How many folks here do a lot of camping when photographing? I have been debating the direction of the website over the next 12 months, and I have been thinking about adding sections that compliment nature/wildlife photography. Camping seems to come in there, however, I am not sure how much of a demand there might be for it.

James

I used to Camp more. I would love to again. My goal is to work on my wife a bit. It took me a while to get her used to me going out on hikes by myself. Genteelly presenting her the concept of me staying in the woods over night is another hurdle completely.
I think discussing this topic in the General forum would be appropriate. I would be surprised if there would be enough activity to warrant another forum.

Go for it, I camp all the time - in the truck, in the mountains, on the trail off the trail, wilderness, whatever and wherever! Most of my longer trips I just throw a bag out on the ground, or sleep in the back of my truck and hit the trails or mtns or whatever I'm shooting at first light. I do not do much backcountry camping and photography. Although I'm going to start just going with one body, two card, two batteries and a wide lens and see what I can come up with without all the heavy gear like 3 pound ballheads, and 10 pound tripods etc. . .

From my standpoint, it's makes sense to talk about it, especially if you’re still trying convince the wife that's it's okay to sleep outside in the woods alone. Maybe you could get some good pointers from other people who have had the same issues. For me, it's on the application - LOL, maybe that's why I'm not married yet? LOL

Great topic, I'll read it, and help out when I can. . .

With the size of the National Parks and wildlife refuges here in Alaska, it is almost impossible to photograph wildlife without camping. It takes the better part of a week to photograph Denali National Park and I could not afford to go there if I had to stay in the lodges and motels. Camping is just extending the outdoor experience to an overnight stay. I am really surprised to find so many nature photographers that doesn't camp. To me that doesn't seem natural. I find camping to help sharpen my senses so that I can find the wildlife easier and it seems that the wildlife accepts you easier. Camping allows one to become part of the environment instead of just a visitor. I find it hard to explain. It is kind of like sex. The mechanics is easy to explain, the emotion can't be explained, but once experienced, it is understood. We go photographing nature to experience the sights, smells, sounds. It pleases our senses. Camping extends our experience of the pleasure of those senses. I have camped for 50 years and am as comfortable in my camp as I am at home. I have camped in the winter at -55F and been comfortable. I have been known to go on a 3 month camping trip before.

The secret to having a wife go camping is HER comfort. Do not buy a backpacking tent and expect her to sleep on the tent floor. Buy a family sized tent and get a nice cot with a pad for her to sleep on or get a camping trailer so that she can sleep on a bed. If tent camping, get a good tarp to put over the eating area so you can stay dry while eating. If it is buggy, get an insect net to go around the eating area so that you can move around freely and not get eaten by the bugs. Pick a nice dry camp spot with nice scenery for her to enjoy. Plan meals that are easy to prepare and clean up after the meal. If she feels that she is going camping just to be your maid, she will not want to go. Include her into your hikes so that she can appreciate what can be seen. Go camping with friends and their spouses so that when you go out to do YOUR thing, she can go out and do HER thing with friends and not be left alone. Plan activities so that nobody becomes tentbound and becomes bored with the whole ordeal. Communication is the key here, talk to your spouse and see what she expects and what her needs and fears are so that they can be properly addressed before the trip. Then go and have some FUN.

Dave sounds like he's married, or been married, very good explanation of how to do thing right! I'd say just go camping zip the sleaping bags together, if she cant handle that then get a new wife. I will do somthings for a woman but I also expect that to speek up, the last thing i ever do is try get inside a womans head!

Again, maybe that's why I'm a single man at 36 years old! LOL

Take care,

Yes I am married, but within my marriage, I can come and go as I please for camping, photographing, etc. To help Jeff with his non camping wife, I cheated... I asked my wife. I am a man and think as a man. My wife is a woman and think as woman. My wife is much more qualified to tell a man about what is important to a woman about camping than I am. If it was left up to me, I would tell Jeff to drag her along and have her "get with the program".

Well guys you are all correct. David the ideas are right one. And Tony you are right, that’s why you are single:) PC, we are in the same boat, a 3 dog household. So maybe the idea that she doesn’t want to come will work, we wouldn’t have to find someone to watch the dogs:) And I would have to be rushed for the shot since she has been bored to tears wait for me to move on. In my mind, I am looking more for backpacking I guess, when I think of camping. I foresee a 7 or so mile hike into the woods followed by a little camping then another hike out. So if I rethink it solely as camping they David, your wife is right on. I have been discussing this option with my misses for over 10 years. The only way is to have daily access to a flushing toilet and a shower. So that kind of cancels the backpacking idea. On the other hand a camper rental may be in our near future. The camper give me all your wife’s ideas David and electricity and water:) And a camper would allow the 3 senior citizen dogs to accompany us. So I think we will do that together soon, but I am still trying to determine the best way to tell her I will go backpacking. She doesn’t really have trouble with me going into the woods or even sleeping there, her problem is that I would be alone. It’s the whole “what if” factor. She is very understanding about me going out there most weekends but still gets nervous about what would happen should I go down.

What if you went to Philly for the weekend? I always feel safer in the wilderness than I do in the big cities. If she fears for your safety..."What if you fall and break a leg? You can't get help out in the woods." Get a personal locater beacon. Even here in Alaska where you can get in a plane and fly 4 hours one way out to the wilderness where there are no settlements, no roads, no electric wires, and no people, with today's technology, help is only a few hours away.

With the amount of equipment I take with me, backpacking for me is not an option. I tend to set up a base camp and then work out of there.