Is camping just a huge pain in the ass?

[Senor Cardgage]

I have my camping ticket, but Im thinking about chickening out and staying with friends in a hotel instead.

This is because:

• Tent becomes an oven at 7am?
• Too noisey to get to sleep til 2?
• I have to buy a tent to use one time (not the outdoor type)

So peeps that have camped before, tell me, does the good outweigh the bad?
Is it so much fun that I wont mind the problems with it?
Or am I going to have an awful time at the festival due to being overheated and exhausted from no sleep/baking in a tent, etc?

Seriously now. Because I really want to have a different experience than I have in the past at Coachella, and camping sounds like the way to go, but all my looking into it seems to shwo that its more of a collossal pain in the ass than anything.

True? False?

[MonsoonSeason]

you don't need a tent, all you need is a sleeping bag and a friend to mooch off of

[Chicagodub]

You echoed my concerns. I know I want to get the full experience, but not if it wears me down where I might have to leave early one of the nights as I have no energy and need to crash!

[Chicagodub]

If I were you I would camp on Thurs stay with your friends on Fri, see how you are on Sat and Sun after that! and if you have space Pm me and let me know if there is room for one more

[Shyeviolett]

Its far more a pain in the ass to stay offsite because of driving in and out, longer lines, blah blah blah. I would personally NEVER stay off site.

[Shyeviolett]

Plus onsite camping is hella fun.

[Senor Cardgage]

The people caught in the windstorm in the documentary seemed to be having a blast.

[amyzzz]

You don't have to buy a tent; you can rent one from REI or other places.

[andrewz]

1. I'm hoping to mitigate the sun's effects with a canopy, a mesh top on my tent with the rainfly off, and battery powered fans
2. I've never had trouble getting to sleep, but I've got earplugs and Tylenol PM just in case.
3. You can buy a nice tent for $30, that's all mine cost, and I used it several times last summer.

I'm really looking forward to camping, it's cool when you talk to people around you and then can hang out with them for a bit at the show. To me, staying in a hotel is comfy, but it's kind of disjointed, since it's always kind of a let down to get back to the hotel, even if you're staying in a nice place, and you're much more likely just to hang out with the people you came with than you are when camping.

[Courtney]

You don't have to buy a tent; you can rent one from REI or other places.

Yep yep. If you live in San Diego, the OC or LA, you can rent camping equipment from Adventure 16 and then if you decide later that you want to buy they'll even put the rental cost towards the purchase of a new item.

I don't work for them or anything, I just think it's an awesome local business to support.

[Shyeviolett]

The people caught in the windstorm in the documentary seemed to be having a blast.

That was me and it was freakin awesome.

[gaypalmsprings]

we are having a windstorm right now in the Coachella valley

[Michelle]

hmmm, good thread. i am staying at my parent's place but i am almost tempted to camp. sounds like a lot of fun. i am always exhausted and it is sooo nice to go home to a shower and nice clean bed, but i bet it is awesome w/ all of the good company when you are camping.

[CaliMag]

This will be my 3rd Coachella and when my group came in 05 we had both a camp site and a condominum that was 15 minutes away. The Condo was great (AC pool, fridge, real showers, etc), but now our group just camps. Even on the night when we used the condo we hung out in the camp site for at least two hours after the first day of music to dodge traffic and there was the uncomfortable debate regarding who was sober enough to drive. Sunday night we went to our campsite with the intention of repeating the first night (just waiting for the traffic to die down) but we were all so wrecked and tired we all passed out.

There are definately cons to camping (especially if you are a light sleeper) but the hassle of getting in and out of the festival and finding someone sober enough to drive far outweighed the negatives (among my group of friends anyway).

Even if you are a light sleeper - try dancing and drinking for 12 hours straight in the desert sun and see if anyone or anything can prevent you from falling asleep.

Also we have definately met some very cool people camping that we would not have met in a condo/hotel.

[foto_synthesis]

The people caught in the windstorm in the documentary seemed to be having a blast.

I wonder how the pissed off guy with that child-size clown tent favored during that wind storm....

[TheGunslinger138]

That was me and it was freakin awesome.

I'm calling bullshit. Show your cards, Violett.

