So, if you think back to your first camping experience what makes it memorable to you? What makes you say 'oh geez, that was cool' or 'what were we thinking'?
Well for some it will be a time you will never forget, one you hope to one day recreate with your own kids. For others it may be an experience you hope to never repeat, a dreaded nightmare you hope fades from your eternal memory for all existence...
For me, my first camping experience with my daughter Steph was somewhere in between, at the time perhaps not as hilarious as looking back on it now. A moment though I would never change. Sometimes even the experiences that leave you shaking your head are there to teach you something. In my case my lesson was kindling...bring bloody kindling, um and maybe an axe...oh and some dry wood too!
So I decided to take Steph down south to Dwellingup, a spot I often camped at with her Dad in my late teens. My daughter was around 6 years old, brimming with excitement and planning her list of what to pack weeks in advance. Her list would usually have a draft, a second copy and a final copy until she was ready to tick each item off during packing. Apparently at 6 its all about the list...truth be told the list still remains 11 years on and I'm not complaining, she's organised and helps keep me on track :)
So maybe that's a hot tip for you all...always create a list!!
Once we were packed I made sure I had brought more items than we would ever use, including a very welcomed gift of toilet paper from my Mum and Dad (Grandma and Grandpa)...and we were on the road. A short drive from Perth but just long enough to play our mixed tape (CD). Music ranging from Bodyjar to Hillary Duff, a couple of stops along the way with a few games of spotto and we were there.
As we headed in to our campsite there was a tree with firewood packed and bagged underneath with an honesty box for payment...so we decided we obviously needed a campfire (I had promised toasted marshmallows) and grabbed some wood, left our cash and off we went.
Arriving at our chosen camping spot, which was isolated we spent several moments moving from site to site to ensure we had the perfect camping experience. When we were finally settled, up went the tent. This was easy, a dome tent just perfect for us both. Steph helped with the poles making sure to instruct me where everything went. Sleeping bags in, car unpacked...Yay tent up, now time to explore.
I cant quite remember what month we went yet I do know it drizzled a bit and was very cool in the evening. The days though were warm enough for a splash amongst the rock pools. It was beautiful. We wandered the bush, played hide and seek amongst the karri and jarrah trees, so tall they drew your eyes up towards the clouds. As the sun set it was time for dinner.
Now to light this fire! Wood, check, lighter, check, newspaper, check, fire...negative. Well what I hadn't considered is that due to a bit of rain recently the wood was wet, chopped into large chunks and we only a handful of kindling at the bottom of the bag. No worries I thought, so in went all the right bits to make the fire...I had open fires/pot bellies in most homes I had lived in, so i had this. I placed the kindling in the fire pit and carefully lit it. As a flame formed I placed the large pieces of wood on top...within a few seconds, poof out went the flame. This continued for some time before we became hungry and I resorted to using a little coal bbq from Bunnings to make our dinner. Steph's face told me food was needed and it was needed now!
Once we were fed and back to being campers we started again with the fire, with no success and sadly using all the newspaper and kindling. Steph was ready for bed, but i had promised toasted marshmallows and I wasn't about to give up....so out came the toilet paper. I placed it in the fire pit and burned enough to make a flame. 1, 2, 3, 4 marshmallows. Steph eyes lit up and we laughed...so incredibly hard as there was no campfire just a small amount of toilet paper racing amongst the marshmallows to ensure they were toasted just right...no campfire, yet mission accomplished. Luckily my prepared parents encouraged us to take another roll of toilet paper when we stopped by on our trip.
By this time there were a couple of other campers nearby. A young man who was camping with his family came over, at first I was a little on guard. Bush, stranger, no phone recepetion...he asked if we were ok, "Yes, of course I said, we are toasting marshmallows". I'm sure if i had any light around us I would of seen him loosing it with laughter (I could sort of sense this through the darkness) yet instead he said his daughter was asking if there were smoke signals over there...pointing to our campfire. Then I realised how we must of looked toasting marshmallows over toilet paper. His kid was concerned so he said he would come over and check. I think he took pity on us when I explained it was our first solo trip and I wanted to make it really special. With this he offered to light our camp fire, I explained about the wet wood. This didn't matter he had an axe, dry wood and kindling, he must of been a scout or something...so prepared and all...or maybe just a little more of a seasoned pro than me! I thanked our hero and off he went into the now camp lit night...
So with camp fire lit, Steph tucked up snug in her sleeping bag with me determined to enjoy the fire this kind stranger had formed I realised how spooky the forest can be at night on your own. I must of been tugging at my eyelids to stay open just so I could pay respect to this beautiful fire in front of me yet soon I had to give in and retire to my sleeping bag too.
Most would think, what an ordeal...I don't want to ever camp again! Yet we woke up, me with a sore back from the hard ground and Steph excited for our next adventure...and we were back to being contestants on survivor making it through another day.
So to camp or not to camp...I say camp, just learn from my not so organised self and pack kindling!!!!! oh and listen to your parents folks and take an extra roll of toilet paper, just in case...
