Re: Talk to me about Camp 4

I have never stayed there and only briefly glanced at it driving by, so I have some questions as I am thinking about going next week when I have a week off work.

1. I know you walk to the sites, is it feasible to bring as much stuff as I do car camping to my site? Small table, coleman two burner stove and basket of cooking supplies, 5 gallon propane tank, lantern and connection tree, small bbq grill, chair (s), ice chest, etc.

2. Is there a tent size max?

3. How close will my car be? I ask because I like to run an electric cord from my car on an inverter to charge my phone and camera batteries at night. Can I do that in Camp 4?

4. Are there picnic tables where I can set up my stove and bbq grill and just leave them (bbq goes in bear box after use)

5. How close are the bear boxes?

If after reading all this you think I am nuts and need to go to UP, feel free to say so, but I am trying to do this trip CHEAP!

I haven't camped there, but have walked through a few times. I can take a crack at 3 of your questions...

1) You're walking about 100 yards, give or take, from the car to your site over relatively flat ground.

3) See 1...doesn't seem realistic. I'd assume you'll have Yosemite Falls Trail hikers around despite the 'camper parking only' signs.

5) Bear boxes are at the campsite, but are shared.

...then before I posted I googled and found the YNP page on Camp 4...there are tables.

Camp 4 Webpage.

It's very quiet now. So just go do a walk thru and sus it out.
It should work fine... just forget the extension cord.
And leave the circus tent at home. Any other size tent will be fine.
Again, it's very quiet now. Not many people at Camp 4.

** disclaimer... I'm with Tom here... never stayed here. I usually camp UP
(as in UP on Eagle Peak, El Cap, etc... etc)
(it's free up there baby)

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If you don't mind people camping RIGHT NEXT TO YOU, its not too bad of a spot. Only 4-5 dollars per head I think.
I stay there often, but the sites themselved are quite small and can have up to 6ppl(even if in different parties) in the same small site. There are a few sites in Camp 4 that do have a little space and if you position correctly you can have a little space. But it is winter time, and Camp 4 is less used than Upper Pines and other sites this time of year(in my opinion).

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chick-on
Again, it's very quiet now. Not many people at Camp 4.

I only saw one tent there last Friday.

Ok thanks. I can charge in the car. I am cheap and unless I can get my senior citizen friend to go and get half off sites in UP (upper pines for the chikin) then I will use camp 4. I doubt it will be very crowded this time of year.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2013 09:07AM by hotrod4x5.

As I said... it's very quiet.

That will change come the time of The Insanity That is Firefall though.

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hotrod4x5
Ok thanks. I can charge in the car. I am cheap and unless I can get my senior citizen friend to go and get half off sites in UP (upper pines for the chikin) then I will use camp 4. I doubt it will be very crowded this time of year.

Every time I've been there I see people using the outlets in the bathrooms to charge phones, etc.

Thanks Chicago, I suppose that is an option too. Although I would feel leary leaving my expensive smart phone unsupervised.

I just found a youtube video on camp 4. It looks like there is a road, can you drive up to unload?

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hotrod4x5
I just found a youtube video on camp 4. It looks like there is a road, can you drive up to unload?

No, you can't drive into the campground. Schlepping is the only way to get stuff to your site.

I believe the road has a locked gate so you will need to haul all your stuff from the parking lot. The site nearest to the parking might be only 100 yards away, most of the 35 sites are much farther.
Stayed a number of times in the winter, sometimes it is almost deserted, more often it is crowded enough that the sites have to be shared among friends and strangers. These are six person shared sites, so make sure there you leave enough room in your campsite for others to share the tent space, bear boxes and picnic table. You might be more comfortable at a regular car camping spot in Upper Pines where you have your own site with its parking spot, tent space, bear box and picnic table.

Thanks Katy. I plan to stay at least 3 nights possibly as much as 5, so upper will be too costly.

Well my senior friend can't go so camp 4 it is. Think I'll bring my convertible dollie to schlep my stuff.

No big tents? Check out that behemoth at 2:43!

This is a circus tent:


And my apologies. I should explain more at times. Really I meant that you can bring just about any
size tent you want. No problem. But if you have a circus tent.. maybe not so.

Have fun

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OHHH You actually meant circus tents! Well crap, I will have to leave my Cal King bed at home too I guess.

Yes, leave the Cal King at home. Bring the water bed.

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I don't know about the water bed. It is supposed to get cold and the water might freeze.

Seriously. I hate to schlep things back and forth from my car from a distance. If it was me, I would leave the BBQ grill, table, propane tank and lantern and connecting tree ( take a smaller lamp) at home and take just what you really need.

You don't put cold water in it silly.

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parklover

I don't know about the water bed. It is supposed to get cold and the water might freeze.

Just a quart of Prestone Anti-freeze or a pound of rock salt would keep the waterbed from freezing.

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plawrence
Just a quart of Prestone Anti-freeze or a pound of rock salt would keep the waterbed from freezing.

And the body will be preserved at the morgue?

It's six people per site so you can have up to six tents or one big one serving six people.

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Old Dude

I stayed there years ago but it was summer and at the time it was called sunnyside. If you stay there make sure to take a crack at ride the lightning, ask the camp host for pointers

No camp host this time of year. Self Reg.

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I think you mean this.

I have stayed a fair share in Camp 4. The pics already posted pretty much sum it up. It is, after all, a climbing crowd. Heavy parties in camp once the bars close. Ha. The clinking and clanging all around in the middle of the night - not a place for a good nights sleep. My daughter and I have stayed there on a whim...no reservations anywhere and need a place to throw down a bag for a few hours. Always seem to be able to walk up, start talking, and before long able to scratch out a spot with those that did register. One thing I will add that I haven't seem on this thread yet is theft. Been many a case of missing items from bear boxes and in no way would I leave a cell phone in the head (I don't own a cell phone, but if I did I wouldn't leave it charging in the head).

Flip

No cell phone?I thought I was the only Luddite on this forum.

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ryanmj
...make sure to take a crack at Midnight lightning, ask the camp host for pointers

Fixed that for you

Don't let the video QITNL (hey buddy!) posted of Lynn Hill fool you, V8 is no joke. The start holds are small as and will destroy your finger tips in a big damn hurry if you arent a reasonably strong climber already. That being said, I'm rather looking forward to pulling down on that thing next time I make it out there. I'm no V8 clmber but I can handle 7's. I'd be happy to make the first two moves before plummeting back to earth

Here are a few shots from our little session

Midnight lightning thats the one. Not the first time ive got it confused with the metallica song. Havnt tried it yet but I plan on falling off of it a few times this summer

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I'm here in camp 4. I brought a dolly and hauled everything I mentioned!

Just watch out for that ice.

It's not that big!

I expect some pictures of the clowns and elephants.

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Looks like it was a beautiful day. Nice and sunny!

(Though the forecast was for a pretty chilly day (at least in the morning).

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