Clubs and organizations

Here on the Gulf Coast, we have a Meetup.com group for our outdoor activities and skills.  We set up everything from excursions to gardens to camping trips, samplings of freeze dried foods to making gear.  Meetup makes it easy to set up the events, but we still run into a problem that plagues many organizations and clubs.

We get a lot of members who never show up, never participate, and never contribute.  We also get a lot of members who SAY they will be there, but…don’t ever show up.

On the surface, this doesn’t seem like a big deal, right?

The reality is that it does become a big deal.  When an event is set up, “experts” are engaged, someone has to plan the event, and then these people show up to the event with the supplies for it.  When the people that have said they are interested and will be there (Meetup.com offers RSVPs so that organizers know how many will be there) don’t show up, organizers have wasted their time and effort.  They already KNOW how to do this, know how to set it up, and know where the location is.

After a while, it becomes very disheartening.  After all, the time wasted assembling the necessary gear, loading it, transporting it, setting it up, and then waiting for people who never show up is gone, lost forever…for nothing.  We don’t get paid for it, no one even bothers to say “gee, I’m sorry, I had XXX happen.”  They just go merrily along, leaving us sitting somewhere waiting.

I’ve thought and thought about how to put a stop to it.  At first, it would be one person would show up after RSVPing.  Granted, reaching one person is much better than reaching no one, but sometimes, you need more people than that to make it a worthwhile event.  I thought that if we required 2-3 people to rsvp that they would be there before we went ahead with an event, we’d have more people show up or we could easily cancel the event.  Instead, we have more no-shows.

Now, I’m wondering if we charge $1 for every RSVP yes, if that would make people think about it before they showed up, or would that just mean that people didn’t RSVP at all?  Should we charge for events to compensate people for showing up to put the event on?  Should we start charging for membership to make people put more value on it?  How can we get their attention?

I’m still not sure.  I know that there are issues with perceived value.  Since we offer so many of our activities for no charge, they also don’t put any value on these activities.  Maybe people think that we are subsidized by the parks or something (we’re not!)

There are no easy answers, but I’m still seeking potential solutions to try.  I absolutely hate to turn it into a case where everyone pays all the time, but I am also heartily sick of seeing us waste our time setting up things that no one shows up to.

Hopefully, the solution comes to us soon.

Glamping-a budget honeymoon?

GM and I are getting married on October 29th, 2011.  We’re having a proper New Age meets the Hippies kind of wedding, complete with costumes and a Gathering on the beach.

We also have a rather anemic budget for the honeymoon.  Hawaii, Mexico, California, even Yellowstone National Park are so far out of our budget’s reach that it may as well be the moon.  That doesn’t mean we can’t have a romantic and special honeymoon though.

We’re going to go glamping!

Glamping is the world’s answer to tight budgets and a desire for a special, luxurious, and glamorous sort of feel without having to have the credit line to afford it.  Do it yourself glamping is the ultimate in budget-friendly glamor too.

Granted, we won’t have the exact experience one would have an an expensive glamping resort.  There won’t be massages, maids, butlers, or a chef along, but really…do we want staff hanging around on our honeymoon getaway?

At a resort, the “tent” is going to be a canvas covered structure that probably took days to set up, along with a whole crew of men.  There again, that’s not going to work for us–we don’t want to devote our entire stay to setting up the tent and taking it down.  We also don’t want the price tag to that natural canvas, nor the upkeep.  Our solution?

A large family style tent!  There, we’ll have space to be luxurious without spending excessive amounts of time setting up the tent.  Large tents can be set up as quickly as 10-45 minutes even by one person.  With two, it goes faster, especially when you are smart and actually set it up at home before leaving on your glamping honeymoon.  We also listed items for our frequent camping trips on our wedding registry with Amazon and Walmart, as these are items that would be far more appreciated than crystal doo-dads or china gizmos that we would never use.

With a bit of ingenuity, a carefully gauged budget, some creativity, and effort…we’ll have our luxurious camping honeymoon…at some state park for the inexpensive sum of $30 a day or less…including meals.  Besides the camping experience, we can indulge in cycling, take the boat out, go fishing, do nothing but lounge in bed, try some sightseeing, and share the romantic experience of preparing our own meals.  Granted, we can’t BOTH have breakfast in bed, but we can take turns treating the other one to the luxuriously lazy experience of trying to eat food balanced on a comforter without making a mess.

As for the weather, our wedding is the end of October, and temperatures should be cooling down.  If not…we can drive a bit further north to find the cooler temperatures.  After all, it’s nice to have a reason to snuggle, isn’t it?  And with the convenience of electricity at our campsite, if it’s too cool for our tastes…a compact electric heater can safely  warm our tent to make it comfortable and cozy.  Electric lamps at the bedside makes for comfortable evenings snuggled together to read a book or talk, and a portable fan can turn a warm afternoon into a comfortable time for a nap inside the tent too.

Compared to many “romantic getaways”, a do-it-yourself glamping honeymoon can turn the can’t into a can.  Granted, some of the gear may need to be purchased, but the purchases can be made over time, spreading out the expense.  When actually enjoying your glamping honeymoon, everything costs less, from your meals to the romantic bottle of wine to your daily “housing” expense.  Setting up does take longer than checking into a motel–for experienced tent campers, it will probably take about two hours to set everything up, and up to four hours for novices.  Make sure that you have set up your tent prior to departure (as far in advance as possible, just in case there is something broken/missing from your tent, or it fails to measure up in some other way).

Make sure you choose a campground with the amenities you need and want, and that you make reservations for a site with electricity, something not usually included in “tent” sites.  When making reservations for your glamping experience, the sites with electric and water are usually geared for RVs and travel trailers, and not all of them are potential tent sites–call the park if in doubt.  My personal experience  has indicated that usually, state parks are more friendly to tents with electric access than national park campgrounds.  Many parks will also have showers, flush toilets, and laundry facilities, and some can include amenities such as golf, swimming pools, boat rental, etc. in addition to the traditional park offerings such as hiking, fishing, and nature trails.  Amenities and activities offered in the area can also make a campground attractive, even if they are not within the park itself.  Private campgrounds vary a great deal, and some are not friendly to any kind of tent, others are more so, and amenities can vary from virtually nothing to a complete spa-like experience.  Prices also vary, so consider the daily rate when making your reservations.  Most campgrounds use Reserve America, which is a very easy to use system, but do make sure about the dates before making your reservations.  It can be very expensive to be forced to cancel due to a change in plans or booking the wrong dates.

Stay tuned…I’m sure I’ll have a LOT more to say as we prepare for our getaway honeymoon!

Workshop to build a reflector oven

When I first started searching for a reflector oven, I wanted to purchase one.  Every company I found…it turned out they weren’t making them anymore, until I found a company that made non-folding beautiful ones that were way out of my price range.  Refusing to be defeated, I began searching for folding reflector oven plans.  That search didn’t go much better, and left me frustrated too.

Finally, I had a set of plans that appeared to be for an actual working folding reflector oven.  The next step was materials.  That was a bit disappointing.  It seems that metal sheeting isn’t exactly a hot item in home improvement supplies.  The best I can do locally is with a roll of wide aluminium flashing…with a hefty price tag to go with it.  Granted, it will make many ovens, but I don’t want many ovens.  I want one functioning reflector oven that I can cook a small turkey in.  That’s all.

In addition to this blog, we also maintain a website for Get Ready GO, at www.get-ready-go.com and we also have a physical Meet Up group (www.meetup.com) called Get Ready Go that is our “non-profit social organization” branch.   We have an amazing amount of interest in terms of “folding reflector oven” which indicates that I’m not the only one who wants one.  So, the logical thing to do is to have a workshop!

Get Ready GO will be hosting a workshop on Saturday, August 27th, at 10 a.m.  It’s a super inexpensive way to learn how to make your own reflector oven with some help (and tools!) to do the job.  It’s only $20 material fee per person, open to members and their guests only, and everyone must be an adult.  There will even be lunch!  MeetUp.com is free for membership, and anyone can join Get Ready Go too.

