I last went camping when I was about 12 or 13. So as I have mentioned before my memories of going camping are kinda vague. I do not know what it was like to pack the tent, all the food, to worry about park fees or camping fees. I was blissfully unaware of how long it actually takes to get to a decent camping site. My dad usually set up the tent alone. Little did I know....
Things I learned this time around:
1. Buy a cot, I do not sleep on the ground!
2. Buy a decent sleeping bag.
3. Take about $100 worth of cash. While state parks will accept check and CC upon arrival they really prefer cash, especially when it comes to getting the camping space.
4. Go with someone you can actually stand for long periods of time. I failed miserably at this one. I went with someone I thought I could stand but as it turns out I thought I might have to kill while out on the trail.
5. Coordinate with everyone to know what everyone is expecting out the trip. Make sure to not leave anyone out!
6. Plan meals a little bit. I am not saying you have to make a meal chart type thing, but make sure you actually like the food you bring.
7. Did anyone else know it is $20 a night to camp! And that doesn't include soap in the bathrooms or showers!!!???!!!!
I went with a friend from New York. I featured him on this blog before. We have been hiking together before. I will call him Bob, just in case he ever decided to read my blog.
Bob and I made out a plan to go to Yosemite, Sequoia and Lone Pine. Bob really wanted to hike Half-Dome. I was trying to be in training for it, but it didn't happen as well as I wanted. I could give a list of excuses but who really wants to read those? I am in GREAT shape, just not for Half-Dome. My asthma has been acting up more and more since I moved back to Cali so there was no way I could climb it this year.
What really happened: we stayed in Sequoia the whole time. Half-Dome turned out to be closed because of the major snowfall we had this year. Global warming people, its real! Plus the road which would take us from Sequoia to Yosemite was also closed, it lead to the mutual decision to stay put. Plus after putting up a tent, we really didn't want to take it down before we had to or put it back up.
I borrowed a tent and sleeping bag. Wow what a mistake! Borrowing the tent was not a bad idea, but borrowing a sleeping bag from my brother turned out to be a bad idea. I had forgotten that he does not get claustrophobic the way I do, so he doesn't mind a close fitting sleeping bag. Must buy a new sleeping bag meant for 2 people so I do NOT get that feeling again.
A friend lent me her tent. She had never used it before however I reassured her that if something went wrong with tent or pieces were missing "I am going with nature boy so he will solve it!" Yeah right!!!!!!!! Nature boy couldn't even get it all the way up and could not figure out why it wasn't working the way it needed to be. I figured it out! YAY for me! Nature boy kept leading me in the wrong directions according to the map, I finally had to look at it to find various things. Wow I'm so smart! Sure boosted my self esteem!!!!
If I never eat a hot dog again I will be a happy person. Between 2 at my birthday party, and the god knows how many I ate while camping, I am on hot dog overload! Ew. I thought it would be cute and quaint to eat a hot dog off a hot dog skewer while camping...It is so much nicer when you are 13.
Plus I am a moron. I checked the ingredient list on everything except for the bread we took along. I cannot eat high fructose corn syrup. I gave it up over lent season and I stopped having stomach problems, and the majority of my headaches were gone. Lo and behold my bread had it in it. Did anyone know that they had high fructose corn syrup in bread? Gross!!! I wound up being sick the last two days of camp. Oh well life gets better.
Next blog post will include pictures from camping. Right now the best ones are on my cell phone and I cannot access them at this point in time. For now I think I will go get dinner ready and take care of rest of the stuff for the day. :)
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