[GTI_GRL]

camped last year and will do it every year.

-I woke up around 6:30-7:30 to shower =few people (no line) & very clean

-less than a minute walk to venue. Camping avoids the morning traffic, and the pain of finding parking, and walking 5-15 to venue to get in a long line that can take 30-60 min to get in.

-tents can be bought for $30, or rented. You can always buy and return

-less than a minute walk from venue, instead of 5-15 to parked car if you can find it. You can be back at the campsite, take a shower, and be drinking already and your friends will be just getting to their car or sitting in traffic.

-food onsite and not bad. bloody mary bar!

-free gear people hand out right out side campers exit/entrance..got blk/wht leather bowling style bags and shirts (wife beater/tshirt) last year.


If anything I would camp onsite and maybe go to your friends hotel to swim in the pool and shower in the morning. But be back by 10am, or traffic will be a bitch. Also, make sure you have your camping parking pass. Its free, and it lets you park in the camping section.

[GTI_GRL]

btw it easy to crash out afterwards. It was loud Friday night last year, but after the first day (sat) 90% of the people were to tired to party. I crashed out shortly after getting back, and some of my friends cut out early and were alseep in their tents already. I brought ear plugs for inside the venue, I thought I might need them to help sleep, I didn't.

Also, you can sleep after 7am, just leave the windows/doors open(mesh). Its only if you close up your tent, or stay inside your sleeping bag that you cant sleep in past 7. Sleep in boxers/underwear and a wife beater/tanktop and you will be fine.

[gaypalmsprings]

Visit this tent to releave your camping ass pain...

[Shyeviolett]

I'm calling bullshit. Show your cards, Violett.

Oh, I wasnt one of the people actually on the movie, I was just caught in the same windstorm. It was fun.

[billtino]

The last coachella i attended was back in 1999. There was no camping onsite back then so we carpooled back n forth from our motel 6 room in palm springs...what a pain in the ass that was. long ass walk after finding parking. back then the event was at the end of summer so it was near 115 degrees...AT NIGHT!
A few months before i had paid $1000 bucks to attend Woodstock 99 at Rome, NY. That included airfair, a fancy room at a Embassy Suites in Syracuse, transportation to & from the airport AND transportation to and from the Venue (about 45min away). They had busses scheduled to shuttle us all back n forth thru out the day (approx every hour and a half) all weekend long. they actually had to hire local school bus drivers for Sat/Sun cuz the private chartered bus company bailed after friday. anyways, i know the size of the venue is nothing like the old air force base airport, but it was a major pain in the ass going back n forth every day/night just to sleep a few hours, shit-shower-shave, then to go back and roll in the mud again. I was in no "mental" state to be driving any type of vehicle that weekend & I know i won't be at Coachella this year.

It's really a personal preference. If you know somebody that lives close by or are rolling up with a lot of friends staying offsite then definately you'd wanna hang with them. But if you are going solo or w/ not a lot ppl & don't mind sleeping on the ground a few nights this year, then join the rest of us campers who will be burning the midnite oil

[DuctTapedGerbil]

If I were you I would camp on Thurs stay with your friends on Fri, see how you are on Sat and Sun after that! and if you have space Pm me and let me know if there is room for one more

Yeah, whats up buuuuddy? Ass, Gas, or Grass, nobody rides for free...or a good pair of DSL's...and some chap-stick.

[seanbateman]

Camping means you meet people, simple as that. At Bonnaroo last year we camped(obviously) and the first day the people across the way were pounding on the windows of my van shouting "It's 8:AM come get drunk!" We chilled with them the whole weekend, drinking, smoking, dropped acid with them.

All of the cons are outweighed by making new friends.

[matsuolost]

can someone post a pic of the showers?

[glastos_better]

there is one on the official site. as good as your gonna get i expect.

[matsuolost]

it is so tiny...

[mmmata]

EARPLUGS

bring'em

they're a godsend...better the sliced bread..

there's always party people at 3am and there's always party people at 7am...

and not to mention car stereos..etc.

boom shoop boop

and i've only missed the 1st coachella, been going ever since..its raaaaaaaaad

m

[airguitarvet]

best thread ever