I don’t like camping.

Sure, fresh air and the great outdoors are fine, but sleeping in a cramped tent in a loud forest with millions of bugs for a few nights just isn’t my jam. Which makes it all the more surprising that I loved The Great Horror Campout, held June 10 and 11 in Los Angeles.

My first Campout was two years ago, when it was still held at the abandoned Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park. It was fun, sure, but it was also crowded and I waited around quite a bit.

I skipped it last year, but when my friend Tal wanted to go for his birthday this year, we decided to tag along. And I am so glad we did.

The Great Horror Campout is a 12 hour immersive experience, where monsters roam free and campers play various “games” in order to earn SCAG, all in hopes of earning the title of Hellmaster. We arrived around 7PM to get checked in and pick a primo tent to spend the evening in. After getting settled, we wandered a bit before the games officially began at 9PM, after the Headmaster explained the rules. Then, we were set off to choose our own adventure, exploring the areas of our choosing, and getting dirty and weird.

One of the big things I noticed this year compared to the past is how many people there were attending; not because there was so many, but because there was so many less. There was easily a quarter of tents compared to the last few years, making it seem less crowded and hectic. This allowed for shorter lines for the games, and more character interaction throughout the evening. Kudos to the Great Horror Campout staff for realizing that too many people takes away from our enjoyment, and scaling it back a bit. Because of this, we did all of the games, except one, and loved every minute of it.

Speaking of games, they were all fantastic. Each one had a unique twist, giving us something new to do. From Ramball, where one team member entered a clear ball, and had to be rolled around by their blindfolded teammates to collect items on the ground, to the Labyrinth, where chupacabras stalked the halls, and you had to use your best statue impression in order to survive.

A personal favorite was our visit to Mama Popelick, whose physical endurance tests kept us out of breath (I am so out of shape) but laughing the whole time. And I’d love to talk about what we experienced over in Kon Tiki Tribe, but what happens in Kon Tiki Tribe stays in Kon Tiki Tribe (except for the photos we took of our painted, half naked bodies).

Another aspect I really enjoyed were the various characters located all around base camp. Each one told a tale, and gave us a small taste of…something. It was up to us to visit OTHER characters, and find items (or phrases) that they needed in order to complete a task. Even things that seemed unrelated, such as a container filled with mung, wound up being an important aspect to another character’s story. While some people may have avoided these fun character interactions, they often led to surprising ends, and really help enrich the entire experience.

There were also a ton of side games as well, many off the beaten path that were just fun in general. Who doesn’t want to get kidnapped, thrown into the back of a truck, and locked in a cage where you have to find your way out?

Even after the game portion was over (at 2:45AM), campers can go to sleep, or continue their night by watching films, partaking in roasting marshmallows, or even listening to ghost stories. The entire night is alive, from the moment you begin until the moment it’s time to leave in the morning.

I know some people have complained about the Great Horror Campout in the past, but I really felt like this was an incredibly strong year for them. It was extremely well put together, and very well organized. Hell, even their movie choices were top notch, and made for a nice break in the activities.

Overall, Great Horror Campout was an amazingly fun time to spend with friends. When they come back around next year, I am definitely going to go back. Kudos to their entire time for making 12 hours go by in the blink of an eye, and making sure every participant had a great time!

For more information, be sure to visit their site at www.greathorrorcampout.com