Cyclist0094

Wildwood State Park out toward Montauk isn't bad. First time camping just go in the car if you hate it just pack up and go home. If you want to make the trip to Campmor in Paramus NJ They have nearly all of their tents and sleeping bags on display. They have some suitable tents in the $100 range

Papa Tom

Thanks again, all. I just got back from the local beach, where I laid in the sand for a couple of hours as the sun went down, just to see how the bugs would treat me. Got a bunch of itchy bumps on my neck, back, and ankles now. I think I'm gonna HATE camping!

Machka 

Don't camp out on the beach with the sandflies!!!

Use a tent.

Also ... use insect repellent.

FBinNY 

+1, I'm not sure how bad the beaches up here are w/regard to sand flies, but if I had to name the most annoying insect, these would be on the short list, if not a the top.

Absolutely vicious, and apparently fresh meat is a special event on the beach so the entire extend family comes out to partake in the festivities.

Machka 

We got chewed to bits by something that was probably sandflies the first couple days when we were in Japan. Mosquitoes are attracted to my ankles and I get quite large lumps from their bites, but whatever it was in Japan was much worse! Happily we found an ointment that seemed to help and we selected that ointment entirely based on the picture on the tube ... it seemed to be the appropriate thing for the job!

alan s 

Just keep in mind that camping can be much worse than the beach. You have mosquitoes, fire ants, spiders, horse flies, and black flies, just to name a few. You are basically a walking buffet. No question that camping is simply not for everyone. Take your couple hours on the beach, multiply it by ten, and try to imagine sleeping through that.

FBinNY 

Yes, inland bugs can be worse than beach bugs, though IME bug repellent seems to be more effective against mosquitos than sand fleas. (So far the and fleas I've seen don't care at all what I'm wearing when I drop in for a meal)

Anyway, your right that camping can have issues, some seasonal some weather related.

I still have vivid memories of the super mosquitos they breed in the Miles Standish State Mosquito Hatechery (Mass). They're hard to describe without crossing beyond the threshold of credibility so I'll let Peter Falk do it for me.

DropBarFan

Sounds like you really hate bugs--I don't like 'em either but I generally have more bug problems doing yard work than while biking or camping. I'd think one could read reviews of various campsites to see if there was a major bug problem.

For camping, perhaps wearing snug light-weight base layer as pajamas might help stymie mosquitoes etc. Soap/shampoo usually has fragrance that can attract bugs. I stopped using soap/shampoo & smell better esp after hours in the heat.

Doug64

In the southern U.S. chiggers are far worse than mosquitos.

ironwood

In the Northeast the best time for bug free camping is after the first frost. The down side is that days are shorter and you don't have a lot of daylight to ride.

The Northeast has been wet this year, so it'll be pretty buggy.

Maybe groups such as the AMC or REI have introduction to camping seminars or courses. I also believe there are some organized bike tours that carry the camping gear in a van.

If I had unlimited funds when I was young, I would have stayed in inns or B&Bs.

Papa Tom

OK, I'm satisfied now that camping should be off my list of bike-related experiences. Thank you for all the honest input, and for the encouragement. I will continue dragging my bike and my sweat-soaked body into Holiday Inns from this point forward.

kaos joe

This has been, from start to finish, just a remarkable thread.

FBinNY 

It's always good to take stuff off the bucket list, even if it turns out it didn't really belong there in the first place.

IMO bike camping is a mix of two activities both of which are fun, but I find they don't mix all that well. I consider camping on a bike tour to be a situational plan B, either to save dough, or for access to a place where there aren't other options.

It's like peanut butter and jelly.

