We have really been blessed on our camping trip. Not so much for the farmers, though.
But the drought has come to an end. Our tent holds up pretty well to the rain, even though we have not sealed it. We also didn't lay down a ground sheet under either of the tents.
With the rain comes a decrease in humidity and sweet relief. After days of hot humid weather, the rain was a welcome (and wanted) relief.
On the first night of rain, several weeks ago, one of the boys got a bit wet during the night. That was a sleepless night, since we weren't used to the rain. But now, the kids seem to sleep right through it.
Oh, but we don't just get rain. That would be nice in itself. We get storms. Thunder, lightening, and wind. Fortunately, the most severe storms have passed us by. Once, according to the radar on my phone, we were in a corridor between two storms. It was kinda neat to sit out and watch the sky light up. We got some rain from that, and not too much wind.
We have lowered our canopy a few times in anticipation of strong wind gusts. I would hate to lose the shade I paid $100 for. Of course, we have the materials to make a new one with a tarp, but I like this one. We have now added an "addition" to the side of the canopy for more space (and shade and protection from rain!), which came in handy.
Last night we had a good storm. I went to bed around midnight, and it was a bit humid, but did not warrant using the fan. I slept very well until about 4 am, when the wind woke me up. I checked my radar, and saw a strong line of storms approaching. I woke up the hubby and we zipped up and tied everything down. Then I rechecked the radar and saw a severe thunderstorm warning until 4:45. Needless to say, I stayed up until 5 am to make sure I wouldn't die in my sleep. And I had to keep an ear out for the boys in the next tent, even though they'd have to be screaming bloody murder for me to hear them. Heavy rain on a tent is extremely loud.
I am so thankful that the storms weakened before they reached us. There was so much thunder and lightening, it felt almost like it was daytime out. We lost power for a brief moment (our big light outside went out), but it wasn't as windy as I expected, or as severe. The storm lasted about 15 minutes of heavy rain, intense lightening, and thunder. Rolling, deep thunder that we felt in our bones. Awesome!
I did wake up to a small puddle by my bed. And the area in front of the door is soaked. The carpet is damp, too. I guess it just wicked the moister right up. But we stayed dry on the bed! We did get some seam sealer but got home after dark last night and was unable to apply it. I'm interested to see how it holds up to the rain. We're looking at some more this weekend, too.
It's mainly rained at night, while we're in the tent sleeping anyway. It rained once or twice during the day, but it wasn't heavy. The kids played in it and had a good time, while the adults huddled under the tarp and froze! It was great! I wonder how it would be if it had been a rainy summer instead of a dry one. I think our camping trip would have to end, because I don't like being soggy and damp.
Today is a wonderful day with a cool breeze and blue skies. The birds are chirping and the grass is green! I'm going to look at the river to see how far it's come up!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Beating the Heat
Last week we survived a 5 day heat wave. It got to 100 degrees during the day and only down to to 75 at night. By 9 am, it was 90 again....day after day after day.
The first day of the heat wave wasn't so bad. The night before was fairly cool and we were well rested. I have a weatherbug app on my phone, and the warnings stated that the effects of the heat were cumulative. I didn't know what that meant, until Saturday. So Tuesday wasn't so bad. We spent the day like normal, even though it got a bit hot. Lots of time in the water, and we even went wading in the little river/stream next to camp.
It didn't cool down much that night, and Wednesday was pretty hot. We spent the entire day in water. Got up, went to the lake, ate lunch, back in the water, ate dinner, back in the water. Wasn't so bad. We had to go and get a fan though, since sleeping the night before was nearly impossible. The heat itself wasn't so bad, but the humidity was killer.
Our sheets felt damp, and with the sand sticking to them, sleeping was less than pleasant. Our kids got up a few times, tired and cranky. (And to top it all off, we had a bad case of poison oak making the rounds). The fan did help, however, making an impossible miserable night tolerable.
