Field notes
Less time booking. More time outside.
We build zenCamp, and we camp. Notes on booking, trip planning, and the places worth the effort.
7 min read
Recreation.gov availability alerts: what they do and don't do
Recreation.gov's free availability alerts email you when a cancelled campsite matches. What they can't do, and why the site can be gone when you click.
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9 min read
Recreation.gov release windows: book the date instead of waiting for a cancellation
Peak campsite dates have the most open sites the morning they're released. How the Recreation.gov six-month window works, and the start-midweek strategy.
8 min read
Scanning a campground you've never been to: narrowing by elimination
At a campground you've never visited you don't know which sites to want. Scan wide, use each cart hold to look one site up, and rule out what doesn't fit.
8 min read
One scan per weekend doesn't scale
A season of weekends is eleven scans on any tool, ours included. The difference is whether you build and fix them one at a time, or all at once.
11 min read
Setting up a campsite scan that actually matches your rig
Most campsite alerts fire for sites you could never use. How filtering by rig, length and loop works, and the one number that tells you a scan will fire.
10 min read
Sold out but empty: why a campground has sites nobody can book
A fully booked campground with empty sites isn't a glitch. It's a timing rule: a no-show site stays reserved until around midday the day after arrival.
8 min read
Cart holds vs. availability alerts: why the notification usually arrives too late
Availability alerts tell you a campsite opened — so does everyone else's. The difference between being notified and having the site held in your cart.
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