2020 Camping & RV'ing Thread

[Canadianman]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

As a person trying to book a site they want, even during the week for simply 2-3 days, and striking out because of people booking massive blocks and not using them, F you. But I guess it's not against the rules is it? What a god damn waste.

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Would you like to use the site during the week when I am back in Calgary? I'm sure we can arrange something. I would even consider giving you those nights for free as I'm already eating the cost of those unused nights.

I hope calgarygeologist's response makes you feel like an #######.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Would you like to use the site during the week when I am back in Calgary? I'm sure we can arrange something. I would even consider giving you those nights for free as I'm already eating the cost of those unused nights.

I'll take it if it's one of the ones I was trying to get.

Originally Posted by Canadianman

I hope calgarygeologist's response makes you feel like an #######.

Why's that, did he cancel his reservation or something? It doesn't absolve him of the abuse of the reservation system, of getting blocks overlapping two weekends and letting the in between go to waste.

Last 2 years it's been like this. For the high demand sites I want, you watch them book up in advance by people like this, then eventually for the entire year it's solid booked. Then you are lucky to see some cancellations open up as people figure out they what days they actually want to use, but problem is, they are last minute and you have to watch it constantly. You also have to be prepared to take vacation and leave within 2 days notice. So great.

Finally bag a spot because thankfully I'm flexible, and among the other spots that are fully booked, I am the only one there during the week. The others just left their ####. Does make for a relaxed outing though with no one else there I guess, but thankful me appreciated that one guy who actually cancelled to let me get that spot in the first place.

So no, I don't feel an #######.

[Fuzz]

Why wouldn't you just book the days you want to be there? What is the benefit of blocking off mid week days?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Why wouldn't you just book the days you want to be there? What is the benefit of blocking off mid week days?

Because you'll lose the site and not be able to go back.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Locke

Because you'll lose the site and not be able to go back.

Cant' you just book the one weekend, and then the next weekend and not the days in between?

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

I'll take it if it's one of the ones I was trying to get.

I am waiting for the “thank you very much for the offer”

Some people.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Why wouldn't you just book the days you want to be there? What is the benefit of blocking off mid week days?

Some people don't know when they want to go and don't care about the cost of not cancelling the days they decide they don't need.

Some people want to arrive hours before check in on their first day and not have to wait. So they book a day early and they'll book an extra day.

Some people don't give a damn about other people.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Cant' you just book the one weekend, and then the next weekend and not the days in between?

Yes, in theory that is possible but practically it is very difficult. When I booked my first weekend there was only 4 sites to pick from out of around 200. I could book that weekend and come back in 5 days and try to book the second weekend and hope there is still a spot or just avoid all the risk and book the full block across the two weekends.

Unfortunately demand outstrips supply in Alberta and getting a spot takes some effort, luck and maybe even gaming the system. Alberta Parks has been trying different things over the years to make sites more accessible but they haven't found an ideal system yet.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Yes, in theory that is possible but practically it is very difficult. When I booked my first weekend there was only 4 sites to pick from out of around 200. I could book that weekend and come back in 5 days and try to book the second weekend and hope there is still a spot or just avoid all the risk and book the full block across the two weekends.

Unfortunately demand outstrips supply in Alberta and getting a spot takes some effort, luck and maybe even gaming the system. Alberta Parks has been trying different things over the years to make sites more accessible but they haven't found an ideal system yet.

Once you book, can you release those mid week days? Or is it all or nothing? Seems the booking system could use some work if you can't partially cancel days.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Once you book, can you release those mid week days? Or is it all or nothing? Seems the booking system could use some work if you can't partially cancel days.

From what I've seen you can modify the arrival or departure date but can't drops days in the middle essentially making it two reservations.

[Fuzz]

OK, so the system encourages abuse, or at least doesn't make it convenient to maximize camp site usage.

[Sliver]

Yeah, the system is fataed. After getting screwed out of sites for a few years in a row, my friends and I all just sit at our computers when dates open up and do a shotgun approach and book like fataing mad. It's the only way to get sites. We'll cancel them last minute if we decide not to go, but if you're not part of the problem you're basically not camping.

