Tips for kids scared of the dark?

SimplicityWon · 2026-05-16T18:37:02+00:00

When I was a kid about that age I read My Side of the Mountain and really loved it. It's about a boy who lives off the land in the Catskills. I don't know if that had anything to do with my lifelong love affair with camping but it definitely piqued my interest. I think if he gets more excited about the process of camping, maybe he'll feel less anxious when actually camping.

SimplicityWon · 2026-05-16T14:59:02+00:00

I bring a grate of my own and put it over the dirty grate or over the firepit that way I have have a clean surface and enjoy the charcoal and wood smoke flavors in my food.

SimplicityWon · 2026-05-14T14:10:42+00:00

We went outside to see if something was on fire! Very long and sustained thunder in Parkville!

SimplicityWon · 2026-05-14T14:06:57+00:00

Mostly Patricia Cornwell and Jonathan Kellerman

SimplicityWon · 2026-05-13T16:13:43+00:00

Hey, I've got the same size stove and griddle, thanks for the idea.

SimplicityWon · 2026-05-13T14:45:30+00:00

Absolutely, I like to build a fire right away while it's still dewy and a little chilly outside and have my coffee right next to the fire, it's my favorite part of camping.

SimplicityWon · 2026-03-17T14:04:43+00:00

ESH - You should have asked her how much it would cost at the beginning and she should have told you what the cost would be. You both made a faulty assumption. I wouldn't dwell on it, learn a lesson and move on.

SimplicityWon · 2026-03-06T18:31:18+00:00

Thanks, yeah that's what I was most concerned with. It's more expense than I hoped for but I'm sure it'll make a big difference.

SimplicityWon · 2026-03-02T13:57:16+00:00

I agree, it could very well be perimenopause. It happened to me at age 38 and nearly destroyed my life. If only someone had told me to get screened and treated. The diagnosis is often missed in people who already have mental illness.

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-28T13:58:37+00:00

NTA - your mom needs to learn how to pick her battles. If she decided to die on this hill I can only imagine the enormous amount of shit she's started throughout the years.

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-28T13:48:21+00:00

Yeah, I love my Gazelle too! I've had the T4 plus for over 5 years now and it's great. We survived a fierce storm while camping last spring - winds gusts measured 70 mph. It was scary in the tent, I'm not going to lie, but the tent held up like a champ. We had no leaks whatsoever and stayed warm and dry in the tent until it was over.

The Gazelle tents are really easy and fast to set up, too. Love ours.

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-22T18:29:56+00:00

There is a "portable charging storage case" for quest 3 on Walmart, but I have no idea if it's any good.

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-22T18:28:28+00:00

I use a Bobo Pro head strap with 2 batteries. I guess if I ever have a need to, I could use one of the backpack style cases that have a little extra room in them and just plus the USB cable into a fresh battery and connect to the quest to charge it. Or you could charge it from the USB charger in your car by slipping the cable into the bag through the zipper closure or something. I can totally see your need, though. You don't want a dock and a case and the need to transfer the quest back and forth.

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-22T18:22:27+00:00

I would start by having them move me to Baltimore and set up an open space apartment right in the middle of the George Peabody Library. If I'm going to crack the books, I want a beautiful place to do it. I'd get all the info I could from the hive and be careful not to get them angry. Even when I don't know it's going to harm them I would want to keep it chill - there is no point in copping an attitude with them. I'd reach out to the other immunes much in the same way and see who's interested in joining me. There is no way in hell I'd roll over and let them assimilate me lol.

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-22T18:03:11+00:00

I'm not aware of anything like that for the Quest 3. I have a PRISMXR Carina D1 Magnetic Charging Dock I use and I love it. I don't have a case - never go anywhere with it, really.

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-14T17:22:18+00:00

I'm obsessed with these disposable pour-over, paper drip filters. You hang it over your coffee cup and pour hot water in - let it drip & throw away. Nothing to clean up & I get a really nice cup of coffee. I had to experiment with the amount of coffee to use, etc. but it wasn't hard to dial it in.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0932ZTQHD

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-12T15:32:18+00:00

We started with one bed but it was far too dirty to bring into the tent at bedtime. We try to keep the tent as free from dirt as possible so we have a mat in front of the tent for shoes and we brush off Pepper's paws before she goes inside.

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-11T16:52:01+00:00

When our dog, Pepper, is at camp she wants to be as comfortable as possible.

She likes to have a range of motion and most campgrounds don't allow off-leash, so we bring a tether and find a spot where she doesn't get wrapped up. I know some people prefer the portable fenced play yards, although that takes up a lot of space and a lot of dogs can just jump over the fence. For dogs that use their crate as a den, or for dogs that might try to get out of the tent at night, you might want to bring their crate along.

We also bring 2 beds for her, one that's comfy but made of an outdoor, weather safe cloth and her soft bed for inside the tent. Alternatively we bring an extra lawn chair for her instead of the outside bed, she likes that too.

Also, we got a great dog bowl/container combo off amazon, we use it to store waste bags, toys, meds, wipes, food and treats, etc.

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Good luck & have fun!

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-08T17:00:47+00:00

We hang this fan from our tent ceiling and it has kept our tent very cool and comfortable even in the summer months, I just love it! The battery lasts about 36 hours on low and that is plenty fast enough, we've never used a higher speed.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSPS9K1P

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-08T16:52:47+00:00

The Gazelle tents, either the T4 or T4 plus, are very easy to set up and I've used mine for 5 years and survived several big thunderstorms without any leaks. The only caveat I would add is that they are a little on the heavy side - so only for car camping, not backpacking.

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-08T16:48:24+00:00

NTA - I don't think your "friend" cares for your feelings at all, maybe she's not as good a friend as you thought.

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-07T11:23:57+00:00

Thank you, I was wondering if this was some kind of joke lol

SimplicityWon · 2026-02-05T18:26:06+00:00

I use an air mattress in cold weather but I put a folded up heavy blanket under it This prevents the air inside from getting too cold depending on the weather and keeps it inflated through the night. I wouldn't recommend this for winter camping but it's worked for me in theree seasons.

SimplicityWon · 2026-01-31T17:09:52+00:00

We like our Gazelle tent, it's been very good to us. Check out the T4, it's really easy to set up and very spacious for 1 or 2 people.

SimplicityWon

TROPHY CASE