Two months ago, I shared that I was camping for the first time, this year. I plan to attend Kinnection Campout music festival, where sleeping bags and tents are inevitable. I also mentioned that to reduce the likelihood of embarassing myself at the festival, I would be taking a few camping trips prior to that festival.
Well, I’m happy to say the first one will be this month. I have only a few more camping essentials left to be delivered, and then it’s time to head up into the Georgia mountains to spend a night in the woods. I am as excited as I am terrified to see these plans through.
The camping dates were confirmed just yesterday afternoon. Shortly afterwards, I attended a writing Meetup to work on The Moreau Witches. At the end of the Meetup, we got to talking, and I shared my upcoming camping plans.
One of the authors in the group immediately told me:
Well, if you see a bear — brown, lie down; black, fight back.
That really got me thinking about what other invaluable advice you guys can offer. It will be 30s to 50s on the days I plan to go camping, so any advice on staying warm and dry would be welcome.
I know many of you have been camping for years, and can help me brave the Georgia cold, so I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
My only advice is to bring a pillow! Also, anything that makes sleeping more comfortable is worth getting/bringing/the space it takes. Sleeping is by far the most difficult part of camping so do what you can to make it more comfortable. You won’t regret it!
I never thought of bringing a pillow. I have a tiny one that can be converted into a blanket. I’ll be sure to pack that! Thanks! 😄
We made that mistake the first night we went camping! It was terrible.
Also, don’t forget to use the stakes on your tent. I woke up in the middle of the night and felt like I was suffocating because our tent had tipped over from the rain. We ended up just packing everything up and going home at 3:00 am because I kept panicking that it was going to collapse on us again (I have an irrational fear of suffocating). I was panicky the next few times we went camping. I am finally over it, but I make sure my husband puts the stakes in the tent every time!
Aw, sorry your first few camping experiences were so bad! I think I would be okay even if the tent collapsed though. I tend to think of things like that in the vein of, “Ooohh! Adventure!” 😂
I’m going camping with a friend, and he’s a pro, so he should have all that down pat. My main focus will be on not being bitten by a snake. There is no oohhh adventure for those. I am terrified of snakes in the wild.
Oh, if you are going camping with a pro you should be good! My husband is an Eagle Scout but turns out he is also all about just getting set up quick 🤷🏻♀️ but yeah, definitely be careful about snakes. It was too cold where we were to have to worry about those.
How cold was it? Do you remember? I only have gear for about 30-degrees F and up. I’m not sure I’d be happy about being outdoors in anything lower than 40s. I am Jamaican after, all. I can get frostbite in 70-degree weather lol.
Your husband sounds hilarious!
He is a character!
But it definitely wasn’t colder than 30 degrees. There was one time when there was still some snow on the ground but it was melting so I’d say we were in the 40-50’s maybe the 30’s overnight.
Camping in the snow? That I would not do lol. Snow is bad for hiking and there is no point to camping for me if I can’t go hiking in the woods. 😂
Yeah, that was just an over night trip that was about 30 minutes away from us. Just a clear our heads kind of trip. It was actually pretty fun and most of the snow was gone. Just a little left here and there.
Well, that’s not too bad then. 🙂
Watch out for snakes. They’re already out here in the North Georgia mountains. Even in the cold they’re out, just sluggish. I haven’t seen any yet, but other people have. (I hope I don’t!)
Snakes? Oh dear… I am TERRIFIED of snakes in the wild — mostly because I have no idea what to do if I encounter one.
We had a large snake in our garage last spring, and I was traumatized. I called the neighbor to come over and get it out. If I hadn’t closed the door between the laundry room and the garage the snake would have come into the house. It wasn’t poisonous, but it was about 6 feet long. Actually, we had several snakes on our property last spring and summer. If I encounter them I scream and run!
Do you have a cat? Cats keep snakes away, making me especially grateful to have Shadow around. He’s a great hunter.
If I found a snake in my garage, you would never find me in there again.
Our cat is 20 years old and completely deaf. He never goes outside. But our neighbor’s cat stays on our porch or in our yard year round. He catches snakes. Last summer he was flipping baby copperheads in the air. Ugh! I screamed and ran away!
Buahahahaha! What a good kitty! If you’re wise, you’ll leave out treats and catnip for that one. He’s real bodyguard of the house!
Sorry to hear about your kitty though. 20 is old! Are you considering getting good another one anytime soon?
We’ll probably get another cat someday but don’t want to upset our “old man” cat in his waning years. Since the neighbor’s cat is here outside all the time anyway, we claim him as our own, too.
Aw. Well that’s good of you to prioritise the old man.
I would really like to get Shadow a girlfriend, but I don’t know if I can handle two cats plus the dog. And he’s semi-feral, so I’m not really sure what his reactions to a second cat would be. He’s not good with the dog, he hates my husband, and he hides from most of my friends. He loves my mom and grandma though, and the team from my PR firm. So that works out alright. He’s our office cat.
What’s the name of your old man?
He’s gray, so we named him Smokey. He was a rescue kitten who had been dumped at Lake Lanier Islands water park, and I brought him home. We just found out today he may have cancer. Because of his age, I was advised by the vet to just keep an eye on him, call their office if he experiences any difficulties, and keep him comfortable. So sad, but he’s been a good pet, and he’s so loving!
Awww, I had a Smokey but she went missing the month before we got Shadow in 2016. If I get another cat, it will be another smoky grey, although I couldn’t bear to re-use the name.
I’m sorry to hear your Smokey is ill. It is so sad when we must watch them fade away, especially if pain is involved. I’m glad you rescued him, and I’m sure he’s had a full and lovely life. I’m so happy to hear you describe him as a loving cat. Too many people have no idea how affectionate cats can be. Wishing you and Smokey all the best.
Thank you!