Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 08:26:06 -0400
Reply-To: "Henning, Eric" <Eric.Henning@BAILEY.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Henning, Eric" <Eric.Henning@BAILEY.COM>
Subject: Re: First Westy camping experience (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
I have a mental list of automobiles I would like to own over the course of
my lifetime. A Westfalia has been on that list since about 5th grade. It
took about 24 years but I finally bought a 1980 Westfalia (Vanagon) about
1.5 years ago. A grew up tent camping but my wife and two children (5 & 7
at that time) had never been. My wife actually had been camping before but
that was with some wealthy friend who actually had servants do all the work,
so it doesn't count. Well, I am far from wealthy, so I knew our first
camping experience had to go well or it may be our last. Got out my old
footlocker, filled it with pots and pans, propane lanterns, those wicker
plate things that keep your flimsy paper plates from flopping over and
spilling your food on your lap, packed some steaks, baking potatoes (as my
wife is a nearly stock Irish woman, I knew potatoes cooked in the open fire
would be bonus points), corn-on -the-cob, smores, ten kinds of tea (like
them there' fancy restaurants), baked beans of course to be boiled over the
fire, etc...
Packed up our bikes, some firewood, filled the water tank, coolers, sleeping
bags, fishin' poles, cell phone,small dome tent for overflow, and headed up
the road about ten miles to Bull Island State Park ( small park on an island
in the Delaware River). Wanted to stay close to home just in case. We
found a nice spot and I set up camp while the kids foraged for kindling and
swung from tree vines. I soon discovered a certain plant that instantly
burns your skin and feels like fire ant bites. A little water relieved this
pain. My son soon found this plant also. With everything set up we headed
over to the river for some fishin' and wading. Then rode our bikes around,
over a foot bridge, and along the Delaware Canal. Back to camp for a
delicious steak dinner. Everyone helped wash the dishes in the small westy
sink. Sitting around the roaring campfire, life was good. Prior to the
trip I had made my own screens for the front doors and sliding windows. I
already had a snap-in screen for the rear hatch. I attached a rope tot he
bottom of the open hatch that allows me to pull the hatch shut in the night
if it gets too chilly. As we all lay in our bunks, a truly amazing sight
unfolds. Instead of stars twinkling above us, the whole forest is filled
top to bottom with fireflies. I had never seen so many. It was like the
sky was dancing and putting on a show just for us! With a gentle breeze
blowing, natures nite-lite outside, we all drifted off for a pleasant nites
sleep.
A few weeks later, we packed up the Westy again but this time headed up to
New England for a weeks worth of camping. It just keeps getting better.
Things I learned in that shake down trip. Use your tire jack in one corner
to stabilize the Westy, less bouncing around as you roll over in your sleep.
If you ever run across another stock jack, buy it and use two. For us, one
adult and one child per bed. The upper bunk is a little larger but with two
adults on top, creaks and groans with every move. Buy a screened room to
put over your dining area. Keeps bugs away and gives you another "room".
Definitely bring a small tent to store sleeping bags, coolers, or other
stuff that just gets used occasionally (keeps the westy less cluttered).
Find some of those small folding camper chairs (makes sitting around the
campfire more cozy). If fishing, dig some worms at home rather than at the
campsite. Definitely have a medicine kit. Bring your own life preservers
so river wading can become river swimming. Get Tom Brown's Survival Guide
(makes one for kids too!) Interesting reading and practical advice. This
book was recommended by a fellow Type2-er.
Eric Henning
1980 Westy (just turned 70k)
|