The meet up is being held in the Pascagoula, Mississippi area, convenient for anyone living anywhere between New Orleans, LA and Pensacola, FL or as far north as Hattiesburg, MS.  Reservations must be made (and paid for) before August 13th, and there will be no refunds for cancellations after August 13th, although a “make up” date will be offered to anyone who is unable to attend the day of the workshop.  A minimum of four attendees (besides the 3 hosts) is required, and if the minimum is not met, we’ll refund any fees paid.

Just to make it even more fun, if the fire ban in the area is lifted, we’ll bake lunch in a reflector oven just to show how well they work!  Besides, it would give me a great excuse to see if a turkey really will fit in one, wouldn’t it?

Previous entry about folding reflector oven is found here.

The camp kitchen

The camp kitchen is what produces the meals when we’re out in the Great Outdoors.  It’s going to provide you with the fuel to enjoy your time in the Great Outdoors, so it does deserve some thought and effort.

For the backpacking crowd, it’s going to be very simple and compact–a ultra-light stove and lightweight mess kit, with freeze dried food packages for meals, and maybe, just maybe, some spices to jazz up things.  The entire kit is apt to weigh in barely over a pound, plus fuel.

For the car camping crowd and base camps, kitchens can be more elaborate, but at the same time, nobody wants it to be excessively complicated, heavy, or bulky.  We do want it to be convenient, compact, and sturdy though.  There are a few “camp kitchens” on the market, my favorite design is from Cabela’s and costs just over $100–which is a fair amount of money for something that no one is sure will actually WORK and be durable enough to last a decade or more.

Right now, my “camp kitchen” consists of the various pieces of gear, a table, a plastic tote (or two or three, depending on how many people are actually going on the trip and how complicated the meals are going to be) and two tool boxes, one of which is outfitted with spices and seasonings, the other is outfitted for drinks.  It isn’t particularly compact or convenient, although it has worked for several years.  If I am cooking a meal for more than just GM & I, I typically run out of space, can’t find my essential tools and other items, and spend excessive amounts of time being aggravated by the jumbled mess of our “food box.”

There has to be a better way!

Once upon a time, back when I was a solo camper, my kitchen all fit in one of the tool boxes still in service today.  It held a propane stove, my mess kit, a few basic utensils & flatware, and a couple of seasonings to add to my food.  There was even a can of non-stick spray in the kit.  It was efficient and it worked…for one.  A small cardboard box held my food, along with a couple of bottles of propane and a cheap dollar store non-stick skillet.  A compact AA powered “lantern” was in the cook kit too, and a spare rode in the glove box of the Jeep.  I actually always carried my camping gear in the Jeep, only taking it out if I was going somewhere with passengers in the vehicle.  All I had to do when I was heading out to camp was make a quick stop at the grocery store for food (or raid the pantry at home) and I was on my way.

Since then, I’ve become less of a loner in the wilderness and go camping with GM and often with an entire group of friends.  I’m still the camp cook, partly out of desperation (I’m a good cook, and not all campers are) and partly because I genuinely enjoy the process of camp cooking.  That means I have a more extensive set up than most people, however, as I may be cooking from 2-20 people on any particular trip, and many novice campers come camping without plates, etc.  I actually have enough plates to serve about 20 people in my “big” kit.

It’s not such a big deal to haul the big kit to a big camp out, because there are more people to help with unloading, etc. but when its just GM & I, we don’t want the big kit, and its a pain to set up an alternate smaller kit.  It usually ends up as a jumbled mess.  I want a compact kit that provides me with space for everything and still be portable, without any component that is over 50 lbs, even fully loaded.

So what would this fantastic bit of carpentry actually have to hold?

1. a sink composed of 2 dishpans with divots to allow them to be lifted out and emptied
2. dishwashing essentials storage (soap, sponge, cloth, scrubber)
3. a rack for 5 gallon water jug for washing and cooking
4. a surface to hold stove(s)
5. a spice rack
6. utensil rack
7. storage for plates, cups, & bowls
8. storage for nesting mixing bowls & colander
9. Storage for pots & pans
10. Storage for coffee pot & fixings
11. Pantry to hold cans, vegetable oil bottle, non stick spray, & canisters with pancake mix, flour, sugar, etc.
12. storage for knives & flatware
13. work surface with cutting board
14. cooking area for using stove
15. stove storage
16. fuel for stove storage
17. table for dining
18. rack for cooler
19. location for power strip
20. storage for clamp on electric lamp
21. Hook to hang propane lantern
22. Storage for propane lantern

That’s a lot to ask from anyone, let alone my drafted cabinet maker, the mysterious Mr. GM!

