bear

Of course the first time I go camping in 20-odd years, we manage to land ourselves in the area with the worst air quality on the entire West Coast, thanks wildfires. Still, this had been long-planned; milestone-ish birthday celebration for the dear friend I've known longest in the world, with plans to see Rent at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

( road trip! )

Elana and Dan have done a lot more camping than we have, so we were glad to take advantage of their knowledge! Things we have learned for next time:

* our tent setup isn't actually all that complicated! But we should have checked on the stakes beforehand; when we opened the stake bag up, it was obvious some moisture had gotten in somewhere, as they were all rusted together. So we just used our duffels and boxes to hold the tent corners down from the inside.

* air mattresses aren't actually the most comfortable for side sleepers, heh, but there are pads out there with smaller air pockets that will be more comfortable for side sleepers with hips like me, heh. (Hips don't lie, aged aching version.)

* two person sleeping bags are awesome! We borrowed one from Elana and Dan, and will probably buy our own for the next time. Which, admittedly, probably won't be until spring, I understand winter camping is its own beastie, and Hyoun is Done With Snow 4 Lyfe.

Jenn joined us the next morning after realizing she wouldn't get in until close to midnight if she kept driving the previous night, and still have to set up her tent in the dark. She reported the declining air conditions: "I drove into the cloud of smoke in the mountains, wondering if I'd pop out the other side before I got to the campground, no dice," so we decided instead of the planned hiking and swimming, we would go into town and take advantage of indoor activities with better air filtration.

( science works, dinner, bookstore, ice cream! )

( bookstore date nostalgia )

( rent! )

( the drive home )

So we survived our first camping trip together! And enjoyed ourselves enough that we want to do it again, though maybe not so far of a drive for a weekend. Bonus: We managed to get away with ZERO MOSQUITO BITES.