Let The Countdown Begin!

[Rani Zemirah]

KP,  I think I would probably rather just have a one piece base, because I tend to move around in my sleep, and turn over a lot... and since my bed isn't shared (meaning there would be no one to "anchor" the other side) I would be a little nervous of having the two cots separate and dump me on the floor in the middle of the night while I'm turning!  That would just be no fun at all!    lol  I suppose I could lash the legs together... but it seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through when I can just get the full platform. 

Besides, the small, well made cots aren't cheap, either!  If I'm going to have to spend the same amount of money anyway I might as well get what I want...    I did just find the queen size cot for $102 on overstock.com, though... and that's almost $40 cheaper than Cabela's.  I love the internet...    heheh

[<Alex>]

  The queen sized cots are great.   We got one after our air matress kept deflating, leaving us on the freezing cold ground.  The air matress in the cot kept deflating too, so we improvised one weekend and brought out this old futon mattress we had jammed into a closet a while back.

     It was the best night of sleep at faire we'd ever had.  It's the perfect size for the cot. No having to fiddle with air pumps.  No leaks.  No uneveness.  When we're ready to go, we just roll it up and use some bungie chords to keep it tight. 

[Rani Zemirah]

I've been camping with air mattresses for years... and I haven't had problems with them more than once or twice.  Of course, you can't predict a leaky valve, or getting a pinhole in the mattress... but buying a decent brand is usually the best way to keep from ending up on the ground.  I've had great luck with Coleman, of course... and years ago I had an Intex that was wonderful... but when they changed the valve style the just became crap.  I will only use Coleman, now. 

I use an air mattress at home, as well, because I like being able to adjust the firmness of my mattress to ensure my comfort level while I sleep.  I had constant back pain for years, every day, and I thought it was from an old injury... but I started sleeping on an air mattress and it went away within a couple of weeks.  Now I can't even imagine going back to an inner spring mattress.   I like not having pressure on my hips and shoulders. 

I do bring my 2" memory foam mattress topper, also.  It helps insulate against the ground cold, and the cold air in the mattress, itself.  I also bring carpets for the floor of the tent, because when you have to get up in the middle of the night and make a privy run it's no fun to put your bare feet down on a freezing cold polyurethane floor!  The carpets make searching for your shoes MUCH less painful!  It's also nice to have something soft to stand on while garbing in the morning, as well!


I LIKE comfort camping... 

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

42!!

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

Six weeks... Damn.

[Bonny Pearl]

Starting to get real lol!!  So not prepared!  I know it will be last minute craziness getting it together...

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

Even with my "simplified" camp, I'm still about to spin up into a frenzy.  No time and not enough money.  Kilts & my Jacobite shirt are of to the cleaners.. Have to oil my bracers and belts.

[Rani Zemirah]

I think I'm actually going to make a "list" this year, just so we will hopefully end up with MOST of the things we will need once we get there!  We'll see how well it works...  LOL 

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

41!!

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

I think I'm actually going to make a "list" this year, just so we will hopefully end up with MOST of the things we will need once we get there!  We'll see how well it works...  LOL

I've tried lists before and end up STILL forgetting stuff... Lol

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

Note to self... GET YOUR DAMN KILTS OUT!!

[LadyJessica]

For all those people saying that thay are getting a new tent, remember to get it early enough that if you're missing poles or something else you can get the part.  Also remember to seal the seams and waterproof your tent before camping.  I can tell you a story or two about people who forgot to do that a time or two an ended up with a leaky tent from the morning dew.

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

For all those people saying that thay are getting a new tent, remember to get it early enough that if you're missing poles or something else you can get the part.  Also remember to seal the seams and waterproof your tent before camping.  I can tell you a story or two about people who forgot to do that a time or two an ended up with a leaky tent from the morning dew.

I can testify to this.  The first year I camped it was raining INSIDE my tent, from dew... The sound water dripping on my sleeping bag put me back to sleep for a while...

[Rani Zemirah]

I think I'm actually going to make a "list" this year, just so we will hopefully end up with MOST of the things we will need once we get there!  We'll see how well it works...  LOL

I've tried lists before and end up STILL forgetting stuff... Lol

I know, Fraser!  I do it whether I make a list, or not... and half the time I end up losing the damn list, itself, and having to start from scratch!  LOL  I think it might be the actual MAKING of the list, though, that helps me to remember things I might otherwise not even have thought about in the first place.  And if I start now, and just keep the little mini notebook with me all the time in my bag, then anytime I'm out somewhere and see or think of something that would be good to bring I can just jot it down.  That way, around the 3rd week of Sept. I can sit down and go through all of the "dream camp kitchen sink" crap I have on there, and whittle it down to just necessities in a separate list... and then fill it back in with "practical" comforts and luxuries.  Then maybe I'll compare all of these different lists, and consider the amount of space we have to carry gear in...

.. and then I will proceed to forget at LEAST 10 things I really wanted to bring... discover at least 5 things that I don't even remember packing... and have an amazing time no matter WHAT I end up taking, because in the end, it's really all of you that we're going for.. and a weekend of Faire is the icing on the cake!   

For all those people saying that thay are getting a new tent, remember to get it early enough that if you're missing poles or something else you can get the part.  Also remember to seal the seams and waterproof your tent before camping.  I can tell you a story or two about people who forgot to do that a time or two an ended up with a leaky tent from the morning dew.

Jess... we're getting a new tent, and we will definitely be seam-sealing it!  Don't need to check for parts on ours, though, because I'm (pretty sure) I've settled on the Wenzel Airpitch 15' x 9' inflatable tent, with no poles or rainfly to get lost or broken/torn!  At least, I'm wanting to try it out, so we'll give it a chance.  If it stands up to AHE then it will definitely be a keeper... and if not, well... we've always got the van in an emergency... and too many amazing friends and Fairemily to let us freeze!   

For all those people saying that thay are getting a new tent, remember to get it early enough that if you're missing poles or something else you can get the part.  Also remember to seal the seams and waterproof your tent before camping.  I can tell you a story or two about people who forgot to do that a time or two an ended up with a leaky tent from the morning dew.

I can testify to this.  The first year I camped it was raining INSIDE my tent, from dew... The sound water dripping on my sleeping bag put me back to sleep for a while...

We've been there, also, Frazer!  It's not at ALL fun to feel the mist falling on you in the middle of the night, and realizing that it really IS coming from the ceiling mesh, and you haven't somehow wandered out into the rain... and all your bedding is at least very damp, if not soaked.  I usually try to bring a couple of fleece throws to toss up over the mesh, under both the rain fly and an extra tarp, when I know it's going to be damp/raining/foggy/misty out, though.  The fleece will either absorb or repel a lot of water (if it's been treated with water resistant spray), and won't let it pass through very easily, and it ads an extra barrier against cold wind in the fall/winter. 

That's another reason I want to try out this tent.  It's got windows, but no rainfly, and no mesh ceiling... so we'll see how it does when it's hot out, also.  One way or another we will find our new tent! 

[KeeperoftheBar]

(drumroll pleasae)

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