Road Trip 2010: Gearing Up at REI

After about a week in Utah, it was time to travel south and meet up with my backpacking friends in New Mexico.  I stopped at the REI in Albequerque to pick up a few items I decided I wanted.  I walked to the counter with 400 dollars in merchandise and the woman told me, "You need a membership."  Apparently I get a rebate once a year on my purchases and can also return anything for any reason for a full refund as a member.  

I finally got some trekking poles.  That's me using them in the Grand Canyon.  They make a huge difference in the amount of stress on my knees when I'm going downhill, and when I'm going uphill I can use my arms to help climb.  I love them.  I use them on all hikes now, even though I did get a few looks in the more crowded areas along the Rim Trail in the Grand Canyon.  Two different people asked if I was expecting snow.

I also bought a water filter and a stove.  I used the filter to pump water out of the lake.  It took less than 5 minutes to pump 3 liters and the water tasted very good.  You can drink it instantly instead of waiting hours for the tablets to work.  It's lighter and takes up less space than extra water, so I may be using it a lot.  The stove boils water in two minutes or less.  Everyone in my outdoor group seems to have a Jetboil.  I bought a purple one so I'd know which one was mine - and because I like purple.  They are much easier to use than any other stoves I've tried.  You don't even have to light a match - just attach the fuel can and push a button.     You can buy a pan that attaches, but I don't have one yet.  

I bought an extra Camelbak water bladder, some misc. small items, and way more dehydrated food than I needed.  Oh, well...we'll call it hurricane supplies.  The stove is also good for that.  One of the guys on the backpacking trip says if they issue a boil water warning after a storm, you can use the filter instead.  I don't know if that's true.        

     

Lighting the Way

I've got another backpacking trip coming up and it's time to start thinking about what worked, what didn't, what I'll take on the next trip, and what will be replaced.  One thing that worked very well and will be along for every trip are my Lifegear glowstick / flashlight / flasher / whistles.  I bought the first one because it weighs almost nothing - shipping weight is only 1.6 ounces.   I have bought a second to carry as a backup instead of carrying extra batteries and having to fumble around in the dark trying to replace them.  It uses 3 small watch-type batteries which are included and free replacement batteries are available at http://www.lifegear.com/ (s & h not included). 

Click once and you've got a flashlight, twice a flishlight/glowstick, three times a glowstick only, and 4 times puts it in flasher mode.  On the end is a whistle with a cap to keep it clean.  All of these functions are demonstrated in the video.  (I'm jealous.  I want to make a snow cave!)  What the video doesn't tell you is that it has a detachable lanyard.  I can hang it from the top of my tent in glowstick mode as a sort of lantern and it illuminates the entire space enough to find my shoes, my shorts, or whatever else I need.  The flashlight is bright enough to find a trail in the dark and I had no problem finding a tree in the middle of the night.  It's also bright enough to read by if you shine the light directly on the page.   

One of the fun things about backpacking with a group is comparing gear with the other hikers.  When we were sitting around the campfire I had to show everyone the ultra-cool, ultra-light flashlight I found that could also save our lives in an emergency because I could whistle or signal for help.  One of the guys starting calling me Flo because my personality reminds him of the Progressive Insurance lady.  I like Flo.  I can live with that.

    

Lights Out

Vector 3LED Recharge Night Light (VEC186) at CompactAppliance.Com

I decided to cook dinner early today, which is good because the lights went out and stayed out for a couple of hours.  My daughter came out of her room, upset, and asked if I paid the bill because it's not even raining.  Yes, I paid the light bill.  She can't get on the internet or watch TV without power.  What is she going to do?  I suggest reading a book and she looks at me as if I've suggested that she could clean her room (another valid option). 

She decided to do her nails.  Not just paint her nails, but put tips on.  She pulls out the glues, acrylics, and several other aromatic (not pleasantly) potions.  Without the A/C running and providing ventilation, it's not long before the entire apartment reeks of acetone.  I can't take it any more and make her put it away.  What is she going to do now?  She told me she hoped there isn't a hurricane this year because it's only been an hour and it sucks already.

Other than it being a little hot, I don't remember having such a hard time entertaining myself without electricity when I was a kid.  We played with a deck of paper cards...or ivory dominoes.  Yes, it is fun to play poker at the same table as Sven in Sweden and Nga in Asia, but I still like to play with friends that are physically in the same room. 

Where I live, we have to be prepared for power outages all the time.  The image is of my favorite emergency lighting.  I have two of them and want to buy more.  During Ike, we placed them in the bathrooms.  If you unplug them while they are not in use, they'll last for days if not weeks.  One of the teenagers took it in his room and ran the battery down - during daylight hours.  It lasted at least 8 hours of continuous use.

Now I keep it plugged in an outlet in the kitchen.  The batteries automatically recharge without overcharging, so you can leave it plugged in all the time.  The light comes on automatically when the power fails and provides enough light for the entire kitchen and living room area to move around without crashing into the furniture.  I don't have to stumble around searching for the flashlight or trying to light a candle which I'm afraid to leave burning with the cats around, anyway.

I had to do a Google search to find the exact model I have.  I've never shopped at that particular site.  I'm sure you can find them or something similar at Target or Wal-Mart.  I found some similar items on Amazon.  I linked to the ones with the best reviews.

Earth Day

Image from Flickr.
Going Green Y'all, originally uploaded by nbklx17 (Sandy) I'll Be Back - I Promise!.

"We did not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We are borrowing it from our children." - Native American proverb.


I love these bags from HEB. Not only am I doing my part to make the earth green, but I'm making things easier for myself. They hold a lot of groceries and are much easier to carry than those little plastic bags. I've never needed more than 4 or 5 even when I bought $150 dollars worth of groceries. That makes a difference when you have to carry everything up three flights of stairs to your apartment.

They're great for more than just groceries, too. I use them when I'm traveling to hold any odds and ends that don't fit in my suitcase...to hold dirty clothes when traveling...to the beach or the pool...picnic supplies to the park...any time I have to take something to a friend's house...at only 99 cents they are the perfect little tote for just about anything.

Have you made any changes to do your part? Every little bit helps.

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS


It means don't litter, for those unfamiliar...

Mountain House Oven

By the campfire on the Lone Star Hiking Trail.  I'm on the left in the purple jacket, eating my Mountain House beef stroganoff.  I bought a titanium spork and forgot to pack it, so the lady in blue was kind enough to loan me one.   

This is my first product review.  I was planning to write about my trip and all the new equipment I tried anyway.  I figured I'd add the Amazon links and if anyone uses them to shop and I get a few dollars, I won't be upset.  I haven't figured out how to put the links where I want them.  Maybe I'll just leave them at the bottom where they can be easily ignored by those that don't appreciate ads.  I've heard of bloggers receiving free products but I have yet to be approached by anyone to do this.  I researched and bought everything myself.  There are more product reviews on Amazon.  I usually research there whether I buy from them or not because Amazon buyers are not afraid to post bad reviews.  They are brutally honest.

I tested the oven a few days before my trip.  It's not an actual oven, but a reusable bag that cooks your meal by heating the water via a chemical reaction with salt water.  First, place the heat activation pad in the bottom of the bag.  Second, add water to the supplied water bottle to the fill line, add a salt tablet, and shake until dissolved.  Then place the meal, to which you will have already added 2 cups of water, inside the bag, seal, and wait 20 minutes.  The bottom of the bag gets very warm, but not hot enough to start a fire.  There are vent holes near the top which emit a lot of steam.  It's probably a good idea to not let children or pets near while it's cooking because steam burns are possible.  A fellow hiker also pointed out that since the heat is activated by salt water, and our bodies contain salt water...KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN.  Especially the ones who still put everything in their mouths.

The meal itself wasn't very exciting when I ate it at home.  It's advertised as an emergency food supply, but I think you'd be better off buying a propane camp stove and preparing tastier meals.  After a strenuous 10-mile hike, however, the beef stroganoff was wonderful.  I couldn't have been happier if you'd served me steak and lobster.  This will be my food of choice for backpacking trips because it's easy to prepare, the stove and the food weigh next to nothing, you don't need to bring any pots or dishes since you eat it right out of the bag (just a spoon), and the meals are delicious (on the trail).  At five uses per $10 (approx) bag, it's an economical choice as well.  

If you are a coffee drinker, I don't know how you'd prepare your coffee using this.  The bag is not designed to cook anything other than Mountain House meals.  The others I have seen will not fit.       

       

Teardrops

...of the camper variety...



I want one!  They have sleeping space with a few storage cabinets inside, and the back opens up to a pantry / kitchen area.  They are small and light enough to be towed by small cars and large motorcycles.  They can be pushed by hand into an RV spot for those of us that are not so good at backing in. 

 

Photos are from Flickr.  Click on the picture to see the original post and more photos of teardrops.

This guy built his own.  There are instructions available on the web.  I wish I was talented enough to build one of my own.  Or knew someone who could help me build one that wouldn't fall apart the first time I hit a pothole or a speedbump. The ones for sale at RV dealerships cost at least $5000.  That's not in the budget.