Equipment
In preparation for this trip to Montana, there were a few pieces of equipment we needed to buy. Even after we decided to ditch the camper. There was still stuff to prepare us for this trip. Well, some of the stuff we needed. Some of the stuff I wanted. All of it will hopefully contribute to a very fun and exciting trip to the Wild West.
LED Dog Collar. Because where we plan on going, there will be no street lights. There will be no city lights. There will be no lights from buildings. It will be DARK at night. And we don’t want to lose our dear SoMi. So, we’re going to make sure she’s as hard to lose as possible.
Gaitors. Supposedly they protect your lower legs from icky things. Like low-lying brush that might scrape your body. Like ticks waiting in prey on said low-lying branches. Supposedly. I’ve never used them. I’m trusting Sweets on this one.
Backpack. Supposedly I’m going to be carrying my own gear during day hikes. Supposedly, if I’m a responsible hiker, I will be carrying food. And water. And a change of clothes. And food for SoMi. Supposedly. That’s what Sweets says. What I say? Is that I also need room for my camera and my chapstick. So, I took Sweets’ suggestion and bought a daypack. A serious daypack.
Water Purification System. If you couldn’t tell by now, Sweets (a) knows his camping stuff and (b) verges on the safe side of camping. Always be prepared. So, while we were on the hunt for cheap iodine tablets to bring in case we run out of water and need to prepare more water from a stream or pond or puddle, we got roped into talking to the guy at REI. Who explained the limitations of iodine tablets. And sodium chlorate tablets. And somehow we moved into the much more expensive proposition of buying a steripen, which kills everything.
Bear Bell. While Sweets was listening to the water purification stuff. Long after my mental capacity for that stuff had expired. I began to wander away from Sweets and the sales associate. And happened upon a bear bell. Which reminded me … apparently, there are bears in Montana. And maybe we’d rather not run into one. So, after talking to Sweets, we decided to buy two bear bells. One for canines. And one for humans. And hope the annoying noise will keep the beasts away (instead of attracting their attention and thus attracting them).
Best Underwear Ever. Now this is a product I can get behind (ha – pun not intended, but funny!). Sweets and I bought respective pairs of this underwear before our honeymoon. And it’s now become our favorite underthings. Fits fabulously. Wicks moisture. And just all out rocks. So, I went ahead and added three more pairs to the two pairs I already bought. The real challenge will be NOT wearing them the week before we leave.
Smart Wool Undergarments. Again, Sweets is the all-knowledgeable guy. And when he said I should probably buy some light-weight long underwear to stay warm on cool mountain nights, I listened. Especially when the really nice (and pricey!) SmartWool micro-weight tops (normally $60 each) were on sale for $24 each. Yeah, I might have bought two.
Camera Viewer Guard. The other month when Sweets and I went to St. Louis, I might have broken the plastic cover that protects the picture viewer on the rear of my camera. That LCD screen that’s way expensive to fix? Yeah, I decided to replace that bad boy with a $10 piece of plastic instead of risking a much more costly repair down the road (or on the road).
D-90 Cheat Sheet. Has anyone ever seen the user manual for the fancy-schmancy Nikon D-90? No need to go find it. Trust me when I say it’s over 100-pages. Filled with really valuable information. But, hard to use when on the go. And bulky to pack in a day-pack. That’s why, I purchased a laminated cheat-sheet, specific to my camera. So, I can pull out a few fabulous photos on this scenic trip we’re about to take.
Remote Control. Sweets and I plan to take hikes in areas that are not well populated. There will not be an extra set of hands to take photos of us. And so, we either take photos of one person at a time. Or let Sweets use his Gumby arms to try to take photos of the two of us. OR, we purchase a remote control. That lets us set up the camera on, say, a big rock. And we situate ourselves together. And I push a magical button on the remote. And a photo is taken of us. Ooooh, me likey!
And there you have the list of things we’ve purchased for our trip next week. For all you camping, outdoorsy types, what else are must-haves for a trip of this nature? And for everyone else, what things do you bring on road-trips to make the long hours in the car pass quickly?
August 6th, 2009 at 6:37 am
I love all the “supposedly’s” in this post. Too funny.
I need to get me one of those cheat sheets for my A350. I’ve seen them, but haven’t bought one yet. My instruction manual doesn’t quite fit in my camera bag and neither does my third-party Field Guide (very handy book, BTW). And one of those nifty screen covers. I’ve seen those in the past but forgot about it completely until you just reminded me. Right now, I’ve got a laminate protector on it like what you’d use on a Palm Pilot or cellphone. But it’s peeling in the corner. Grrr…
Oh and since you’ve got bear bells, don’t forget to carry two sticks with you that you can hit together to ward away all the mountain lions and then use sugar water as an insect repellant. Hm, maybe I’m just watching too much Parent Trap.
Good luck on the trip. Supposedly you’ll have a good time. ;-)
August 6th, 2009 at 7:08 am
I’m so envious of your trip! I think it’s going to be incredible!! I’m also jealous of all your gear after my little jaunt to REI this past weekend, I LOVE REI!
As for road trips, the ladies in my book club and I were discussing this the other week, they SWEAR by books on tape/CD/mp3 for road trips. I’m skeptical but I do love talk radio when I’m driving, so maybe it has the same effect. The one disclaimer they made is that books on CD are EXPENSIVE. In Austin we have a chain called Half Price Books, so their reco was go there and not to spend a lot of money on it (plus you can sell books and such back when you are done). I don’t know if there is an equal in Chicago -- I can’t think of one but that doesn’t mean there isn’t! :)
Save travels and I can’t wait to see those pictures!
August 6th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Now I’M getting excited for your trip!! Admittedly, the Bear Bell made me giggle just a little bit. Tee hee.
August 6th, 2009 at 7:45 am
We were just at REI last night, buying solar-protective clothing. Because we are 80.
You’ll have to tell me how the steripen goes. We seriously considered buying one, but John talked me out of it at the last minute. I still want one for backpacking, and travel in the developing world. I do not love iodine.
Finally, did Sweets ever do NOLS? First sign of a NOLS kid? Gaiters.
August 6th, 2009 at 7:54 am
If this were Jason, he’d be pulling for a GPS to go geocaching. Got one of those? :-)
August 6th, 2009 at 8:56 am
Sad to say, but I’ve never been real camping. But I can help with the car ride!
I personally love:
* Crossword puzzle books
* the stack of magazines that have been piling up, making sure to share the random/fun/bizarre/shocking facts with the driver & other passengers as we ride along
* Blanket/Pillow. I don’t really sleep in cars BUT it’s always freezing in cars with A/C, so I pack it just in case
* Sweet snack. Like Junior Mints. Not super bad for you, but just enough to hit that sweet spot
* Mixed CDs made specifically for the road trip
* And now that I have it, I won’t be going on any trips without my Nintendo DS. Any handheld game will do, though. I used to bring along whatever mini games I had.
* MP3 player & headphones, in case I don’t like what the driver/passengers choose to listen to =)
August 6th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Oooh that camera gear is very enticing, too bad all I have is a D60. I shall upgrade one of these days!
As far as camping is concerned, I’ve never been so I wouldn’t know what to bring although those MRE type meals at walmart seem like a smart idea, right? ( I honestly wouldn’t know). And for long car rides, as long as I have a new selection of usic I love, I’m pretty entertained.
August 6th, 2009 at 9:29 am
That LED collar is brilliant! And this reminds me that I need to check with our vet on whether we need to give Montana some sort of flea and tick prevention treatment before our road trip. Denver is too elevated for us to have to worry about it so we haven’t treated her for it.