Would it all be wood?  

Wood can be heavy and bulky, but it is easy to work with.   It is also flammable, another important consideration when designing our portable kitchen.  Wood also does not like rain, and face it…every camper gets rained on, and in the South, it’s more likely than not that you will be rained on during part of your excursion.  Planning on rain is a good idea!  That means that the entire kitchen needs to be as water proof as possible, with an easy-to-close pantry area to keep food items and utensils dry.  Some features, such as legs, might be better made out of PVC pipe, which is another easy-to-work with component.  Other features, such as the hanging area for a propane lantern, should be metal if possible, because of the heat from the lantern.  Metal would be a good option around the cooking area too, in case of fuel or food being spilled somehow.

Not all surfaces need to be solid either–many surfaces can use straps or slats to support other things rather than a solid piece of wood.  This helps to reduce weight and bulk.  Waterproof canvas can also keep weather out of a particular space, possibly even better than a wood surface, and can be used anywhere that structural strength is needed.

So how will we figure out how to build this mysterious kitchen?

First we’ll need to figure out exactly what it needs to actually hold.  Then, we’ll start imagining and sketching on paper, noting some basic dimensions of items such as dishes, pots & pans, etc.  We will estimate costs, and see whether our idea is within our means.  We will talk about it, then we’ll do any last minute revisions, and only then will we go pick up the supplies we’ll need to actually BUILD our dream camping kitchen.

Right now, my mental picture has it created in four “boxes” or sections.  One box is the stove with storage for pots, pans, utensils, coffee pot, and fuel.  The pantry area would also hold the dishes, flatware, and mixing bowls.  A third box would hold the sink, washing essentials, water jug rack, and cooler rack.  The fourth box would contain the table and work surface with cutting board.  That’s still a HUGE jump to actually having the boxes built, with convenient carry handles on the ends, and ready to load for their inauguration trip.

What would YOUR dream camp kitchen hold?

 

 

Hammocks and camping

Hammocks come in a myriad of sizes, colors, materials, and quality.  Created for sleeping in the tropics, they are enjoying a rising popularity as the primary component of ultra-light camping gear.  Reading about them, I too thought…gee, that sounds ideal for camping light!

But at the same time, who wants to invest in a piece of camping gear that they may not like or be able to use enough to warrant the expense.  So it was with me and the hammock.  I just wasn’t sure that I wanted to fork out $40 or more for one.

So, on a visit to Big Lots, hardly a mecca for camping gear enthusiasts, I happened to walk past a display of cotton hammocks for sale…for $12.

Aha! I thought.  I can try out the idea before forking out a chunk of change with this inexpensive cotton hammock.  So I did…and then promptly ignored a couple of primary rules of my own creation.

Don’t mess with what isn’t broken.  I already knew I could sleep on a bedroll on the ground and be reasonably comfortable.

Don’t change something radically on a camping trip without bringing along an alternative.  (Also known as not putting all of your eggs in a new basket!)

There I was, with GM, and the entire Get Ready Go camping faithfuls on a warm weather (change that to incredibly hot heat wave camping) excursion to one of our favorite “wet” camps with a cool creek to play in and not many insects…with a tarp, a hammock for me, and a cot for GM.  I had never even sat on a hammock before.

I didn’t bring a tent, a bedroll, or even so much as a ground cloth.  I had no spare tarp.

We got the cheap hammock hung, using some brand new cheap rope.  The hammock was about chest high at that point.  I had to work to get sort of sat on it, and it sank…and sank…and sank…

and that cheap rope stretched and stretched…

and stretched some more

In the blink of an eye, I was sitting on the ground.  The rope didn’t break, the hammock didn’t break…that cheap rope had stretched that much.  Everyone was laughing and announcing it was “hammock fail.”

I picked myself up, dusted off the pine straw, and we proceeded to tighten the steadily stretching rope some more.  No one SAT on it as we worked to get that hammock hung.  We’d lean on it, stretch the rope, readjust the hammock, and repeat.  For thirty minutes, we stretched that rope.  It was like some mad version of a “Mary Poppins” rope.  It just got longer.

Eventually, we stretched it until it was finished.  The hammock was still too high for me, but we opted to just move the cot over to allow me to stretch out and let the rope continue stretching.

For the first time in my life, I stretched out in a hammock.  A short, narrow hammock.  The rope groaned.  I sunk lower and lower…and before we knew it, my butt was touching the ground.

Back to previous steps, and re-tighten the now (we hope) fully stretched rope.  The cot was too high again, and I proceeded to test it again.  This time, I stayed about even with the top of the cot, despite having had to climb onto the cot to get into the hammock once again.  It seemed okay.

So, late that night, after our fireside chats and evening coffee, I headed to my hammock, which was now once again hanging high off the ground, courtesy of the elastic nature of the cheap rope I had bought.  Climbing onto the cot, my head was pushing against the tarp, and I climbed into my bed for the night and tried to get comfortable.  My light blanket wasn’t needed, but it was hung over the rope at the head of the hammock, where I could easily grab it without having to even get up.  My head was cradled in a “neck” pillow.  I felt reasonably comfortable and secure after I squirmed around and found a comfortable position in the narrow hammock.

I slept for several hours without moving, waking up aching, which isn’t unusual for anyone who is “ever so much more than twenty”.  Trying to find a new position, I discovered a lot about a narrow cheap hammock.  Things like:

• You can’t get “flat” because you can’t lay diagonally on the hammock.
• Stretched out on your back, there is no support for your knees, which then feel as though they are being overextended.
• You have to wake up to change positions without flipping yourself out of the hammock.
• It’s very hard to find a comfortable position in a narrow cheap hammock.
• The heavy cotton material was hot on a warm, humid night.

I was already aware of some other problems that would accompany a cotton hammock.  Things like:

• Cotton retains moisture, which means it does not dry quickly.
• Cotton rots easily if it is damp.
• Cotton retains odors.
• Cotton is a dense, warm fabric when woven heavily for a hammock.

I declared the cotton hammock as an epic fail around 3 am as I waited for the sun to rise in the primitive campsite.  I was bored and my back ached.  I was sweaty and hot, and the hammock was damp from sweat and the dew.  My hair was thoroughly damp.

The next morning, one of our camping companions had a Hammocka double hammock.  He set it up, and offered me a chance to try it.  (He is very interested in hammock camping and has been experimenting with it, as well as researching it thoroughly.)  It wasn’t until that evening that I had a chance to actually try it.

There is almost no resemblance to the two experiences.  The parachute material BREATHES.  You are not hot, not even in the sweltering heat.  (Well, no more than you are just standing there anyhow.  When its hot, it’s just HOT.)  It’s wide enough to lay diagonally, effectively creating a flat place to sleep in it.  There is enough ROOM to stretch out and roll over.

So why am I still interested in trying hammock camping when I had a negative experience already?

• Hammock are very compact.
•  You are off the ground.
• No worries about uneven ground, plants, sticks, roots, etc.
• Once experienced at setting up, it’s faster than pitching or tearing down a tent.
• Less impact on the environment.
• Cooler in summer.
• Comfortable for the sleeper
• Adaptable to a wide variety of situations.

Next, my plans are to acquire a good quality hammock made out of the “parachute” type fabric.  But…I think I’ll postpone camping in the heat–it’s just not much fun to spend the entire trip drenched in sweat!

 

 

Summer is around the corner

Summer is just around the corner here on the Gulf Coast, and that means a lot of things.

It’s not just beaches, parties, barbecues, and beer either.

Its heat, humidity, and voracious insects intent on devouring us while we’re pouring sweat and trying to cool off.  It’s about finding a shady place with a breeze and taking it easy a lot too.  Even when camping, it is just too hot to be too excited about anything that doesn’t involve ice.

I guess its all part of that semi-tropical climate we enjoy, right?

