skinnerclan.org

The “Big 5”

• Osprey Ace 48 backpack – a pack that will grow with her. Blue in color, 3lbs 12oz. Fairly light, bomber, nice features, not too big. It can carry more than she can, but I got this because of the large fit range this has. She will be able to use this pack well into her teens, and perhaps beyond.
• Hennessy Scout hammock – nice hammock that will last a while. 2 lbs 12 oz, fit is up to 5’10” 200lbs.
• Lafuma Extreme Ladies +40 sleeping bag – Ever since I showed her this she’s been sleeping in it at night. It’s a nice light bag, since it’s max size is 5’5” and it only goes down to 40”. It should do the trick for summer camping! Under 2lbs.
• Ozark Trails CCF sleeping pad – Cut to size for her. Leftover forms a sit pad for rests. Under 1lb.

• Keen Catalina sandals – size 6.5. Fit her great, and should probably have some room to grow as we loosen the rear straps some.

Misc gear

• 2L Camelbak
• Adventure Medical ‘ultralight’ waterproof first aid kit
• light locking 2.5” knife

• waterproof matches

Last week I tested out my WoodGas Camp Stove LE on my porch. Using the pot-stand insert lifters (a couple of crossed steel plates that go on top of the stove), I placed the grill from my toaster oven on top of it and cooked a cheddarwurst. It cooked, but it got badly burned. It was too close to the fire.

So I got it in my head to make a grill for the thing. I procured some galvanized wire mesh (of an indeterminable material – I got it from Lowes; it’s likely steel), cut it maybe 6” by 10”, and bent it so it would stand on the stove and elevate what was placed on it.

I cooked a couple more cheddarwurst last night using this makeshift grill. It worked out pretty well, but I noticed that the stove wasn’t putting out fire from the top (as a gasifier should). I added some more fuel, and a little while later a veritable conflagration erupted under the cheddarwurst. It had been cooking slowly before that, but it got serious at that point.

The grill was perhaps 3” above the flames, and with enough fuel (a proper amount; initially I just put in a little because I wasn’t going to be cooking all that long) it was not high enough. I could remedy this by reducing the cooking area in favor of producing height, or simply cut myself a larger piece. I think the latter will do.

40 lbs.

That’s what my pack weighed when I left home. Without a full water bag. I was a little apprehensive about that as I left to go pick Sven up. With a name like Sven, you don’t think of a big black man, but that’s who he is. Sven makes me think of a Scandinavian or something. Lederhosen and the like.

We met up with Janice and Kevin at a parking lot off of exit 47 on I-91. I left my vehicle there, and got into Janice’s mini-SUV. Kevin went along with Sven and our other companion Grigory. We drove north for a couple of hours, finally finding ourselves near the base of Mt Greylock, on the Appalachian Trail. We didn’t go south to Greylock, however; we went north, into Vermont.

Saturday