The Nose for Trouble Journal: Sleep Outs

September 18

Dear Journal,

Last night we had a sleep out. We couldn't find a tent, so we dug around the garage and found two tarps, water proof and hole-less. Next we found two trees about 15 feet away from each other and tied a rope between them. We folded one tarp into a good tent size and stretched it over the ground, then hung the second tarp over the rope. Last, we found some sticks, about the length of a pencil and as thick as my thumb. We used them as tent pegs, staking out the four corners of the hanging tarp to the ground. Our tent was complete. All we had to do now was get the essentials:

• A sleeping bag and pillow

• A flashlight and bug spray

• A cooler filled with water, dried fruit, granola bars, beef jerky, and s'more supplies.

• A multi tool and something to start a fire with.

We were all ready. We took everything to the tent and set up. Inside the tent we had our sleeping bags rolled out, a flashlight hanging from up high to be a lantern of sorts, and the cooler between us. Outside, we made a fire pit by digging a half foot deep hole and collecting large rocks to surround the hole.

We collected fire wood and made a teepee with dry sticks. Placed under the teepee of sticks was some newspaper, which we lit on fire once it was dark out. Soon we had a great marshmallow roasting fire and began roasting marshmallows. We sat by the fire for an hour then snuggled into our sleeping bags in the tent where we talked til midnight. Finally we went to sleep. It was awesome.

-A Nose for Trouble