Kindle by campfire

We just got back from a two-week road trip across British Columbia and into Alberta. The plan was to see the most scenic parts of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, do a little camping, and visit the acclaimed Tyrell Museum in Drumheller to view the amazing fossils and dinosaur bones.

Everything went as planned, but I have to say I'd forgotten something about sleeping under the stars. It can be pretty boring, once the stars actually come out.

It's dark out there in the wilderness. And because it was mid-to-late September, those stars came out pretty early. And once it gets dark, there's not a lot to do for the next twelve hours. That's where the Kindle, Kobo, iPad, or whatever reader you have, comes in handy.

E-readers take campfire reading to a whole new level. No more need for awkward flashlights, over-bright head lamps, or dangerous candles. In fact, e-readers actually made us look forward to nightfall so we could hunker down and get back to the books we'd been thinking about all day as we trekked along icy rivers and around turquoise lakes, dodging rutting elks and mama bears with their cubs.

I have to admit I'm not a great camper. I prefer motels. But for a few days, every now and then, if the rain and frost hold off, and my e-reader is fully charged, it's good to be out in the bush with more than a campfire for entertainment.