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Campgrounds have sold out quickly for decades, especially on holiday weekends. However, recently, many campgrounds reaching capacity has become an everyday occurrence. Snagging a campsite at some campgrounds can leave you feeling like you’ve won the lottery. Thus, many campers employ Campnab and use technology to their advantage.
So can Campnab get you a reservation at a sold-out campground? Is it worth the hype? Let’s look and see!
Why Is It So Hard to Book Campgrounds?
Camping is the great American pastime and has become more trendy recently. The RV industry has experienced unprecedented sales over the past couple of years. Month after month, many manufacturers produce and ship more RVs than they could have ever imagined. April 2022 saw a 10% increase over April 2021. With so many RV purchases, owners want campsites to use their new rigs.
RVing was on the cusp of becoming trendy right before the chaos of 2020. With travel restrictions in full force, camping allowed travelers to be self-sufficient, maintain distance from others, and make memories with loved ones. It was the perfect storm for the RV industry and campgrounds to see a tremendous spike in demand.
What Is Campnab?
Campnab is the brainchild of Canadians Eric and Kim Shelkie. Several years ago, the couple got tired of hitting refresh on sold-out campground reservation pages in hopes they could snag a last-minute campsite cancellation.
They solved their frustrations by creating an automated system that constantly scans for campsites matching specific search criteria. The user gets an alert that a campsite match has become available, and they can quickly make the reservation.
Since launching, Campnab has grown to include over 300,000 campsites, resulting in 2.1 million campsite alerts for users. You can input when, where, and how long you want to camp, and Campnab will send a text message alert when a site becomes available.
Does Campnab Really Work?
The 2.1 million campsite alerts sent to users prove that Campnab does what it says. While there is no guarantee, Campnab gives you the best chance of grabbing a site, should one become available.
Campnab does a tremendous job of monitoring the various reservation systems and instantly alerting you. Creating multiple scans for different campgrounds gives you the best chances of finding a campsite on a specific weekend.
How Do You Use Campnab?
The process of using Campnab is pretty straightforward. Let’s look at each step you need to take to start capturing hard-to-get campsite reservations.
Sign Up
The first thing you need to do is visit the Campnab website and register. It’ll ask for your cell phone number and text you an access code. Then, you’ll need to go through and fill out the form to create your profile. Once your profile is complete, you’ll need to pick a monthly or annual plan and input your payment methods.
Enter the Park and Preferred Dates
Next, create a unique scan based on where and when you want to camp. Click “create a scan” on the dashboard and type in the name of the campground or park where you want to stay. If it is in the system, you’ll see a list of reservable options, including site type and size.
You’ll then see a calendar, and you can set the preferred dates for when you want to go. Turning on the flexible arrival date will check the two days before and two days after. If you have a bit of flexibility, this is a great option. Once you select how many nights you hope to camp, you’re all set.
Let Campnab Do Its Thing
Once you create a scan, you simply sit back and let Campnab do its thing. It’ll scan based on the plan you select. Monthly and annual plans search every 15, 10, and 5 minutes. However, the pay-per-use scans work every 60, 20, and 5 minutes.
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Receive a Notification When Your Request Is Available
You’ll receive an alert the instant a scan detects an availability change. This is typically the result of a cancellation or a campground opening additional campsites. The system will send a text message to the phone number you put into the system, and you’ll want to move quickly.
Book Your Site
While Campnab can monitor availability, it can’t reserve the campsite for you. You’ll need to act quickly and log into the appropriate campground reservation system to secure the site. Depending on the campground and the dates you want to stay, you may only have minutes before someone else snags it. So don’t delay.
How Much Does Campnab Cost?
Campnab has several plans. One option is their pay-per-use scans. This option allows you to create a single scan that works every 60 minutes for $10, 20 minutes for $15, or five minutes for $20 per search. This option works best if you don’t plan to camp very often and know exactly when you want to go.
A better option is to subscribe to one of their monthly or annual plans, ranging from $10 to $50 per month. These prices depend on the frequency of scans and how many you would like to run simultaneously. If you pay for an annual subscription, you get the same features as the monthly subscribers but at a 25% discount.
Does Campnab Book Campsites for You?
No, due to the complex nature of many reservation systems, Campnab does not book campsites for you. When you receive an alert from Campnab, you’ll want to log into the appropriate campsite reservation system to secure your spot.
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What Are Campnab Users Saying?
Don’t take our word for how helpful Campnab is for campers. Don D. says, “I was able to score three sites at Yosemite Upper Pines after starting your service on the recreation.gov Jan 15 release day!”
Using Campnab, Don saw that sites reserved in the morning got canceled the same afternoon. Unless Don had been actively searching when someone canceled, they would have missed out on an incredible camping opportunity.
Glen S. says that Campnab saved their family vacation. It wasn’t for lack of planning on Glen’s part either. They say, “The problem was that even at two months in advance, we could not find any reservations for any campsite within a 2-hour drive of the original location we desired.” Glen also says, “Without Campnab, we would have had to completely change our plans or pay hundreds of dollars to keep our original plan.”
Nab Your Dream Site With Campnab
Campnab is a tremendous resource that some campers and campground managers will find helpful. Managers will love the increased revenue of campsites not sitting empty, and campers will love snagging hard-to-get campsite reservations.
If you want to camp in an area that is busy and difficult to make a camping reservation, give Campnab a shot. You just might snag the perfect campsite and have an incredible camping adventure.
