’s already been updated with a number of insightful and interesting articles. At AllCampgrounds, we’re always excited to welcome a new source of high quality camping news and camping information, and we hope that RV Boondocking News will be out there for a long time to come!

This isn’t the end for our “advanced RV camping” series. In future posts, we’ll cover more of the most creative, interesting, and unusual ways to put your rig to use as an RV camper. Don’t forget to visit AllCampgrounds again next Friday!

Nice campers!
Photo by: thebrownco (Stock Exchange)

In today’s economy, budgeting is more important than ever; but nobody wants to give up on camping fun in the great outdoors. Enter AllCampgrounds, devoted to helping you feed your passion for nature, come rain or shine!

Not all campsites offer discounts, but there’s an increasingly large and diverse number of discount organizations that can help you get your RV camping on at a great price. We covered a few of these in an earlier post, but there are a few more we just have to mention.

Enjoy America: Enjoy America is especially for RV camping grounds. Member camp grounds are all privately owned parks open to the public without a membership, but having one means 50% discounts on overnight fees. Bear in mind that the duration of the discount isn’t standardized: it could apply for your entire stay or only the first night, depending on rules set by your local park. But the selection is top quality, as only camp grounds with a high Woodall’s or Trailer Life rating are allowed to participate. Member parks also have a convenient Central Reservation System through Enjoy America.

Escapades: Escapees RV Club: This RV club organizes great events to enlighten RV owners about getting the most from the RV life in a lively group setting. Escapades run 5-7 days or so and include great seminars as well as an RVers’ market, workshops, demonstrations, and plenty of fun evening activities. In addition to the events, there are member parks scattered around the country that offer benefits to Escapees: one of the most useful is that Escapees members can use short-term parking at all Escapees parks free of charge. “Home base parks” with even more features are found all over the place!

Happy Camper Half Price Camping Club: Another great club with over 1,000 RV camp parks to choose from across the United States, including dense coverage throughout the eastern seaboard and a particularly good selection in Florida. There’s even an RV trip planner that can show you all of the club camp grounds along your route. Unlike some alternatives, you can actually download your membership card as soon as you get started, so you don’t have to wait for the whole packet to show up in the mail – convenient if you’re tuning in from your RV right now! There are no reservations required to use any of the camps, and few restrictions on your discount except at the most popular parks.