I can’t help but be giddy as a schoolgirl who is looking forward to going to the prom. In my case I am giddy at the thought that in a couple of weeks I will be spending my first night in Terlingua.
However I have a lot to do before then. You might think all you need to do is pack up your camping supplies, clothes and food…but there is a lot more to it than that. If I am fortunate enough to attend, it will be my 17th Chili Cook-off.
With the exception of the first year that I drove down with a friend in his vehicle…all the other years I have taken Terlita (my camping van) in which I could literally…even take my kitchen sink. Unfortunately Terlita needs a new transmission so she has not been able to make the trip these past two years.
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| camping gear, ice chest and other stuff go in the trunk |
Making the trip in a car has been a challenge because I have had to pare down on so many things I am used to taking. No more ”I will take this in case I need it”. I can only take things I will definitively use. My first trip without Terlita was difficult, I almost froze to death one night because I could not fit my bulky sleeping bag and opted for a blanket instead…wont make that mistake again!
Last year we had a terrible sand storm that lasted for hours and tore my tent shower to pieces. Had I been in Terlita it would have been no problem because I would have taken my extra shower tent (I have three). It was a little tight but I managed to rig up a showering area inside of my tent.
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| Before |
The same goes for clothes; you never know what Mother Nature and the desert are going to throw at you. It could be hot as hell or it could be as cold as all get out. Back in 2004 it was cold! Remember it getting down to 18 degrees but I had plenty of anti-freeze in me and a ton of blankets so that was a non-issue.
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| After :-( |
The most important thing to bring with you (besides beer) is water. I use to take six green containers that hold 6 gallons each. Now I can only fit one container in the car. The difference is that when I started attending the cook-off they did not sell water in town and now they do. My friend’s tent camped and now they have new trailers and motor homes so they are able to bring plenty of water with them that they have generously shared with me.
I like being self-sufficient and since reading a trick in the Burningman forum, I can take a shower with a garden sprayer and use less than a gallon and that includes washing my hair. I therefore only accept their kind offer of water when they leave because they will dump their fresh water tanks anyway and I do not like to see water wasted in any way shape or form. Have I mentioned that I stay a couple of days afterwards to decompress? Well, more like I used to, two years ago I had to come back that Sunday and last year I came back on Monday. Hopefully I can manage to stay a couple more days this time around…only time will tell.
I need to set-up my tent in the backyard and give it a good wipe down but with the temperature in triple digits I have been putting it off. Maybe I will get to it this weekend? Or maybe not…
Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.
