I Survived the Tent

Well, I did it.  I went camping for the first time in a tent under the stars and I have to say it wasn’t too bad.  When your nine year old is excited, you tend to get excited as well. This was something he’d been looking forward to for quite some time, so didn’t want to spoil any of his fun by complaining or being the wimpy mom on the trip.  I had to be on my best camping behavior, for him.  

We set up the tent at dusk, drove into town (which comprised of a 50 year old bait shop, a propane company run from a trailer and a pizza joint) and ate pizza at the pizza joint.  Once we were back at camp, the six boys, five dads and one mom (that’s me) set up our chairs, chatted under the stars and played ghost in the graveyard.  It was during this time that the temperature began to drop, I’m guessing about 20 degrees in a matter of minutes. I rounded up my scout and headed to our tent. He went to bed in his hat and gloves, jeans two pairs of socks, a long sleeve shirt and a hooded sweatshirt and in three minutes; my little guy was sound asleep. Forget about the pajamas and clean underwear or the toothbrush and toothpaste I had meticulously packed for him so he’d be comfortable.  We were camping!   You sleep in what you have on.   You don’t brush your teeth.  How was I to know? I, on the other hand, did not fall asleep in three minutes or three hours.

Did you know that when you sleep in the woods, it’s very quiet?  Quiet enough to hear everyone whisper in their tent at 2:00 AM and debate whether or not to wait it out or walk the tenth of a mile to the bathroom.  It’s quiet enough to hear everyone turn in their sleeping bags all night and quiet enough to hear every nocturnal animal within 500 feet of your tent.  I was thankful for the full moon, an instant nightlight in the tent, but as the night passed (at the pace of a sleeping turtle I might add) the temperature kept dropping as was evidenced by the frost on our blankets, tent and cars the next morning.  Yes, there was dew on our blankets, inside the tent!!! Thirty-three degrees.  It was cold.

We made our breakfast over the propane stove and had turkey bacon, eggs, pancakes, hot chocolate and orange juice, then got ready for the day and waited for the other scouts to arrive and set up their tents.  

My husband and older son joined us in the afternoon for day two, and the rest of the day was spent fishing, playing capture the flag, hiking uphill both ways, geocaching, making dinner for the group, singing songs, telling jokes and performing skits in the kiva around the fire.  We ended the day with smores made in the fireplace at the lodge complete with a second round of hot chocolate. (We have bears in our area remember, so no food outside! This is camping rule number one and my worry number one.)

We headed back to the tent and crawled under our nineteen layers of blankets and once again, the boys, in their shirts covered in fish blood and slime, dirty socks and jeans, fell fast asleep in minutes. I decided that I would try to make myself more comfortable this time and put on my camping pjs in hopes of falling asleep this time.  Have you ever tried to take off jeans bent over while standing on an air mattress, trying to be quiet so as not to wake the rest of camp and get redressed again all in 35-degree weather?  It’s not easy.  It would prove to be a waste of time essentially, because I didn’t fall fast asleep, despite my exhaustion from the day and hiking uphill both ways (wait, did I already say that?). 

Morning finally came with the hoot of an owl and a choir of morning doves and I couldn’t have been more relieved.   Still wearing my mother smile, we dismantled the tent, packed the car, had breakfast, sang a song or two in the lodge and then headed home (first ones to leave I might add).  I couldn’t wait to get into the shower and wash the three-day layer of dirt off my body.   My little guy slept on the way home and before nodding off, said he had a great time and loved the hiking (uphill both ways) the best.   I smiled and knew that it was all worth it in the end.  He had a good time and I never once wimped out on him or showed him my “do we have to” face!  I was a trooper and am glad I did it. 

Just for the record, however, I will not be subscribing to Camping Life magazine, nor will I be purchasing an outdoor stove anytime soon.