Legalectric

Ah, the life of a Minnesota DNR camp host! It’s been chilly, in the 30s at night, but it’s workable.

The first year here, in the Wawona 6, a 60 mph wind took out my staked and guyed screen tent, wadded it up, and stuffed it under the car.

So much for that. I put up a tarp and that blew down a couple of times — the weather was INTENSE, wind and rain made for a rough few days!

Given the need for a bathtub floor, not a dirt vestibule, I tried Inflatable #1, but the short sidewalls were a royal back pain. Having a floor in the 2nd room sure made a difference, but those sidewalls… and the tarp was a problem too, blew down 3 times (but I got pretty good at putting it back up):

So this year, I bit the bullet and solved both problems, a tent with high sidewalls and more usable space, and a clam-style kitchen tent.

All the comforts of home, particularly all the cooking paraphernalia one could possibly need — a pretty big fridge that doesn’t use much electricity; a small cooler wrapped in reflectix with ice cubes from yesterday holding up well; Primus, butane, and a Trangia knockoff for stoves; Cobb & Skotti grills; a toaster/convection/air fryer contraption; electric kettle; full set of cooking doo-dads; dishes & silverware (don’t have cups or glasses!); bowls and pans for every occasion; water and dishwashing set up (though we have 2 dish sinks at the showerhouse):

Camp hosting means free camping for a month with very LITE duties, I do really like a shiny bathroom sink. And just yesterday, I was told our pit toilets are the best ever smelled and seen! Seven ticks so far, 5 on me, 1 on my pillow, and 1 at the top of the entrance of the tent. None yet on Maisy, which is good.

Camp host? It’s a little of everything, helped a guy put on his rain fly yesterday. The hardest part is helping folks navigate the DNR Reservations system on their phones — “reservations can be made online or by calling 866-857-2757.” I sure can’t figure it out on a phone!

A few folks stop and stare at the tent, and I invite them to check it out. The only downside I’ve found with this tent set up is that when packed up, they’re bulky and heavy, ~ 45 lbs., and take up as much space as the fridge. A couple with newborn and year old in a backpack trying to figure out camping with babies (!!!); and good to see Min Martin & Dave Oakes. The Himangas were here too yesterday, testing out their new trailer.

The dishwashing sink broke, stuck full on pretty late. Ranger Tanner had to come over and shut it off, and in the midst of that operation, the cover blew off the faucet below the sinks and water spewed out — nope, OOPS, that was NOT the faucet to turn. Then one of the women’s sinks was clogged, and no plunger. Well, now there are two!

No emergencies, no fires… Life is good. Back to work in my office with a view: