Well, it's raining outside and really wanted to pitch the tent I received with my gear today. I feel like I should pitch this tent at least one time before I carry it several thousand miles away and live in it for a month. I'm one of those people who can be difficult to stop once I get an idea in my head. So, I decided to just pitch the tent in the family room. After all, we have the space and no one was around to stop me.
Claude uses a rainy day as an excuse to pitch a tent indoors.
Now I realize that it's not a space shuttle or anything, but putting up a tent has its specifics. So, I looked at the box and figured out to put it together. I found the directions in a bag later, after I had successfully completed the task at hand. Which reinforces the idea that this is not a task that requires a degree in astrophysics.
So with the tent up, there was nothing left to do but crawl inside and check it out. It's spacious by two-man tent standards. I can sit in it comfortably and it looks large enough to sleep in. Of course, I realize that all the little things I pack will also have to fit in the tent. Hmm… that leaves quite a bit less room for sleeping or sitting. That's incentive to pack less for sure. It has a high ceiling and cross ventilation. The seams are taped and the nylon is coated for rain proofing. There is a small shield by the door to keep rain and wind at bay. All in all, it looks like a sound home away from home.
Claude Larson sits in side her tent to imagine how it will look with her gear inside. It feels spacious today.
I think that if everyone had to live in a tent like this for a month, they would come to realize what is important and what really isn't. It would be a challenge to be sure to do without our creature comforts. I have a friend who always says, "Our necessities are too luxurious and our luxuries are too necessary." I imagine that the word luxury will take on new meaning at our Kamchatka base camp.
Eureka! Claude's found gold in her gear pile as she pitches her tent for Kamchatka.
That being said, the tent is safely packed in its original bag and ready for travel. It is now part of the growing gear pile that has taken over our living room. At least I have the luxury of having a space to keep all the stuff that is rapidly accumulating for this adventure.