Retirement Adventures Blog dot com

Tucson Arizona spring 2015

Four Day Backpacking adventure - day one

Our Crazy Post Retirement Wanderings Hiking and Triking


Backpacking Adventure - Day one part three - Feb 25 - At the campsite

We put up the tents and put our packs in our tents, and made dinner, while we set up the rope to suspend the food up in the air about 50yards from our campsite.

Cheryl figured out the stove and made some dinner, so we ate and cleaned up our dishes. We hoisted the food up in the tree, and by that time it was dark, so we went to bed.

After I inflated my air cushion, I discovered something. The floor of the tent was slippery nylon, as is the air cushion, as is the bottom of the sleeping bag, and slippery surfaces on a slope tend to slide to the lowest point. Hence, for most of the night while I was awake, which was all night I was pushing myself back up and then sliding down. Ug. Lesson learned #1: do not pitch my tent on a slope.....ever.

I dont think I slept a single wink that night. My shoulders were sore from hauling the 30 pound pack that I was not used to, and my legs were also sore, but fortunately my knees were just fine. I didn't have my "wedge" pillow that keeps my head above my body so I won't get acid reflux. Hence the reason to want to pitch my tent on a slope. But I hadn't anticipated that the nylon on nylon surfaces would slide so readily. Ug.

After it got dark it was about 24 degrees. Turns out a cold front blew into the Tucson area just before we went camping, and of course we were at about 7,300 elevation, so outside was about 17 degrees colder than down in the catalina foothills, where it was in the upper 30's. My sleeping bag was rated for 30 farenheit, so I was worried. I wore my jacket, sweater, and base layer, and pants and shorts to bed in the sleeping bag and sleeping bag liner, and of course inside the tent. I was quite cozy. I also had a gaiter around my head as well to stay warm.

I had a lot of trouble getting comfortable, but I figured that it was just the sliding down the slope and constantly pushing myself back up.

I was in bed for 12 hours that night, so I guess I replaced sleep with bed rest. When I woke up in the morning, I didn't feel tired. Go figure.

  picture 1
Information Sharing in the wanderers' community
  • Read next blog entry
  • Return to home page

  • email feedback to: trikerbiker73@outlook.com

    note it has been said that not all that wander are lost

    Last Update: March 13, 2015

    Copyright 2015 all rights reserved