Sure is quiet in here lately..

[Mellow]

Sorry about that, I've been working like a dog to try and get some work done so I can head off to Arkansas next wednesday.

I'll try to stir things up some.

[Trekker]

Yeah...me too....only I have been trying to get ready for a big vacation in June, and work has gotten very busy! And the springtime home chores keep piling up.

Did manage to get an overnight campout in last Saturday night. Wife and I wanted to get the camping gear out, brush off the cobwebs, make a list of gear we need to get for the new season, and so on. She drove to the state campground about 40 miles away from home, set up camp and waited for me to show up. I took an MSF ERC class and then rode out to meet up with her. She had the canoe & bicycles loaded on her car and the tent setup. What a gal! We then proceded to freeze our butts off overnight! Do'H!

[Mellow]

WOW.... that is much better than a chase vehicle... LOL:D

[Mark]

Dave,

I have used this technique as well, it works something like this...
"Hey would you like to take the motorcycles and go camping? You would! Great, lets go this weekend to xxx (insert STate, County or National Park)."
A couple of hours later: "You know I'll bet the kids would love to go see it too".
A couple of hours later: "Mark, why don't you ride up after work and I'll leave a day early with all the gear and the kids in the van"...
"Well if you insist dear..." :D

I don't know how many times this will work in the future as the kids are now starting to drive; but, I suspect I'll be able to talk them into doing the same thing! ;)

Mark

[STeveGray]

It has been quiet, but that's not all bad... at least for me. That way I can get some work done and not spend so much time keeping up.

I went to a four day professional conference in Palm Springs last week and, instead of paying Palm Springs hotel rates, I decided to try out some of my new gear. I found a NFS campsite close by and stayed there. It was really nice and I got to ride the twisties to and from the conference every day going up and down the mountain. :D

The only problem I had was on my last night when I woke up at 1 AM, as I usually do, needing to use the facilities. I wasn't about to hike to the official facility so I stumbled over to water a nearby tree and my bare foot bumped some low-growing vegitation. That wouldn't normally be much of a problem, except in this case it was a cactus and my toes promptly picked up (and kept) a number of spines. Memo to self -- no matter how sleepy you are, when wandering around the desert barefoot open your eyes wide and be careful where you put your feet. :o The big spines weren't much of a problem. The little fine, almost hair-like ones, were a major problem. :mad:

Actually I was wearing thongs or flip flops or whatever you call 'em but it was the same as being barefoot when the cactus and I met. Oh well. Lesson learned.

[Trekker]

Mellow, I know! I get to chase her! :D

Mark, I love it!
Actually, my wife doesn't like to ride but has no problem driving the car with our gear to the site. Our son is all growed up and doesn't camp with us anymore (has his job, classes, life).
Wifey even led me down some fun roads on the way home just so I could enjoy riding my scoot on curvy roads (she knew the route, I didn't). Besides, she likes to have the big tent, the big stove, cooler, cots, chairs, bicycles, canoe, dog on our campouts. A little too much for the bike.

Steve, OUCH! Worst we have up here on the north coast is really mean thistles & crab grass.:rolleyes:

[Alan]

The only problem I had was on my last night when I woke up at 1 AM, as I usually do, needing to use the facilities.
Oh well.

Following the advise in other camping forums, I carry a pee jar with me for those middle of the night urges. And the older you get, the more pressing they become!:D So get yourself a nice tightly sealed jar with a screw on lid to use in the middle of the night. Just be sure not to use the jar later when cooking!:p

[Mark]

Just be sure not to use the jar later when cooking!:p
ah...yeah... thanks for pointing this out...

Mark

[Mellow]

Are you kidding, my aim is bad enough as it is.. and my tent already smells like farts... I don't need to add pee to that toxic environment.

[mongo]

My wife also likes to take the car on our yearly camping trips, she loads up on Friday after work, loads the kids (not always ours now they are to old to run with mom and dad, we take great nephews and neices now sometimes their moms) up and goes sets up the site. I work Wend-Sat 1:pm to midnight, so I get on the bike Sunday travel by myself and end up at a empty site (they are usually fishing) start that evenings fire and drink a few beers before they come back. I love this settup. :)

[Blues Traveler]

Are you kidding, my aim is bad enough as it is.. and my tent already smells like farts... I don't need to add pee to that toxic environment.

Joe, Im still laughing, Thanks for the chuckle. Amazing what late night at a big rally sounds like. You know, when all the tree frogs and barking spiders come out.:D

Back to the pee bottle. Needs to have a big screw on lid and left outside in the vestibule. Oh yea, and be carfull and ready ( it can happen) for that possible leg cramp as you try to kneel inside the tent and pee.

