Waiting for Spring....

The weather out here has been, hit or miss to put it nicely. A few sunny gorgeous days inviting shorts and even a little backyard clean up. Sadly they've been few and far between. Today- rain and hail.

I spent the last sunny day brewing beer at the Lucky Lab Brewing Company with some women from LOLA (Ladies of Lagers & Ales). I hope to spend the next few out hiking and walking some volkswalks. 

I finally got all my newly acquired camping gear put into the proper bins and returned the bins to their home in the shed. They had been living in the house a bit too long.

With the yearly 20% off coupon at REI I purchased a Jetboil FLASH Cooking System. I was torn between Jetboil vs MSR. I think the tipping point was the click-in system offered by Jetboil and the option to cook on a pot support with a 'non-jetboil' pot when I get to the point where I get beyond dehydrated food.

I know at least some of my backpacking companions will roll with something besides a Jetboil, so we can split up the cooking needs.

Also picked up two Lug-a-loo lids to make pooping in the woods a little more pleasant for my lovely wife.

Success at REI

I am happy to report I came away with some fantastic gear at the latest REI Used Gear Sale. We got there at about 9:15 for an 11am opening. We walked up to find 13 tents plus someone tucked into a Bivy Sack at the front of a line of maybe 30 people. More tents than I've seen at a sale out in Clackamas. We remembered our camp chairs and settled in for a nice chilly morning of Starbucks coffee and the waiting game. I'm glad I brought a blanket and a book. There ended up being about 70 people in front of us by the time folks got out of their tents and people that showed up later joined their friends farther up the line. As I walked the chairs back to the car before the store opening, I would guess there were easily 300+ people in line behind us.

My priority was a Sleeping Pad, preferably a Big Agnes Pad to go along with my Big Agnes Lulu +15 Sleeping Bag. The Clackamas store has their used gear in different locations. I remembered from the last sale that the tents were downstairs in the back room, so I hoped sleeping pads would be there too. A mad rush of bodies in and I got to a full but quickly dissipating rack of sleeping pads. I grabbed two pads, one REI Lite-Core 1.5 Self-Inflating Pad and a Big Agnes Air Core Sleeping Pad. I tossed them in my bag while others around me shoved as many as they could grab into their bags. I though maybe I should be grabbing as many as possible, but I was really hoping the Big Agnes would work as I had my heart set on it. Taking my chances with the two, I popped upstairs and went into the shoe room to find a few remaining shoes. They were either really worn out or not my size. I saw people with giant piles of shoes and I hoped that some of them wouldn't work out for them. I figured I should look at my two sleeping pad options. I looked at the tag for the Big Agnes and it simply said, "USED". With that bit of promise I took it out and blew it up. Took a bit of work to blow up, but nothing ridiculous. I found an empty area and plopped myself down on the air mattress to give it a test run. No "fsss" or other air escaping noises came out, so I decided to lay there for a few minutes and jostle myself around to make sure it was a win. No loss in pad pressure and it was quite comfortable to lay on. The pad is 20x72x2.5, and it's one of three pads I hoped to find. I deflated it, rolled it up and decided it was mine. $14.83 in the bag. I dropped the other pad back off where I found it and folks swooped in to grab it immediately.

I bopped around in the store and grabbed a few items from 'return bins' that REI set up for people who grabbed 50 things and decided on keeping 3. I understand the logic in increasing your odds, but it is still weird to see people with GIANT piles of stuff they probably aren't going to keep most of.

I went looking for a Jetboil in the return bins and missed one by a couple seconds. Oh well, the couple looked like they would give it a happy home. I picked up a Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter to keep in my car glove box as a back up to my FireSteels for $2.83 (again "USED"). I found a few SmartWool Lid Hats together in a return bid and picked out a nice charcoal colored one priced at $4.83. (Return reason, "Too Small"). I picked up some New with tags GEL-Nimbus® 12 shoes hoping they would fit Stef-Anie for $19.83. A pair of New without tags WrightSocks CoolMeshII for $4.83. Finally I grabbed some GoToobs that I have been looking at for a while for another $4.83.