To go along with it, nothing sounds better than a hammock.  If you’ve ever tried to sleep in a tent, intent on avoiding the bird sized mosquitos and gnats with teeth the size of vampiric tusks, looking at the sullen skies overhead…threatening to add to the joy with a bit of rain…you know that misery does NOT love company.  It’s just plain hot and miserable in that tent.  It’s stuffy too, and no tent has enough ventilation to make it comfortable without adding a fan and it’s steady whir as it beats the hot air into submission.

Can you tell that summer camping on the Gulf Coast isn’t exactly my favorite season?

When I do camp in warm weather, I prefer to avoid the tent.  That’s fine and dandy when you are in a location that isn’t inhabited by more carnivorous insects than blades of grass…but what about those places that do have mosquitoes and gnats in abundance?  What then?

Granted, you can cover yourself from head to toe in clothing or insect repellent.  (GM complains when I wear my summertime perfume: Repel Sportsman’s Blend.)   The clothes are hot, and your face and hands are still exposed for the blood thirsty creatures.  Their bites are more than mere discomfort though–many diseases are carried by blood sucking insects, and some things, I just don’t want to share with them.

I look at the idea of a hammock, swinging in the breeze, elevated above the ground to catch the slightest breeze, surrounded by a mosquito net, with a tarp covering for that passing storm above and open sides to let the air flow…and I want.  It’s screaming summertime comfort.

I’ve never slept on a hammock.  The idea of avoiding roots and rocks is appealing, however.  Five minutes to slap a piece of webbing around two trees and hang the hammock and ridge line for the tarp and mosquito net…and a couple of stakes to guy out the overhead tarp…oh yeah, baby!  Two hammocks, two tarps, two mosquito nets…and still under six pounds?

We just might have room left over for some ice.  Maybe I’ll try something novel when camping…pina colada anyone?

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Today, we did the “marsh walk” at the Gulf Islands National Seashore to learn about salt marshes and the things that live there.  It was an activity planned by the park, and about ten from our Meetup.com group actually came to the event.

It was nice, the park ranger was friendly, even if he was very young, and seemed a bit uncomfortable with the act of speaking to the group as a whole initially.  I guess its the whole public speaking routine–not everyone finds it fun.

The Gulf Islands National Seashore in Ocean Springs, Mississippi is really a treasure.  The visitor center was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, like a lot of other things.  The building has been repaired, and new displays are in place now, and they are very nice.  There is also a short video about the Gulf Islands, and that too is well worth  your time to watch.  I highly recommend the park visitor center as a “must see” when touring along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and for the budget strapped vacationer…here’s some more great news.  It’s free.

In addition to the visitor center, there is a fishing pier (don’t forget your fishing license, and make sure you have a salt water one!)  Fishing is also possible in Davis Bayou as well, and once again, don’t forget that salt water fishing license.  (The bayou is brackish, as well as below the point where salt water licenses are required.)

There’s also a boat launch, picnic area, soft ball field, and camping area.  Camping does require a fee, but otherwise everything at Gulf Islands National Seashore is no fee required, although they do accept donations at the visitor center.  There are numerous tables and pavilions scattered through the picnic area, as well as a few picnic tables and bbq grills near the visitor center.  They are all well maintained and clean, but despite this…be prepared for the bugs if  you are visiting in summer.  The flies arrive by the thousands as soon as the jungle drums announce you intend to eat food!  Biting insects of all kinds are common along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, and either clothing or a topical repellent is virtually a necessity or you will be eaten!  (There is a reason why Repel is my “perfume of choice” in summertime.)

If you are visiting in the winter, winters are mild on the Gulf Coast, but there can still be some rather cold and less-than-cozy nights.  Be prepared, if you are camping.  Bugs are much less prevalent, but if you are wanting to see birds and other wildlife, they are also less common in winter.  Even so, wintertime visits can be very pleasant in the park.

Learning about the outdoors

Being prepared to survive and thrive in the Great Outdoors is more than just knowing how to pitch a tent and build a fire.  It’s about knowing the environment you live in too.  It’s about knowing what the flora and fauna are telling you about the places you travel through or stop in, and I don’t mean anything magical or mystical about “telling you” either.

