Lisa's Camping Adventure: Sleeping below 20.

One thing about me, I am a survivor. About fifteen years ago (maybe longer), I fell on some hard times. I had fallen at work and was going through a workers' comp claim. I knew my money was going to be depleted, and decided to pay for a campground site for the Winter. I put most of my stuff in a storage bin (paying months in advance), sold the stuff I didn't need, and tried to figure out what I was going to do.

During that time, I spent three months in the heart of the West Virginia River Riders (it's different now) campsite. I lived out of the back of my truck, spent the nights beside a roaring campfire, and listened to the odd sounds of nature. Did you know that when a bobcat screeches, it sounds like a woman screaming? I had a cap on the back of my F150, and it made it like a one-bedroom apartment. The stinkbugs could still get in, but it kept out most everything else. I had a futon in there for sleeping, I had my desk in there with my laptop, and I had a converter that I plugged into my truck. I just needed to start it every so often to make sure the battery didn't drain. At that time, I worked remotely, so my job followed me wherever I went. I had a plastic tarp that I put over the cap in case it rained. I would watch the zipliners fly over my head. It was cool. I even did it once. Fair warning… don't do it if you are not 100% healthy and skinny. The harness on a fat person is not flattering, trust me (no, the picture is not me). It's like trying to put a bikini on a hog. Lord… I thought I was going to die. I screamed so loud, I know they heard me in the building at the front.

Well, while camping, it got below 20 many times. I decided to put my big, fluffy comforter in the sleeping bag with me and zipped it up. Oh, that was so warm!! I covered up my head, used myself as a heater, and it was wonderful. I fell asleep, nice and cozy. Then, it got to be a tad too much. I uncovered my head first to breathe some oxygen.

Then, I thought, okay, it's a little too snug in here. I tried to get out of it. I couldn't reach the zipper. I thought, Lord, this is how I die! I twisted and turned and damn near exhausted myself. I stopped panicking and started to move in slow, deliberate actions, and finally got to the zipper and unzipped it. I never did that again. It took 30 minutes, but I finally broke free. If you're sleeping in the cold, with the covers over your head, your breath is like a heater; you just have to open up every once in a while to let out the carbon dioxide and bring in some oxygen!