Beginner’s Luck
There is a first time for everything. A trite phrase, but true. For the hunter, there is the first time he (or she) shoots a duck or a deer. For the runner, it‘s the first real race. For the baseball player, it’s the first time up at bat, even though he or she might only be 5 years old.
For the young family looking for outdoor adventure and quality time together, it is often the first camping trip. Unless one has been 
passed down to you, you have to buy the tent. And then, there are all the camping supplies – the ones you THOUGHT you needed, the ones you DID need, and the ones you REALLY needed, but didn’t get. There are sleeping bags, bike carriers, outdoor lanterns, and everything made by Coleman. What is a new Igloo to you is a familiar friend for every raccoon for miles around. So much to know – so much to learn.
Our first camping trip was no different. We bought a Eureka tent that was guaranteed for life, and rated for high winds and snow. OK – we lived in South Louisiana, but we wanted to make sure we had all bases covered. (If Eureka had known what was coming, they probably would have asked us to share our luck with another company!) For food, we had cokes, bread, hot dogs and bacon. What else would you need? It’s a camping trip….
It was October, and the leaves were turning. We chose a beautiful campground, Clear Springs Recreational Area, located in the Southern Mississippi hills, halfway between Natchez and Brookhaven off Highway 84. It was a special place where we had camped as children with our own 
parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. There was a great trail for hiking, a perfect lake for fishing, and lots of raccoons to leave leftover hotdogs for, (so totally against the rules – sorry!), and a really clean bathhouse. We chose a campsite on a slope near the edge of one of the beautiful creeks in the campground. It was perfect!
Setting up the tent took over an hour; we were on a learning curve. And someone should have told us about using a ground cloth. Sleeping bags in place, dinner went off without a hitch – it’s hard to ruin hotdogs for a 2 and 5 year old. After a really successful first campfire that chased away the chill of the October evening, we headed for the sleeping bags. All was well…
Changes, they are a-comin’……….
Around midnight, thunder rumbling in the distance was sending a loud message that changes were coming. Clear Springs is a retreat nestled in a cove in the hills. We could hear the storm moving all around us, but couldn’t see it’s approach. The thunder woke the children; both were ready to “go home now.” The storm moved rapidly toward us; the rain started. As the storm came over us, winds literally howled around our tent. I believe it’s the first time I had ever actually heard “howling” winds. The sounds of trees falling in the hills all around was terrifying.
As we huddled together, just waiting for a tree to fall through our new tent, we felt the dampness seeping into the floor. Had we waterproofed the tent seams? Hmmm… No one told us about that. Were the sleeping bags waterproof? Should we have set up camp on a down slope near a creek? So much to learn in so little time.
We stayed in the tent, water literally flowing through it, our sleeping bags soaked through, until the first light. When we surveyed the damage, we realized we were in the natural drain path for the campground to the creek! Who knew?!?
Finally, with dawn’s first light, we gathered up all of our wet gear, rolled up our wet tent, and threw everything in the back of our truck. The two hour ride home was wet, cold and miserable. A lesser family would have thrown in the towel…. and the tent, and the sleeping bags and everything that went with camping. But we persevered.
We have continued, for many years, to return to Clear Springs with our children, and now, our grandchildren. The tent has been passed on to our son; and yes, it is still in good shape. Remember that lifetime guarantee? Our Coleman stove is still in use, and our Igloos still keep things cold. For us, camping is now in a 32 foot Fifth Wheel, complete with AC, a microwave, and satellite TV. But the camping experience is still the best.
