What do you do at OSH if tent camping and there’s serious weather. Nearby lightning or tornado activity?
Thinking scarier at night, but might go with my 12 year old son for the first time this Summer. Not much camping experience.
I've tented at Camp Scholler a few times now, and have been camping for a LONG time.
First things first: prep your tent. Weeks before you actually come here. Like... maybe this weekend, weather permitting. The first thing you will want to do is thoroughly weatherproof it. Go to your nearest REI or other such camp store (or use Amazon) and get some seam sealant. It's a thick goop that you apply to both sides of every single seam in your tent. I neglected to do this one year and deeply regretted it. This is a critical step in keeping you and your stuff dry. You can also get some sprays that will create/maintain weatherproofing on the tent material itself. But the seam sealant is critical. Get a few tubes of it.
Next, learn how to not just set up your tent, but set it up TIGHT. If you don't get it staked down tight, there's a better than good chance that you'll experience at least one or two stakes pulling out, or if you are exceptionally unlucky, your tent will discover that it was really meant to be a tumbleweed, gracefully rolling down the street until it meets the side of a camper. THe stakes that are included with most tents (the metal rods with an inch or so bent at the end) are not sufficient. Again, head to REI or Amazon and get GOOD tent stakes. I got these
https://www.rei.com/product/829838/msr-mini-ground-hog-stake and they are amazing. They weigh next to nothing and hold TIGHT. Way tighter than you'd think a little piece of aluminum would hold, and FAR better than those cheap bent metal rods. I picked up a dozen of them for various tie down purposes. Highly recommended.
As someone mentioned, you WILL experience at least one weather "event." As long as you are prepared, it's really no big deal. Bring ear plugs in case your neighbor decides to ignore the generator quiet hours (I had TERRIBLE neighbors in 2017, but otherwise it's been fine). I've always ridden out the storms, including the year 3/4 of my tent stakes pulled out of the ground and I was the only thing holding it down (this was before I got the good stakes). Fun? Not really. But since then it's been fine.
I have LOADS of other camp tips (pre-prepping meals, site setup, etc), but this wall of text should get you started
Despite all I said above... it's truly a GREAT experience! Your son will NEVER forget this. Ever. Chances are, this will become something you'll want to do every year. I missed last year due to a new job and was completely heartbroken.
If you (or anyone else) is walking around Scholler and sees a blue Ram pickup with MO plates in front of a Coleman popup, with a windsock flapping in the breeze, and either the smell of bacon or a hint of bourbon wafting in the breeze, stop by and say hi!
