That Uncomfortable Feeling You Get When You Know You Forgot Something.
Every camper knows that moment. After arriving at your site and arranging your gear, "Whoops. I think I forgot my..."
The outdoors is full of unexpected moments that make an adventure worthwhile.
I dragged my kayak well onto the sand above the overnight high tide line. On a previous trip to this beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore, we nearly learned the value of this wisdom the hard way. Meanwhile, my partner, Chav, already had his tent set up while I unloaded the last of my kit from my boat. But wait, there it was, that uncomfortable gnawing. I wasn't sure what, but I was missing something.
I’d assemble my tent and deal with the mystery when it revealed itself. This was a good plan until I realized what was missing: my tent.
The overnight forecast was a little chilly in the low forties, and there'd be early morning showers. I was fine sleeping under the stars, but this was shaping up to be an uncomfortable night. Luckily, I trusted my Rab Neutrino 600 sleeping bag. It was a bulletproof recent addition to my gear, and I was confident it would do a great job keeping my tent warm in the bed of Chav's Tacoma parked back in the motel's lot!
Yup, no bag, no tent. Chav and I shared a hardy laugh, though he'd be toasty in his slender one-person dome. Time to improvise. Here's what I did with his generosity:
From ground cover to bivy tent. Chav gave me the oversized footprint he used below his tent and several leftover stakes. I was in business! After securing one end of the ground cover with the stakes, I used a three-foot stick and a guyline to prop the other end and fastened down the front corners. Look at that; it had no floor, but it was home!
This will never trend as a sleep system. As for my sleeping bag, I'd have a down-filled rest after all. Chav sacrificed the NorthFace jacket I gifted him only the day before. It was a snug fit over my fleece, but it even had a hood. For my legs, I zipped up my Marmut coat and slid my legs in at the waist, my feet burrowing into the arm holes. Winner!
It wasn't the most comfortable night's rest. I wiggled on the sand like a beached fish, attempting to get the two jackets to meet in the middle. But when the morning light spilled into the makeshift tent, I smiled grandly when I heard the raindrops tapping on the walls of my Nylon palace.
Every trip goes differently than planned. Once, on a backpacking trip, my fuel canister failed, resulting in a cold dinner and NO COFFEE. Argghhh. But to make up for the cold food, I experience unexpected cool things on every trip. I do my best to prepare (I now have a super light stove I carry as a backup) and lean into the unexpected. It's kinda why we're out there, right?