Camping On My Own

When our family went camping, it always turned into a massive production. We had a 22-foot screened tent that served as our family meal area, and each family member had their own tent or camper setup. It was reminiscent of a family commune. I didn’t truly appreciate the contributions that each family member made to our camping adventures until I found myself setting up a campsite entirely on my own.

This particular trip took us to Willow Mills for the weekend. The Exchange Club was hosting a fish boil on Friday night, so I was tasked with bringing up the camper, along with the three little kids and the dog, and setting up the site for our short adventure.

During this trip, I came to realize a few things:

• The green “kitchen” that stored all of the silverware, plates, spices, paper towels, etc., was incredibly useful. It was unfortunate that it was one of Mom’s contributions.
• The stove, which we used to cook all our meals, was indispensable. Unfortunately, it was one of Judy’s contributions.
• Having someone to make a campfire for cooking when a stove wasn’t available was invaluable. Sadly, this was one of Lisa’s contributions.
• Having someone to back the camper into position at the campsite was very helpful. Regrettably, this was one of Dad’s contributions.

Setting up the camper itself wasn’t difficult. I had that part figured out. However, organizing the interior took up most of my time. With a family of five in a small pop-up, we had to maximize the available space. The kids had clothes and toys that needed storage, in addition to the adult clothes and necessities. There were bins to organize with clothes, storage shelves to assemble and place on the counter with their respective storage bins, and beds to organize. And that was just the inside. There was also work to be done outside.

Unfortunately, I had to figure out how to make dinner for the kids and myself without the stove, which meant getting a fire going.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to back the camper into position. I managed to drive through another site to get things positioned correctly. However, I did have to keep track of three little kids while setting up the camper, not to mention keeping an eye on the dog to prevent her from getting into trouble.

Lisa was always the one in charge of starting and maintaining the fire. I had never done that part of the camping excursions. Well, I gave it a shot and managed to produce something that would’ve been great for sending smoke signals, but not so great for cooking. The neighboring site must have taken pity on me because they hollered, “Hey Smokey Joe, why don’t you come over here and cook your dinner?”

I was mortified but relieved. I was able to cook dinner and feed the kids, but I decided that camping on my own without the family was not the enjoyable experience I had envisioned.

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