If you had asked me two years ago how many times I had been camping, I would have guessed about three. Once in the back yard with my sister, Hannah. A few times in Hannah’s bedroom in a polyester Lion King tent. And finally, a true camping trip, consisting of four days in George, WA at The Gorge, where I met Jeff.
In the summer of 2014, my friend Meg and I drove from Wisconsin to Washington with little to no camping experience. I literally brought a waffle maker thinking it was George Foreman Grill and assuming that we would be able to plug it in somewhere. We pulled into our campsite, set up our tent (yes, we actually did manage this on our own), unrolled our 1990’s sleeping bags, and realized we didn’t have anything else to do. So naturally, we cracked a beer and decided to wander. We’d figure out how to survive later.
It didn’t take long for the sun to start setting and our bellies to start grumbling. We realized we were going to have to ask someone to use their grill. Enter: Jeff. He and his friends were already around a fire with dice games and snacks. This was clearly not their first rodeo. They helped us cook our burgers and the rest is history! Mostly.
So fast forward a few years. Jeff and I started planning our 10 national parks trip. First, we went through our closets and storage unit to see what we had and what we didn’t. We purchased gear from REI, Amazon.com, and Backcountry.com. This list may or may not give you a better idea of how we survived 10 days in the wild together!
Camping gear we had & took with us:
The North Face Backpacks (x2) Similar (our’s are both from college… they don’t make ’em like they used to!)
Marmot Rain Jacket (x2) Julia’s
Marmot Tent
Camelbak Similar
The North Face hiking shoes (x2) Julia’s
Flashlight
Pocket Knife
Yeti Hopper (this seriously helped preserve SO much of our food and kept our drinks super cold)
Canon T1i
Hatchet
Lanterns
iPhone and charger
Camping gear we purchased:
Sleeping bags (x2) REI Grage Sale Similar
REI Packs (x2) REI Garage Sale Similar
Bear Vault
Head Lamps (x2)
MSR Pocket Rocket Stove Kit (REI)
Selfie Stick
Camp Towels (x2)
Egg containers (x2) Similar
Freeze Dried Meals (x4)
Corkcicle Canteen
Alps Mountaineering Camp Chairs (x2)
Alps Mountaineering Table
We obviously also took basics like clothing, sunglasses, toiletries, and kitchen needs ie: aluminum foil, plastic bags, bottle opener, etc.
We had 2 full packs, 2 full backpacks, and two larger bags stuffed with our gear. Some may say we over packed, but there was rarely a time either of us said, “I wish we had ____” and we were glad for that. What are your favorite camping products? Comment below!
Adventure is out there!
~Julia