Thursday was bad. By this time, it got to 90 by 9 am. I was exhausted just sitting there trying to breathe, and got a bit nauseous because of the heat. The kids sat around, limp and drained. We went to a friend's house and spent most of the day in the cool AC. Thank God for our friends!!
Friday brought more oppressive heat. We did our weekly laundry and went to our friend's house again. It was very relaxing. The kids got to watch a few movies and we just soaked up the AC. Saturday was the breaking point. I was expecting storms, but none came. We trudged through the day and the next morning it was so much cooler.
If we didn't have friends we could have hung out with, the week would truly have been miserable. I don't doubt that a few of us would have wound up in the hospital with heat related illness. There were other options: stores, movies, library, cooling station. None of them offered the hospitality and relaxation that we got at our friend's house. And the thought of trying to wrangle all the kids in one of those places is just exhausting in itself!
We went through 48 bottles of water in two days, between the 7 of us. Lots of bags of ice, and the food didn't stay that cool. At one point, the top of the cooler was scorching hot, even in the shade with a sleeping bag over it.
Getting the fans really saved us, too. Granted, they only blew out hot air, but when you're sweating, any breeze helps to cool you down. Staying next to the cool river also helped. I had the kids dip a washcloth into the water and bring it to me. I put the dripping wet cloth around my neck and it was sublime!
I really don't know how people live in the desert and other tropical places. The heat and humidity sucks you dry, leaving an empty shell behind. But we survived!!!
On Sunday, we moved campgrounds. The new campground is about $350 cheaper a month, and we have both water and electricity at out site. We aren't next to a river and there is no lake (though by the time we left the old campground, the lake felt like tepid bath water), but the campground is on the mighty St. Joe River, a bit more dangerous than the stream/river we were used to. It's quiet and nice, with a lot less raccoons.
I'll leave you with some photos of some of our adventures this summer so far.
The full moon in June. Stunning, isn't it?
daily campfire.
camp kitchen. Our youngest daughter doing the dishes.
The big tent. Me, hubby, and the 3 boys fit in here! With all our stuff.
The girls had their own "room" off to the side.
A view of our "living room". The river is just beyond that tree.
This is a photo of the beach/bathhouse from our site. My superzoom camera is amazing!!!
The first day of the heat wave wasn't so bad. The night before was fairly cool and we were well rested. I have a weatherbug app on my phone, and the warnings stated that the effects of the heat were cumulative. I didn't know what that meant, until Saturday. So Tuesday wasn't so bad. We spent the day like normal, even though it got a bit hot. Lots of time in the water, and we even went wading in the little river/stream next to camp.
It didn't cool down much that night, and Wednesday was pretty hot. We spent the entire day in water. Got up, went to the lake, ate lunch, back in the water, ate dinner, back in the water. Wasn't so bad. We had to go and get a fan though, since sleeping the night before was nearly impossible. The heat itself wasn't so bad, but the humidity was killer.
Our sheets felt damp, and with the sand sticking to them, sleeping was less than pleasant. Our kids got up a few times, tired and cranky. (And to top it all off, we had a bad case of poison oak making the rounds). The fan did help, however, making an impossible miserable night tolerable.
Thursday was bad. By this time, it got to 90 by 9 am. I was exhausted just sitting there trying to breathe, and got a bit nauseous because of the heat. The kids sat around, limp and drained. We went to a friend's house and spent most of the day in the cool AC. Thank God for our friends!!
Friday brought more oppressive heat. We did our weekly laundry and went to our friend's house again. It was very relaxing. The kids got to watch a few movies and we just soaked up the AC. Saturday was the breaking point. I was expecting storms, but none came. We trudged through the day and the next morning it was so much cooler.
If we didn't have friends we could have hung out with, the week would truly have been miserable. I don't doubt that a few of us would have wound up in the hospital with heat related illness. There were other options: stores, movies, library, cooling station. None of them offered the hospitality and relaxation that we got at our friend's house. And the thought of trying to wrangle all the kids in one of those places is just exhausting in itself!
