Camp Life, Comfort & a Few Characters

Parts 1 and 2 were about the experiment and the numbers.

Part 3 is about what it was actually like to live in my little traveling cabin for three nights.

Because you can plan a setup in the driveway all you want.

Then you actually live in it.

That's when you learn things.

And sometimes the campground provides its own entertainment along the way. 😂

The campground staff was wonderful to me.

They allowed me to arrive at my site early, which gave me extra daylight to get settled, watch the movement of the sun and begin figuring out where my portable solar blanket would work best.

That early arrival helped me understand the site's solar window before the real testing even began.

Later, the staff also brought my bags of firewood directly to my campsite.

A small courtesy? Maybe.

But when you're camping alone, those little acts of kindness are noticed and appreciated.

My inexpensive side awning was another part of the experiment.

I wanted shade, additional outdoor living space and eventually some protection from rain.

One of the first pleasant surprises was how easy it was for me to set up and take down by myself. My small step stool made reaching everything much easier, and after doing it a couple of times, I had the routine figured out.

When rain was forecast, I added extra stakes and tie-downs because I wanted to see how it handled actual weather.

I prepared.

I reinforced.

I waited.

The forecast changed.

Then it changed again.

We got a few sprinkles.

And that was about it. 😂

So I'm not going to claim something I didn't test.

What I can say is that the awning was manageable for me alone, provided useful shade and gave me considerably more living space outside the van.

The rain test would have to wait for another adventure.

During the trip, my 12V refrigerator was sitting at the foot of my cot.

It fit there, so when I originally arranged the van, it seemed perfectly reasonable.

Then I lived with it for three nights.

The refrigerator gives off heat while it's running, and I realized I'd placed that heat right beside my sleeping area.

It was also occupying exactly the space my feet wanted when I stretched out.

I didn't rearrange everything at the campground. I made a mental note.

When I got home, the refrigerator moved to the front passenger seat.

One change solved two problems: the heat moved away from my sleeping area, and I got the entire foot of my cot back.

Apparently the refrigerator and I just needed separate bedrooms. 😂

My original cot mattress got me through all three nights.

It worked.

But three nights was also plenty of time for my body to file an official complaint. 😂

The trip told me I wanted more cushioning.

When I got home, a new 4-inch foam mattress and a new pillow went into the van. The difference was immediate.

And after thinking about longer trips, I was already considering going thicker in the future.

That's exactly why I wanted a short test trip before heading farther away.

Sometimes you don't know what needs changing until you've actually slept on it, stepped around it, stretched around it and lived with it for several days.

The trip didn't tell me to rebuild the van.

It told me:

Move the refrigerator and improve the bed.

I'll take that as a win.

One of my favorite things about camping is observing how differently people do it.

We all arrive in the woods with completely different definitions of “camping.”

There was the couple with the leaf blower.

Their campsite preparation apparently included removing the forest floor from the forest. 😂

Leaves and debris were carefully blown from their campsite and into the campground road.

Later, campground maintenance arrived with an industrial-size blower, traveled up and down the road...

…and blew it all back.

I couldn't have written a better ending.

Different camping styles.

Some of us apparently prefer our forests with leaves. 😂

Then there was Generator Man.

Generator Man was dependable.

Every afternoon at approximately 4:00 PM, like clockwork, the generator started.

And it generally continued until somewhere around 8:00 or 9:00 PM.

After a couple of days, I didn't need a watch.

Generator Man had apparently taken responsibility for announcing late afternoon. 😂

Meanwhile, I was sitting at my campsite moving a solar blanket around, watching wattage numbers and recording battery percentages.

Different camping styles.

And that's part of what makes campgrounds interesting.

Then there was the floodlight.

Because apparently there are occasions when camping under the stars requires enough illumination to land a small aircraft. 😂

And an elderly gentleman arrived with his tiny camper.

Backing it into his campsite became an event.

There were attempts.

There were corrections.

There were more attempts.

At some point you stop pretending you're not watching.

Let's just say campground entertainment doesn't always require reservations. 😂

I also brought my e-bike.

I never took it off the carrier.

And I'm completely okay with that.

I had it if I wanted it. I simply didn't need it.

That's another lesson worth remembering:

Having an option doesn't mean you have to use it.

Sometimes being prepared simply means having choices.

You can buy equipment.

You can plan.

You can read reviews.

You can calculate watts.

You can study weather forecasts.

But eventually you have to go somewhere and actually live with your setup.

That's what these three nights gave me.

I learned how my Jackery and solar system performed in real conditions.

I learned how dramatically trees and changing sunlight affected portable solar.

I learned that my awning was manageable by myself.

I learned that refrigerator placement mattered, both for heat and precious sleeping space.

I learned exactly what I wanted to improve about my bed.

I learned I didn't have to use every piece of equipment simply because I brought it.

And I learned that my little traveling cabin worked.

There were things to refine. There were things to change.

But I didn't finish the trip thinking:

Can I really do this?

I finished it thinking:

Where am I going next?

And somewhere, I'm pretty sure Generator Man is firing up his generator.

Check your watch.

It's probably 4:00. 😂