Lessons Learned from our Test Run Camping Trip: Lighting

We learned so many things from our test run at Hocking Hills State Park that I had to break it into multiple posts!

Lesson 1: Set up camp before it gets dark. We had waited to leave until the kids' activities finished on Saturday, which meant that we had the choice of going directly to the campground or getting a hike in first, and we opted for the hike. We got to the campground with some light to spare and would have been fine were it not for the drive to the primitive campground and then the .6 mile (x3 since I went out and back and then out again with another load, so really 1.8 mile) hike. This meant that it was dark when we were trying to set up the tents for the first time in years, find wood, and start the fire.

Lesson 2: Bring sufficient lighting. We hadn’t brought any flashlights. I had this big battery-operated lantern that had a variety of settings and could be either set on the table or hung from a hook. But...I hadn't tested it out before we left other than to see that it turned on and the batteries were good. Turns out that it didn’t work very well and kept shutting off. It also wasn't very bright when it was on. So we were using our phones for light, which was far from ideal. It killed the batteries and was difficult to hold and to see by. Inside the tent, it was easy to put a phone in the mesh hammock and have light, but to set up the tent someone had to hold it and then couldn't help. Same with other tasks. We definitely needed to purchase better lighting before the long trip!