Monthly Archives: October 2012
Winner Winner Camp Site Dinner
I was at my local REI one Saturday and a worker was walking around with a pack on his back asking, “Hey, would you like to sign up for the class we had today and be registered to win this backpack?”
“Sure! I love learning and winning stuff,” I said.
“It’s ‘Ultralight Backpacking for Women’ but men are allowed,” REI guy said.
“Sure,” I said. “I’m not a woman, but I know one.” And I thought to myself, “and the more I learn about these fascinating creatures, the better off I’ll be!”
So I called my partner in crime… we shall call her “Becca”, and asked if she’d like to attend. Yes was the answer and entered we were.
It was great. Me and that one other guy stood no chance but to soak it in. I made sure I asked a question or two so to embarrass my junior partner. “You shouldn’t be asking questions. This is a women’s class.”
Granted, I don’t have a uterus and 2 lady bumps, but there “are no stupid questions… just improperly timed and embarrassing ones.”
About a month later I receive an email from REI stating I had won the September prize! The REI Flash 62 men’s backpack!
A man signs up for a woman’s class and wins a mans pack. Thanks REI for being gender unbiased!
But I already had a Deuter 65+10 pack. “Becca” needs to upgrade the Kelty Courser 40. So we bargained with the REI lady to get “Becca” a lady bag (with lady bump-friendly straps).
An hour later and “Becca” was the proud owner of a REI Venus 70. A $200 bag for… courageously attending a lady backpacker class. Yea me! And you’re welcome. 😉
Camping – The Beginning Part 2
So to continue the “first” camping entry, I am entering this during our second trip. Go figure.
To sum up the first car camping experience in one word… success. It was nice weather with a spritz of rain early morning and the over night temperature was bearable never having zipped up the sleeping bags. Though the rain fly was zipped to keep some coolness out, it stayed in the upper 60s.
As we set up camp as well as broke camp, I demonstrated and worked with my junior partner on the equipment. Though having been “back to” camping, a lot of research and talking with the experienced gave me a good bit of insight on the ins and outs of this newer, “specialized” camping. I’ll define specialized as not my momma’s camping… ultralight, multi-use equipment versus the old Coleman kerosene lantern stated before.
Anyway, it was a great start and we really enjoyed the initial use of our new equipment. Now on to more entries and camping. (If not showing, a picture will be posted soon)
Camping – The Beginning
Hopefully this won’t be a short-lived series where the next post is titled “Camping – The End”. And by that you probably assume, I am starting camping (again).
I have camped. Let me clarify. I have car camped, where you pull the car up to the site in the park or preserve and set up camp no more than at the most one hundred yards from your vehicle.
Recently my partner in crime and I set out to work our way toward TRUE backpacking. You know, where everything you need in camp is on your back? Where you are 101 plus yards from your vehicle, hanging with the lions and tigers and bears? ____________ ! Yes, this is where I briefly chronicle our adventures in doing just that. Will this help you or anybody else out there? I’m not optimistic. But at the very least you can be entertained or sit there reading, adding your own commentary as if someone else was there to hear you. (And this may be a clue… while you are reading this, you could be out there camping or breathing in the air. Instead you are reading this? It’s a dilemma.)
My gear. Main things: Nemo Losi 3P tent, Mountain Hardware Lamina +35 bag, Exped SynMat UL 7 pad, Deuter ACT Lite 65+10 pack, Jetboil Flash system, Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter, Vasque Breeze Gore-Tex boots (not shown)
To cut to the chase, I got a weed up my… well, where it shouldn’t be and decided we should start camping. It’s highly active, outdoors and there is some REALLY cool stuff out now compared to the days of the Coleman kerosine lanterns. Places like REI and Campmor allow for you to completely geek out on things that’ll aid in adventure, keeping you moving AKA from getting fat. And it’s just so darn cool!
Instead of starting this out with a 13 mile death march up a hill to pitch a tent and live on twigs and berries for a week, we are taking baby steps on the way to a decent goal of backpacking the GA section of the Appalachian Trail. One goal at a time… and it’s easier to start learning to drink from a garden hose rather than a fire hose… or a waterfall. BUT in the meantime we’ll learn HOW to drink from that waterfall, safely.
So where did I start? Shopping. When you have nothing, you gotta get it somehow and trading furs or the roommate’s dog doesn’t seem to work anymore. EBay, scratch and dent, clearance, and plain old sales help you buy some good equipment without breaking the bank. The picture is of my gear. On a future post I’ll go through a few pieces and describe how or why I chose them. For now take a look…