Day 2 and 3 - on to Michigan

I slept great and headed out the next morning. I couldn't shower because all the water was cold... well, I couldn't  completely shower. I think I have the opening and closing of Polly PUP down. It will be fine tuned add I go along but it's become fast and easy.

I picked Destiny up around noon. Then what should have been a 3 and a half hour drive became a SIX hour drive. Construction and traffic. Yuck. But we had plenty of time and to be honest, we stopped FOUR times! Once for grocery shopping, once for gas, once for drinks, and you know it, once for bathrooms.

We were joined by my mother at Brighton Recreation Area. Set up camp, Destiny claimed the camper, ate a very late dinner, and then a VERY bold raccoon tried to join us! He stayed in the tree right next to us while we ate and kept sneaking down trying to get a snack. I had to pack everything food related back into my car. I usually do that anyway, we have bears in Virginia.

Brighton, like most Michigan parks has rather close camp sites. But during the week it's fairly empty. And the bathrooms are nice! The lake was lovely. On Saturday, Destiny swam, but it wasn't  really that hot, so I watched. Then we went out to geocache and found it! Yay us!  Saturday night we went on the "owl prowl". Didn't see or hear any owls but hiking at dusk is divine.

Rain test and SHE HAS A NAME!

It is steadily raining and has been for a couple of hours (or more? I was sleeping) I checked on Polly... OMG! She has a name... I didn't name her exactly... I asked for suggestions and that was Michael's idea but I didn't dwell on any. I guess Polly Pocket it is. What I hear is "Polly wolly doodle all the day"!!! Even though a Zentangle is NOT a doodle!

Whoa, where was I? Oh yes, the rain. Inside the camper is very damp, but not wet. Sealing seams was a good idea, and since I didn't finish, I really know it was good. I ran a paper towel  along seams and those without ARE going to leak as they are damp now. If it rains hard they will give out.

The dampness is coming from the bed area. The canvas back there is only canvas. And since there is no hard top to divert the water, it just drips  down the canvas. I don't think it's a real problem, I mean, that's how a canvas tent responded to rain. But in this day of breathable nylon and rainflies, when I tent camp in the rain, I am DRY, and the only dampness comes in with me.

So, the question is "Can I/Should I try to waterproof the bunk end canvas?

Quicksilver 5.0 - My new baby!

I went on an adventure this past weekend and brought home a new baby! She might need a name...

So, I already have a last started of little things to make her better. She's so tiny! Her bench seats are too small to be usable, so I am going to make extensions and throw pillows. The big table is too big, so it will go along to be used outside but a small table will suffice inside. And her aluminum floor needs a flooring overtop. I think that Home Depot carries an Armstrong  product that will be perfect.

And she was so easy to tow! 520 pounds!  Even with our OLD (96?) Subaru!

Blue Moves Glamp site

Blue Moves, yes, I love Sir Elton.

This is how I actually  set up my Glamp site, more or less. Soft and summery. The bunting is usually outside. I actually have a matching  canopy that I made of fabric and lace and reclaimed aluminum poles.

A couple glamping tips

I added a small rug to the Victorian  set. Rugs serve several purposes. The first being visual interest. The most important reasons though would be to a) protect your tent floor and b) give insulation when camping the fringes of the season.

The tent floor is sometimes similar to a tarp type of fabric. (My Coleman tents havethat) This Alps Mountaineering tent is nylon, treated nylon, durable but thin.  Always try to put a ground cloth down before pitching your tent. Fold the edges in so that none of your ground cloth extends beyond your tent. Nothing screams "idiot" to me louder than seeing a tarp sticking  out a foot beyond the tent.  Of course it is going to rain. You are camping. It's  like some rule of nature that if you are out, it's going  to rain. The  extended tarp collects that rain and deposits it right under your tent. Even if the tent doesn't let the water in, you will have a mess to clean up. Just fold the tarp a little  and avoid the mess.

Even with a ground cloth you need to protect  your tent floor from the  inside. For protection against puppy toes, children and clutzes, I use those weight room floor mat pieces that go together like a puzzle. They are super insulating, too. I camp in November  and can comfortably sit on the floor. For summer, I have a rug that is woven from some plastic/nylon stuff. It doesn't take as much room to pack so I use it. I also have some nice rag rugs that work great by themselves  or over the mats.

Moral of the story:  Adding layers to your floor is more comfortable and will help your tent too!

I also added some personal photos. It's nice to have personal touches of loved ones with you. I like to camp alone. Photos give me a focus for meditation and contemplation.

Back to the Glamp Camp

It's winter and I am dreaming of tents, campfires, and walks in the woods. I  now have  about  all the equipment  a girl could ever need  for tent camping . I even considered moving back into a pop up or even a teardrop  but my reasons for tent camping remain. I don't want a new tow vehicle , I love the fresh air, I cannot  justify the cost,  and I don't want the upkeep. So, what can I "plan", since that's what I love most this time of year.

I'm  thinking about taking one of my Goodwill tents and PAINTING it! In fact, I have a rather large tent that needs to be water proofed any way. Simple Zentangle? Florals? Hmmm...