Attn: Cheapskates and Outdoors-ey people going to TAM

[Typicallucas]

I applied for a scholarship to because I have little disposable income. When I actually received the scholarship I thought, damn, now I have to buy a hotel room for the weekend...

Until I had a brainwave: Camp at Lake Mead for the weekend! It is ~28 miles from the hotel and a 40 minute drive. I know, that's like 5 or 10 bucks in gas a day... bummer. But I am going to spend only $35 on renting the camping spot, opposed to $225 to stay at the hotel for the weekend.

Sleeping in a tent at a campground is totally a legitimate form of sleeping outside.

I'm looking forward to waking up to the sunrise, this view: http://preview.tinyurl.com/cxa3t7, the dam, and I think I'll enjoy the drive too.

Is anybody else planning on camping out? We can grill some dogs and drain some beers! Come on! It'll be FUN!

[cwalner]

Sleeping in a tent at a campground is totally a legitimate form of sleeping outside.

In LV in July!!! Pardon me while due to Schaenfreude, I laugh heartily in your general direction.

Seriously, you will want a good supply of cold beverages and can expect overnight lows in 90's.(F)

[hcmom]

Typicallucas, you do realize that you could find someone to share a hotel room with, right? Even a couple someones, which could bring down the cost to less than $100 for the weekend...

[Phlebas]

It's an interesting idea, but last year being outside in LV still felt like walking in a giant kiln.

If you do this and opt out of showers, please let me know what side of large rooms you prefer to sit on :)

[roger]

Last time I was in Vegas in the summer, it was 114F. However, I camped in Joshua Tree in late May a few times, it's not that big a deal so long as you go to bed after sundown and get up at the crack of dawn. You will not want to be in the tent 10 minutes after the sun hits. You'll want to position your tent to the west of a tree or bush, to ensure shade in the morning. Just the process of getting up, grabbing something to eat, then going back into the tent to change can be pretty suffocating once the sun hits.

I think you'll have fun, you seem to have a spirit of adventure. Do expect 100+ degrees and hot tents at night.

[Typicallucas]

Wow. I just checked the weather records for Lake Mead. I may have to revise my strategy.

Even though this campground has showers, which I would use thank-you-very-much, I don't think I'd like to sleep in 100+ degree heat :(

I'll do some test runs at home. I'll leave the furnace and room heater on full blast and sleep in ski pants and a parka and see how I make out.

[roger]

Well, that was 100+ during the day, not the night. You'll want to leave the tent zipped open during the day to avoid it overheating too much, or just collapse it while you are gone. Average lows for the nights run in the 80s. Of course, any specific weekend could be anything but 'average'.

edit: Mount Charleston isn't so far away, is at a much higher elevation (cooler) and has camping. You'll have to commit to a couple hours of driving, but if you are like me Las Vegas makes my skin crawl, and being outdoors soothes me. But don't expect to participate in all the after hours entertainment at TAM, unless you don't mind rolling into your campsite at midnight. It's a very nice area.

[Luciana]

I'm from a tropical country, and heat in Vegas wasn't like anything I'd ever seen. I'd rather have only one meal a day and be under air conditioning than face the world under that heat.

Seriously, team up with other people. A hotel room for 4 can't be very expensive.

[kittynh]

honestly, people will be looking for roomies

Are you driving in? Vegas has CHEAP hotels. Far less than the camping spot plus gas. Really, and some of them aren't all that bad. Ask some of the people that live in Vegas (start a thread) for suggestions of cheap hotels that aren't too bad.

Then if you are flying in, don't rent a car. There are enough people coming in you can split a taxi or tag along with another rental car. I'm hoping there is a shuttle to the strip from the hotel (keeping fingers crossed). I don't rent a car and that is a good savings.

[Cleon]

I'm from a tropical country, and heat in Vegas wasn't like anything I'd ever seen. I'd rather have only one meal a day and be under air conditioning than face the world under that heat.

Seriously, team up with other people. A hotel room for 4 can't be very expensive.

But at least it's a dry heat! :boxedin: