Masato's Big Day Out - gone camping

 I had a really great day out. The weather was so good and I went camping with my friend.We took a tent, a sleeping bag, charcoal and so on. We were going’s to camping.

We set a tent and made a fire to do BBQ at dinner. During this, it has begun raining. We hurried up to prepare for camping. It was little hard, but we did with cooperation each other.

My friend said taught me how to make a fire, so we could do that easily. According to him we can make fire easily to set charcoal square.

After a camp, we went back by train.
We felt so tired but we enjoyed a great camping

Love among the Haystacks - after reading

Under the stars. Write about a night when you slept outdoors

The elementary school that I went had an event to go for camping when I was fourth and fifth grade.
I was excited to go for camping because didn’t have a chance with my family. We stayed lodge when we were fourth grade, but we actually built tent when we were fifth grade.


Nowadays, tent might be light and easy to build. Back then, tent was thick heavy sheet, especially, the rental tent was nothing fancy green tent, but I was so excited to build it with my friends.

The tent seemed that it’s not big when I saw it from outside. However, I was moved when I went into the tent. My group was four people, and it was big enough to chat and sleep for us. The fifth grade camping was held in June. The sad thing is that the day was cloudy. In the night, gentle rain started.

Because of rain, I couldn’t hear much sound of frogs or birds. I only heard the sound of rain drop and river stream far away. I slept soon for that I worked hard that day to do activity, so it was not the problem anyway. The rain finished in the morning, and little bit foggy. It was magical atmosphere in the forest.

While I write this essay, I remember the joyful camp. Someday, I hope to have a chance to go for camp!

After reading Death at Hadrian's Wall...

What 10 things would you put in your backpack for a long hike?

1 a tent: We can be out of winds and rains in a tent. And if we will sleep outside without a tent, it will very dangerous!
2 a torch: we can walk in the dark night safer.
3 a mobile phone: People who reads this book will understand it is necessary to walk for a long distance. If we will get into danger, we will be able to inform it to others quickly. As I am bad at directions, I want to confirm where I am by GPS.
4 raincoat: we need not wet clothes and ourselves if we wear it. So we can keep feel well.
5 matches: They are very useful to set fire when we cook.
6 a pot: If we take it, we can eat hot meal.
7: a map: This is one of the most need things. We can confirm the course to goal.
8: batteries: When the battery of torch run down, we can change it with new one.
9: money: We can buy foods, clothes and other need things. And we can stay a hotel or youth hostel and we can take a bath there.
10: medicine: If we have a stomachache suddenly, we need it.

Posted for Mio

My camping experiences in Japan - a student writes

When I was young, I experienced several camps with my family and as a member of school student and Girl Scout. The places were different every time, but I always used dixie to cook rice and had dinner outside.

In the camp with my family, the camp place was sea side. We enjoyed playing fireworks and doing BBQ. The tent was very narrow and a little bit hot. However, I was happy as my mother fanned me until I felt into a sleep.

In the camp as a member of school student, we hiked to Utsukushigahara highland and stayed in a lodge. I was happy, as a boy who I liked and I were in the same group. I could cook and had curry with him. In addition, I danced with him by the camp fire. It was my one-way love, but it was good memory.

The camp as a member of Girl Scout was more complicate than other two camps. Especially, building big tent was analog (physical?) and hard work. I remembered that talking with other members was fun in the tent, but next day, we had to unbuild and fold the tent…

I haven’t done camps for a long time, but they
were good experience for me. If I have children in the future, I want them to experience unusual life like camp.

(Posted for Chinasa, after reading "Stranger Danger")

After reading "Stranger Danger"...hiking memoirs

Write about a hiking trip you made when you were young.

In Mastumoto, it is very popular activity to go hiking during the junior high school years. The destination depends on school, but I went to Kamikouchi for hiking and camping when I was in the first year at my junior high school. We went to there by bus and arrived in the noon. In the afternoon, we walked around the field to see some ponds there. It was a summer activity, but it was very cold there.

We had to cook by ourselves, so we packed food in our backpack. Our group brought a watermelon as a dessert after dinner. We put the watermelon in the river as soon as we arrived there. Our teacher cut it for us and we could share it with everyone in our class. It tasted really good and the most delicious one in my life.

In the night, we watched the stars before we sent to sleep in the tent. The sky was full of stars which were brighter than what I had seen in my town. I felt it was even nearer to me. Watermelon and starts are my good memory of hiking.