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It was a camp out to remember… {Part 1}

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It was a camp out to remember. Camping with kids on AVirtuousWoman.org

This weekend we went camping at Martin’s Fork Lake here in Harlan County.

Primitive camp site at Martin’s Fork Lake in Harlan County, KY.

The weather was perfect. Well, the nights were cold, but the days were beautiful! I’ve learned (after multiple cold weather camp outs and one very cold backpacking trip) that I can survive a lot more than I used to think.

The picnic area.

We arrived Friday afternoon at the camp site after a hectic morning of packing. By hectic, I mean, all we did for six or eight hours was pack, hence why my house now looks like a train wreck. Anyway, the weather was very nice on Friday afternoon. We’d never camped at Martin’s Fork Lake before. We usually just visit for an afternoon of picnicking and swimming in the summer.

Checking out the site.

The camp site at Martin’s Fork Lake is primitive meaning there is no running water. It was a beautiful place to camp and I’m looking forward to a repeat visit in the near future.

So, the first thing we did after checking out the site was pitch our tents. I had my youngest daughters, Hannah and Laura, work alongside me to pitch the tents to learn how it was done.

Hannah staking the tent.
Laura (left) and Hannah (right) in front of the first tent we pitched.

We own a large variety of tents, some large, some small. This is one of the smaller tents which can sleep 4 – 6 people and is probably the easiest to pitch which is why I chose to bring these tents this time. This tent is made for backpacking and only has two pole – one in the front and one in the back. Staking the tent with the guy lines gives the tent its shape.

The Outhouse Tent.

Since we were at a primitive campground, I brought along my wonderful outhouse tent by Paha Qeu. There were two Porta Potties available for our use, but I can’t stand using them. I didn’t think to take a photo on the inside, but we use our Luggable Loo lined with Double Doodie bags. The Luggable Loo is so nice when you are camping near your vehicle and need a toilet. It’s basically a five gallon bucket with a snap on toilet seat. we used these when we went to the 2009 Pathfinder Camporee in Osh Kosh, WI.

So, as you may know, we have a large family. There were 17 of us on this campout plus my son’s two college friends and a boy who comes to our church on occasion. And on Friday night one my friend from church who went backpacking with me and my girls came for a visit.

Yes, it was a very nice camp out. We had a roaring fire on Friday night. Which was good because the temperature dropped to around 32 degrees. So, as long as we were sitting by the fire we were toasty warm!

Our roaring teepee style camp fire.

We had fun roasting marshmallows, eating s’mores and talking and laughing. For supper we ate vegetarian hot dogs, chili, raw veggies and dip, and potato chips.

My children: James, Emily, Hannah, Laura, and Sarah.
James, Sarah, and Emily.
James (middle) with his friends from college: Sung (left) and Claressa (right).
Sitting around the fire.
Keeping warm.

Check back tomorrow for more photos of our camping adventure!

 

 

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