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Mule Journey Tent Life: A Rainy Night in Damascus, VA

Published September 26, 2018

I, Bernie Harberts, did not use generative AI to write or illustrate this article. Spell check and grammar check, yes. AI, no.

Long Rider Bernie Harberts and Julia Carpenter's tent set up inside a cow barn in Damascus, VA during a rainy stretch of their mule journey

The tent tonight. For us, this is luxury lodging: we’re set up inside a cow barn. (Damascus, VA)

Goodnight from our tent. It’s been a rainy day for mule travel. Julia and I are holed up waiting for dryer weather. We’re here in Mike Johnson’s cow barn (Damascus, VA) cozy and dry, grateful for all the fine folks that have taken care of us during our mule ramble. Here’s what it’s like inside our tent tonight.

Enjoy.

Sleep tight.

Bernie

Long Rider Bernie Harberts' makeshift bed inside his tent: a bandana pillowcase stuffed with coveralls, a wool saddle blanket, and a saddle pad mattress, Damascus, VA

My mattress and pillow. If it all looks vaguely familiar that’s because it is. The “pillowcase” is my red bandana, a gift from my great mule buddy Ronald Hudson. The pillow “stuffing” is my pin stripe coveralls. My blanket is the wool blanket I use under my saddle. The “mattress” is my saddle pad. After a long day in the saddle, with the rain on the roof and the mules in the grass, it’s Heaven.
Solar-powered Luci light providing mood lighting inside Long Rider Bernie Harberts' tent during a rainy night in Damascus, VA
Mood lighting: this tiny, solar powered light provides plenty of light for us to eat, read and write by. Like much of our gear it was a gift from a friend. Thanks Doug!

Julia documented the whole ramble on her blog Saddle Under the Stars —
August,
September,
and October.
Her posts are worth your time and will give you her side of the experience.

More about riding out the front gate.

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