plane trip to festival in TX-Need advice!

[Landshark]

Hello all. You all are so knowledgeable, thought I'd try to get some advice from you. My boyfriend will be performing in a songwriting contest at the Kerrville festival. In Texas. We are in Vermont. He will be flying to Texas. (I am not sure if I'm going). The most recent time either of us has flown was about 6 years ago. Anyway, here's what we need to know.

1. We need advice on packing camping gear. What do you do... stuff your tent and sleeping bags and ground pads into a big duffle? And then minimalize with your clothes and stuff? I am a backpacker, used to wearing the same clothes for a few days in a row, and I think Phil could get used to the idea. Phil will also have to find out what do to with his guitar...check it or carry it on. I assume he will find out from other musicians.

2. Dumb question...what is the weather in late May in Texas (San Antonio area). Being from New England, I am picturing 100 degree weather and cactus everywhere, but what is it really? Does it rain? And will it be cold enough at night for more than a basic summer bag?

Any advice you (Y'all!) can dole out about packing, dealing with baggage, and preparing for the weather would be really helpful. We are used to travelling by car to festivals in our area, flying halfway across the country to a different climate is going to be nuts!

Thanks Y'ALL! Landshark and Phil

[Heater]

Hello all. You all are so knowledgeable, thought I'd try to get some advice from you. My boyfriend will be performing in a songwriting contest at the Kerrville festival. In Texas. We are in Vermont. He will be flying to Texas. (I am not sure if I'm going). The most recent time either of us has flown was about 6 years ago. Anyway, here's what we need to know.

1. We need advice on packing camping gear. What do you do... stuff your tent and sleeping bags and ground pads into a big duffle? And then minimalize with your clothes and stuff? I am a backpacker, used to wearing the same clothes for a few days in a row, and I think Phil could get used to the idea. Phil will also have to find out what do to with his guitar...check it or carry it on. I assume he will find out from other musicians.

2. Dumb question...what is the weather in late May in Texas (San Antonio area). Being from New England, I am picturing 100 degree weather and cactus everywhere, but what is it really? Does it rain? And will it be cold enough at night for more than a basic summer bag?

Any advice you (Y'all!) can dole out about packing, dealing with baggage, and preparing for the weather would be really helpful. We are used to travelling by car to festivals in our area, flying halfway across the country to a different climate is going to be nuts!

Thanks Y'ALL! Landshark and Phil

Weather in May is all over the place. Prepare for anything from sunny/hot to a deluge for the week. Never know. A Summer bag would be enough.

Kerrville Folk Festival is cool.
You will have a great time.
I hope to be there this year.

[mudhead]

http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=ewx

I could not get last year to paste. After you get the NOAA site, 1 Monthly weather summary. 2 San Antonio. 3 Archived data, May 2007. Go.

When you get that page, it takes a minute to decipher the avgs, max/min blah blah. Checkout the average relative humidity by scrolling down.

By NE standards, hot, humid. Sticky for us. (I would want air, coming from coastal ME.)

Plenty of mesquite to go with the cactus. You will like San Antonio. Just don't expect to want to swim in the river. If someone asks you about tubing, find out where before you say yes.

[dragonfeet]

I am currently living in San Antonio Tx. I would say you could expect hot days and nights in about the 70's. As far as the rain its really a crap shoot this time last year it rained almost everyday for a month. the year before that we were in a drought, this year we havent gotten much, so. I just flew from atlanta to tx and continental allowed me to put my pack in the overhead. I suggest you get a seat at the rear of the plane because they board first and there will be more empty over head storage if you are in the front and board last they might be full. I would dress for summer as I was wearing shorts hear a month ago.

[Landshark]

Also, do I have to expect to wake up to a scorpion in my sleeping bag or a tarantula in my shoe?

[Skidsteer]

Also, do I have to expect to wake up to a scorpion in my sleeping bag or a tarantula in my shoe?

Scorpion is not out of the question; Tarantula is less likely.

Kerrville is a beautiful place. Enjoy!

[rhjanes]

Scorpion is not out of the question; Tarantula is less likely.

Kerrville is a beautiful place. Enjoy!

Depends on how remote you are camping. ACTUALLY, worse pest is the imported fire-ants! Be very aware of where you are setting up. If it is dry, there will not be much of a mound. they HUNT and are very nasty. Stay riled up for about 15 minutes after being disturbed. And they sting. Itch and welt up from the bites.

[fiddlehead]

I know international flights make you check guitars anymore. Not sure about domestic but i would expect to check it. Ask them to put some fragile stickers on it. (might help, but probably not) I'd make sure it's in a hard case.

The only other problem with checking backpacks is: some people tape up their straps so they don't get caught in conveyer belts. Personally i do not. I don't worry about it. Make sure you have no fuel in there.

[mudhead]

Also, do I have to expect to wake up to a scorpion in my sleeping bag or a tarantula in my shoe?

Just shake your shoes before putting them on. Even if they have been in a car.

[StepChld]

I lived in Comfort,Tx. for five years, about 20 minutes from Kerrville. That whole area is God's little slice of heaven. Wildflowers galore and beautiful rolling hills...ahh, I miss that area!
Shorts will be the order of the day...although an occasional cold front will come through. Long sleeve shirt should suffice and probably one, maybe two pairs of pants for those cold fronts. Otherwise shorts and T-shirts. It will be humid , about 75%, and warm in the upper 90's I bet. Cool down to the mid 60's if you're lucky at night, otherwise lower 70's.
Watch out for hail storms and of course big thunderstorms! I've never seen anything like them on the East Coast.
Definitaly shake your boots for the scorpions, even when staying indoors. And I had a pet tarantula that wondered into my house and stayed. He became pretty mellow and let us pick him up after a while. No biggie. The scorpions will hurt about like a bunch of wasps stings. Fire ants will bite and that will take several days for that to go away.
Enjoy the Hill Country at almost its best time (I personally like April better down there when the bluebonnets are in full bloom!)!

[Landshark]

Actually I am not too worried about tarantulas, my brother has some as pets. But fire ants? I stepped in some in Florida when wearing sandals. Duh. I should consider myself lucky being in the Northeast, with only black bears and rattlesnakes.

[rhjanes]

Actually I am not too worried about tarantulas, my brother has some as pets. But fire ants? I stepped in some in Florida when wearing sandals. Duh. I should consider myself lucky being in the Northeast, with only black bears and rattlesnakes.

we've been getting rain, which means they have their mounds above ground. Easy to spot and avoid. I'd not camp within about 10 yards of them, or farther if you can. In the summer, they don't mound as much, so harder to spot.
enjoy your visit.

[Landshark]

The only other problem with checking backpacks is: some people tape up their straps so they don't get caught in conveyer belts. Personally i do not. I don't worry about it. Make sure you have no fuel in there.

I was thinking that rather than a backpack, we'll probably put most of our stuff in a big duffle. Has anyone had any trouble checking a bag of camping gear? What happens when tent poles go through the airline's x-ray stuff? Do the security guys think it's a weapon?

[dragonfeet]

I flew through atlanta airport two weeks ago with a full pack, minus stove and fuel. I asked Continental when I bought my ticket and they told me I could carry it on no problem. I had no problems with security I ran it through the conveyor with no questions. it fit inthe overhead just fine.