What I Do If It Rains All Weekend
Tarp over the table, dry clothes in a bag, cards, and a real leave-if-we-need-to rule. I do not romanticize hypothermia.
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Field notes — I write these in first person, from how I actually pack. Photos go in when I have them.
Photo slot — A real trip photo goes here. I will drop a picture in when I have one that is not a stock shot.
The picnic table is camp
I tarp it. I cook there. I play cards there. The tent is for sleep and for staying dry, not for a six-person living room.
A change of clothes in a dry bag is the morale item. Wet cotton is a heat thief.
I have an exit
If someone is actually cold, if the tent floor is a pond, we leave. Pride is not a layer. A cheap motel night has saved the idea of camping for more families than a speech about toughness.
Quick answers
Is this a complete packing list?
No. This is what I actually do for this situation. Use a full checklist for the boring essentials, then add or subtract from this note.