Tag: Camping

Camping Prep 2023

anonymousknitterLeave a comment

Morning all. Hope you are well. Young Master Duke is sleeping so sweetly on the bed, and I’m settled in at the desk. My Beloved has been spoiling me something fierce again.

I’ve been conned into attending a camping event this year in June. Prep for this event has started already. I’ve been going through my camping gear, cleaning and organizing what I will need for 2023.

Things I need to buy:

  • Tent patching kit and sealant. I have some sewing needles and an older tent I might just use as patching materials. For some reason, a treadle sewing machine can sew the weirdest things. The sealant is a must though.
  • Tarps and ground cloth. My husband borrowed my tarps to cover the lawnmower this year. I want those replaced, as I don’t trust a tarp that has spent the winter outside. A couple of tarps need to be altered to fit the footprint of my tent.
  • Burn resistant ground cloths. These will be used under my stove/grill. I don’t want to leave cinders on the ground, let alone have a problem with those.
  • Ash container- metal trash can with a sealed lid should work I want to be absolutely certain I leave no trace behind. Smothering ashes makes more sense than being sorry.
  • A better hatchet and camping knife. Those are a must. Even a bow saw that comes apart would be an improvement.
  • Gear totes. I want a couple of totes that work better than the current system I use.
  • A decent cooler. Insulin keeps me alive. I currently put a fabric cooler inside a cooler inside a larger cooler to keep the insulin cool but not frozen.

Upgrades:

Tents do need to be sealed and repaired as I said. I plan on sealing them, but also sealing the stitches that I make in them. Why replace something that works but only has a couple of small holes?

I am tempted to get a sleeping pad for my cot, but am ambivalent about it. I have some old ones, but I might sew a sleeve for them. I also plan on stitching up a couple of sleeping bag liners.

I’m going to swap out some of the gear I bought in the last year for stuff from the house. I prefer more sturdy tools, and will designate those for camping.

Now, for camping dates/times. I have 3 away from home trips in mind. The one is the event I have been conned into doing. The 2nd is one month later. There’s another event I plan to attend, which is a 1 day situation. If I go camping, I don’t have to drive home in the dark.

The 3rd is my October Camp. That’s the biggun. If I don’t choke and be stupid, it’s my 25th year clean and sober in the fall. I’m thinking of a longer trip, to a warmer place for this camp.

I’m also thinking that going to my home state for this camp just isn’t gonna work this time. So, I’m planning a trip of a week or 2. We will see. I’m saving my nickels and dimes. Let’s see what happens!

Hugs my friends. Take care, -L

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Molle Bag and add-ons

anonymousknitterLeave a comment

Hello all, am taking a few minutes to write a ‘normal’ post. Young Master Duke is begging to go outside, and I’m whiny.

Recently, I purchased a Molle backpack, and some accessories, and thought I would do a review.

First things first, why did I a chubby womba in a wheelchair choose a tactical bag for my effective purse? Especially when I almost never leave the dratted house?

Customization. I can rearrange the thing, with accessories to do almost anything. I could turn it into a knitting bag, for instance, and have room for all the notions. I could have it be a medical kit, complete with band aids, wraps, and the like. I could even turn it into a writing bag. It is also possible to turn it into an overnight bag for camping.

That said, what am I using it for? All of the above. This is my 2nd molle bag. The first was actually my range bag. I used it for my EDC, cleaning kit, and extra ammo.

However, once I left the farm, I no longer needed it for that purpose, and it lay dormant in a trunk. You know I follow campers and preppers on social media, and one of them gave me a heck of an idea.

First, I purchased the new molle bag. I knew that my husband’s surgery was coming up, and if they had to keep him I would be screwed. I set up the original bag as an overnighter. It has incontinence products, extra clothes, and a deodorant. As my meds ride in a cooler bag, this worked well. As I have a crew cut, I didn’t need hair care. A toothbrush and mini paste went in a pocket.

The new bag got a book, the tablet I normally write with, my kindle and some first aide. It also held a utility knife, and other misc toys. This effectively was my purse. I strapped it to the back of the wheelchair when I had to leave the vehicle.

Both bags strap well to the wheelchair together, and I have some clips that make it make better sense as a “single unit”.

Other items that I use are little mesh pencil bags for back to school. Kleenex tiny lotion bottles, and other misc fit perfectly in them, and they fit great in either bag.

Those ‘travel accessories’ kits sold by mega stores. They are less than 5 dollars. Lots of things work with them, and they are useful for camping as well as edc needs.

Altoids tins. I am desperately in love with altoids tins. From cigarette cases, to emergency ash trays they have a million uses. I use altoids to help settle my stomach when I have to take medications. So I have plenty. Eventually, they will completely replace cigarette cases. They last longer, and are stronger.

