Let the Camping Adventure Begin -- All Set for Our First Adventure

 

Carrie and I are ready for our first camping adventure. Carrie has spent the past few weeks since our initial test of putting up our tent (see Tent Set up and Happy Dog) back in April. Carrie has done a lot of research, we have our location selected, and our dates are set, she has ordered us air mattresses, pots, pans, and other odds and ends. We even have a lantern and lamps to wear on our heads.

I plan to document each of our camping trips taking pictures, posting updates, etc., upon our return. We are hoping to make this an experience that we do multiple times each spring. Eventually, we want to expand from doing camp sites in Kansas to camping in other locations and as a way to see the country and for the most part doing so rather cheaply. 

For our first camping trip, we are planning on a spot about 45 minutes from Topeka. We are doing two nights as it almost does not seem worth it to put up a tent and spend one night at a spot, so we are doing two on this first time. We are taking Oliver and I am not sure if he knows how excited he will be on this trip. All the new smells and all the places he can pee. The first site we have selected, as I am sure all sites, require pets to be kept on a leash. I am concerned about Oliver getting ticks or other insect bites, but he is current on his medication, so hopefully he will be alright. I think he will lose his mind as we explore our new camp site and process.

Any tips or recommendations that you have for camping?

Plans for Carrie and I are to play games, do a lot of reading, disconnect from technology (except for pictures), and exercise around the camp site taking long walks with Oliver. I think Carrie is excited for the cooking experience. I know we are both looking forward to the mornings and waking up to have a cup of coffee (which she bought camping coffee maker) and enjoying the mornings around our camp site.

Watch for future updates regarding our camping experiences and hopefully you will see more updates yet this year with other camping adventures. If you love to camp, where are your favorite camp sites? Any tips or recommendations that you have for camping?

Tent Set up with Happy Dog and Happy Tent Owners #Camping #Adventure

Carrie and I are going to try camping. Sure, we have both been camping a few times in our lives, but not with our own gear. For Christmas, we got a tent and we spent Saturday, April 3 in the afternoon attempting to put it together in our back yard. You know, so we test out the process before we get to a camp site and realize we have not idea what we are doing. The process went well!

We did the test run of putting it up in our back yard, but did not spend the night in the back yard. We are old and want to get some comfortable items so we can sleep on them when we are at the camp site. After getting the tent put together, we spent a while reviewing cots, mats, etc., for items that can make the camp site comfortable. Of course, we do not want to spend a lot on items in the event we go and camp and do not like it, so trying to keep costs down but also find items that will make the stay comfortable.

Carrie had the great idea to record us putting the tent together, so I set it up as time-lapse. It worked out great! If you watch carefully, you can see us put it up once and then take it down as we used the shorter poles instead of the long poles for the center section. The process went well and we now know how to put it together and which poles to use.

 

We are making plans to find our first camp site. Carrie has done the research and make a selection of Pomona, KS. Our plan is to do a test run of two night stay at this first camp site. See how it goes, what other items we might need, and whether we like the process. We plan to take Oliver with us, so that will be interesting. I think he will have a lot of fun at a camp site with us, visiting other campers, and smelling or hearing the noises that come with being away from home. The next phase of our plan would be to camp with Greg and Erin at another location. We need to do so before it gets hot, so trying to determine the best time to do the second camping date.

Oliver had a great time after we set up the tent. He thought it was fun to hear his paws on the tent floor. As you can see, he was jumping and running around like it was a big game. Carrie and I both laughing at him. Finally, he flew out the front of the tent and did two running laps around the tent before settling in the grass to rest. He spent Sunday sleeping most of the day as he had a fun Saturday helping us with the tent.

More pictures, or video, later this month as we begin our camping experience. We both can hardly wait and looking forward to taking Oliver with us on our adventures.