We went through 48 bottles of water in two days, between the 7 of us. Lots of bags of ice, and the food didn't stay that cool. At one point, the top of the cooler was scorching hot, even in the shade with a sleeping bag over it.
Getting the fans really saved us, too. Granted, they only blew out hot air, but when you're sweating, any breeze helps to cool you down. Staying next to the cool river also helped. I had the kids dip a washcloth into the water and bring it to me. I put the dripping wet cloth around my neck and it was sublime!
I really don't know how people live in the desert and other tropical places. The heat and humidity sucks you dry, leaving an empty shell behind. But we survived!!!
On Sunday, we moved campgrounds. The new campground is about $350 cheaper a month, and we have both water and electricity at out site. We aren't next to a river and there is no lake (though by the time we left the old campground, the lake felt like tepid bath water), but the campground is on the mighty St. Joe River, a bit more dangerous than the stream/river we were used to. It's quiet and nice, with a lot less raccoons.
I'll leave you with some photos of some of our adventures this summer so far.
Friday, June 29, 2012
A month of camping...in a tent
Well, nearly a month. I had planned on doing weekly posts, maybe more if things were interesting enough. So far, I don't think they have been.
The weather has been hot and dry for Southern Michigan. We are actually in a drought right now, with burn bans in the northern/central Indiana counties south of us. Some cities have even postponed fireworks unless we get an inch of rain by Saturday. Tomorrow. Not gonna happen.
It's rained exactly twice since we've been camping. The first time, it was just a slow drizzle. The ground got wet and the dust around our fire ring became dirt. Yay!!! The same thing happened today, too. There were sever storms south of us, and we got some good rain, but nothing major. No high winds, no leaking tent, nothing. I'm glad of that, but we really need rain!! I never thought I would say that, camping in a tent, but we do.
Our days have become routine. It doesn't get dark until around 10 pm, so the kids dont even get to bed until then. We let them enjoy the nightly fire for about a half hour before putting them to sleep. I was really worried about air mattresses and such, but they sleep on the ground, heavily padded with sleeping bags and blankets. No complaints from them, yet.
Our days are spent by the lake or doing errands. It takes a long time to get anything done, it seems. A large shopping area is south of us as well, and we've been there at least once a week. That trip takes at least 3-4 hours, which really chews into the day.
We've met some long timers, too. Here I thought we were going to be the mayors of our little slice of camping heaven. Wrong! There are people who live here year round, who have been here for years. They live in their RV's like a mobile home. It seems nice and something I would like to pursue in the near future, believe it or not.
A few things this camping experience is teaching me is that I have zero patience. I did not think I was that bad, but I am a very impatient person. I also discovered that 70 degree weather is quite pleasant, and 60 is quite cold at night! The lower 50's is downright frigid! Raccoons sound like thunder coming out of the trees, but once out, you can barely hear them, until you hear a snuffling noise right by your foot and there is a family of raccoons right there, next to you! Our tent is gets amazingly like an oven between 9:30 and 10 am. There is no sleeping in on sunny days, unless you want to broil. But you can take a decent nap, albeit a stuffy one, after 1 pm. I have slept decadently well on the air mattress. I don't know if it's a mix of the outside air and the comfort, but I don't get my normal backaches anymore, and I find myself sleeping sounder at night. People who camp are very friendly, and most people when they find out that we are tent camping with 5 kids are amazed. I am too!
The weather has been hot and dry for Southern Michigan. We are actually in a drought right now, with burn bans in the northern/central Indiana counties south of us. Some cities have even postponed fireworks unless we get an inch of rain by Saturday. Tomorrow. Not gonna happen.
It's rained exactly twice since we've been camping. The first time, it was just a slow drizzle. The ground got wet and the dust around our fire ring became dirt. Yay!!! The same thing happened today, too. There were sever storms south of us, and we got some good rain, but nothing major. No high winds, no leaking tent, nothing. I'm glad of that, but we really need rain!! I never thought I would say that, camping in a tent, but we do.