Some pouches have arrived, molle style, and I spent about half an hour resetting my system this afternoon. Three of the pouches are for holding water or soda bottles. Another 3 are for holding extras, including my wallet and other needs. They strap onto the main bags, and are a lifesaver.

The neatest thing about this, is that this makes more places accessible for me. From my wheelchair, I can survive and get on with most activities of daily living. I don’t have to worry about not having some form of something that I really need that would be a tragedy if I didn’t have.

Next month, I will be getting a few more pouches and such. Some of them are designed to attach to the wheelchair, but the manufacturers didn’t realize this.

The biggest limit to my ability to go out and do things is medical. If I don’t have my supplies with me, it turns into hell on wheels quick. Molle bags help me survive. I am happy.

Take care my friends. Peace, -L

For some reason, I want to go fishing

anonymousknitterLeave a comment

Morning all, hope you are well. We will be leaving at an eye bleed hour of odarkthirty in the morning. The van is ready, and the gear is in. I have my new satchel, and it is ready to be packed.

I love watching Pete over at 1822 MC Adventures and more on youtube. You can find him 1822 MC Adventures and more by clicking the link. In one of his recent videos, he did a fishing gear review of a kit he took with on his latest adventure. Holy crap, he fit the kit into a canteen case.

I haven’t gone fishing in years. Part of it is the wheelchair, and another part of it is the gear I left on the farm. I don’t have fishing gear anymore. Yet, I think with a kit that small, I could possibly work it. I’d have to learn left-handed casting, because my right shoulder just can’t do that motion. However, I have hopes.

Meanwhile, today we are going to rest. Over winter, I will look into a minimal fishing setup, and hopefully be able to go fishing in the spring with Young Master Duke at my side.

Take care, my friends. -L

Camping Prep

anonymousknitterLeave a comment

Morning all, am going through my gear this morning, getting ready to set up for the surgery trip. I let my Husband know that I’ll be camping while he is having his surgery. So, I’m getting the gear set up.

My biggest concern with this trip is Young Master Duke. He is getting elderly, and we need to keep him comfortable. So, I have to run his dishes through the dishwasher before we head out. I also need to have a bag of his food and his favorite treats. Then again, there’s the protecting others. He does not like humans. So, his muzzle will travel. I also will have waste bags to pick up his poo. There’s no reason on earth for leaving his stool behind us.

Next is medical. I am insulin dependent. Meaning I have to have a cooler prepped to keep the insulin from baking while we are gone. It is vital to my survival. So, I stack coolers inside each other. I won’t be carrying fresh food, but at least the insulin should be safe.

I have the tent ready, tarps, and such. I have ridge lines and such. I have fire making materials, and the cooking implements. I have insect repellent, and even a fan/light combo. I need to raid the battery stash though, and make sure that my external chargers are fully charged.

For food, I’m going exceptionally simple. I will have a can opener, and will be doing soups and such. I’ll also be packing ramen as a just in case. Instant coffee will save other’s lives, as a caffeine deprived brain in my body is not a good thing. Lastly, is my sleeping bag, pillow, and Sherbert.

My Husband’s surgery is in just over a week. I have to clean out the car, fill the 6 gallon water jug, charge the pump for it, and get the car loaded. I’m planning on camping because 60 miles back and forth would suck majorly. That said, I’ve picked out my camping location, and later today I will pay for a 3 day stay. Just in case, if I don’t use it for the full 3 days, that’s fine. It’s still cheaper than driving back and forth.

Now for the Hospital. I am diabetic. I will not be in the hospital waiting for him. I have a persistent smoker’s cough, and there’s no way I will be dragging that into a medical facility. Besides, Hospitals are the best places to catch a bug. I don’t think so. I will have my phone on me, and will be near enough that I can be there within 20 minutes.

So, we are almost ready. The car is filled with fuel. I have some chores to do. Life is still okay.

Hugs my friends, take care. -L

Handicap adventures in camping

anonymousknitterLeave a comment

Morning all! Woot woot woot! I’m outside! Young Master Duke is resting at my feet, his tie out is hooked up just outside the tent this morning, and I’m so happy!

I am not “completely set up” however, I have my camping chair, my little cot, and my dog. There’s a little grill with charcoal to cook with, and I am free again. That damned house was becoming a dungeon again. I don’t care that I don’t have my memory foam mattress, I don’t care that I don’t have running water. I’m free. I can listen to the birds, watch the creek, and just enjoy the morning.

Yes, setting up from the wheelchair was interesting, but you know what, I got it done. I have more to set up over the next couple of days, and I need to run a drop cord to power the gear, but heck it’s all good.

I will post pics of the set up soon. Take care, find your you! -L