The Story of How I Fell into the Camping Gear Rabbit Hole at Sound House - My First Solo Camping Trip, Day 1

It’s finally here! I’m going on my very first camping trip♪
And I’m doing it solo right from the start!!
I’m super nervous since I can only rely on myself—but that’s all part of the fun♪

Just to be safe, I did a bit of research beforehand by checking out camping books and YouTube videos to get an idea of what the day would look like.

I would also love to fit in some reading or walk around the campsite, but cramming so much into my first trip might be tough. So this time, I decided to just “Eat, drink, and sleep!” Super simple, right? lol

Check-in ~ Setup

This time, I chose what’s called a “high-standard” campsite. It has clean restrooms and showers, a convenience shop, a gate that manages car entry and exit, and even staff on-site 24 hours a day, so it’s a safe and comfortable option for beginners and solo female campers♪
Still, since I wanted to feel a bit more of that “out in the wild” camping vibe, I went with a “free site”, or an open area without marked sections.

After checking in at the management building, I parked my car in the lot next to the free site and started looking for where to pitch my tent.

Keeping these points in mind, I stood with my back to the wind, looked around to take in the scenery, and imagined the view from my tent and chair before deciding on the perfect spot and direction.

Once I found my favorite location, I started hauling my gear over—heave ho!…

This time, my spot wasn’t too far from the parking area next to the site, so I carried everything by hand. But if your campsite is farther away from the lot, a cart is absolutely essential! You can move a ton of gear in one go and it just makes things so much easier!! (These days, unless I can park right next to the site, I pretty much always use a cart.)

LOGOS / ROSY Luggage Carry (Gr Logo)

I had practiced setting up a few times beforehand, so I wanted to say I got everything pitched quickly and smoothly like a pro!
…but in reality, I spent about two hours figuring out where to put the tent and gear—and taking a bunch of photos along the way, lol.

Starting A Fire

This time, I rented a fire pit, so I could cook dinner over an open fire!
There are so many ways to start a fire, and which one you choose really depends on your mood♪

• Hand drill / bow drill
• Flint and steel / fire starter
• Outdoor matches
• Lighter

For this session, I decided to take on the fire starter challenge!

These days, you can find all kinds of camping gear even at 100-yen shops, so it’s easy to pick up a full kit when you just want to try things out for fun.

Here’s the basic fire-building process:
Fire starter → frayed hemp string → thin conifer branches → slightly thicker conifer branches → thicker conifer branches → broadleaf wood
You grow the flame gradually, step by step, until it becomes a full fire.

Getting the fire lit was easier than I expected, but the “→ slightly thicker conifer → thicker conifer” part was tough!
It would burn for a while, then go out… reignite, burn, and go out again… burn, then fade out… Before I knew it, it was getting dark, and I started to panic a little (^-^;;;
…But! This is the joy of a solo camping trip!
Even if the fire doesn’t catch right away, or dinner ends up being late—there’s no one else there but yourself to bother!!!
And, how much effort I want to put in is totally up to me!!!

So, I decided to pull out the fire starters and lighter I had brought for just in case, and—whoosh— the fire started burning beautifully♪ (As long as it lit, I was happy♪ After doing it a few times, I felt like a total pro, lol.)

By the way, you can even buy fire pits at Sound House!

LOGOS / LOGOS the Pyramid TAKIBI M

A simple-to-assemble fire pit! With a wide range of optional accessories, there are endless ways to enjoy it♪

↓ Also available in different sizes!

• LOGOS / LOGOS the Pyramid TAKIBI L
• LOGOS / Pyramid Grill Compact

LOGOS / Fire Cookpit

The stainless-steel fiber mesh catches both firewood and ash! With its dual-layer design, you can enjoy oven-style cooking like pizza while tending to your fire♪ You can also use the included bars for cooking with pots and pans. By adjusting the bar placement, you can even control the heat level for direct or indirect cooking!

LOGOS / LOGOS Great Takibi Grill

A box-style fire pit that lets you watch the flames through the side window while cooking.
Comes with a grill rack and an extra-thick trivet, so you can use two or more cookware items at the same time!

Dinner Time

Now that the campfire is finally stable, here’s tonight’s menu!

• Kimchi Hot Pot
• Grilled Meat
• S’mores

Since it’s just me, I’ll enjoy everything in mini portions♪

Kimchi Hot Pot

Cutting vegetables at the campsite is a hassle and creates extra trash. Plus, I wanted to enjoy a bit of everything, so I prepped everything at home and chopped all the ingredients and packed them neatly into small aluminum cups that fit inside my mess tin!
At the campsite, I added some kimchi broth and water, placed the aluminum cup directly into the mess tin, and set it on the fire pit. Thanks to the mess tin’s handle, it’s super easy to move around♪

Grilled Meat

I brought a small iron plate with me, so I grilled a little meat♪
The fire pit had a grill grate, so I could’ve done a BBQ directly, but I was too impatient to wait until it turned into embers (^-^;
With the atmosphere adding a bit of “seasoning,” it tasted even better than usual! The beer went down way too easily, lol.

*When cooking over an open flame instead of charcoal, black soot starts to form while the fire is still burning. If you don’t want your cookware to get sooty or you’re grilling directly on a grate, wait until the flames die down and you have glowing embers before cooking!

S’mores

After finishing dinner and relaxing a bit, I couldn’t resist trying the classic camping treat that everyone knows and loves!
I skewered a marshmallow on a long stick, toasted it gently over the embers, and sandwiched it between two Alfort biscuits.
It was a bit too heavy in my stomach after eating so much, but wow—it was delicious (^-^)♪ Pure happiness.

Cleaning Up Before Bed

Full stomach, a little buzz from the drinks—feeling great♪
I just want to dive straight into my sleeping bag! …but wait!!!

Cleanup before bed! This part is important!!

Putting Out the Fire

This is the most crucial step! A fire could cause serious trouble not just for you, but for everyone around you, so you need to be careful!
Even if the flames are gone, the embers are still burning, and sometimes it looks like everything’s out, BUT when you stir it up, you might find parts still glowing inside.
Either let everything burn completely until there’s no heat left, or use a fire extinguisher (hibachi extinguishing container) to make sure the fire is completely out.

Cleaning Up Food and Dishes

Even though it’s a campground, you’re still outdoors, and depending on the area, wild animals might show up. (I’ve personally encountered cats and raccoons before.)
If you leave leftover food or dirty dishes outside, they can get broken and stolen by animals. Make sure to bring them inside your tent or car, or seal them up tightly in a storage box with a lid.

Watch Out for Night Dew

Condensation and night dew are often easy to forget about. Sometimes things get much wetter than you expect.
Be sure to put away chairs and any gear you don’t want to get wet.

Bedtime

Many campgrounds have quiet hours or lights-out times, during which you should refrain from the following:

• Talking loudly
• Opening and closing car doors
• Hammering pegs or splitting firewood
• Shining bright lights
• Making large flames in the fire pit

I somehow managed to finish tidying up by the 10:00 PM lights-out time, and was just about to relax inside my closed tent… when I suddenly found myself in dreamland zzz

Next time, the camping adventure continues: Day 2… stay tuned!