Logistics: the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. (Wikipedia)
Thus far my logistics have worked out reasonably well, although I see room for improvement. I was surprisingly tired last night and went to bed not long after sunset, which must have been 8:30 or perhaps 9. It seemed reasonable to try out my bed in the car. I had a built a platform in order to have a flat surface on which to sleep. On this I laid a yoga mat topped by an REI camping mattress finished off by a 3 inch memory foam for which I sewed a cover from an old sheet. I don’t know that I could create anything elaborate, but years of watching my mom at her sewing machine paid off.
The final product – my ”bed” – is only 26 inches wide, but that has proved adequate. It’s the width of a cot and I’m not a sprawler. It doesn’t give me a lot of head room though and could be a little claustrophobic. Fortunately, I was too tired to care so that wasn’t a problem. Getting into it was a bit of a challenge, though and took some creative slipping and sliding. More of an issue was that it got hot during the night even though I had 2 screen-covered windows half open.
Maybe it’s the memory foam and I can also open the front windows, but I have another alternative yet to be tested. I had thought to bring him an extra battery – maybe a car or marine battery. Fortunately, technology has leaped ahead of me yet again and there are smaller, self-contained power packs which charge from a car’s cigarette lighter and provide AC power as well as USB ports and other functions. Mine can be used to jump start a car and has already proven its worth. Not only are these batteries smaller, but they are more efficient so I bought myself a small fan which doesn’t draw much current and I can probably run it all night.
And other untested piece of equipment was my tent. The one I purchased is a perfectly serviceable 9 x 9’ camping tent but it has a secret. There’s an extra sleeve which connects to my Subaru Outback. So, if my car is my bedroom, then my tent is my living room, dining room and study. That’s where I am right now, sitting comfortably with my computer on a multi function desk/table that my clever son made for me. I’m looking out the big screened windows at the Virginia woods along the Skyline Drive, watching birds and chipmunks. Last night a deer strode through just a few feet away from me. So far, things seem to have worked out pretty well.
Logistics.