August 6th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Some of these are probably obvious: headlamps, maps, compass, multi-purpose knife/tool, BUG SPRAY (I always forget this), first aid kit, bowl for SoMi (and a pack, we make Chloe carry her own damn crap!), sunscreen and sunglasses, small shovel, rope, caribiners, extra fuel (are you using a stove?), matches or lighter, baby wipes (these SAVED our ass, literally, on our road trip), flask with bourbon (heh!), beer koozies (we forgot these and it sucked!), ziploc bags, plastic cutlery, trash bags, small collapsible cooler for little side trips, a good backpacking/camping pot with a lid, a plastic french press (maybe that’s just us?), travel mugs, quick drying camp towels, playing cards, sleeping bag, your own pillow, thermarest, TP, blanket for SoMi…
I’m sure there’s more. Maybe I should just come over and pack FOR YOU? Ha ha.
OH! And don’t forget some kind of bear bag and rope to hang your food up in a tree!
August 6th, 2009 at 10:39 am
have tons of fun and it looks like you’re all set!
August 6th, 2009 at 10:50 am
We tent-camp with our dog all the time. Don’t forget the poop bags. Or, if you don’t want to schlep a bag of dog poop with you on your hike, bring a small garden shovel so that you can bury it. We camp a lot in bear country and I tell you -- nothing attracts a bear like dog excrement. LOL! You wouldn’t want one to meet you on your way back down the trail.
We don’t carry bear bells (oddly, never heard of those) -- but we do carry bear spray. Makes more sense to scare them off with bells than try to fend them off with spray, though. Doh!
I totally vouch for books on tape. Hubby and I also put together playlists on our respective MP3 player and for each song, you have to share a person or event that correlates with that song in your memory.
August 6th, 2009 at 11:06 am
bug spray! and chocolate.
that’s all I’ve got.
August 6th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Have a fabulous time. Looks as though you are well prepared! Also, you are very vague about what kind of underwear those are… Please share! I’d like to get behind them too! ;-)
August 6th, 2009 at 11:27 am
It’s the Ex-Officio brand. Awesome. Personally, I prefer the boy shorts. But, to each their own!!!
August 6th, 2009 at 11:42 am
lol! I love all the supposedly’s in this post! I’ve used Gators (I wear them in the winter and instead of rain boots) and they’re killer, totally worth it. Have fun! This sounds downright rustic!
August 6th, 2009 at 11:45 am
I can’t WAIT to hear about your trip and see pictures! It sounds awesome. Washington is fairly close to Montana, but I’ve never been. It’s definitely up high on my list of places to go in the U.S.
P.S. I heart REI. My boyfriend and I keep them in business. Sounds like you guys have done your part, too! ;-)
August 6th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
ok, so i’ve been camping? but apparently not REAL camping! all i brought was a sleeping bag and a bedroll, pretty much :-)
i so want a remote. and a tripod. le sigh.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I think that LED collar is amazing! What a smart idea!
Also, how do those undies work with “work” clothes? ;)
August 6th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I am so impressed! Y’all mean business on this upcoming trip! I must know: are these the undies you’ve praised before? And do you wear them when exericing, too? I know, kinda personal questions, but I am on the hunt for exercising undies! :) No better place to ask around than the world wide web!!! Great supplies you’ve got so far, and the conversation you and Sweets had about your daypack? One I’m sure I’d have with my hubby!! You’re going to have a ball on this trip!!
August 6th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Fun! These are all investments -- you’re building a great camping arsenal! I love it.
I would also recommend one of those flexible mini-tripods. Mr. W bought me one for Christmas and we’ve used it a ton on trips.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I’m washing underwear right now because I “accidentally” wore the nice ones this week while packing….
August 6th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
I love this! Y’all are going to have a fantastic time in Montana, and I am impressed with all the camping equipment you have on hand. Seriously. I haven’t camped in YEARS.
When do y’all leave?
August 7th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Wow, look at all that gear. You guys are ready to go! For long car rides, the iPod is the essential thing.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:15 am
I love shopping for stuff like that. Confession that most people don’t know about me — Cabelas, is one of my most favorite stores.
August 19th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
this post cracks me up. I haven’t read in a couple weeks and am just getting caught up. you are the most prepared camper i’ve ever heard of