Chapter 5 Setting Up Camp (1/2)

The camping site had been used numerous times. It was on high ground and at a short distance from the stream. The cliff was on one side and the guest house on the adjacent side. There were two washrooms made of wood which had been cleaned up. Probably, the cleaners working at the guest house were doing the cleaning work here too. There was a bathing area too but it was not possible to bathe at all as the weather was a bit chilly. The winds were blowing down directly from the snowy mountains. They could maximum do a sponge bath.

”Zia, if you don't mind, I'd like to help the students pitch their tents,” Luke said.

”Sure Luke, even I do not know how to go about it.Even if I do, it will take me a long time to teach myself and then guide the students to help themselves.” She added.

Luke came over and told the children, ”First we must view the area to ensure that the door of the tents do not face the cliff and the snow covered peeks directly. Otherwise the biting cold winds would be blowing down from the mountains straight into our tents.”

He continued, ”We need to make an arc which will be the demarcation of our 6 tents and would be equidistant from each other.”

He further added, ”All of you now carefully look around the area where the tent is to be fixed. Spot and remove all tiny rocks and pebbles before we start to assemble the tents.”

He continued, ”The reason to remove these rocks and pebbles is so that these do not pierce the tent floor and hurt our back while we are asleep or make us toss and turn throughout the night due to pain.”

”Please also survey the area for tiny anthills as you would not want an anthill under your tent. Also look for holes made by animals which would indicate presence of some sorts of animal life. We do not want any reptiles landing up in the tent, do we?” He asked.

Luke called the school Peon, no one remembered his name but everyone called him Sherpa and that name had stuck.

”Sherpa, please give me one of the carry bags containing the ready-made tent, pole pieces and rainfly.” He asked.

These ready-made tents were quite light, easy to carry within their carry bags. Each carry back had 2-3 poles in pieces to be assembled.

Luke first laid the ready-made tent on the ground that had been scanned for rocks and pebbles. He ensured that the door area faced upwards i.e. towards the sky and away from the wind direction.

Then he assembled the pole by inserting the small pieces, one after another in a chain like manner to make a long pole. He took the first pole and threaded it through the fabric sleeve on the tent which fanned across in a diagonal manner. He then fixed the edges of the pole into the diagonally opposite grommets (eyelets).He then assembled the other pole in the same manner and threaded it through the other diagonal sleeve and attached it into the respective grommets.

The tent thus got raised and was now almost ready having a square base and also a tent floor. He then attached the numerous clasps available on the sleeve to the poles.He then took 4 pegs from the peon to ground the tent and hammered the pegs through the 4 hooks of the tent to the ground.

The grommets (eyelets) or hooks create tension that bends the poles into arcs and provides the structure for your tent.Now the tent body had been assembled.

Next, he assembled the waterproof called rainfly which covers the tent completely in order to keep the water out.

The rainfly encloses the tent body and also has grommets through which the ends of the tent poles are attached. The rainfly also has hooks or loop straps on the underside which help hold it in place. The flap of the fly acts as an additional cover and there is normally another pole to assemble. The nylon straps at the corners of the fly make it taut. So you end up with a small forward enclosure and the bigger inner enclosure. A taunt rainfly is better able to shed water, and it won't flap in the wind.

”Which of you students will be occupying this first tent?” Luke asked.

Zen replied. ”Chris and I will be in this tent.”

Luke asked them to put all their stuff inside like their sleeping bags, sleeping pad, clothes, pillow, etc inside. He also told them to ensure nothing touched the sides of the tent as moisture would condense on the tent walls, and anything which comes in contact will the moisture got wet.

One by one all the 6 tents were pitched. The boys would take both the sides of the tents and the tents of the girls would be in the middle.

Luke advised them that at night not to leave any food inside the tent. It can attract wild animals and these animals can hurt you. Wild animals do not attack unless provoked. It is better to be safe. Furthermore, rodents may be attracted to the smell emitted by food, smells or even sweat soaked into your clothing, backpack or boots can attract them. They can cut through the tent with their sharp teeth to reach whatever they are after.

The first tent was Zen and Chris, the Second tent was occupied by Tina and Nanu, the third was occupied by Cathy and Shana and the fourth was occupied by Zia and Zoya, the fifth tent was occupied by Danny and Ben the sixth and last one was occupied by Sunny and Sherpa( the peon).

”Luke Sir, what about you? Will you be lodging at the guest house?” asked Nanu.