Finally our Braggin’ Rights login is sorted out! So I can update you on some awesomeness happening at TNF Minneapolis!
This months round of exploration started off on March 7th, with five TNF employees heading into a snow covered, moon lit Afton State Park. Myself (Becky Lightfoot), along with Karl Huemiller, Reid Curry, and Katie Piet from TNF Minneapolis and Kelli Morrison from TNF St Paul headed out covered in gear ready to battle a cold and snowy night. This was my first official winter camping experience.
How many North Face products were in attendance that night? I can not say. To many to count. Base layers, socks, boots, hats, snow pants, fleece, back packs, tents, water bottles... The most important one though, my demo gear pick, the women's Re-meow sleeping bag. It was essential on this sub 20 degrees night.
Our hike into camp was short, just a mile, but it was late already and we still needed to set up camp and make dinner. A few of us set up tents while the others started food. Dinner was delicious. We had instant mashed potatoes and veggie chilly with cheese on top. I found it a little challenging keeping up my body heat, sitting for so long on a sow covered bench, so after dinner we ran around the camp site for a while and did some jumping jacks. Then we buried our water bottles in the snow (so they wouldn't freeze) and jumped in out tents (unless you were Karl, then you slept under a tree).
Now the re-meow is rated to 20 degrees but that rating is for the very limit of comfort and we were dealing with some pretty cold and wet air so I brought along my regular cat's meow as well. Yes that’s right, on my first ever winter camping trip I slept in two 20 degree sleeping bags. I'm happy to say it was a very warm and comfortable night. I put a granola bar in the little outside zipper pocket incase I got cold and hungry at night. I didn't. I had plenty of room inside the bag to move and it cinched nicely around my face so as to keep the cold out.
The next morning we made some breakfast and headed off on a detour route of two miles back to the parking lot. It was a perfectly sunny morning and we quickly peeled off layers as we realized just how much the temperature had risen. We stopped to take in a view of the St. Croix River and t
hen piled into the cars to get back in time to work the closing shift.
This months round of exploration started off on March 7th, with five TNF employees heading into a snow covered, moon lit Afton State Park. Myself (Becky Lightfoot), along with Karl Huemiller, Reid Curry, and Katie Piet from TNF Minneapolis and Kelli Morrison from TNF St Paul headed out covered in gear ready to battle a cold and snowy night. This was my first official winter camping experience.
How many North Face products were in attendance that night? I can not say. To many to count. Base layers, socks, boots, hats, snow pants, fleece, back packs, tents, water bottles... The most important one though, my demo gear pick, the women's Re-meow sleeping bag. It was essential on this sub 20 degrees night.
Our hike into camp was short, just a mile, but it was late already and we still needed to set up camp and make dinner. A few of us set up tents while the others started food. Dinner was delicious. We had instant mashed potatoes and veggie chilly with cheese on top. I found it a little challenging keeping up my body heat, sitting for so long on a sow covered bench, so after dinner we ran around the camp site for a while and did some jumping jacks. Then we buried our water bottles in the snow (so they wouldn't freeze) and jumped in out tents (unless you were Karl, then you slept under a tree).
Now the re-meow is rated to 20 degrees but that rating is for the very limit of comfort and we were dealing with some pretty cold and wet air so I brought along my regular cat's meow as well. Yes that’s right, on my first ever winter camping trip I slept in two 20 degree sleeping bags. I'm happy to say it was a very warm and comfortable night. I put a granola bar in the little outside zipper pocket incase I got cold and hungry at night. I didn't. I had plenty of room inside the bag to move and it cinched nicely around my face so as to keep the cold out.
The next morning we made some breakfast and headed off on a detour route of two miles back to the parking lot. It was a perfectly sunny morning and we quickly peeled off layers as we realized just how much the temperature had risen. We stopped to take in a view of the St. Croix River and t
hen piled into the cars to get back in time to work the closing shift.
Haha of course Karl slept under a tree.. Great post Becky! This certainly makes me miss y'all and the cold weather...
ReplyDeletePete