Camping Pack List 2

After work tonight, we'd headed off on our second camping trip of the year. Two weekends in a row! Unfortunately, this is the last camping trip we have planned, but hopefully we'll be able to fit in one or two more.

Last weekend, it became apparent that Keith and I haven't camped by ourselves very much. Most often, we camp with our families, who tend to provide some of the basic necessities that we forget about, like trash bags or water. We're still learning what we need to pack, and what we assumed we own, but really don't--we've always borrowed.

A week ago, Keith and I were the first to arrive at the campsite. We eagerly set up the tent and Keith got a great fire going. We sat down, ready to roast some hot dogs .... and realized we didn't have any cooking sticks to roast the hot dogs on. Problem.

My parents arrived shortly, however, and we used theirs. Last night, I went grocery shopping for the weekend and bought some brauts to cook over the fire tonight. On the way home from the grocery store, it occurred to me all over again--we don't have any way to cook them. Unless we cut them up and put them in the pie-iron pizza cookers, which just isn't the same.

Probably Jen and Ben have sticks. They camp a lot more than us, and are just generally more prepared. (I mean, they're parents--they have to be prepared, right?) So probably we can just use theirs. But it's the principle of the thing! Some day, we're going to camp on our own. And we're going to want hot dogs, and marshmallows, and all sorts of other things that are cooked over a fire on sticks. We should be ready for that situation.

So I've been trying to figure out where to get these things, and exactly what they're called. First I tried Dick's Sporting Goods--no luck there. Then I tried Cabela's, who is--according to their website, the "World's Foremost Outfitter." No luck there either. This is crazy!!

Finally, I found them at Summit Camping Gear. According to this site, they are Camping Forks. And ready to be shipped today. Which is great news but, sadly, will probably not help us out tonight. But at least if I put an order in when we get back, for the next camping trip we'll be one step closer to self-sufficiency.