Additional Oshkosh ??

Tom Maxwell · #1 06-12-2005, 09:37 AM

I plan to go for my first time as well. I will be driving and probably camping on the field. How are the camp accomodations? Are there shaded areas or is it primarily open areas? Are the off airport camping areas better?

And how about the weather that time of year? I am not a big camping fan and my experiences with summer camping in Texas have not been positive - stifling heat, choking humidity, and lots of bugs. There is nothing like trying to sleep inside a tent in these conditions. I can handle the heat during the day but does it cool down at night?

Bob Axsom · #2 06-12-2005, 10:06 AM

It can get hot during the day but when I have been there it was not bad really (pretty far north and not too far from Lake Michigan). Thunderstorms are not uncommon. I did not camp there - check http://www.eaa.org under AirVenture and camping. I suspect it will be an experience you will long remember.

Bob Axsom

keen9a · #3 06-12-2005, 11:41 AM

I've been camping at OSH for a decade. The first couple of trips up there we stayed at the UW-Osh dorms which were nice, but getting to the Airventure grounds got harder every year due to traffic, so we started camping and never looked back.

Oshkosh generally cools off nicely every night, although as has been said the current weather pattern in the midwest is just plain wet and humid. There is shade if you get there really early. I don't now how early that is, but its well before the start of the convention. You will be waking up not long after the sun as your tent gets hot, but even the worst moring person in the world (me) is ready to get going because there are so many freekin' airplanes to see in only a week!

Bugs never seem to be a big problem. There are some, but less than most places I've camped. That is one advantage of the lack of trees. There's always some air movent helping to keep bugs away and cool things off.

You do need to be prepared for lots of walking, and camping only increases that. There is a shuttle bus that takes you around the campgrounds, but I usally leave that for those who need it more. Although, when tired it is great to have. A lot of people take bikes to get around, and there is a large bike parking lot right at the gates from the campground to the site.

The showers are infamous, and you won't really get it until you've used one. They do work great, but it takes a little getting used to the water saving device they use for a showerhead. Most of us call it a sink sprayer. Actually, I've found them to be reliably warm, and there's hardly ever a wait to get a stall.

Other than that, make sure and meet some of your neighbors, especially if they are RV'ers!

robertahegy · #4 06-12-2005, 01:41 PM

Another place to camp is at the SeaPlane Base. It is off Hwy 45. Look on EAAs site for directions. There is more shade, a swimming beach, showers, food, drink, but also more mosquitos. They have a shuttle to Whitman for a buck a person. It leaves about every 20 minutes. Very nice place for drive in camping. The fly in camping is located near the RV parking area and has trees and showers.

Roberta

painless · #5 06-12-2005, 05:24 PM

Ben made the point that you will wake up early in the AM due to the sun warming your tent, but he left out the major cause of early arousal.

The Yodler. 7:00AM sharp he starts in. I swear to God, I'm gunna form a posse and get that sucker one of these years!

Regards,

robertahegy · #6 06-12-2005, 06:00 PM

We're gonna get him. But if you beat us to him, we'll just help. You can't hear him from the seaplane base, though.

Roberta

steveciha · #7 06-12-2005, 07:15 PM

I have camped there many times as well. Have seen it hot (95 degrees ) daytime, and hot most of the night. Have also seen it so cool that you have to wear a sweat shirt while in the sleeping bag. Almost all of camp Scholler now has some reasonable shade, as the trees have been planted there for about 10 years and are starting to take hold.

As far as the yodeler goes, he isn't half so bad as the helicopter that flies over your tent about every 5 minutes. They start up way to early also.

Steve Ciha

LettersFromFlyoverCountry · #8 06-13-2005, 11:01 AM

The only bad thing about Camp Scholler is the (a) the little gang of 20-somethings that take over the arcade area near the West End store -- not a problem if you don't have kids and (b) the idiots with the giant land yachts who fire up their generators with first light and keep 'em going until 10pm so they can have air conditioning and satellite TV.

Tom Maxwell · #9 06-13-2005, 12:03 PM

No kids here.

I thought those people needing/wanting generators were segregated into a separate area of the camp. No?

If not, what the heck. Anybody can put up with some noisy inconsiderate neighbors for a week, right? Afterall, I have been living next to some for the past 20 years.

It really does sound like a lot of fun. I am getting excited even though it is over a month away.

svanarts · #10 06-13-2005, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by painless

Ben made the point that you will wake up early in the AM due to the sun warming your tent, but he left out the major cause of early arousal.

The Yodler. 7:00AM sharp he starts in. I swear to God, I'm gunna form a posse and get that sucker one of these years!

Regards,

Like the yodler says, "Let's go get 'em!"