Posted: 8/17/2008 4:32:18 PM EDT
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wy some of you guys never have attended a regional campout. The PA crew initiated the campouts in 2003 or so, and we've been having a few every year. Many don't get posted on the board, some of the guys want to meet the new guy on neitral ground first. I have to question why folks don't attend. It's common knowledge that at least at the PA campouts, we do some tactical shooting, as well as fieldcraft skills as well as the usual interesting BS session at the campfire. We've covered first aid, rapelling, tactical shooting drills, and even done some sneak & peek type stuff. So what's the deal? I can understand that some folks might be leery, but hell, you can always pack your shit and go home.. Ops |
| Time I guess would be the answer for most of us. I only get 1 weekend off a month, and I prefer to spend that at home with the family. Vacation time is usually spent going to a funeral or something. That, and every time I do get to spend time in the woods, the temptation to go AWOL gets stronger and stronger........I'd hate to cave in. |
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Well, for myself, I actually joined and started posting in SF so when one comes up and I can work it into my schedule I can go with good conscience. However, I am also leary of showing up in a sedan, with more yuppie hiker than tacticool gear, fudd than operator equipment, and not fitting in or embarassing myself. Particularly don't want to show a complete lack of developed (no lets be honest, lack any of) some of the common skills here. But I can get over that (or try too), it is just the schedule thing that always beats me. Hope this helps Ops. |
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I was a little leery of showing up at a campout. It was not because of my lack for skill. (I will admit I have no skill) I kind of had the "media" outlook. I am so glad I went, because it changed that outlook. I was very ignorant, but after meeting the people from here I realized they were no different than me. I am glad I went and would hope to be invited to another campout! If you have any doubts, just go. You will find out that there are people from all walks of life and you will learn something from all of them. -Jason |
LOL, ya, you Definitly need to go to a campout  If anyone jokes about your lack of "operator skills" I'll be the first to bitch smack 'em for ya FWIW, first campout I went to, I was kinda concerned the guys would be all gung-ho, wanna be rambo types. I have to admit w/ the exception of a scam artist we had a while ago, everyone I've met at a campout, both in the PA area and down south, have been incredibly down-to-earth, warm hearted folk. Fuck, if everyone who posted here were more like the folks I've camped w/ I'd prolly renew my team membership  Speed |
| I'd love to attend!! They've got to be better than my old unit's fieldex's by a long shot. I'm working a real tough schedule right now AND building an addition. All will be settled by Spring so I will be able to attend. I will also be bringing along ALL of my surplus 782 gear from the reserves. The deal is that I will NOT bring any home with me. You guys have to split it up amongst yourselves!!! My wife is fed up with all the crap piling up downstairs in the basement. |
Organize one in your AO that's what we did ........ thanks to a thread just like this that Ops started a litle over 3yrs ago iirc. I said basically the same thing a couple guys IM'd me and said they'd like to get together it just grew from their. |
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cant answer ya to well Ops. folks here cant make up their mind at all. we have a solid 4-7 guys that ALWAYS show at the hikes and some of car camp out's from other forums ive gone to . Thing is there is folks that wont go to either. doesnt matter if its shooting,hiking, sitting around a camp fire. Thing you have to remeber is that the majority of folks that post on the web, arent into this. Its just a hobby...or way to drop $ into gear. Like others posted some think they will be embrassed. well, ya really wont IMHO. Then there are those that are just lazy and while they may live only 15 minutes away from the campout never show up. some are just afraid to go into the woods( using the hikes as example) with others they dont know. well here's an idea ...it isnt like all the folks saying they are going have sat around and pre planned to single you out and hack you into bits at 3am  we've tried different things at the camps here, from making them more "class" like to letting the campers control the flow of how things go, to not doing any teaching just camping and bsing. You cant make everyone happy ive found. So you make the camp the way you want it and see who shows up.... if you dont have a camp in your area host one...or host a meet greet or meet a gun show first. ymmv so sides adding fuel to the "why aint ya showing up " fire i d cant add much...... |
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I've had a couple of things working against me for the last few years. Work tends to be a fomidable obstacle as I need to schedule time off pretty far in advance and I do work the occasional weekend. Family life has also kept me from going too many places. Can't say I blame Mrs. Feral for getting a little frosty at the notion of me taking off for a weekend and leaving her with Little Feral and the baby. The good news on that front is that the boy is big enough now that he can tag along (though that'll likely prevent me from doing some of the fun stuff) and the baby's becoming less needful of 110% attention. In any case, is there any talk at this point of a Fall PA get together? Early dates would be a benefit. |
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Would love to make it to the next N.E. PA camp out... but I have a two month old boy at home, and a house I've owned for 4 and a half months that still needs some work before I can live in the other half of it :-) Camping? I haven't been to the rifle range since March :-/ Hopefully I can make a SF gathering in the near future. -WhyTanFox Edited for tense: I thought the camp out was the previous weekend, not the next. |
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I've done 2 campouts in WV, and 1 in VA. 2 times out of three, the attendance ranged from 3 to zero. Zero. I doubt I'll ever try another VA campout unless someone else arranges it, and I have something else to do when nobody shows up.. You may want to take the drive and hit one of the PA camps. at least you'll have an idea of how we do things, in the event that you would host your own. Feel free to IM for ideas, etc. Ops |
Speed, I was actually thinking about your submarin ... errr Ranger when I mentioned showing up in a sedan. I think I will be at one of these sometime, but probably NOT offroad. |
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Work killed my attendance at a campout around a year or so ago. The last somewhat big campout for the area fizzled out and tj and jet and I wound up riding around in tj's pickup making fun of tourists and having a good time in the smokies. I think the only thing to keep in mind if showing up for a campout is to accept yourself as what you are and don't try to bs anything and don't worry about showing up in a car or on a moped or whatever. Show up ready to have some fun and leave it at that. I have met a lot of folks from this board and other boards while buying or selling stuff and some are all business while others will stick around and talk for an hour or three. Overall I think scheduling around work and family stuff is pretty hard and I am just a single guy but I have a lot of relatives in the area who often need help with projects and what not. TJ is working on figuring something out for down here and if I can work it into my schedule at all I will be there. Might just be there for part of a day or I might be there the whole time. |
Cause you fellas are too far away! I'd like to though. We have a bunch of us do the same thing here, some are members here, but their post counts are either in single or low double digits. It's good to get out with other like minded people and put your gear and skills back through the ringer. I just got invited to a networking BBQ to meet more like minded people who prep just south of my immediate AO. I do understand the whole stand offish thing. We are very careful with who we go out with, and who comes into our little circle, as I am not a very trusting person. Anytime you put firearms in the mix safety is going to be number one. We are blessed to have a great mix of professionals, Mil, LE, EMT. So training covers all the basics. BT edit cause I found it too difficult to hit the spellcheck button. |
| I would love to come, and I am not more than a few hours away, but I am on call 24/7, 365. I have no one to take my place except my elderly father (and to be honest, he tries hard, but ends up hurting himself) and I am required by my contract to be on site (within the county I am based out of) with a 1 hour or less average response time. So my answer is work. |
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Ops, I've enjoyed a lot of your posts so I'll give you an honest answer. First, there haven't been any campouts in my area. That's mostly a BS answer, but it's true. Second, and more importantly, even if there were a campout around here, I probably wouldn't go. I like this forum and I've learned a lot here. Hopefully I've given a little back a few times. But the truth is that there are other things I'd rather do when I have a free weekend. If you come to Minnesota and organize an event, I promise to attend. Beyond that, who knows, but it's just not at the top of my priority list. |