The comforts of camping

interior living room wall are perfect for spotlighting pieces of art. Also on the main floor is a comfy home office, which can be a nursery, personal retreat or small bedroom. The master suite is tucked off the main activity center with a very substantial walk-in closet. The master bath features a toilet closet, stand-alone soaking tub, separate shower and double vanity. The upstairs open loft is beautiful to view from downstairs and just as lovely to be on, looking down at the living room. Space at the top of the staircase, replete with wood railings and a gate at the top, can be an entertainment space, playroom, home office, reading nook or craft center. There are two large bedrooms on the second floor, each with drywall walls for color and decorative benefits. There’s a full bathroom and an attractive array of small wood doors with brass hardware leading into various storage spaces. And there’s more. The mud room between the garage and entering the house holds the laundry facility and utility sink, hooks for jackets and plenty of room for boots. Another door in the garage leads up to an efficiency apartment - a cute, cozy, comfy space entirely separate from the main house. This is one property that can honestly deliver rustic elegance with an Americana atmosphere and a contemporary lifestyle. The grandeur of space and design offers a sophisticated home with abundant natural materials and timeless charm. The 9th U.S. President, William Henry Harrison, ran as the “log cabin candidate” in the 1840 election, partly to shore up votes from the frontiersmen, though Harrison himself was anything but. He was born into what could have been dubbed Virginia nobility. He won by a landslide, delivered a two-hour inauguration speech on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in very cold weather, caught pneumonia and died 32 days later. The 13th and 16th U.S. Presidents, Fillmore and Lincoln, were also born in log cabins.

All the Comforts of Camping

a good night under the stars can be a great night with the right gear

Text by Nancy S. Moseley

Perhaps we all have that friend. That friend who enthusiastically seizes any opportunity to publicly brandish the joy of zipping into a sleeping bag to slumber under the stars. Maybe we are that friend. With the onset of spring comes the onset of camping season. We start to crack open the house with a cautious optimism, letting in warm sun and cool air. The same occurs with the stowed away bins of musty outdoor gear. When setting up house anywhere besides, well, your house, especially when sleeping on the ground is the main event, primo gear is key. Gear that will make you cherish, not chide, the hobby. There are two main types of camping: car camping and backpacking. Car camping means you are never separated from your car, which affords you more, bulkier, and perhaps gratuitous, equipment. Backpacking means you are carrying all necessary gear on your back. The most important factor with backpacking is getting the best possible items at the lowest possible weight. Unfortunately, low weight typically equals high price, so before you start weighing gear, weigh exactly what type of camper you aspire to become.

Car Camping

Hands down, if children are participants, car camping is the way to go. Kids require a lot of stuff best mobilized on four wheels. Size-up the size of your family and buy a tent accordingly. Consider adding a fake person to allow for extra storage space. Look for tents that are quick and easy to assemble (how many people does it really take?) or with pre-attached poles that pop up in seconds. Evaluate whether or not there are interior pockets, "room" dividers, or loops for hanging lanterns and Bluetooth speakers, all handy features. A rain fly is a must.

If you decide most of your camping will be during warmer conditions, your sleeping bag doesn't need to withstand temperatures below 30 degrees or save you from frost bite. Shape is a personal preference (rectangular or mummy), as is insulation (synthetic or down). Synthetic is cheaper, down is pricier but more durable. Be sure to store any sleeping bag according to package directions so it will not lose loft while hibernating for the winter. Sleeping bags that come with a stuff sack vs. being rolled up and tied will save copious amounts of patience. Sleeping pads can be inflatable, a simple egg crate, or go big and invest in a camping cot to put some distance between you and the unpredictable ground. Some brands even market a pad and bag that attach together. This is a nice feature for squirmy kids. For cooking, any propanepowered camp stove will do, but go for at least two burners. Look into cookware that stacks into itself for easier storage. As you're loading up the car, go ahead and throw in some battery- or solar-powered string lights. Who doesn't love string lights? (Note: Bugs also love string lights)

Backpack/Backcountry Camping

Again, the name of the game with backpacking is weight. There is no magic number to target, but now it's not only about personal preference, but also physical capability. Start with your needs (backpack, sleeping bag, pad, tent, sustenance) then consider your wants (pillow, coffee supplies, camp shoes, string lights). Very generally speaking, 30 pounds is a reasonable total pack weight. When purchasing a backpack, it's worth the extra time and attention to get properly fitted for one at your local outfitter. Evaluate the packeddown size of your gear, measured meticulously in ounces and inches. Your sleeping bag should utilize a compression sack and your tent should probably not accommodate more than two people. Many sleeping bags come with a pouch at the top to stuff in clothes to make a pillow. Check the weather and determine if omitting the rain fly is a gamble you're willing to take. For water, consider a filter apparatus to safely take advantage of natural sources. For food, decide if you want to pack non-perishables like beef jerky, nuts, dried fruit or tuna packets or bring on board a small canister stove system so you can boil water and rehydrate freeze-dried bag meals. into your backpack take a warm-up lap around the neighborhood or hit the stair climber at the gym to see how it all feels. And don't forget a trusty spade for burying your business. Sleeping alfresco with the night sounds whirring and the stars twinkling is a transformative adventure everyone should experience at least once. However, if you're the type who would be just as content sleeping under glow-inthe-dark sticky stars scattered across the ceiling of your climate-controlled, memory-foamed bedroom ... that can be just a magical, too. Especially with the sounds of whirring central air.

EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF GIVING

8th Annual Online Giving Day JUNE 23, 2021

The 8th Annual Online Giving Day is June 23rd, but you can make a secure, online gift anytime between June 1st and June 23rd to help your favorite organizations win additional grant money from the Community Foundation!

Help us raise $430,000 for NRV nonprofits! givelocalnrv.org

Photo by Kevin Laneselli

Favorite NRV Car Camping Spots:

Claytor Lake State Park, Dublin Gatewood Reservoir, Pulaski White Rocks Campground, Newport Foster Falls Camp, Max Meadows

Favorite NRV Backpacking Spots:

Dismal Falls to the New River along the A.T., Pearisburg Rice Fields A.T. shelter, Giles County Rock Castle Gorge Trail, Floyd

Nancy S. Moseley is a freelance writer and happy camper. Having stayed in everything from rooftop tents to tent cabins, and currently operating with a four-man tent she can't put up without a curse word or two, she prefers a simple two-man tent experience. No rain fly. Meet the Artist

Gallery Open House May 29-30

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216 S. Main Street, Kent Square Blacksburg, VA 24060 (540) 552-6446 blacksburggallery@pbuckleymoss.com www.pbuckleymoss.com