I'd say the bigger issue goes back to the #######s who don't want anything developed anywhere ever. Not going to go off on my regular tangent here, but we need to build more recreational sites in the mountains and elsewhere so our growing population can enjoy reasonable access to the outdoors. We need another Banff. We need another Lake Louise. We need more campgrounds. We have to start thinking about our kids' kids and the infrastructure they'll need in the way the people in the 50s, 60s and 70s had us in mind when they built up what we currently enjoy.

[BlackArcher101]

It's a super aggravating system, and I've been shut out of my fav spots for the year already. Actually easier to book a site when the system first opens, then gets drastically harder after that, as the 10 day bookings are ahead of the system as it opens each day one by one.

So now I can only hope to jump on some cancellations if someone actually does so. It sucks, because I bought an inflatable boat this year just to use at that specific lake/campground.

Agreed on needing more recreational sites. Have we even added any as we've watched our population explode? To me they make sense, they keep wear & tear of the environment to one specific location instead of driving more people to crown land.
Rates go up, extra fees like a park pass required, and services being decreased (no firewood, etc), demand far exceeding supply, it just seems it gets worse and worse each year. There are still some campgrounds that have decent availability however, but the sites are meh, no attractions or things to do around there, etc.

This will be the first year I'll mainly be crown land camping over the weekends.

[Fuzz]

Seems like a good business opportunity for FN lands if they were interested.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

It's a super aggravating system, and I've been shut out of my fav spots for the year already. Actually easier to book a site when the system first opens, then gets drastically harder after that, as the 10 day bookings are ahead of the system as it opens each day one by one.

So now I can only hope to jump on some cancellations if someone actually does so. It sucks, because I bought an inflatable boat this year just to use at that specific lake/campground.

Agreed on needing more recreational sites. Have we even added any as we've watched our population explode? To me they make sense, they keep wear & tear of the environment to one specific location instead of driving more people to crown land.
Rates go up, extra fees like a park pass required, and services being decreased (no firewood, etc), demand far exceeding supply, it just seems it gets worse and worse each year. There are still some campgrounds that have decent availability however, but the sites are meh, no attractions or things to do around there, etc.

This will be the first year I'll mainly be crown land camping over the weekends.

It's fataing terrible. I've been trying to get a site on the lake at Two Jack Lakeside for about a decade. It's my favourite camp spot and I've been unable to take my kids there through their entire lives because it is seemingly booked by magic and I'm not a magician. We did manage to get a site there in September one year right before it closed, but it snowed a fata ton so we didn't go. Other than that, it's impossible. I'm not even going to try this year. It's a waste of time.

[Shazam]

Two jack is federal, it uses a different system that’s even worse than Alberta’s.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Seems like a good business opportunity for FN lands if they were interested.

I believe a few started getting into it last year. Stoney reopened an old campsite, can be found here: https://stoneycampgrounds.com/

But the facilities are a bit lacking as you can see in the photos. Hopefully though they put some money into it and get it to grow.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Sliver

It's fataing terrible. I've been trying to get a site on the lake at Two Jack Lakeside for about a decade. It's my favourite camp spot and I've been unable to take my kids there through their entire lives because it is seemingly booked by magic and I'm not a magician. We did manage to get a site there in September one year right before it closed, but it snowed a fata ton so we didn't go. Other than that, it's impossible. I'm not even going to try this year. It's a waste of time.

edit: nm, forgot two jack was unserviced, not the one I'm thinking of

Original comment was about the RV rental places snatching up a lot of the Banff sites, in order to offer them in a package with a RV rental for foreigners.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Two jack is federal, it uses a different system that’s even worse than Alberta’s.

Yeah, fair. I lump in all the campgrounds as having ####ty booking methods. The problem remains too few campgrounds for our increased population.

Like, as a kid in the 80s you would just head out with your parents after work and drive to a campground and get a spot, right? No booking or anything. Even when I'd go with my girlfriend in our trailer in the mid- to late-90s we never booked anything ever. Went to Banff, Two Jack, Jasper, Kelowna, Kimberley, Vancouver, Osoyoos, etc. etc. in the middle of summer and just rolled in and camped.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

The ones booking those campgrounds are likely the RV rental places. They package the campsites with the RV rental for tourists.

Ahhhh, crap. Good thought. Okay, that should be banned. Businesses (or people operating side hustles) shouldn't be allowed to book out the sites.