Berkeley Touloumne Camp first time

Hi everyone!

We're attending the Touloumne camp next week and have a couple of questions for any of you who have been there recently. We've already read through the guide as well as Ginger's tips, which were super helpful. But we still have some questions:

  1. Any tips on specific cabin areas or how to pick a cabin, what factors to consider, etc? (The guide says to have some idea of what cabin you want, but we don't know yet what to consider)
  2. What kinds of things are available to purchase at the general store? (for example, can you get a cold beer?)
  3. How do you hang things like shading sheets, lanterns, mosquito nets, etc, in the cabins? Are there things to attach strings or ropes to?

Thanks! 

Patrik

Parent Replies

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  1. Some are further away from the dining hall or bathrooms. With my kids, we need to be closer to a bathroom. The other factor is probably about shade.
  2.  I don't remember about beer. There's ice cream, popsicles, candy, chips, a few things like maybe bandaids and toiletries. Cold drinks, definitely.
  3. There were a few hooks already there. A friend leant us big spring clamps last year for the shading sheets and other things. They look like this https://www.homedepot.com/p/Anvil-2-in-Spring-Clamp-99691/302755764

but I don't know that the link above is to the right clamp because you want a certain size that will work with a beam of wood. I need to make a trip to Home Depot for these also. 

  1. Cabins are arranged in 4 zones, and you'll get a prompt ahead of time to rank the zones in the order you prefer. I wouldn't say that one zone is better than another unless you are trying to stay close to friends. All the zones have some uphill cabins as well as cabins closer to the main part of camp. You'll get a map before you have to choose the zone that shows you where the dining hall is, rec hall, basketball court, bathrooms, river, bridge, etc. In terms of which cabin, think about whether you want a quick trip to the bathroom at night or if you'd rather be further away from the hubbub of the main area.  Close to kiddie playground or not close? Up high with a view of camp or you don't want to climb a hill? It's quite dark (with stars!) further away from the main camp which some like. I prefer lower - the bathrooms are dimly lighted for nighttime visits. You'll have time to choose a cabin once you get there so I wouldn't sweat the cabin selection part. Last year when we arrived we had three cabins to choose from. They were all very similar - one had more shade but a smaller deck, one was directly across from the bathrooms, one had a ramp instead of stairs. It just depends on what you like!  I picked the bathroom cabin even though there are campers going in and out all night because I sleep like the dead, so noise doesn't bother me, and I like to have a short walk to the toilet and the water refill station!
  2. The camp store sells mainly treats that sugar-starved Berkeley kids (and their parents) adore - candy, ice cream, and chips - plus camping basics like ice, t-shirts, batteries, bug spray, etc.  They do have a variety of fizzy drinks and sodas but they do not sell alcoholic beverages. There is a quickie mart a few minutes away by car. But remember! It ain't Berkeley, it's the rural heartland, so you'll see the Bud and the Miller but you'll not find the selection of beer or wine you're used to at home. Thus, a lot of campers bring it from home. If you do that, just keep in mind you'll need to stash your cooler in a bear locker at night and you'll have to replace the ice in your cooler every day, which requires some effort.  The camp store does sell bags of ice but store hours can be a bit erratic - they are run by teen counselors and child volunteers - and when they run out of ice, there won't be any more until tomorrow. So you'd better get there as soon as they open (which I think is just after breakfast but don't quote me.) You also can get ice at the quickie mart when you pick up your 6-pack of Bud. 
  3. We brought heavy nylon cord. Inside cabins there are rafters all the way across so stringing up mosquito nets is not a problem if you have some cord. Out on the deck you can make "clotheslines" between the framing posts and then hang fabric/sheets on that. Clothespins or clamps are useful but not essential.  There are always hooks and nails that others have left behind.  And your lantern can go on one of the sideboards or on one of the crates you brought stuff in.  

Have fun! There's no place like Camp Tuolumne!

You are about to have the time of your life!!!! 

Re: cabin location—The first time we went my kids were younger and wanted me to go with them to the bathroom in the middle of the night so we got a cabin near the bathrooms. As they got older we chose the cabins far away from the bathrooms as they can get loud and we like our sleep.

Re: food and drinks- We brought all of our own booze. They have ice in the cafeteria to keep things cold. We brought a cooler and kept wine and beer chilled in the cooler. I don’t think they sell alcohol period at camp. (Might have changed as this was several years ago)

Re: hanging things. Most people bring some sort of hooks or old fashioned clothes pins. We also brought some floor mats and a few colorful things to make our cabin feel more festive. Many people bring blankets or towels to hang in their door opening for privacy. 

The first time is a learning curve and you will get the hang of it on your next stays but I promise you will have a blast!!!! 

I think you may already have left for your trip, but I will leave this comment here for others: Camp Tuolomne has changed its cabin selection process, which used to be based on ranking "zones" as described by another poster. They have ditched this process and it is now first come first served, with cabin selection beginning at 1030am. It is tricky to get to Tuolomne by 1030am given the 3-hour drive; we did not end up with good options by the time we reached the camp around noon. None of the cabins have shade due to the past fire which had burned down most of the shade cover. If it is very hot a cabin closer to the river is better as you can more easily pop down there to cool off. No beer is sold at the general store; bring your own as many do. 

Enjoy!