Today, Gary and I packed my camping gear in the back of the Subaru. Most of it has been stored under the desk here in my office, but I had to locate bits and pieces from elsewhere in the house.
First we set up the sleeping gear. The tent and a chair are in the space behind the front seats. The tent cost me $29.95 about fifteen years ago and still serves me well. Gary checked to make sure the waterproofing he applied two years ago is still working. I bought the chair two years ago when I realized my back needed more support than a boulder at a camp site could provide.
The inflatable mattress is another innovation I added when I got old and couldn't throw a sleeping bag on the ground and expect to sleep that way any more. The fully inflated mattress went into the back of the Subaru after the back seats were folded down.
There are three sleeping bags on top of the mattress. Why three? Because I can't be certain what the weather will be. I've camped in freezing temperatures in mid-July in the Rockies. I've camped in a Utah desert in 100 degree heat. So I try to be prepared for anything. There's a heavy winter sleeping bag on top of the mattress. Even if I never have to use it, it makes my bed softer. Next comes a lightweight sleeping bag, the one I will likely use most of the time. On top of that is a zip up Coleman blanket. On the warmest night, that will suffice. A light pillow completes the set up.
When I set up a tent, the entire sleeping arrangement slides in with no great effort. If it rains, I sleep in the car. I hate packing a wet tent on the morning I leave a campground.
The rest of the camping gear fits in a storage bin. A one burner stove screws onto a propane tank. I have a little kit with three nesting pots of various sizes and a teapot. I have one fork, one spoon, and a couple of paring knives. I have a few other disposable plastic knives saved from fast food places. I sometimes use these to spread peanut butter on a piece of bread in the morning.
I have an electric teapot to use whenever I have electricity. It also plugs into the cigarette lighter. That comes in handy during exceptionally bad weather. I can make tea and instant oatmeal in the car and then be on my way.
I have clothespins and a clothesline so I can wash clothes out by hand. If I need more line, there's my collection of bungee cords. Bungee cords always come in handy in so many ways.
There's dish detergent, but I don't have a dish pan. I use the smallest of the nesting pots to cook then wash up using the biggest pot. I don't have a wash cloth, just a Chinese pot scraper. The dishes dry in the air, no towel needed.
There's a three inch tall lantern with an LED light that hangs from the top of the tent. Add in a few bags, and that is the extent of my camping gear.
Tomorrow, I do laundry and pack clothes.
First we set up the sleeping gear. The tent and a chair are in the space behind the front seats. The tent cost me $29.95 about fifteen years ago and still serves me well. Gary checked to make sure the waterproofing he applied two years ago is still working. I bought the chair two years ago when I realized my back needed more support than a boulder at a camp site could provide.
The inflatable mattress is another innovation I added when I got old and couldn't throw a sleeping bag on the ground and expect to sleep that way any more. The fully inflated mattress went into the back of the Subaru after the back seats were folded down.
There are three sleeping bags on top of the mattress. Why three? Because I can't be certain what the weather will be. I've camped in freezing temperatures in mid-July in the Rockies. I've camped in a Utah desert in 100 degree heat. So I try to be prepared for anything. There's a heavy winter sleeping bag on top of the mattress. Even if I never have to use it, it makes my bed softer. Next comes a lightweight sleeping bag, the one I will likely use most of the time. On top of that is a zip up Coleman blanket. On the warmest night, that will suffice. A light pillow completes the set up.
When I set up a tent, the entire sleeping arrangement slides in with no great effort. If it rains, I sleep in the car. I hate packing a wet tent on the morning I leave a campground.
The rest of the camping gear fits in a storage bin. A one burner stove screws onto a propane tank. I have a little kit with three nesting pots of various sizes and a teapot. I have one fork, one spoon, and a couple of paring knives. I have a few other disposable plastic knives saved from fast food places. I sometimes use these to spread peanut butter on a piece of bread in the morning.
I have an electric teapot to use whenever I have electricity. It also plugs into the cigarette lighter. That comes in handy during exceptionally bad weather. I can make tea and instant oatmeal in the car and then be on my way.
I have clothespins and a clothesline so I can wash clothes out by hand. If I need more line, there's my collection of bungee cords. Bungee cords always come in handy in so many ways.
There's dish detergent, but I don't have a dish pan. I use the smallest of the nesting pots to cook then wash up using the biggest pot. I don't have a wash cloth, just a Chinese pot scraper. The dishes dry in the air, no towel needed.
There's a three inch tall lantern with an LED light that hangs from the top of the tent. Add in a few bags, and that is the extent of my camping gear.
Tomorrow, I do laundry and pack clothes.
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