Setting up.

When we got to Terlingua, the first thing I wanted to do was hook up with my friends and see how things had gone Wednesday. We found the usual trailers and campers arranged as they usually are, with a central area under a tarp that's perfect for cooking, eating, and partying, and getting to know the folks who wander by during the day.



Dave and the others had driven up the day before, and told us that it had been very hot Wednesday and didn't start to cool off till the middle of the night. This wasn't welcome news. I'd packed for both hot and cold days, but I'd taken it for granted that we'd have cool evenings. The predictions were for about 80 in the day and the 40s at night. It turned out the predictions were about right. It got cold as hell Thursday night, and we were able to cuddle up and keep toasty in the sack. The second night was a bit warmer, but we were still very comfortable.

Anyway, My job when we got there was to find the camp site and start unpacking and setting up our tents. Mark has always used one of mine, and it's just easier and quicker for me to set it up. First thing I do is set out the ground cloth for the larger tent Denise and I will be using and use it as a work space to set up the smaller one. I stake it out so it doesn't blow away. Denise took these shots by the way. Nice steady hand.



This smaller tent is a "two man" North Face Tadpole. It's my backpacking tent. I used it a few times on trips in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. It's light as a feather, which is key to luggin' it on your back for miles and miles. I do fit in it, barely, but Mark fits in it perfectly. It has a very low profile, so the wind doesn't mess with it very much out here in the desert.



For some reason, the ground cloth for this one is always stuck together like this. I have to peal it apart and then hook it to the bottom of the tent (you can see it there, laying on it's back). The ground cloths for both of these tents are made to fit these tents, but purchased separately. They're called "Footprints", and they're a nice companion to the tent, helping to protect the bottom of the tent from sharp objects that can ruin your day out here.



Once it's set up, with the footprint attached to the bottom, you can lift it with one hand (well, I can), and shake it to get the dust and dirt out of it. That's one of the main advantages of one of these free standing tents. I learned to do this on canoe trips in the Ozarks, back in the '80s, when you invariably need to shake the sand out of your tent from time to time. The first tent I ever used was a Timberland A-frame. Those things were nice, but the A-frames always seemed cramped to me. These newer designs with bowed aircraft aluminum poles really open up the space in a tent and are a blast to put up and sleep in. Ad to that a lot of mesh to allow a breeze to blow through and allow you to see the stars at night, and you really can't have a bad time.



The one Denise and I slept in is my latest purchase. It's officially a "four man" tent, picked up at the R.E.I. store in Austin a few years ago.

Here's where I'll explain a basic fact about buying a tent that most experienced campers know, but nobody tells you when you go out to look for your first one in the store. The terms "two man" and "four man" are misnomers. In fact, a "two man" tent is usually just big enough to fit one normal sized person comfortably with all their gear. A "four Man" is perfect for two people. I'm sure there are two smaller folks out there who could fit comfortably into that Tadpole, but not the critter you see in the picture above. They don't have the Sasquatch in mind when they make these designations.

The "four man" baby you see above is a nice home away from home. It has a lot of mesh, including that thin stretch near the floor, and only two main poles. This makes it quick and easy to put up and breezy to sleep in. The short pole on the top helps pooch out the mesh roof. The gear loft in the roof is a must-have thing. I cannibalized it from my last "four man" tent and wouldn't be without one. It's great to be able to toss things like water bottles and flashlights up there and have them easily within reach at any time.

The Pier-1 grass mat on the ground is my door mat. I learned to do that on canoe trips too. It's nice to have a mat there when you're camping on a sandy river bank, so you can stand there and take to river shoes off and not get your feet all cruddy. It's also nice to be able to step out the front door at 3 or 4 in the AM and take a piss into the bushes right off the door mat. Aaaaa, civilization.

So, based on my experience, here's the five step process for setting up the proper sleeping area in your tent.



First, take out the battery powered blower and inflate your queen sized air bed. The first time I saw a guy using one of these on a camping trip it was a revelation. I was using an old army foam mat at the time. I went to Wal Mart as soon as the trip was over and I've never gone back to that army foam since. Now, a nice Thermarest pad on a backpacking trip is another matter. Those are very comfortable in the right moment. I have two good thick ones, and Mark used one of them on this trip. I usually use a twin sized air bed when I'm on my own, but I was setting up for two this time, so I went to Target last week and got a Queen. It worked out perfectly.



Second step, spread out a good goose down duvet over the air mattress.



Third step, cover the duvet with a good flannel sheet. It's a cheap duvet, ordered from The Sportsman's Guide years ago, and some of the feathers poke through. Otherwise I wouldn't be taking it on camping trips. The flannel sheet solves the feather poking issue perfectly.



Fourth step, cover the bed with an old sheet set. I slept on these sheets for years when I lived in an apartment and slept in an old queen sized bed. They're still good. Love the paisley design. Would love to find some just like them and put them on the king I sleep on now.



Last step, toss on some pillows and a down comforter in an old flannel cover. That's Denise there on the left, checking to see if she has a phone signal. Turns out only a few of us with Cingular had service out here in the boonies. I kept the thing turned off most of the time, to save the batteries.

Anyway...



After all that I was worn to a frazzle. It's work doin' this stuff right, I wanna tell ya, but it's worth it to sleep in soft comfort with the stars above ya and the cool breezes blowin' in. Makes you appreciate all those folks who went on safari back in the day and had a lot of "special help" to set everything up and tote their shit around. Of course, it used to be a lot easier to set up camp just for me, but it's even better to have someone to cuddle with. Almost makes it a perfect experience. Nice change.

Well, the next installment will probably descend into stories about good food, home made booze, and other adult fun. I'll try not to keep you waiting too long. Cheers.