My total $51.98- just over the original cost of the Big Agnes Sleeping Pad. As can figure I paid about 20-25% of retail on all my items combined. Not bad for a Sunday morning. I'm ready for the next one.

Backpacking

I spent the weekend out at the coast with friends at their parents beach house. It was a wonderfully relaxing, I'm going back in a week to join in on "Girls' Weekend". I learned a bit about clamming and crabbing, I think I will give them a try this spring and summer.

On the drive out to the coast along HWY 6, I intended to look in on 4 walk-in sites. Unfortunately, it's still a bit early in the year and the gates are still up and locked. At least I found that there are nice big signs alerting folks to the location of the sites.

I've started reading articles at Backpacker Magazine's Website. Quite the wealth of information. I figure if I stick with this new hobby and end up enjoying backpacking I'll get a subscription. I know I'm still very much in the learning stages of going backpacking. The nice thing is everything I purchase that falls into the 'backpacking ultralight, etc." realm can easily be used for car camping.

This Sunday is the REI Used Gear Sale at the Clackamas Store. I'm sure I won't find everything on this list but I'm looking for:
Shoes (I'm always looking for shoes)
Big Agnes Sleeping Pad
Backpacking Mini-Stove
Lug-a-loo
New Compass
Water Purifier
Backpacking Cookware

Eventually I'm going to need to upgrade my pack, but I think that's going to be a process of finding something that fits on my body and paying the good money to be sure I have the right one.

Checking in with the Forest Rangers

Called the folks regarding Dispersed Camping in the Tillamook Forest. "For information about the locations of designated dispersed campsites contact the Tillamook District Recreation Unit at 503.842.2545." Left a voicemail and hopefully will hear back regarding information on 'designated' sites. I think these could be nice sites to go to on some of my first trips.
I'm also looking at no dispersed sites that are 'walk-in' or more private than most camping sites I've previously stayed at. I think these style of sites might work best when going camping with Stef-Anie. Mostly primitive, but also 'set sites' that can guarantee minimal having to look around for a site that I can see my wonderful wife having minimal patience for. Knowing where to go, for example, Campgrounds in the Tillamook State Forset, that are walk-in, will give the piece of mind that will help on the intitial trips.

Stef-Anie and I are going out to the coast to stay with friends at their folks beach house and we're going to drive along OR HWY 6 to get there. I've made a list of four campsites that might fit the bill for 'walk-in' but still primitive and quiet campsites. Most sites will not open until mid-May for camping, but hopefully a little reconnaissance work will help give us a better idea as to spots that could work.

Gear Update:
I took my REI sleeping bag that had unstitched itself at the seam and was loosing it's stuffing into REI for them to repair. (The same bag I took to Malawi and many other wonderful adventures.) They said it was effectively easier for them to replace my bag with one they had in stock versus sending it off to be repaired. Sadly I conceded to the fact that they were right and I went through the process of picking out a new bag with a staff member who was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable.

I received a credit for my old bag and bought a new Big Agnes Lulu +15 Sleeping Bag. I was a little under on my credit, but the bag only cost me about $25 with the credit. I also bough my very own REI Membership. Sorry Dad, no more dividends from me. 10% back at the end of the year is a nice perk, plus I know the money I've saved using my dad's card at gear sales more than makes up for the one time $20 cost.

Now to make a list of gear to look for at the next sale.

Information Found, part 1 of.....

I've stumbled across a hodgepodge of websites with information regarding dispersed camping in the NW. Quite a bit of it is geared for RV folks, which really can be applicable for my needs as well.

Seems like this guy Ray's Guides - Free Campgrounds in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, has the idea that I'm going for all in three little 'local made' books/guides. I'll have to buy the WA and/or OR guides. At the very least it's a nice place to start off from. I'm hoping this blog will give me a place to log my planning processes and keep track of specific locations I discover.

I'm thinking the Gifford Pinchot National Forest (GPNF) will probably be first on my list of Forest Land to discover. GPNF is relatively close, reachable after work on a Friday, and easily reachable by mid-morning if I chose to head out Saturday in the AM for an overnighter. 

I'm also thinking of developing a small group of friends and family to join me on camping adventures. I don't want to subject my wife to all of my 'wilderness adventures'. I think going out with my dad will be an opportunity to experience a more minimalistic style of camping. A few buddies and I could easily make a craft beer, bourbon and cigars weekend. Even a Huckleberry picking weekend in late August might find the light of day. 

