Campervan First Camping Trip

Finally I get to take my new camper van conversion on its first camping trip. We go to the Queets Rainforest in Olympic National Park to test all of our new van camping systems, and for some forest and wildlife photography.

With a mix of rain and sunbreaks forecast for the next several days, I pack up the Delica camper van and head to the Queets Rainforest, in Olympic National Park. These are perfect conditions to try her out in typical Pacific Northwest weather, and to photograph old-grown forests and wildlife.

Overall, everything worked pretty well. The awning collected a lot of rainwater and needed to be pitched at a slope to prevent pooling. The mini-awning was quick to set up, and kept water out of the slider door. The ventilation fan didn't do much by itself, but worked great in combination with the diesel heater. I expect the ventilation fan to be more useful when I'm cooking inside the van, or if I bring in a lot of water on my clothes or equipment ... which I didn't do on this trip.

The magnetic bug screens kept rain out of the pop-out side windows, and the custom rubber floor mat kept the floor tidy.

Walking the 3 mile Sam's River Trail Loop led to a couple new old-growth forest images. The open grassy parks helped to simplify the usual cluttered forest by separating the trees out a bit and by providing some foreground interest.

Bigleaf maple in open grassy park in Queets Rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington

Fallen trees lay in open grassy park in Queets Rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington

A male harlequin duck frequented some large boulders in the middle of the Queets River each evening. These boulders are probably excellent roosting sites with the surrounding river providing protection from predators.

Old-growth forest overhanging the Queets River, Olympic National Park, Washington

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