Thursday, August 13, 2009

Going Camping

I have been wanting to blog all week about the busyness of my life, but every time I started to do so I thought, "I'm really too busy to be blogging." I can't even systematically write down all that is going on from the daily mundane to the unexpected glitches to the extensive planning for future events.

So, I will tell you about camping.

I have spent this week planning and packing for our church camping trip, but with a larger purpose. Even though we are just camping this weekend for 2 overnights, we are planning a BIG trip out West for 2 weeks and much of the time we will be camping. The catch is that we have to fly out there and then camp along our route. So this weekend is our opportunity to see how many bags our stuff can be packed into and how we can cope without some of the amenities that we have available while camping here - primarily electricity. So, I am attempting to plan a non-electric weekend (even though there will be plugs at our site.)

I figured out long ago that you must find the appeal in planning a camping trip. Everything needs to be pre-prepared and packed. There is a sense of satisfaction in having just the right things available for camping convenience and fun. Nothing beats having the kids say, "mom, did you bring _______?" and answering, "yes, yes, I did." Of course, my former attitude about camping, being hatred, was spawned from being an uneducated and unprepared camper. This will be a tough weekend because we are purposely leaving many things at home to see how we will fare without them on our big trip. Fortunately, I can bring whatever food I want on this trip, because we will be buying all of that when we get out there for our trip out West. Still one has limited car and cooler space and so meal-planning is a must. In fact, I think meal planning and preparation is the main complication to camping. If you didn't have to eat, camping would be easy.

I have learned to keep a running list of necessary (and not so necessary) items and menu and use it from year-to-year. The only problem out West will be when will we have refrigeration and access to grocery stores. That's hard to predict, so I am trying to think of as many non-perishable meal items as possible without getting into too much preserved, prepackaged crap. I actually have a pretty good list, and I think I may plan out a complete menu so I know what I am making and purchasing for every day we are camping and eating. I am hopeful for a few hotels with breakfast included too!

I am sure that our church friends will think we are nuts as we ignore the electrical plug at our site this weekend and make our coffee in a funnel with a filter....

but I am bringing my Crockpot for the potluck....sssh, don't tell my husband.


4 comments:

  1. You are so much braver than I am. I hope the weekend goes well!!

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  2. Mommmmmmmmm! We're leaving STUFF behind? We're not using electricity?! We're going to diiieee! Waaaaaaaah. :(

    You'd better bring the marshmellows. Then we'll be able to survive, at least.

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  3. You don't have to be without electricity, even out West. http://www.powerenz.com/store/

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  4. Jon, are you going to give me $1200 to buy those? I will leave electronically from hotel to hotel and hopefully find a plug to blow dry my hair in the bathroom. We also have a car-lighter adapter! That's a lot cheaper!

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