Our days have become routine. It doesn't get dark until around 10 pm, so the kids dont even get to bed until then. We let them enjoy the nightly fire for about a half hour before putting them to sleep. I was really worried about air mattresses and such, but they sleep on the ground, heavily padded with sleeping bags and blankets. No complaints from them, yet.
Our days are spent by the lake or doing errands. It takes a long time to get anything done, it seems. A large shopping area is south of us as well, and we've been there at least once a week. That trip takes at least 3-4 hours, which really chews into the day.
We've met some long timers, too. Here I thought we were going to be the mayors of our little slice of camping heaven. Wrong! There are people who live here year round, who have been here for years. They live in their RV's like a mobile home. It seems nice and something I would like to pursue in the near future, believe it or not.
A few things this camping experience is teaching me is that I have zero patience. I did not think I was that bad, but I am a very impatient person. I also discovered that 70 degree weather is quite pleasant, and 60 is quite cold at night! The lower 50's is downright frigid! Raccoons sound like thunder coming out of the trees, but once out, you can barely hear them, until you hear a snuffling noise right by your foot and there is a family of raccoons right there, next to you! Our tent is gets amazingly like an oven between 9:30 and 10 am. There is no sleeping in on sunny days, unless you want to broil. But you can take a decent nap, albeit a stuffy one, after 1 pm. I have slept decadently well on the air mattress. I don't know if it's a mix of the outside air and the comfort, but I don't get my normal backaches anymore, and I find myself sleeping sounder at night. People who camp are very friendly, and most people when they find out that we are tent camping with 5 kids are amazed. I am too!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
In The Beginning...
Our journey has started. We took a small detour, though.
My dad is south of where we will be setting up, so I thought it would be nice to go and visit him for a few days before we put up camp. Once camp gets set up, it will stay up. We aren't going to be very mobile, I don't think.
I am a procrastinator from a long line of procrastinators. It's horrible, really. So when we moved, we didn't get the storage unit until the day before we were to get out. We waited until that day to get the trailer, too. So the storage unit was a bit bigger than we anticipated, but it turned out ok. Seems like we needed that much space since we filled that puppy full. We were supposed to be out of our house by June 1, but we didn't make it. In anticipation for getting out, we weren't ready to travel 45 minutes to pick up a trailer from Uhaul. (What was I thinking, waiting until the 1st to try and rent a trailer???) We didn't get the trailer. So we had to haul everything to storage in our Durango. It worked, but took a bit longer than we had hoped.
Now packing for the summer was going to pose a problem. We had a lot less room without a trailer. If you've ever seen a Durango with 3rd row seating, you know you sacrifice the 3rd row for storage. We have a hitch packer that we utilized and got 2 roof top bags. After packing all the soft stuff in storage bags and sucking the air out, we managed to get mostly everything we need. Of course, we are not in the boonies and there are stores all around us. If we forgot something, we can replace it.
I've been at my Dad's campsite since Monday. We put up the kids' tent and threw our air mattress in and let the kids sleep in the RV with Grandpa. The only problem is that since we can't set up, our stuff is kind of everywhere. We had to get to clothes and blankets, opening our decompressed bags. It's ok, my Dad might have to follow us to our campsite and help with all the stuff.
So for the last 3 days, things have been peaceful. Sort of. His RV is at a park right next to a major highway. It's loud. Very loud. Not really what I expected, but it's tolerable for a few more days. The kids spent the day yesterday fishing. They caught 3 fish and were very excited. I got online a few times and finished reading my book. It's been nice catching up with my Dad and talking around the fire. This morning, we slept in until 10 am! On a Wednesday! The kids love it, I think. They keep pretty busy here and have lots of fun playing in the dirt and at the park, and of course, fishing!! Earlier, they stood near the road and tried to get the trucks to honk. They got quite a few, and it was a fun game for a bit.
