Just a quick report on a little adventure that might lead to multiple new adventures.
But first - how we got here 😀
Camping - I love it! I grew up camping in many places across the country, usually in one of those VERY heavy canvas tents that took forever to assemble. Those were the tents we were all told to NEVER touch the sides of because the morning dew on the tent would suddenly leak inside if we did.
When Cherilyn and I got married we both thought camping would be an enjoyable family activity, so we bought a family tent to begin our adventures with. We did enjoy some tent camping and some we did NOT. LOL see EARLIER POST for the details of how and why we jumped to a 5th wheel for our camping experiences.
So, after several years of wonderful 5th wheel camping, I regressed but with a twist - enter the movie that did for camping what Jaws did for beach going, From 1972 - DELIVERANCE
My enjoyment of river floating led to kayak camping. First tried on a 5 day float in 2020 down the Niangua.
This trip broadened my outlook of just how to camp because so many were using hammocks. I had a perception that sleeping in a hammock was not as comfortable as tent camping with an inflatable mat.
(I had for this trip found a great deal on a cot to go with the mat I already had)
So, last year I was all set to head out on another multi-day camping float, this time prepared to hang. It turned out to be a great experience.
I would use the system another time that summer helping out for a few days with the young men from church on their camp out. Heading into fall, I went on another float trip and this time added an underquilt and a top shield, (replaces the bug net with a solid material and vents) to help out with cooler weather.
For Christmas, I got a 20 degree topquilt. This made me consider camping in colder weather. This is where the crazy comes in. Can you see the regression from a heated and cooled RV with an actual bed and the comforts of a toilet and shower? LOL
Now, I know the ratings on the equipment I have and extreme cold is NOT covered. I was comfortable planning a trip down to 30 degrees but no more. At the time of the trip planning, that was the low, however, as the date grew near, the temps kept changing. In spite of this, we went anyway! The day of the hike in was in the mid 50's so it was quite pleasant, however, it began to get chilly as we ate dinner. Waking up the next morning was VERY cold! Enjoy the video below to see the adventure and decide if I am getting crazy. Note: I ordered a new 0 degree underquilt to deal with future cold camping!
