Find The Perfect Camping Spot- Plus Win A Promo Code
Camp and Tent ($4.99) by Allstays LLC is a comprehensive guide to discovering campsites across North America, and it is created for the avid camper. Not only does this travel companion offer information about State and National Parks, but it includes privately run campsites as well as Bureau of Land Management public land locations. There is also an extensive listing of retail camping supply stores like: REI, Camping World and Bass Pro Shops.
The app features information on over 13,000 campgrounds across the United States and Canada. Using your iPhone’s location services, Camp & Tent will find the nearest tent camping spots. Much of the app does not require an Internet or data connection, so if you are in a remote area and are looking for your next camping spot, you can still find what you are looking for.
You can filter your search by site type, like National Forrest, State Park or independently owned site or, you can search for camping spots by city. Each site has a summary of offerings with how many sites, what RV capabilities it offers, and some of the additional amenities. There is a link to the website, pictures and a direct phone number for your convenience. If you find the information listed to be incorrect, or if you know of a camping spot that is not listed, AllStays has a button that will allow you to email the correct or new information directly.
Camp & Tent is almost exactly like its brother app, Camp & RV, the difference being that the former only shows listings of campsites that also offer tent camping, while the latter will list sites that are RV-specific. Camp & RV also offers information regarding RV dealers, low clearance issues, overnight parking areas, and more. Based on user feedback, AllStays created the tent camping app for those who don’t need the additional RV-related information.
Allstays.com is a website that has spent 11 years developing a comprehensive guide to traveling for the independent traveler. They have 23 travel apps, including Allstays Haunted Hotels and Finding Coffee. While most of the company’s apps are $0.99, Camp & Tent and Camp & RV are significantly more developed, and therefore priced at a higher, but reasonable price of $4.99 and $5.99 respectively. Based on what kind of information is offered and how it is provided, I have a feeling that the developer of this app is a diehard backpacker. While there is enough information for casual campers to find a pleasant, government funded spot to relax, there is also a lot of “roughing it” specific information. An adventurous, free-spirited person could probably live for months, or years off of the information provided in this app.
One, design flaw that I see in this app is that the campsite details sit on top of the app’s map. You only get half a page of map and half a page of information. With the iPad, this isn’t an issue, but on the iPhone’s small screen, it can be frustrating to maneuver around on the details page.
Overall, AllStays’ decade of research and information gathering has paid off with the mobile version of its comprehensive campsite guide. Being an avid tent camper, the thing I find the most helpful with this app is the types of campsites. I didn’t even know that there was an independently owned campsite walking distance from my house. With all of the information already included, plus the major updates to come, no one should plan a camping trip without first checking with Allstays’ Camp & Tent.
If you like to camp and are looking for a great guide to finding the perfect spot, comment below and you may win a free copy of Camp & RV.
Contest ends on Friday, May 23, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.
