May the 4th be with you
Went out to Arrowrock for a quick overnight to take advantage of the two days of beautiful weather we’re getting. Here’s the obligatory eye candy of the drive.
This trip was very hastily planned. You see, I have been looking forward to taking Hailie camping since I first bought the tent, but our schedules and weather hadn’t aligned until this week. I had been talking about it for weeks and we both were looking forward to getting out with the dogs and being unplugged for a minute. Then, on Monday, she texted me.
“I have to do a half day on Wednesday. I don’t want you to be mad.”
“I’m not mad, I’m just still going.”
So instead of doing a Tuesday overnight, I got home from work around 6:30 and knew I had a little over 2 hours of sunlight to find a spot, and it takes me 90 minutes to get out to Arrowrock. I hopped in a shower, Hailie packed me a dinner, and I grabbed some firewood on the way out of town.
Let’s back up for a moment. You should, in no situation, go out and think that the minor amount of gear that I did is good enough for a camping trip. In addition to the tent, I have been getting the inside of the car equally prepared to camp responsibly and leave no trace behind. The beauty of having no children is not having any consideration for the leg room provided to the back seat, so that area has become a toolbox of sorts.
Driver Side
GRÄNSFORS Small Forest Axe
Silky BIGBOY Saw x2
Cold Steel SF Shovel
Manfrotto TriPod
DJI Mavic Air 2 w/ spare batteries
Pocket hammock x2 (under seat)
Passenger Side
Collapsible sun visor
Pickle Rick Pouch
Welly Bravery Badges
Road Snacks (jerky, protein bars, etc…)
Mandalorian Pouch
External battery
Charging cables (Lighting, USB-C, Apple Watch)
P320
Pen flashlight
64 oz. water
Rear Hatch
IFAK
Fire extinguisher
Storage compartment
Collapsible chair x2
Nylon rope
Ear Pro x3
3M Extreme Hold Duct Tape
Canvas firewood tote
As a mode of transportation, I have my car very specifically built for the lifestyle I am trying to create for my family. Having a sense of preparedness my seem excessive to some, but to me it gives me peace of mind knowing that I’m only a quick decision away from a night of camping.
The car was ready to go, I had my destination, and I started my drive. I decided that I wanted to preserve as much daylight as I could, so I settled on a spot where I could drive up to an existing fire pit. Fortunately, I knew where a few were on a shore because of the trip I took with my mom last week.
I got my chair from the back, got a fire built up, and just enjoyed the evening taking a few pictures and listening to my audiobook of Armada while I waited for the light show to start.
The stars out by Arrowrock are beautiful on a clear night, and I got really fortunate with the break in weather we had in the valley. After the fire was down to the last log, I drowned it out and called it a night. With no firewood for the morning, I decided to wait only for the sunrise before making my way back home. I’m one of those weird early riser people, and one of the best parts of camping is I’m typically the only one awake to enjoy the sunrise, and this morning’s didn’t disappoint.
Camping should be easy. This is a piece of cake.
Until next time.
-Chris
