Camping

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

In exactly one month from today, I will begin packing for a week long camping trip. To do so for six people is quite a task but apparently it is my task.

Camping, it has to be one of my top five favorite things to do in life. None of this sissy camper, refrigerator, elecrical stuff either. Although I wouldn't mind having a pop-up someday if for nothing else but for packing purposes. We pitch a tent, live out of coolers and within the last five years finally purchase a camp stove. Before that we did all of our cooking over the campfire. My hubby of course hated it with the heat and all but we somehow managed to eat like kings and queens for many long years.

Aside from the packing and unpacking of such a trip, there is so much work involved in this. I spend a lot of my time cleaning up the campsite, washing dishes, shaking sand out of sleeping bags, you name it, it seems like more work than I do in my own house. And the funny thing is is that I don't mind it at all. Heating up the water for dishes, well, we don't even bother and this can be quit cold if the weather isn't cooperating.

On our last trip, we cut it short because of rain. My husband and I cooked spaghetti out in the pouring rain for our kids. We had to because we figured they would die of hunger if we hadn't. The cold water raining into my pot of spaghetti noodles made for a long time out in that rain. I was shivering, and laughing at the same time. My husband was not really enjoying himself but all I could think of was how incredibly crazy we must have looked cooking dinner in one of those non-stop rainfalls. We had depleted our supply of lunch meat and bread over the previous days and spaghetti was our only choice.

This steady rainfall really caused some serious problems for us though. We had not sealed our tent yet. BIG mistake! Aside from each of my four kids changing clothes 2 to 3 times that night and my husband and I following suit, well, we had not packed enough clothes for another day.

We had to dig through the dirty ones full of the previous days campfire smell and dust from people driving by. But the worst part was all of our sleeping bags were wet. I froze all night as did everyone else and the rain continued on through the night making matters even wetter. Late in the night, we had decided to leave almost immediately due to this. Of course, we woke up and the sun was shining, it was a glorious morning. I suppose we could've stayed but we had all had it and were just plain tired. And since all of our things were wet, there was nowhere to take a snooze.

This was just last year. We wound up sitting up with our kids late into the night playing cards. A game called 'Phase 10'. Thank goodness it is a game that goes on forever like monopoly or life. It kept us occupied and while another was dealing the cards out, others of us would do a run through with towels to dry up the puddles of rain. Quite an interesting night to say the least.
Now this year, I have 4 cans of scotch-gaurd and 3 sticks of seam sealer waiting to be used. We have a very large 4-room tent so I bought extra just in case plus my kids have their own little two-man tent they like to sleep in. But as our luck would be, the weather will probably be absolutely perfect. Oh well, better safe than sorry I guess.

Menus, I have already made out my menus for the week. Space is very limited on these trips as we only have one vehicle with no trailer hitch, two dogs and four kids. So a menu is a necessity! We have learned to bring very little meat over the years. Simply because it is hard to keep it fresh if the weather is too hot. Multiple runs to the campground store can be very expensive. Wood, ice, milk, treats for the kids, etc. So, we have resorted to canned goods and noodle dishes. The kids hate the very limited menu but I am sure to throw in a couple boxes of fruit snacks or cookies just to keep them happy.

Clothes, well that is the biggest problem of all. My husband of course gets annoyed because I overpack which makes his job of loading the vehicle a whole lot worse. No telling what the weather will bring but we need clothes for all seasons. Cool mornings, hot days, rainy days, cool nights. And having to pack for my four kids, well, actually I leave a list and they do the rest but I have extra of everything. And the above example is the reason why. I underpacked on warm clothing last year and wound up regretting it. Without him realizing it, I will throw in an extra sweatshirt for him and sweats just in case. Last year it was a blessing. In the end we ended up with one huge ultra wheels bag and 3 large army size bags.

My girls are told to pack whatever they are bringing into one large bag. Toiletries included. I have a backpack for the liquid stuff but the rest is theirs for their bags. And every year, they grow bigger, their clothes take up more room. But for some odd and somewhat comical reason, my husband thinks they pack so much more than I tell them. Hmm, well, they are in the same size clothes as him and I, how can they condense them any more than they do by rollling them into hotdogs? He makes me laugh but I don't dare let him see me do that when he is in the middle of packing.

Then there are the bikes, sleeping bags, pillows, cookware, dog bowls and food and the list goes on. In the end, for as overwhelming as this sounds as I write it, I am just beside myself with excitement and anticipation. My kids absolutely love to be outdoors, campfires, meeting new friends, going to the nature shows every night, taking long bike rides while Pat and I sit in our chairs, read books, do crosswords, talk, and have some much needed adult time.

Camping is not for all but it most definately is something my family looks forward to every year. And whether it fits into the budget or not, I make it fit because it is the one time of year that we are simply just a family. No tv, no computer, no phone, no job, nothing to take us away from eachother but the beauty and the peace and quiet of the park in which we are at.

Written by louie0768 .