Have you ever wanted to try something new, something different? Whether that was a new food or new hobby, a new author to read, etc., how did the new and different turn out? What did you learn? How did it expand your world?
I've been wanting to get back into tent camping for a while now. During the pandemic I set up my Kelty backpack tent in the backyard and enjoyed a night under the stars. We have "glamped" in a friend's tent in their backyard, enjoying the amenities of decorative lights, fans, and places to plug in our phones.
The "itch" to camp wouldn't go away, but I was told that three quarters of a century bones weren't going to get on the ground again to camp. So my solution? A tent that went in the back of a truck. I researched and researched. Then one came available from a place I do some shopping locally. I got it. Then I researched truck mattresses, because of the "bone" thing and I knew comfort was important. I got some RV sized queen sheets that are a tad smaller. They don't have the side cut-outs like the mattress for the truck, but they work.
My Coleman camper stove from 40 years ago couldn't be found for this trip, so we invested in a camper stove. Prior to that I had already researched and found a Stanley camp French press for coffee and two coffee mugs that will keep the coffee warmer longer.
We decided to do a trial run locally at Chester Frost Park for a night. I made our reservations about two weeks in advance, choosing a camp site on the water. It's one that we walk by often and it's near the new bath house.
We had firewood to take with us to keep us warm and to cook our dinner (hotdogs). I made a small charcuterie board for an appetizer.
Knowing it was going to get cold, very cold, over night I brought 3 blankets for us and some hand warmers. The hand warmers weren't the new ones I had just gotten. I couldn't find those. They still worked, but only for about 30 minutes. The 3 blankets weren't enough for the mid to low 30 degrees Fahrenheit that we experienced. An electric blanket could have worked, as we were next to an electric outlet.
I am not sure that the retired guy will camp again until it warms up. I would be willing to give it another try.
But the night was long and cold. I had taken two pairs of socks, but not wool ones. The semi-working hand warmers helped a bit, but not for long. My feet were the coldest part of me.
Our adventure did teach us about the tent-- it is different from my Kelty backpacking tent and a tad more difficult to put up. But we did it. We learned about the mattress. I had watched a video about it and knew that the blower had a short cord to the cigarette lighter. "Short" meaning you couldn't blow it up inside the tent. We blew it up outside the tent and stuffed it inside. We will look for a better way to navigate that in the future.
The sunset was a highlight of our adventure, as was the morning fog on the water.
In the morning, the tent was covered in dew. It wasn't going to dry out quickly enough and there was a possibility I might need to preach for my colleague who had contacted me the evening before. So instead of making coffee at the camp site and eating the banana bread we brought for breakfast, we packed up the things that were still outside (the camp chairs and wood) and made sure the tent was secure. We drove home with the tent in the back of the truck. That was a good lesson too! We now know that if we have to go somewhere once the tent is set up, we can.
We let the tent dry out while we went to church. I didn't have to preach. I learned that the pastor was feeling better as soon as we got home.
After church and after everything dried off and was washed and dried, we packed it all away..... until next time.
Besides lessons learned about our camping equipment, it struck me that others spend nights in tents because that is their home. They may or may not have wool socks or hand warmers to keep them warm through the cold night. I reflected on the fact that one night of cold and interrupted sleep was enough for me. What about those who experience night after night of that condition? It made me think of my friends I have met over the years who lived outside. It is a community of people I have served and worked with over many years. I got a glimpse of what living in the cold is like. Now I know to not only buy tube socks (that can be used for many things), but also some wools socks for warmth. I have given out hand warmers in the past. I will continue that.
Sometimes our life experiences are simply experiences. Sometimes they teach us things about ourselves. In addition to learning about the camping equipment and reflecting on those who sleep outdoors consistently, I guess you might say that I learned something about me.
When something gets into my mind seriously enough, there's no stopping it. It will grow and grow until it comes to life. I guess that's called "tenacious". Or, it could be "stubborn". Maybe it's "resilience". I don't know. What I do know is that through all the semi-difficult lessons of the experience, it was a great first experience for me.
I will do it again. I will do some things differently. But isn't that what learning is about? We learn to do things differently when they don't work or no longer work.
Ah, life lessons from a truck tent camping experience.
Peace,
Deb
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