Some people like either.
Some people like both (or neither)
But just because someone likes both peanut butter and jelly, doesn't mean that they like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

baldilocks

Camping Reservations, Campgrounds and Campsites| KOA

Around here the KOA's have very affordable, small cabins. You could have the camping experience while still
having a indoors to retreat to. I spray myself with white vinegar and the bugs don't bother me. If you like the outdoors at all, you should give it a try. Might want to shower before hosing with vinegar, but the showers are very clean. KOA has very high standards. I've heard of people that have traveled all over the US, and the only place they would stay was KOA's. I'm actually considering my first bicycle overnighter to a KOA. The only thing holding me back is very tight finances. I was thinking about this long before I read this post. For the record, I've camped before, but I've never toured. Also, I'm 50. Just do it.

Doug64

I agree. How bad can 1-2 night be? You may actually end up enjoying it.

My wife and I have camped most of our adult life, backpacking, climbing and bike touring. During the last 10 years we have bike toured a total of 17 months, about 2/3 of that time we camped. Sure, we had some uncomfortable times, but most of the time it was really enjoyable.

Give it a try!

Machka 

Why? Because you did something silly?

Now trying doing it the right way. Don't lie on a beach with sandflies for 2 hours ... I don't think any of us would come out of that exercise unbitten. Use a tent and insect repellent. Go camping and see whether or not you like camping. Camping is entirely different from lying on a beach with sandflies for 2 hours!!

Papa Tom

Actually, there weren't any sand flies. Somebody in the thread presumed that and it's become part of the reality. Between my night at the beach and my night at an outdoor concert last night, I must have been dinner for a hundred different species of creepy crawlies, but not one sand fly this time around.

Being a pied piper for bugs has always been an issue for me. I'm just more conscious of it now that I am (was) getting closer to booking a campground for one of this summer's bike trips. When the itching goes away, I may start toying with the idea again, but for now, this item is off my list (see illustration above).

FBinNY 

. You don't need to explain or justify.

You kinda thought you want to try camping. You tried it and didn't enjoy it, so you've answered your own question. If you want to try it again sometime, fine. If not that's equally fine.

It's like liver. Some people love it, some don't. If you tried it and didn't like it, there'll always be folks who'll argue that it must not have been cooked right and you should try again. I just say that if you don't like liver, don't order it at the restaurant.

Papa Tom

Hey, FB. Are you, like, a CHEF or something? Between your peanut butter and jelly analogy and this one, I think you might be a little food-obsessed.

Anyway, NO, I didn't actually try camping. I tried hanging out in the open air after dark and was reminded that it's never a pleasant experience for me. I'm glad I did it before I bought a cheap tent and pitched it out at the Eastern Long Island Kampground or some other place that's probably loaded with flying and crawling monsters.

Thank you again for your input, everybody. I know some of you avid campers are disappointed to have failed at convincing me, but it's all good. My relief at having come to my senses far outweighs my disappointment.

kaos joe

Well, everyone has a different level of......fortitude, when it comes to the outdoors. Just the way it is.

Case in point, these three hard cases we met in Shoshone N.F. They were on their way down from a few days in the high country, and we were heading up. The one in the middle, the shortest but clearly the most badass, told us not to worry about the bugs, nor the grizzlies either, "cause we didn't even see one".

FBinNY 

No, I'm not a chef, just someone who eats daily.

However, I do like using analogy to make my point, and food analogies seem to work for me.

Happy Feet

Well.. they're certainly something to chew on...

FBinNY 

As long as they don't give you indigestion.

reppans

Bugs...

- Sit on Tyvek ground sheet treated with Sawyer Permethrin
- wear lightweight synthetic long sleeve/pants (tight weave)
- wear a headnet over a baseball cap
- Sawyer Picaridin insect repellent on remaining exposure (hands, ankles)

My floorless Mid tent was amazing in Black Fly season (didn't even use the Bugnet except for sleeping) but need more mosquito testing.

Eastcoast shoreline? You'll get the best rest if you stealth camp (small closely packed sites, generators, partying neighbor's, downwind campfire smoke, early risers, barking dogs, screaming kids, crying babies, etc.)

Doug64

The perfect way to avoid bugs!! You can also avoid all the east coast campground issues