[Mellow]

Or, you could try the sideways position but I have a feeling you'd end up sleeping on the picnic table that night while the tent dries out.

[STeveGray]

Well, thanks for the ideas and all the warnings about what can go wrong. ;) Joe, the simple fact that it even occurred to you that there was a possibility of using that jar in cooking worries me. Memo to self -- politely decline all offers to eat Joe's cooking.

Keith, the possibility of a leg cramp has the unfortunate ring of the voice of experience. By the way, you don't happen to have any extra of those horn button protector thingys to keep your tankbag from honking your horn, do you?

Before my next trip I'll definitely have something. Thanks, all!

[Blues Traveler]

Keith, the possibility of a leg cramp has the unfortunate ring of the voice of experience. By the way, you don't happen to have any extra of those horn button protector thingys to keep your tankbag from honking your horn, do you?

Before my next trip I'll definitely have something. Thanks, all!

Steve, Yes I do, all i've got is 1300's left.

[STeveGray]

Steve, Yes I do, all i've got is 1300's left.

Since I'm on a 1300 that's perfect for me. PM me and give me your address and some time that would be convenient for me to drop by and buy one from you... or a phone number so we can make arrangements. I know you're close to Mike Roberts somewhere but I don't know exactly where. I'm just up the road in Riverside. Thanks!

[Big Bandit]

As far as the night time peeing, I have recently come up with a new solution. The two man tent I bought about a year ago is a rectangle with a door and vestibule on each long side. I stash my gear on one side and leave the other side empty for easy egress. Well, I have figured out that I can simply roll over on my side unzip the bottom of the door, stick it out and pee on the ground with out ever standing up, or leaving the tent. I do this in the empty vestibule of course. I also have to be careful to avoid the muddy spot when I get up in the morning. Works great for me!

[Mellow]

LOL... sure would suck to get turned around...

[STeveGray]

Hmm. I'd think you'd also want to make sure that isn't the uphill side. I don't think I'd much care for the idea of ground that wasn't particularly absorbent, peeing uphill and having it all flow back down onto the tent and/or footprint. :(

[Mellow]

Also, if the wind started to blow the wrong direction and you didn't realize it until you got that 'mist' in your face... then had to pack everything up for an 800 mile ride in Texas in August then stop and set the tent up and get inside... LOL

[dannyk]

Best thing I have found for relieving one's self at night in the tent is an empty laundry jug, leak proof, cap goes on tight, has a large opening so fit isn't a problem for most of us anyway, smell is somewhat dampened by leaving a little detergent in there. Just take a pair of pliars and pull out the pour spout, the jugs come in differn't size quanities, wash out or discard when done, ready for next excursion.

[Trailace]

Just stay up later and you wont have to get and pee. :)

[STeveGray]

Also, if the wind started to blow the wrong direction and you didn't realize it until you got that 'mist' in your face... then had to pack everything up for an 800 mile ride in Texas in August then stop and set the tent up and get inside... LOL

Joe you have a gift. No matter how bad things might be you can always think of some way they could have been worse. The above takes the cake! :eek:

[Mellow]

Joe you have a gift. No matter how bad things might be you can always think of some way they could have been worse. The above takes the cake! :eek:

HA... ask Trailace about that... when we were on our Yellowstone Trip... it would be windy... and I'd tell him over the "at least it's not raining", it started raining... same with the storm, snow, etc... lol

[Trailace]

Joe you have a gift. No matter how bad things might be you can always think of some way they could have been worse. The above takes the cake! :eek:
Joe is the best at making it worse.

[STeveGray]

Joe is the best at making it worse.

Well.... It seems like rather a dubious honor but, I guess it's good to be the best at something! :rolleyes:

[headdoc427]

As far as the night time peeing, I have recently come up with a new solution. The two man tent I bought about a year ago is a rectangle with a door and vestibule on each long side. I stash my gear on one side and leave the other side empty for easy egress. Well, I have figured out that I can simply roll over on my side unzip the bottom of the door, stick it out and pee on the ground with out ever standing up, or leaving the tent. I do this in the empty vestibule of course. I also have to be careful to avoid the muddy spot when I get up in the morning. Works great for me!

Congratulations. Wish I had that kind of "reach." Unfortunately, due to my irish heritage I have to stick with one of the day's empty water bottles......The next morning...I don't remember buying lemonade, oh, well, bottoms up.

[funny-biz]

LOL... sure would suck to get turned around...

Or get caught in the zipper. :eek: