Chamblee54

“Hey! New member here. I‘m going on the upcoming retreat in Tennessee, and am wondering if anyone has extra room in their tent for this newbie. Let me know. Looking forward to my first trip with the group.” This message came up on facebook the other day. As might have been expected, some of the replies were not supportive. Going on a camp out, without adequate equipment, is not a good look. The phrase “camping without a flashlight” comes to mind.
PG came into the discussion late, which is probably a good thing. A man who tells the truth should keep one foot in the saddle. Luther Mckinnon Whether or not you have a tent, you will need a tarp. It is almost certain to rain.
____ ___ I’m not making it to this one, but I’m new to this kind of camping (used to desert camping). I’m happy to break off another thread for any tips and whatnot, because I do (eventually – finance, time, and ability allowing) plan to make it. How do you keep your tent dry when it rains? Is there stuff in addition to a tarp? How is that used? Do you have links or articles you can refer to so those of us seasoned with camping can brush up on this environment?
Luther Mckinnon 1 – There is no level ground where you are going. Most places will be downhill in some way, and if it rains hard enough, all bets are off.
2 – Get a tarp that is bigger than your tent. 16′ x 20′ should do it. Get some plastic tent stakes, rope, string, and a couple of packs of bungee cords. Get something plastic to put under your tent, to keep the ground moisture out. A plastic dropcloth usually works.
3 – Set up your tent somewhere, and put the tarp over it, before you go to TN. You might make a few mistakes. There is a learning curve.
4 – Go to the short end of your tarp. Find the grommet in the middle. Tie a brightly colored string in this grommet. This way, you can tell easily which side is the shorter side, and which grommet is in the middle. You get tired of counting grommets.
5 – Set your tent up. put rocks around the corners of the area your tent will be setting. Go over this area, and remove all rocks and branches. There will probably be roots to work around.
6 – Spread the tarp over the tent. Take some bungee cords, and go from the front corner to a tree. There are lots and lots of trees. The idea is to have the front of your tarp sticking up a bit, so that the rain will slope down, and fall off the tarp. You do not want the rain to puddle.
7 – Go to the back of the tent, and stake the tarp down to the ground. You want to cover the entire tent, with a foot, or so, of overhang.
This is a facebook post, not an instruction manual. There is probably something left out. Someone will have another way to do all this. Camping methods are like opinions and assholes.
The thread mentioned a stash of tents in the barn. The last time PG was there, he had a faulty shock cord on his tent. He went looking through a medusa-like mass of shock cords. PG quickly gave up on finding anything usable. He did not look in the goat boutique.
A person going to the facility is likely to suffer culture shock the first time. The last thing this person needs is find a usable tent, in the caprine chaos of the barn. Walmart is an option. You might get lucky at a yard sale. Whatever you do, it is a good idea to set the tent up at home first. That way, if you have to struggle to understand the instructions, you can figure it out when you are not in an unfamiliar environment. Pictures today are from The Library of Congress.