First Airventure - Long journey ahead

S

Shurdak

Filing Flight Plan
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Jul 3, 2022
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Nic
Hey!

I just bought my tickets to Airventure 2024, it will be my first Airventure and the first time I'm on U.S soil since 2014.

The trip there is going to be a long one, since between layovers and flights it'll take me 30hrs to get there, but that's just part of the adventure I guess, lol.
Anyways, I'm very excited to be finally able to go to an Airventure!
I'll be camping there so I want to ask people who have camped there for the whole week for any good tips or advices that might make my stay there more enjoyable.
 
Camping?
Be ready for the wicked thunderstorm* that inevitably hits every 3 days.
*torrential rain, tent-sailing winds.

Edit: here is my up-to-date advice on camping: rent a room in a hotel or the many other lodging sites nearby!
 
First advice. Bring a good tent. That's where people get in trouble. They buy a $89 Coleman tent and expect it to hold up in a thunderstorm. When it fails, and they do, very often, everything they have gets soaked and they no longer have a shelter to sleep in. Miserable situation. I've seen it happen dozens of times. If you want tent recommendations, get something that <supposedly> sleeps at least one more soul than you're planning for the trip. Get one that has a low roof height, metal poles, and that has a rainfly that goes all the way to the ground. Seam seal it before you come. You should stay nice and dry and your tent should stay upright.

If you're traveling from far away, remember that all you need to bring are the basics. You can get food, beer, clothing, toiletries at the Target/Pic-n-Save shopping center with help from a free bus ride. So if you forget your toothbrush (or your cooler) it isn't the end of the world.
 
We have gone through various tents at Oshkosh over the years. What we have been using for the last ten or so is the Cabelas Alaskan Guide dome tent.
 
No matter what others say, camping at OSH is awesome. I think I'm going on 8 years now! Once the airshow is over and the crowd leaves, the fun begins. Yeah, there will be at least one storm, but even that can be fun.

Yeah, get a good tent, but in my opinion most of the tents out there will work. The best advice I have on a tent, don't use the stakes it came with, and stake it down well, on every point! Most of the tents I see blow away are not staked down properly. Also, get some Scotchgard tent waterproofing spray and spray all of the seams the first day.

The shower trailers are awesome and make camping for a week tolerable.

Another tip, if you have a cooler and you see the ice cart come around, ask them for an envelope. They allow you to leave cash in it and they'll stop and fill your cooler even if you're not at your campsite.

Welcome back to the US! See you there. Bring a flag from your country to post at your campsite!

My 6-person tent (for two of us) and the flags from my country... Texas!
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Great advice on a good tent and upgrade the stakes to hold it down, but most people seem to forget orientation of the tent. The storm (and wind) almost always comes from the west. Think about how you orient the tent.
 
And don't be surprised if one of the members here and/or their guests gets staggering drunk and urinates on your tent one night.
Yes, it happened. No, it was not me.
 
EdFred said:
And don't be surprised if one of the members here and/or their guests gets staggering drunk and urinates on your tent one night.
Yes, it happened. No, it was not me.
Click to expand...

That is a very rare occurrence, basically a unicorn event—Osh (Scholler or aircraft camping) ain’t the Buffalo Chip at Sturgis. And nothing to be concerned about. If something is going to happen it’s much more likely someone trips over a tent tie down at 2:30am going to a porta pot to pee. A much more common issue is noise and if you’re sensitive then earplugs are highly recommended.

Besides the usual sunscreen, 2 pairs of good walking footwear, shower shoes/flip-flops, hat, towels, camp chair, etc etc. I highly recommend a good air mattress of some type and keep anything you don’t want to get wet in a dry bag/plastic bag, or your vehicle. A battery pack to charge electronics is also helpful. You charge the battery during the day at one of the charging stations and then your device at night in your tent off the battery.
 
Last edited:
EdFred said:
And don't be surprised if one of the members here and/or their guests gets staggering drunk and urinates on your tent one night.
Yes, it happened. No, it was not me.
Click to expand...
Hence, the previous suggestion for a rainfly going all the way to the ground.
 
And don’t forget the occupancy rule for tents— take whatever the manufacturer says and divide by 2. For example, a 4-person tent is really a 2-person tent.
 
Troska said:
I have been hot more often than I’ve been cold at KOSH.

That is a 4-season tent - it is not going to breathe well on a hot, humid WI July night.

Tim
Click to expand...
I've used ours (a larger one) in all sorts of Oshkosh weather from heavy thunderstorms to heat to rain. Works fine.
 
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