Group Camping

Group camping is probably one of the most popular forms of camping after family camping.   Part of the fun of camping is sharing activities with our friends and family.  About the only difference between family camping and group camping is that the family camping group usually consists of people related by blood or marriage.  Group camping folks are connected by common interests and/or friendship.  Group camping makes campfires more fun and expands our options. There is also a measure of security that comes with group camping. Y ou can participate in a group camp as individuals or as families.  Our Desert Rat group in California often included families with at least 3 generations present as well as some individuals who's families had no interest in camping or dirt biking.  All were welcome and all had a good time.  Those who didn't ride spent a lot of quality time visiting with each other in camp.  People from individual campsites often congregate at commercial campgrounds for both planned and spontaneous group activities. 

Group camping requires a little more planning and coordination than solo or family camping. For one thing, you need to know how large the group is going to be so you can make sure you have sufficient camp space for everyone.  Family camping often involves just your immediate family; group camping can include many people.  We've as many as 175 people show up for our annual Turkey In The Dirt Thanksgiving Potluck.

If you're headed to a developed campground you will need to reserve a group site or several individual sites.  If you have to get individual sites you will want to try to get them all together or at least as close as possible.   Then you'll probably want to designate one of the sites as your "primary" site or "HQ" (headquarters) where you gather for coordination and shared campfire activities.  Having access to a well developed group site will offer several advantages.  There will usually be a large central gathering area with a permanent fire pit, maybe some rustic seating, and sometimes even a bowery or pavilion for sun and rain protection. 

If you're boondocking or camping in a primitive area, you will need to scout it out ahead of time and get there early to stake out your territory and reserve enough space for everyone you expect to join you.  Some primitive areas are used enough that they have developed defacto camp sites with rock fire rings.  Try to use existing areas when possible.  Not only will it be more environmentally friendly than stomping out a new site, you will probably find it helpful that someone else has already found the most levels spots for RVs, aleady cleared pads for tents, and probably created a central rock fire ring.   We've found the old wagon train evening format ("circle the wagons") a good one for primitive camp sites.  Arrange your RVs and/or tents around a central fire pit and group meeting area.  That way no one is very far from the campfire or each other.  You want spacing that respects privacy while facilitating group participation.

Pot luck dinners are a fun thing to do in a group.  True pot luck dinners are often spontaneous and everyone just brings whatever they may have on hand.  You can pull one together anytime and it will usually be quite successful.   If you are a little bit of a control freak or have specific menus in mind or expect a large number of participants, you can organize your pot luck dinners ahead of time.  That is what we always did for our annual "Turkey In The Dirt" dirt bike outings at Thanksgiving. One year we had 142 RSVPs and 175 people show up.   With a group that large, a spontaneous pot luck probably wouldn't work as well as making at least some assignments ahead of time so you don't end up with 17 green bean casseroles and no mashed potatotes!

Group campfires are always fun.   For one thing, it spreads out the work of building and maintaining the campfire and shares the cost of the wood.  More importantly, it is an opportunity for great social activities like storytelling and sing-a-longs.   Roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and making S'mores are long time campfire traditions.  If you've tired of that you might want to organize a Dutch oven dinner or try your hand at other forms of campfire cooking.  Always try to make room around the fire for everyone in your group.  At the end of the evening, make sure the fire is out and the camp chairs are all properly stored or at least folded flat so an evening breeze doesn't blow them into the fire pit.  The hot coals buried beneath a fire that has been "put out" may still hold enough heat to melt or even ignite camp chairs.  If you're the last one to leave a group campfire, store your own chairs and make sure any that anyone else has left behind are moved away from the fire ring and are folded flat.   I've seen aluminum frames melted into puddles and the plastic webbing vaporized by morning when chairs that weren't put away blew into the fire pit overnight.

When camping in certain open areas of the Mojave Desert where shooting was allowed, we often did a little skeet shooting in the evenings.   Firearms aren't for everyone, but it was a fun activity for those who chose to participate.  It may also have a side effect regarding security since it is obviously an armed camp to anyone within earshot and that might deter would be protagonists.  If you choose such an activity, be sure to exercise proper range and firearm procedures to ensure everyone's safety.

Many kinds of activities lend themselves to group participation.  We very much enjoy group dirt bike rides.   Someone volunteers or is appointed as the ride leader and chooses a route and/or destination.  Another competent rider volunteers or is chosen to ride "sweep" and make sure no one gets lost or left behind on the trail.   The same thing can be done with ATVs or UTVs (side-by-sides). There are many campground activities for the less motor minded too:   horseshoes, touch football, frisbee, volleyball, badminton, and lawn darts come quickly to mind as common and popular things to do when camping.   Basketball may be an option at a developed campground as some do have basketball courts.  We've found skeet shooting to be a fun group activity for our desert outings.   Just make sure you have a safe backstop and have someone keep an eye out for errant travelers who may inadvertently drift into the line of fire.  Skeet shooting may have a hidden benefit:  it may alert potential intruders or persons with ill intent that yours is a competent armed camp and deter them from bothering you.

Group camping lends itself well to any group of people with common interests.  Local Good Sam Club chapters bring together people from the same area, usually with a focus on specific kinds of activities.  Many Good Sam activities focus on service projects or fundraising for adopted charities. RV clubs sponsored by or based on vehicle brands are also common.  In many places you will find dirt bike, ATV. and 4WD clubs to match your choice of vehicle and riding styles.   Rockhounds, birdwatchers, hikers, and history buffs may also have organizations in your area if that is where your interests lie.

Circle the wagons!