The Tent-cident of 2010

Anyone that camps in a tent knows that stakes are important.  Vital even.  So an idiot that forgets her tent stakes is asking for trouble.  Right?  But what do you do?  Camp anyway, of course.  Try to 'stake' the tent with rocks.  And keep your fingers crossed.

And that is just what we did.  The first night we fared good.  The second night,  well, not so much.

After enjoying a delicious dinner of Chef Boy-Ar-Dee Ravioli (seriously, all food is good while camping!), we sat back to enjoy another starlit night.  We noticed that the wind was picking up.  [Cue ominous music...]

The strengthening winds and the long day drove us to bed earlier than the previous evening.  As we laid in the tent, we noticed the wind was getting stronger and stronger.  And stronger.  But we tried to sleep anyway.  Unstaked tents are very noisy.  The sides flap with each gust.  So sleep wasn't going to come easy, if at all.

By 2am, we were fully awake from the noise of the wind.  The tent was flapping like crazy.  Vol Fan got up and tried to brace the tent poles with more and more rocks.  We each laid spread-eagle trying to hold the tent sides taut to reduce the noise and stress on the poles.

At 3am, we heard the noise that we both had been fully expecting but had been hoping to avoid.  The crack of a tent pole.  And then the tent collapsed on top of us.

Vol Fan was stressed beyond belief, worried about keeping us safe and sound for the remainder of the night.  I was struggling not to laugh. 

Our first plan of action was to continue to sleep/rest in the collapsed tent.  We had a bin of camping supplies inside so there was a raised area beside it to place our heads. 

But the wind wasn't cooperating.  As it continued to whip, it would occasionally cause the loose tent to raise up and then slam back down.  Vol Fan got whacked a few times by a tent pole and had had enough.  He wanted out and began to search for the zipper.  Between the dark and the whipping wind, it wasn't an easy thing to find.  As Vol Fan struggled to find the exit, he grew more and more frustrated.

I finally joined in the zipper hunt and the instant that I said, "Here is the...." I heard a noise I never wanted to hear.  Vol Fan and his knife had created his own door.  So much for staying in the tent. 

And that is how we ended up sleeping in the truck.  And in need of a new tent!  But the sun still comes up in the morning, right?  After a less than restful night, Vol Fan captured this beautiful shot of the sunrise. 

While Vol Fan was up enjoying the beauty of the morning, he spotted a visitor to our campsite - a fox.  What a fantastic way to end the trip!  Even with the problems, it was a great weekend.