A few Forest Visitor Maps will undoubtedly earn their way into my 'camp pack' US Forest Service Maps.

Looks like I need to purchase an America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass – Annual Pass - Cost $80.

This pass is available to the general public and provides access to, and use of, Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee for a year, beginning from the date of sale. The pass admits the pass holder/s and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas and pass holder + 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults, at per person fee areas. (children under 16 are admitted free) The pass can be obtained in person at the park, by calling 1-888-ASK USGS, Ext. 1, or via the Internet at http://store.usgs.gov/pass.

I'm going to need to add some gear more on the 'backpacker' side of the camping scale. I'm hoping a couple minimal gear weekends will happen this year, maybe when my wife is off on a girls weekend?

I feel pretty well set up on the car camping side with my wife's newest thrift store find of a lovely (albeit heavy) 8qt cast iron dutch oven. We are pretty well set on cooking, eating and sleeping, undoubtedly there will be continued upgrades and new things we can't live without, but I feel pretty set with our current gear now that we have our newest outdoors purchase. We've upgraded to a REI Base Camp 6 Tent, that we found at an REI Used Gear Sale. As best I can tell, the tent itself was taken out of the bag, but never set up due to the tent poles still being in original wrapping and banding. As an added bonus, I found in the tent bag a Tent Footprint. I love people who have buyers remorse and return their NEW gear that I'm able to pick up at discount. I'm sure REI would like to smack them, but I'll gladly dig through the random, sometimes completely thrashed gear to find a few diamonds. Looking forward to the upcoming Used Gear Sale, I'll have to research the backpacker gear I need to keep my eyes peeled for, even if all I really want to do it buy shoes.

As a random added note, I'm really enjoying Adele's music. Lovely voice.

First step - Research

I've been looking into Dispersed Camping. I find the whole idea of camping out away from everything and everyone else extremely appealing. I took week long camping road trips before I met my wife, I would camp on a beach I found in a Forest Service map, alone with the stars and the waves. I didn't know what I was doing was dispersed camping, but I remember the beauty of those nights and I would like to share them with my wife (Stef-Anie) and maybe even some of our friends.

I just started researching and I have found - Camping on National Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management public lands outside of 'designated campsites' is permitted and is often free. For an explanation of dispersed camping, check here- http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/05/dispersed-camping-on-public-lands.html. The folks who write that blog travel in their RV and go 'boondocking'. I'm taking this as a jumping off point to figure out how to do my own dispersed 'car-camping'.

I know camping in a set 'site' comes with it's advantages. Often water, toilets and even showers and electricity are available. Being able to book and guarantee your site is a bonus as well, dispersed seems to fall into a knowing where to go and first come first claimed adventure. I'm not looking to spend weeks on end 'living on the land'. I'm looking for 2-3 day adventures. Trust me, after a few days in the woods, a hot shower is an experience unto itself.

I don't really think 'roughing it' or backpack camping will work for my wife, and really, I'm not one to sleep on the ground. So super long hike in sites are currently off the table. Fortunately, my wife and I have camped many times together before (always in a 'site'). She's pretty amazing at cooking over a fire and camp stove and knowing how much of and what to bring, and I have developed the skills to put the tent and camp together solo and build a pretty mean fire. We have been upgrading and adding to our gear at REI Used Sales and through Craigslist, but there are a few things we'll need to acquire before setting out 'into the woods'. I know there will be some new challenges and equipment needs, I'll have to start a list.

On Dispersed vs 'Site' camping:

Pros:

~Being away from everything, including other campers.

~Sharing experiences with Stef-Anie.

~It's cheap to free depending on the necessary permits.

Cons:

~Doing your business in a 'cat hole'.

~Having to figure out where the 'dispersed sites' (or make your own) happen to be.

~Bringing in enough water.

Items to purchase before dispersed camping:

-"lug-a-loo"

-Shower enclosure (I'm doubting my wife will go for the tarp around the tree method)

-Collapsible water containers.

-Deep-cell battery for Stef's CPAP machine.