I camped at home the past weekend. Instead of going to West Virginia, I decided to camp on the deck. I did this I think last year, when I was totally
inexperienced with being outdoor. This time around, I have better equipment and I did not run into the house in the middle of the night when it got cold. I tough it out and actually I was not cold at all!
The weather was nice. It was perfect temperature to be outdoor. 30-40F degrees (around 1 C at night). I could see my breath.
I was walking home on Saturday from the restaurant. I had decided to ditch the car for the weekend because just out of being sentimental of the time before I had a car, I walked everywhere. Since I had a car two years ago, I rarely walked to local stores any more.
So as I was walking home after going out for dinner, it got quite cold, and it was dark. The section of the street I was on has no treetlights. I started to feel I was out in the woods hiking. The idea struck that I could camp outside that night when I got home.
I gathered my tent, two sleeping bags (they were only rated 32 / 0C), a duffle bag and a jacket, tarp, pad, flashlight’s lol like like, and a headlamp. All my stuffs are always ready to go. I know how to pack now. Even before I got home, I was already making my list.
It was interesting to compare to the first time I set up a tent on the deck. Now it was second nature to me. I just knew what to do at each step and in no time my tent was up and everything was set. My neighbors out of curiousity poke their heads out their porch to watch me. I had an audience. They left their porch light on, and that kind of kill the mood, while I was using my headlamp. You can’t have everything with urban camping. They did turn them off near midnight.
I followed camper guideline by hitting the sack at camper midnight (8/9 pm). It did got colder as the night deepen. I brought more than enough. I didn’t even have to put on my thermo underwear. I had double sleeping bag, one for padding (what luxury) and another to sleep in. Because I didn’t have to carry as when I go on backpacking, I got an air mattress too on top of my thermo-foam pad. The night was comfortable. Sunrise, it got lighted early around 5:30, I guess earlier than when I recall. Normally I thought it won’t be lighted until 7-7:30. I was up, and refreshed.
Then it was like camping, packing up. Everything … The tent cover, tarp had to be air dry. So I left things out on the deck to dry.
Later in the day, I went to a local trail and watched sunset. That capped my outdoor urban weekend.
(End Day 20)
In awe 