I'm excited about getting our own campsite set up and getting into a routine. This preliminary camping is fun, but it's not quite "home". Plus, it's a pain trying to get dressed laying on an air mattress! This is a mini update for now, and I will post photos once we get the camp set up!
My dad is south of where we will be setting up, so I thought it would be nice to go and visit him for a few days before we put up camp. Once camp gets set up, it will stay up. We aren't going to be very mobile, I don't think.
I am a procrastinator from a long line of procrastinators. It's horrible, really. So when we moved, we didn't get the storage unit until the day before we were to get out. We waited until that day to get the trailer, too. So the storage unit was a bit bigger than we anticipated, but it turned out ok. Seems like we needed that much space since we filled that puppy full. We were supposed to be out of our house by June 1, but we didn't make it. In anticipation for getting out, we weren't ready to travel 45 minutes to pick up a trailer from Uhaul. (What was I thinking, waiting until the 1st to try and rent a trailer???) We didn't get the trailer. So we had to haul everything to storage in our Durango. It worked, but took a bit longer than we had hoped.
Now packing for the summer was going to pose a problem. We had a lot less room without a trailer. If you've ever seen a Durango with 3rd row seating, you know you sacrifice the 3rd row for storage. We have a hitch packer that we utilized and got 2 roof top bags. After packing all the soft stuff in storage bags and sucking the air out, we managed to get mostly everything we need. Of course, we are not in the boonies and there are stores all around us. If we forgot something, we can replace it.
I've been at my Dad's campsite since Monday. We put up the kids' tent and threw our air mattress in and let the kids sleep in the RV with Grandpa. The only problem is that since we can't set up, our stuff is kind of everywhere. We had to get to clothes and blankets, opening our decompressed bags. It's ok, my Dad might have to follow us to our campsite and help with all the stuff.
So for the last 3 days, things have been peaceful. Sort of. His RV is at a park right next to a major highway. It's loud. Very loud. Not really what I expected, but it's tolerable for a few more days. The kids spent the day yesterday fishing. They caught 3 fish and were very excited. I got online a few times and finished reading my book. It's been nice catching up with my Dad and talking around the fire. This morning, we slept in until 10 am! On a Wednesday! The kids love it, I think. They keep pretty busy here and have lots of fun playing in the dirt and at the park, and of course, fishing!! Earlier, they stood near the road and tried to get the trucks to honk. They got quite a few, and it was a fun game for a bit.
I'm excited about getting our own campsite set up and getting into a routine. This preliminary camping is fun, but it's not quite "home". Plus, it's a pain trying to get dressed laying on an air mattress! This is a mini update for now, and I will post photos once we get the camp set up!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Expectations VS. Reality
It seems that my expectations and reality rarely are the same. Only when I lower my expectations do I get the infrequent surprise. Mostly, I'm just disappointed at how things turn out.
This time it might be for lack of planning. I like to plan, though. I spend more time planning than actual doing, it seems like. Well, it isn't all bad, I guess. I just hope we don't get any nasty surprises while we're camping.
I wanted to set the tents up, get them weatherized, put what we will bring with us in them. Pretty much, do a mock run of our campsite. We got the tents up and the air mattresses in. The kids even slept in them one night. We didn't get the tarps up or the kitchen set up. I didn't practice cooking in the cast iron I bought on the stove I bought. There's still a list of things we need to do before our camping trip. We'll have 2 and a half days to do it.
Woe is me.
On the bright side of things: expectations rarely meets reality. So with this bad start, should I expect disaster? Or will I be pleasantly surprised at how smooth things go? What will be the reality? Utter boredom? Or so much fun? I really can't wait to see how things play out.
Sorry if this post started out down and depressed, that's how I'm feeling at the moment. I mean, we are going to live in a tent for a few months...and we are nowhere near ready. I'm kinda anxious about the whole thing, really. But what can I do? I can take a deep breath, relax, and start doing something. Right?
