Back in November I started putting together my camping gear wishlist – and you were all a BIG help with that, thank you! 🙂
I ended up getting sick over the winter, and didn’t get to do a lot of solo camping & hiking like I planned – which was a real bummer. 😛
I finally got to enjoy a FUN night outdoors camping with my best friend this week!
I’ve done some fun low carb camping before, but with a group – where everything was pretty much taken care of. All I had to do was show up, lol.
I’m very minimalist on my hikes, so I didn’t want camping to be any different…
This camping trip was a last minute decision, and we just threw it together super fast (spontaneously) which is my ideal way of doing pretty much anything!
Fortunately I had some very EASY camping gear to use for this trip, because Leapair sent me their Instant Tent and sleeping bag to review for my camping adventures. 🙂
I’ve never set up a tent before so I was worried about how hard that would be, or if it would require two people – especially when I was planning out my solo hikes last fall… which I plan to pick back up on now that it’s spring. 😉
Here’s my friend Caroline in our tent:
I made a video of our experience with the tent so you could see what it was like.
It’s a GREAT tent, and Caroline was able to put it up by herself in 6 minutes flat! We wanted to test what it would be like putting it up by yourself – for the first time:
Obviously it went up FAST. Breaking it back down… was the challenge. 🙂 LOL
We really enjoyed it though. It was perfect for two people, plenty roomy on the inside, and I loved the windows on both sides for the breeze – and for being able to fall asleep to a view of the full moon. 🙂
Caroline and I both REALLY needed a “nature getaway” and it was nice to be able to throw together a super fast “camping escape” (on a weeknight, even!) without much fuss. 😉 Thanks to Leapair we were able to get out after work, set up camp, enjoy some hiking, and still be back for work by mid-morning the next day.
As soon as set up camp and collected firewood, we set out for an evening hike before dinner – and before sunset. 🙂 We decided to go across the river and hike to Little Falls, across from Twin Falls just below the dam.
Of course, per my usual (lol), I decided to climb up to the top for the BEST view of Little Falls. 🙂
Those are my favorite Northside Water Sandals – awesome for summer hiking!
Caroline and I did a little off-trail hiking around the area for a bit…
We were running out of daylight – and fast! 🙂 – and we still wanted to go see Twin Falls up close before heading back. Of course I ditched the trail and did a little more adventurous hiking to the falls…
It was getting dark fast, but we still had plenty of sunset reflection from the river to climb over and around the rocks to Twin Falls…
We still made it back up to the main trail before dark, and headed back to camp.
On a whim though, we decided to take a night walk in the dark down to the sandbar from our campsite, and enjoy the clear sky sitting in the sand by the river. 🙂
It was a beautiful night out, with a sky full of stars!
We had our headlamps with us. Hers gives a good immediate light, while mine has a spotlight, so between the two we do really well whether we’re caving or night-hiking.
The walk down wasn’t bad at all, but the incline coming back was a serious workout – more like lunges. That was a good thigh burner, and some GREAT exercise.
It also put me over my goal of 10,000 Fitbit Steps for the day! 🙂
We had collected firewood (like responsible adults, lol) before we set out playing in the woods, waterfalls & the river – so we got back to camp and built up a nice campfire to make a simple dinner.
I had 3 Oscar Mayer Smokies (zero carb sausages) roasted over the fire, a mozzarella string cheese, and then enjoyed some fresh strawberries for dessert. 🙂
We slept great, falling asleep to a view of the full moon on a cool night in our roomy little tent. It was a much needed getaway! 🙂
A big THANK YOU to Leapair for supplying us with the camping gear!
Here is the camping gear we took for this quick trip:
Waterproof Camping Lantern & Power Bank
What I like: it has a hook to hang in your tent or from a tree, it’s also a power bank with usb charging (for your phone, ipod, tablet, digital camera, etc). It has a magnet too so it’s also great to have in the car for emergencies.
Leapair 2-3 Person Hydraulic Automatic Pop-Up Tent
What I like: It’s bright orange, it has a hook for my light on the inside, it’s roomy, it’s compact and has a carrying case, it’s easy to set up & take down by myself.
Hodgson Waterproof LED Headlamp w/Survival Extras
What I like: It’s USB/rechargeable but also takes batteries as a backup. It comes with a fire starting kit & emergency whistle built in. The light is adjustable too (forward, down). Hands-free vs using a flashlight.
Leapair Lightweight Envelope Sleeping Bag w/Storage Bag
What I like: It’s very compact and minimalist, not enough for super cold weather obviously, but it also opens up fully as a large waterproof pad.
I got up the next morning before Caroline, so I made a coffee run to Rock Island Market and brought us both back a hot coffee to enjoy while breaking down camp.
Then we stopped at the market for a hot breakfast on the way out, before heading back to get to work on Thursday morning.
There’s nothing like fresh air, good exercise, watefalls and a best friend. 🙂
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. Check out my other low carb camping posts for more great ideas on low carb foods on your spring & summer camping trips!
Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
Loved the pic of the not folded up tent in the back of the car! That cracked me up!
I had a great time. The tent, sleeping bag and light were awesome. Time with you was priceless…. and you came back…. with coffee. ❤ Low carb and low maintenance.