To Those Who Camp in the Rain: I Salute You!

Have you seen those commercials, there is a whole series of them these days, that outline some of the humorous oddities of life in the Northwest? Socks and sandals guy, obsessive recycler, 50 degrees shirts off guy, etc? They have been created by PEMCO Insurance and you can view a whole list of them on their website . It's a hilarious campaign if you're from around here, but I have to say that my personal favorite is the Blue Tarp Camper. The first time I saw this particular commercial I laughed my ass off, recalling fond memories of childhood camping trips spent underneath that familiar blue glow, playing cards and......well, really cards are kind of the entertainment limit when it’s raining buckets on you for hours on end.

This past weekend I had the pleasure (and yes, I have made the correct word choice here) of revisiting this fond childhood memory as my partner and I, our dog, Radley, and our next door neighbors made our way to the Cascades for a Labor Day weekend camping trip. Our neighbors had arrived the night before and, as Chris and I woke up to the sound of pouring rain in Seattle, we received a phone call to let us know that the same wet weather had hit and drowned the campground as well. We looked at each other with that "do we still do this?" face: the furrowed brow, half grimace, nose wrinkled up like you've just smelled something not quite right, and decided that, of course we do. We were born and RAISED here for Christ sakes! Our neighbors are from CHICAGO! There's no way they can be more tolerant of this weather than we are. We've actually been conditioned to live in a constant state of denial about this weather. "Aren't you going to use an umbrella?", most will ask. "Naw, it's just barely drizzling out!”, I'll say as I cover myself in a thin layer of nylon and skip happily out the door. Of course, I'm yadda yadda-ing over the part where I end up cursing the "drizzle" that minutes later will have formed a puddle in my shoes, but I digress.

So we packed up our gear and headed out, being sure to stop by the local hardware store and pick up the requisite Northwest campers’ tools: a 12' X 16' blue tarp and about 50 feet of nylon rope. When we arrived at the campground, the rain was still coming down pretty heavily. It ceased long enough for us to put up our tent and tarp shelter without being drenched, however, and the rest of the evening was reasonably pleasant; dry enough for a campfire.

Early the next morning, we awoke to the sound of the returning downpour. Maybe it's because I've lived so long here in the Northwest, but honestly I find nothing more comforting than the sound of a heavy rain, and find it especially soothing on the roof of a tent. For someone who loves the outdoors, there are few things better than being that close to the elements while still knowing that you will remain dry and comfortable.

Although the rain did slow down enough to the point that we could get out of the tent, its quick return made us especially grateful that we had purchased that large blue tarp and that Chris had risked breaking his neck when he shimmied up that tree to string it up. (For those of you that know Chris and his tendency to break things, you understand how real this risk was.)

The rest of the day was uneventful. The rain continued and the four of us + dogs spent our time by the fire, under the shelter of our most crucial accessory. The dogs gave us the occasional look of disgust, not quite understanding what we seemed to find so appealing about all this sitting around in the damp, dreary outdoors. But for the four of us, it was obvious that you don't often get an opportunity like this. It was a genuine excuse to stay put, enjoy a lot of laughs and good conversation, and not so secretly hope that it doesn't stop raining.