This time it might be for lack of planning. I like to plan, though. I spend more time planning than actual doing, it seems like. Well, it isn't all bad, I guess. I just hope we don't get any nasty surprises while we're camping.
I wanted to set the tents up, get them weatherized, put what we will bring with us in them. Pretty much, do a mock run of our campsite. We got the tents up and the air mattresses in. The kids even slept in them one night. We didn't get the tarps up or the kitchen set up. I didn't practice cooking in the cast iron I bought on the stove I bought. There's still a list of things we need to do before our camping trip. We'll have 2 and a half days to do it.
Woe is me.
On the bright side of things: expectations rarely meets reality. So with this bad start, should I expect disaster? Or will I be pleasantly surprised at how smooth things go? What will be the reality? Utter boredom? Or so much fun? I really can't wait to see how things play out.
Sorry if this post started out down and depressed, that's how I'm feeling at the moment. I mean, we are going to live in a tent for a few months...and we are nowhere near ready. I'm kinda anxious about the whole thing, really. But what can I do? I can take a deep breath, relax, and start doing something. Right?
Monday, May 14, 2012
Tarping
We got the tent! Yay!! No photos yet, but I promise, there will be some soon. Very soon. I will be doing a video review of the tent soon, when we get more stuff in there. It has been set up for a week or so. I did discover some things.
The rainfly needs to be staked down. The first night we got some gusty winds; in a panic I pulled the poles down. Well, one side room pole broke. A few days later, the other side room pole broke. then we discovered we should probably stake down the fly. We did, and there have been no more problems. It has rained, and this tent is water resistant. There was some small puddles of water (very small, like a couple spoonfuls) at some of the seams, but nothing crazy. I feel confident that this tent would weather a storm pretty good.
Over the weekend, I decided to see if we could set up a dining fly using tarps, rope, and a few poles. The instructions I got online used trees, but it said poles would work. We messed around with it for at least an hour, with no luck. It was very frustrating to see. I'm going to try again with a smaller tarp and more rope, maybe a few more poles I need a higher ceiling anyway, the eight foot limit of the poles was not cutting it. Of course, we didn't get it up all the way, so I don't really know.
I need to get the kitchen set up and practice cooking on it. I wanted to do it today, but we are going out for dinner, so hopefully I can work on it tomorrow. A smaller tent, more poles that are longer, and my kitchen should set up on a snap.
It's almost time, and I'm getting excited to see the days go by. Soon, we will be living the adventure instead of just preparing for it!
The rainfly needs to be staked down. The first night we got some gusty winds; in a panic I pulled the poles down. Well, one side room pole broke. A few days later, the other side room pole broke. then we discovered we should probably stake down the fly. We did, and there have been no more problems. It has rained, and this tent is water resistant. There was some small puddles of water (very small, like a couple spoonfuls) at some of the seams, but nothing crazy. I feel confident that this tent would weather a storm pretty good.
Over the weekend, I decided to see if we could set up a dining fly using tarps, rope, and a few poles. The instructions I got online used trees, but it said poles would work. We messed around with it for at least an hour, with no luck. It was very frustrating to see. I'm going to try again with a smaller tarp and more rope, maybe a few more poles I need a higher ceiling anyway, the eight foot limit of the poles was not cutting it. Of course, we didn't get it up all the way, so I don't really know.
I need to get the kitchen set up and practice cooking on it. I wanted to do it today, but we are going out for dinner, so hopefully I can work on it tomorrow. A smaller tent, more poles that are longer, and my kitchen should set up on a snap.
It's almost time, and I'm getting excited to see the days go by. Soon, we will be living the adventure instead of just preparing for it!
Monday, April 30, 2012
The tent!
I ordered our tent today and an air mattress for me and the husband. The tent is one I had planned on getting early on. But you know how you do research, check prices, read reviews. Anyway, too much research and review reading is bad for you. I was at a point of total indecision on what tent to get. I went with this one because the reviews were great. In stood up in the rain, and that is what matters to me.
