“Camp” is traditionally described in gay culture as failed seriousness or over the top sophisticated amusement by virtue of being art, artificial, extravagant, humorous, teasingly ingenuous and sentimental in a theatrical manner for the entertainment of others. *Think
Dame Edna.
It also brings to mind the act of getting back to nature, sleeping in a tent and sitting around a campfire. While it may feel as though we haven’t had much of a summer in our area this season, there is still plenty of opportunity to sneak away and enjoy a weekend gay-cation. September is a great month to go camping and many gay campgrounds in our area are open well into October and even later. Many gay campgrounds offer amenities, attractions and theme weekends to help entice you to sneak away for a relaxing long weekend.
We are fortunate to have a number of gay campgrounds all within a short driving distance from Pittsburgh. Destinations like Camp Davis, Roseland and Circle JJ Ranch to name a few are all close by and an affordable way to escape for a long weekend. “Glamping” or glamorous camping is taken to a new level as many of these destinations offer amenities ranging from: Rental cabins, swimming pools, hot tubs, snack bars and full service restroom facilities with hot showers. There are even some tent sites that offer electricity in case you need to power up your hair drier, blender or cappuccino machine.
Almost every campground hosts theme weekends with activities, dances and events catering to different tastes. Flashback to the seventies for a disco weekend, butch it up for a leather weekend or break out your chartreuse bridesmaid dress for a hag drag party. October also boasts several Halloween theme parties that offer plenty of opportunity to share ghost stories around the campfire with your best ghoul friends.
Why not rent a group site, borrow some camping gear, pack a cooler and use social media to lure your friends out of town for a fun filled end of summer get together. Bring your show tunes a portable speaker and a boa and you might be surprised how much hidden talent you and your friends have while camping it up.
Reconnecting with Mother Nature even for the weekend will do your soul some good and help you get out of the same old routine of bar hopping, traffic sitting and Facebook trolling. There is something primitive, sexy and rugged about getting back to nature, building a campfire and cooking over an open flame. (even if all you are cooking is S’mores.)
Here are some necessities you might not think to bring:
- Clothesline and clothespins (you’ll get several uses out of them, trust me)
- Swiss Army knife with can/bottle opener.
- Small saw or hatchet to trim your firewood
- Extra matches/old newspaper to start your fire.
- Bucket in case you need to put out your campfire.
- Deck of cards, Frisbee, Twister. (Water balloons, a rubber snake or a Yeti costume go a long way too)
- Toss an extra blanket and tarp in your car. (better to be prepared)
- I always like to bring a small area rug to place just outside my tent to remove shoes or boots. (this one is easy to forget, you can improvise by using the floor mats from your car)
- Include decorations and accessories to bring personality to your site. (I recommend glow sticks for nighttime fun.)
- Don’t forget extra chairs and beer for all the new friends you’re going to make.
- Search sites like Buzzfeed and Pinterest for additional camping hacks that are also super handy.
Check out these gay camping web sites to plan your affordable adventure:
Campdaviscampground.com
Circlejjranch.com
Roselandwv.com
Jonespond.com
Campgayusa.com
