This was partially a mistake.
We set up our tents in a valley that protected us from the wind, but what we didn’t think about was the type of ground we were on. It was all sand. At first we were thrilled to camp on sand because it’s far more comfortable than roots and rocks, but we would soon be reminded that wind and sand are not a good mix.
The sun went down and the wind picked up. A large gust of wind pulled out one of our tent stakes, another reason why sand wasn’t the best choice. Thankfully we were around some rocks so we ran out, braved the wind, and used the rocks to hold down our tent. This worked, so we said goodnight and fell asleep.
When we woke up to the sound of a fallen tree nearby we noticed we were covered in dust; INSIDE OUR TENT! The sand was so fine that it went through the screen of our tent and had covered everything inside. The next few hours were awful. I remember listening to the wind roll through the trees, followed by waves of sand that would lift up and pound the walls of our tent. The sound was so scary, and kept us wide awake. I think I only slept maybe two hours that night, and it took everything I had to stay calm and wait out the storm.