I realized that I've not said much about the camping gear, so lovingly selected for the trip, and how well it is working.
The problem is that I've not been camping a lot. 4 nights so far. And it's been so hot that I've not had the inspiration or perspiration to do any cooking.
But let me comment on a few things.
I bought a Lime Fuel recharger well before the trip and got Barb one. This is about 6 inches long and 4 wide and 3/4 inch thick. It has 12000 mah capacity. When there has been no power I've used it. I can recharge my phone about 4 times or the tablet about 3. It's been useful to keep things going without external power handy.
The tent has worked well. It consists of a rain fly and the tent and various poles. The poles all come apart for transport. I've not used the rain fly once, when it was very hot and I wanted any breeze I could get. I tried stacking out a corner of the rain fly on another occasion to act as a wind catcher, but the wind died completely and nothing was going to help.
The tent is a four person size and that is large enough for two with gear and have a lot of move around space. There is no standing head room, which hasn't been a big problem. Being able to walk in and out would be useful, but I've been trying to keep shoe dust out, so walking in and out is not been an approved activity.
What I've hinted at above, is that a fan would be useful. Tent fans exist and I' m going to keep my eyes open for one down the road. Battery or USB powered would work. With the USB, I could power it off the Lime Fuel cell and could run it for a week or so. They have versions that hang from the top of the tent and would help with warm and probably damp conditions a lot.
The hatchet has been needed. One of the campgrounds was small stone and hard dirt as the tent pad and being able to pound in stakes was necessary.
I've not tried the hammock or tarp or some of the other stuff. Bugs and rain have not been problems.
The car is just big enough for all the gear. Some of which will not fit in the hatch back compartment, so it's on the back seat and by the passenger foot well. That leaves me a bit paranoid about leaving the car for a long hike for example. If I keep doing this, a larger vehicle will be useful.
I'm getting about 30 mpg with gas about $2.70 per gallon. I'd hate to lose 25% fuel economy, but that might be the price of security. I thought about locking it all together and anchoring it to the seat belts, but it's just a dream for the moment. Pack Safe has some wire mesh containers to protect a backpack, which might be all I need to avoid disaster. I can easily replace a tent, but the electronics and stuff are more valuable and probably not insured for full loss.
Golf today at Palatine Hills with Diana and Butch and Bob - looking forward to it.
Rich
No comments:
Post a Comment