Last night, I set out to test my winter camping gear and survival skills. It was well after dark when I started walking up the road by my house out into the countryside. A cold wind greeted me and made me shiver. I wrapped up in my winter coat and held my head low to shield it from the wind. My heavy backpack kept my back warm. The pace of my hiking warmed me up and soon I was sweating.
Out spring road I trekked. I walked a few miles and then off the road up into the woods. I pulled out my flashlight and began to set up my Kelty tent. I had to clear the ground of limbs and rocks to get a flat surface to pitch it upon.
After pitching my tent, I settled in and made myself at home. It was too dark to look for wood for a fire and I couldn’t carry any with me so last night was fireless. I would have welcomed the warm glow and feel of a fire last night. A fire can be such a trusty and comforting companion when you are all alone in the woods; especially on a very chilly night. It was probably too windy for one anyway.
The hardest part of cold weather camping is keeping your hands and feet warm. Despite my heavy wool socks and hiking boots my feet soon grew cold. I pulled off my boots and socks and one by one held and rubbed my feet with my hands until they grew warm. I then lit one of the little “fire sticks” that goes into my hand warmer and it was a welcomed treat keeping my hands toasty warm. If only they had such a contraption for your feet.
I sat for the longest time listening to my radio. I didn’t feel like reading last night for some reason. I soon grew aggravated with the countless and numerous commercials and pulled off my headphones and placed that radio back into my backpack. I probably had gone through all the frequencies a dozen times and couldn’t find anything worth a shit to listen to. The only thing being aired was political talk shows. I find the likes of Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh to be blow-hard fools. Who ever said that the media has a left-wing bias has obviously never listened to AM radio.
What greeted me after putting away my radio was a cold and blustery northerly wind that whipped my tent and rushed through the leaves in the trees above me. Not a living thing could be heard and the lonesomeness of the situation set in. Here I was, all alone in the woods, not a person for miles around; just me and my thoughts. It is in these times I realize why we humans spend so much of our time in pursuit of entertainment or distractions. My mind raced as I went over many memories that made me cringe. So many things have happened to me over these 33 years of my life that I regret. So many wrong decisions. So many opportunities lost. I tried to turn my thoughts to more positive things, but it is so hard to do when you are wallowing in self pity.
I had finally had enough of my thoughts and regrets to last a lifetime. I unrolled my winter sleeping bag and climbed in after taking off all my clothes save my underwear and socks. It took a good thirty minutes before I was warm enough to sleep. I just laid there shivering until my body heat had warmed my bag.
Sleep finally overcame me, but it was a broken sleep. I would get too hot and would have to unzip my bag to cool down. I probably repeated this routine countless times during the night.
I awoke in the morning to frosty air and that brisk northerly wind was still blowing. Not a bird or animal was to be heard. I reached into the side pocket of my backpack to find I had forgotten to fill my water bottles. In my haste to set out the night before, I had forgotten one of the most important things when camping: water. Good fortune was with me though in that I had my pump water filter and the empty bottles with me. I walked down to the nearby creek in the cold morning air and pumped away until I had two bottles full. My serious case of cotton mouth was squelched.
As the sun rose, I had had enough of the cold air and the woods. I longed for my warm apartment and a healthy breakfast. I packed up my gear, pulled on my backpack, and set out down the road for home. Two miles later and after many rambling thoughts, I made it home. I turned on my gas heater and started a pot of coffee. Breakfast soon followed. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast; home at last and it was a successful testing of my gear.
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