Trip To White River Campground At Mt. Rainier National Park August 2010

[Corey]

I hear you about sleeping on the ground.
I did it for years backpacking, then camping with the X before we got our first tent trailer, then other times after I sold my second tent trailer I bought after our split up.

To me the roof top tent has opened up a whole new level of comfortable camping.
Now if only I could install a bathroom up there
I sleep so well in the roof top tent, and I also feel way more secure in it than being on the ground.

If I was into the big tent thing on the ground, I would use cots.
So much better than the self inflating backpacking things, and better than an airbed too.

 

[jim65wagon]

That's us. Two big ground tents (standing room) with two Slumberjack cots in each. Gives parents and the kids privacy and a comfy nights sleep. I'm getting too old to suffer a rock in back all night for no reason. Overkill? Nah....comfort. If you're uncomfortable in any way, it's due to poor planning. All the comforts of home, completely set up in an hour, anywhere I can fit the truck....

 

[Corey]

Good planning is the key Jim.
I think I learned that from being a boy scout for years in my youth.
Those were the days, backpacking for miles carrying a wooden framed pack with just one large bag to put everything into.

On the issue of being prepared, a lot of the stuff I do bring may not even be setup.
Since the weather was nice I did not put up the Kelty Shadehouse 12 over the table.
If rain had set in, then it would have gone up.

I had my portable picnic table I bought from Cabelas a few years back, no need for that either with the parks picnic tables in place.

I would still like to cut down though from two to just one of the new ECS Transit cases I just bought, but that might be hard.
The main benefit to them is the organization of loose stuff in the rig.
Even the PETT toilet now resides in one of the footlockers instead of being in the bulky bag it came with.

And the Cabelas Instant Cooking Station and the two white Sterite drawers that go into it take up extra room.
Soon, and I mean very soon, there will be a chuckbox stored in the rear on top of the cargobox where the Sterite drawers were.
That will save some room too.
May have to then pack the Cabelas deluxe roll top table I bought last year to put the chuckbox on top of when setup in camp.
That is another item I have but have not had to set it up yet.

Well, we are due to get rain here tomorrow on Sunday.
The people with the huge tent setup were staying until tomorrow, I bet they had a great two weeks up there.
Part of that is with all the stuff they had with them.
Although I would have gone for the cots, not the airbed setup they had.
I bought one years ago for a huge nylon tent I got at Costco.
The tent is big enough to sleep eight or more people.
My youngest son and I camped in it once around 2000 or 2001, and when one person moves on the airbed, the other person feels it.
Cots would be the way to go if you have the room to haul them.

 

[Corey]

I just realized I never posted the total cost for the trip or the mileage.

Cost not counting food or fuel.
$ 15.00 national park entrance fee
$ 24.00 two night, $12 per night
$15.00 for three bundles of wood. Same guy and young daughter for the past few years, they drive around several times per day, and live up there during the season.
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$54.00 total

Mileage
48.8 miles from my home to the turn off for the entrance.
54.0 miles to the campsite
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108 miles round trip give or take.

Mt. Rainier is practically on the same street I live on.
Only have to take one turn onto another highway, then drive straight to the entrance.
Call it a backyard camping trip, I like close trips like these that get you way out of the city.

Also was bored last week and made a video so my boss at work could see all of the pics on his computer at work.

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Very Nice Corey. You always document everything so well!

I grew up in Seattle until I was 9 years old. Mt. Rainier was the first place Dad took us to camp. I've been hooked ever since. I also loved our camping at Sol Duc Hot Springs. Playing in the natural heated pools all day was awesome, as a kid!




.

 

[Corey]

Thanks Mark.
I only wish I could have taken my mother up there with my kids as we use to go there when I bought my new tent trailer spring of 1989.
We went up there summer of '89.

She was in love with the mountains beauty, but never got up there as she passed away Christmas of '89.

 

[beast1210]

I'm with ya on the rootbeer, but Im hooked on the Americana Rootbeer, a little vanilla, licorice action. They have it at QFC.

Say How's that magnolia handling our wet winters? I dont see to many rooftop tents up here, I always figured their was a reason.

 

[Corey]

Never seen that rootbeer before, and the local QFC shut down earlier in the year.
Will have to seek out another QFC and look for that.

The hardshell tents from AutoHome are built for this wet weather we have here.
Mine has always been outside too, so it needs to be waxed occasionally with some good marine wax that has UV inhibitors in it.
It is about due to be waxed again, I should do that next month early October before the bad weather gets here.

 

[beast1210]

thanks, seems like it would work better than trying to get a custom flippac for the scout, now I just have to teach Max(my dog) to climb ladders

 

[Corey]

There is a pic floating around on this site I think of a dog climbing a ladder to get into a roof top tent.
Probably in a roof top tent thread in the camping section.
I think it was Weimaraner.

Found it with the keyword above.
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=680343&highlight=Weimaraner#post680343