I went camping last summer with my kids and my father and mother in law. It was a quick weekend. We didn't get started until late and had a hard time finding the place. We borrowed a tent from hubby's cousin, who also had air mattresses. Yay for saving money. Somehow the clothesline got left behind with the mini bungee cords. We spent an arm and a leg on firewood since you aren't allowed to bring any in past a 50 mile radius. And the last night it rained. On us, in the tent. Nothing is worse than sleeping in a wading pool, I'm telling you. We literally wrung water out of the blankets as we were packing under our sadly sagging tarp that didn't cover anything. Oh yeah, the air mattress leaked. I woke up, wet and cold, on the ground with a flat air mattress under me. And to top it off, the wood was wet and we couldn't get a fire started to even make coffee (the small propane stove we had worked, only it was out of fuel).
From that trip I learned what NOT to do. Do not come unprepared, even for a few days. And a dry tent can make or break the trip. As we were leaving, I looked down the hill and was amazed at another campsite. They had a tarp covering their tent, and it stretched all the way to the fire. The rain did not bother them. They were sitting, dry, at the picnic table enjoying hot coffee. I was jealous as all get out, but I took mental notes. That camper will be me! I will not get wet again.
I hope I don't go overboard with the plans on not getting wet. And that did factor into the tent decision. I was going to purchase a smaller dome tent, but hubby wanted one he could stand in. That meant I had to get one over 6 feet tall: Cabin tent! and that had the dimensions I needed. Well, after reading the reviews, the tent I was going to get seemed pretty bad in any kind of weather. And where we are headed, they are known for their severe summer storms, including strong gusty winds, thunder, lightening, and tornado watches. I need something that will stand up to the elements. This is going to be our home for the next two months, and it has to be as comfortable as possible.
The tent should get here tomorrow. If its' early enough, we'll set it up, but it might have to wait another day. Then I will post pics of our new tent, and maybe some shots of what our kitchen should look like, bare bones.
I went camping last summer with my kids and my father and mother in law. It was a quick weekend. We didn't get started until late and had a hard time finding the place. We borrowed a tent from hubby's cousin, who also had air mattresses. Yay for saving money. Somehow the clothesline got left behind with the mini bungee cords. We spent an arm and a leg on firewood since you aren't allowed to bring any in past a 50 mile radius. And the last night it rained. On us, in the tent. Nothing is worse than sleeping in a wading pool, I'm telling you. We literally wrung water out of the blankets as we were packing under our sadly sagging tarp that didn't cover anything. Oh yeah, the air mattress leaked. I woke up, wet and cold, on the ground with a flat air mattress under me. And to top it off, the wood was wet and we couldn't get a fire started to even make coffee (the small propane stove we had worked, only it was out of fuel).
From that trip I learned what NOT to do. Do not come unprepared, even for a few days. And a dry tent can make or break the trip. As we were leaving, I looked down the hill and was amazed at another campsite. They had a tarp covering their tent, and it stretched all the way to the fire. The rain did not bother them. They were sitting, dry, at the picnic table enjoying hot coffee. I was jealous as all get out, but I took mental notes. That camper will be me! I will not get wet again.
I hope I don't go overboard with the plans on not getting wet. And that did factor into the tent decision. I was going to purchase a smaller dome tent, but hubby wanted one he could stand in. That meant I had to get one over 6 feet tall: Cabin tent! and that had the dimensions I needed. Well, after reading the reviews, the tent I was going to get seemed pretty bad in any kind of weather. And where we are headed, they are known for their severe summer storms, including strong gusty winds, thunder, lightening, and tornado watches. I need something that will stand up to the elements. This is going to be our home for the next two months, and it has to be as comfortable as possible.
The tent should get here tomorrow. If its' early enough, we'll set it up, but it might have to wait another day. Then I will post pics of our new tent, and maybe some shots of what our kitchen should look like, bare bones.
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