Probably says more about the sales lady than Lowe's, but absolutely remember her if nothing else! And return because of her.

And be sure to tell her supervisor/manager/boss how helpful she was.

True. The problem is I don't have much use for Lowes. I got my grill. I'm good until I need gas.

In case you're not aware of it, your small propane tanks can, in a crunch, be refilled from the larger ones used for gas grilling. It's a hassle to do; but, as long as you can cool down your empty tank (refrigerator, cold running stream, well) to condense what fumes remain, you can get a worthwhile fill level. It just won't be as much as in a new tank. The small propane tanks are fairly inexpensive; so, it's not something you'd want to do regularly. Still, it wouldn't hurt to keep a coupler with your grill just in case you ever need to bum some gas off someone. The coupler is simple and doesn't cost much: https://www.ebay.com/itm/MacCoupler-...AAAOSw9mFa-eCD

So, my great camping triumph fizzled in a deluge of rain. So, I left. Not even 24 hours. I wasn't going to leave, but then, I figured why am I staying? Who am I trying to impress? So, yea. The first evening was fine. A little chilly, but whatever. The second day was weird. Hot, cold, humid, all at once. Still, I set off hiking. I watched the storm roll in. I got soaked on half my hike. Still ok with it. I cleaned up, put on dry clothes, threw a picnic blanket in the wet hammock, threw the wet clothes over a fence to dry. Relaxed. It was awesome. Sun was shining, so I decided to wash the dishes from the previous meals. I grabbed the last dry, warm thing I had and headed there. What happened? Torrential downpour! Fuck! I washed the dishes and waited for the rain to stop. I was still willing to make it work. Now, everything was wet. Even the last hoodie. Then, another downpour. Sitting in my tent, I decided I was miserable and it was time to go home. I was only 2 hours from home, so, I threw everything in the car and left.

Now, I must wait until July for my next trip. *SIGH* I'm going through the pics now.

That was for the best. It's supposed to be for relaxation and not too much like work. I can weather torrential downpours fairly easily with my Gore-Tex lined gear (hooded parka, trousers, gloves, socks, super-gaiters, and sleeping bag cover); but, that stuff is big bucks and requires learning a bit about design, fabrics and construction to get your money's worth. It would take the fun out of car camping unless you're into that kind of stuff for other reasons.

Rain, rain, I'll go away and come again some other day. Strategic withdrawal works fine for most.

You are gaining great experience with each outing. If everything is soaking wet and you have a car, by all means, take advantage of what you have.

You were a volunteer for this mission, which means you can un-volunteer at any time for any reason, like it became un-fun.

Or un-dry.

What they all said already. It’s supposed to be fun. I hope, I believe, it was fun to get back home into the warm-and-dry. Better luck next time!


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Learning to abandon a camping trip because of crappy weather is like learning to put down a book that turned out to be shit halfway through. Hard ... with a guilty sense of failure..... but so liberating and easier each time until the guilt is replaced by pity for those you leave behind who have yet to learn.

Thanks everyone. I went back and forth for a while, but ultimately it was the same as all you said. :)

Hopefully next time will be better. I really want to try sleeping in my hammock one night.

If you have a rope hammock with a spreader bar, a good night's sleep is not in your future!
There are lots of good, comfortable ones out there and many pages on the web.
Get a good one and practice at home.

Shit. That's the only way to go for me. I feel like a tamale in a regular hammock. I feel like I'm trussed up for the pot.

I have an ENO hammock. A tamale hammock - LMAO. I didn't mind the trussing up. I was able to close it all around me and block out the light for a little rest time. It was nice

All set up
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Laying in my hammock
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Fogginess
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All the food. Not that there was much
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