Keeping Warm

Rocky Shore

Where we slept.

Camouflaged north shore rock.

Staying warm while camping is important.  If you get too cold you might pack it all in and go home or even get a hotel room.  I was concerned that we would get cold at night and that is why we brought 5 sleeping bags.  I slept in three.  I had my little orange fleece bag inside my new sleeping bag (good to 40 degrees Farenheit) inside my ancient green sleeping bag.  I wore long underwear, two tops, and smartwool socks.  All these coverings made turning over at night nearly impossible.  We had some chemical hand warmers with us but we never used them.  Instead we collected rocks on the shore, baked them over a campfire, wrapped them in old cloth napkins, and slept with them.  When we first went to bed, we were so happy with our rocks.  We cuddled the rock.  We put them by our feet or by our lower backs or even hugged them.  Our rocks were so cozy we whispered sweet nothings to them, "You are my rock!"  Once we got to sleep we didn't think much about the rocks at all.  But when we woke up toward morning and the rocks were cold, our cozy feelings disappeared.  Once the rock was cold we lost that cozy feeling.  It was like, "You are a rock.  Get out of my sleeping bag!"  The first night we slept with rocks from the shore near Gooseberry.  Since it is illegal to take plants, animals or rocks from a state park we put them back in the morning.  Offspring #2 carried our rocks back to their natural homes.  When she saw other hikers, she hid the rocks behind her back like a criminal.  She was worried about getting fined.   I, being unable to help myself, said loudly, "What is that you have behind your back?  Some rocks?"  She shot back, "You picked this rock, took it, cooked it, and slept with it!"  I was taken aback, never being accused of sleeping with rocks before.  We got away with our crime and committed the same crime that next night at Judge C. Magney state park. This time the rocks were wood rocks, not shore rocks, so they had sharper edges and not as fun to cozy up with.  We slept well on our trip.  We weren't cold when we slept and our tent (covered with a gazebo roof) did not leak.  Getting up  in the morning was another story.  That was cold.  I brought my snow pants, winter coat, hat, mittens and scarf.  Once I got all that on and warmed up, I didn't feel cold.  I didn't feel like I could bend or move but I didn't feel cold.