7/31-8/2: Weekend Roadtrip Test!

8/3: Weekend Roadtrip Test!
This last weekend I took the car camper for a test run. I met up with a good friend in the outback woods of Virginia/West Virginia: George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. At the time, I hadn't realized how remote it was. I was just looking for a place that was halfway between where he was and where I was. That just happened to be Roanoke, VA. Which put us in the middle of Jefferson National Forest. I am not sure how far out his cell phone reception cut out, but mine cut out about 45 minutes before arriving to the spot. After leaving work at 1:30 pm and making a quick stop at Home Depot for some last minute parts for the solar system, I made it to the camp site at about 9:15ish (after dusk). Note to self #1: The foam padding that I planned to make from the excess mattress, for my car seat, is a must! Although I have to say, I am not entirely sure if my legs went numb from holding it so long or the drive. I do know that my butt hurt from sitting so long.

When I arrived, the campground was dead. Later on, I did hear sounds from at least 1 other campsite. Sounded like a party! After arriving, I picked out one of the first sites that I saw, which happened to be closest to the bathrooms (which I were to find out later, was out of service!) Since there was no cell service and I was the first to arrive, I wanted to make sure I was easily visible. I decided that task number 1, after peeing in the woods, was to set up the tent for my friend so he wouldn't have to fuss with it once he arrived. I was skeptical at first. The last time I recalled trying to put the tent up by myself, in daylight, I remember struggling to the point of frustration....funny the things you remember (as I am not sure I remember much else about that camping trip). I decided to time myself! I pulled out my trusty headlamp (the one I swore I would never wear because it was the dorkiest thing I ever saw!) and went at it. In 15 minutes, with time to spare, I was done! Easy peasy! Remind me why I decided to opt out of the tent camping for the car camping if in 15 minutes I can get the tent up and have enough space to do jumping jacks in and run in circles, instead of being so cramped in the car, I can't sit up? oh...yeah, Sunday clean up reminded me of the tear down.....that is so much worse than the tent raising....touching the gross wet, muddy, dirty tent then trying to stuff it all in a microscopic bag....oh yeah. Camping in a different spot every night, I don't mind putting up the tent, but tearing it down? No thank you!

Halfway through the raising of the tent, I heard big rustling in the brush. I looked over and saw two eyes shining back at me with my headlamp on it. Freaked me out as it stared back at me and was moving. Panic starts to spread as i think to myself I have nothing to protect myself with...except for maybe one of the tent poles.....After staring at it long enough, I notice the movements of what I can only guess was a deer, since the light wasn't enough to make anything out. If it had been a bear, like the bathroom flier advertised, I guess I'd have to just hope that it could be easily scared away by me waving my barely 5 foot self around and making loud noises. Note to self,# 2, adequate protection against wild animals.

Shortly after he arrived and we caught up briefly before heading to bed.

After my first night in the car, I learned some valuable lessons: 1. The hatchback is a great entry into the car, but cannot be used to exit the car. It's best not to have to find out when you realize you got to pee, then struggle to find your way out of the mosquito net, half asleep and realize you are about to piss yourself but can't find the non-existent hatch on the hatch back and all other exist are blocked by the mosquito net and a bunch of crap that you hadn't had a chance to unpack yet! Result, new entry and exit strategy developed and new storage plan is required for the stuff I had anticipated being able to store there, but at the same time I can now use the back as storage, as it is no longer a viable entry/exit. 2. I need a hanging place near the bed and within reach to put my keys (which the panic button could come in handy to scare off unwanted guests or signal to others I may be in need of assistance). It would also be nice to hang my ear plugs, glasses, and head lamp all for easy access. 3. I need to do something with my hair...trying to move around to reach things while having my elbow in my hair or having it tangled all over the place with restricted movement, made things much more difficult. Note to self, consider hacking it off before the trip.

Saturday morning I actually slept in past 7am. We made ourselves breakfast and had a nice leisurely 1.3ish mile hike where I took plenty of pictures of mushrooms! Red ones, brown ones, spotted ones, orange ones, and ones I was sure that were going to lead me to the Smurfs! :) I'm including a pic from our hike. After returning from the hike I saw a nasty centipede so I took a pic of that as well. Then we had an early lunch and naps. I had a chance to take down my mosquito net and spray it so it could dry adequately before rehanging it for bed. I also had plenty of time to gather lots of firewood since "someone" slept for hours!!! After that, we worked on getting the solar panel mounted and the window rain guard/vets installed. I can't believe how much we got done Saturday!

I've included a pic of me trying to put all my strength into tacking down the rain guard!

I also included some pics of mounting the solar panel and hooking up the system.

I still don't know if the window rain guards will really do much, as since I have frame-less doors (at the top of the doors, I just have window, no

frame), I had to mount the guards so high for window clearance that it doesn't really cover any of the window. I had a minor met down when installing the solar panel, as it was not as I an pictured it, but I think my friend had a viable solution. I really am stubborn when it comes to things being done my way and working out as I want it to. I think the car bed was proof of how stubborn I can be and determined. I really wanted the panel to be mounted under the rack, as to be more discrete and unrecognizable as a solar panel...which would identify me as a traveler/car camper and anyone would be able to see me as a solo traveler, and potentially more vulnerable. But by blacking out the solar panel, his idea, I am hoping that it will be more discrete. I noticed that I never noticed car rain guards until I was specifically looking at them to

try to figure out how other people had installed theirs. I am hoping this to be true of a blacked out solar panel. I am hoping it'll appear as a roof rack.

Sunday morning before leaving, I made the perfect smore (has chocolate completely melted and a crispy outer marshmallow and melted inner marshmallow) for dessert after breakfast. I've included pics!

And of course the finished projects!

Special thanks to my friend who made the solar panel mounting and solar system install possible in a day! Other wise it would have stretched out to a two week of daily speed bumps type of project like the car bed!