Plants and animals tell you a lot about the environment, everything from the altitude to the amount of precipitation, including whether the area has been recently disturbed or burned.  It can also tell you whether humans frequent the area often.  All you have to do is “listen” to their lesson.

These messages take some learning to understand.  It’s easy when you learn it as a child, following your elders and asking questions like all young children do.  It’s a bit tougher when you move to a new region with new plants and have to start over.  That was my experience.  Once upon a time, I knew almost every plant I saw, but once I moved to the Gulf Coast region, I was lost.  The plants were nearly all different, not even the grasses are familiar.

That meant that I needed to do some serious learning to get back to the state where I automatically know what kind of plants tell me what, and their messages are a bit different.  Granted, we can sign up for classes at the local community college and pursue this acquisition of knowledge academically.  Few of us are going to take that route, as we’re seeking more practical knowledge.

I have sought out a knowledgeable native to help me fill in my knowledge, but today, I also sought out another route.  State and national parks and preserves often offer various naturalist programs free or at a very low cost.  Today, I visited Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve to participate in a “botanical walk” with Dr. Robert Mohlenbrock, aka Dr. Bob.  Well known in the American botanical circles, he has greatly influenced both the study and management of plants in North America through his work and his teaching.

Dr Bob explaining points about flower to the participants.

It turns out that the coastal wetlands harbor more species of carnivorous plants than any other single region.  Pitcher plants and sun dews were gloriously beautiful on this late spring day.

Pitcher Plant clump in a savanna area in Mississippi

Red flower Pitcher Plant--this species will hybridize with the yellow flowered one.

Clump of parrot beaked pitcher plants--these are much smaller than the yellow and red flowered ones.

Pitcher Plant pitcher -dead bugs in last year pitcher leaf

Sun Dew are tiny, no bigger than a half-dollar coin.

Now while the carnivorous plants were fascinating, that’s not all we learned about.  But…I’ll save that for another day!

Being prepared-is it really just the food?

Being prepared.

Sounds like a boy scout motto, doesn’t it?  “Be Prepared”

Maybe in a sense, it is a good scout motto, because scouting was always about learning things, at least in the beginning.  Knowledge IS power, right?  Knowledge can also be freedom.

Sure, it’s great to be prepared and have that food set aside for that rainy day, whether it comes due to a hurricane, earthquake, job loss, injury, governmental meltdown, or whatever comes down the pike…or interstate…or river.  But the food isn’t all there is to being prepared either.

It’s about being prepared to handle adversity and adapt to new problems and situations.  That is usually easier for the younger crowd, because as we age, we find that change and adversity more threatening, especially when deprived of our “support group” of our family and friends.  Even though its easy for me to forget it most days, I have to remind myself that I’m now officially joining the “older” group myself.

Being adaptable is something we can train for and practice in our daily lives.  It’s called “new experiences.”  Trying new things, learning new skills, getting out of our comfort zones…are all good practice.  I’m quite used to car camping, I’ve done some backpacking, and now…I’m off on this idea of a Great American Adventure, if I can sell GM on the idea…of bicycling & camping across America.  He says I’m nuts, that I can’t do that.  I say endurance is irrelevant, that I would merely go until I was tired, and then sleep until I was rested.  Whether or not I convince him to embark on this (possibly) over-ambitious project, I am pursuing the concept of bicycle camping.  It intrigues me.

I’m also learning about the plants and animals of the estuaries along the Gulf Coast.  It’s not been easy, as everything is unfamiliar to me, with my background in the deserts of the Southwest.  It’s very interesting though, even if I am suspicious of water.

That’s another new thing for this year.  I’m learning to explore the waterways in a small boat.  I’m learning about fishing the coastal waters.  It’s a far cry from the seasonal streams of the desert that I knew in my younger years too.

Learning, you see, is the key I hold in my hand for being prepared.  I am prepared to adapt.  I am a survivor.  I can adapt and change when my circumstances change, no matter how they change.  I survive.

The real key to surviving is just that.  I will survive, I know how to learn, I have learned before, and I know a lot of things on which I can build my new knowledge base on.

I’ve baked that apple pie from scratch, and baked a cake over a campfire.  I’ve build sheds and barns, fixed fences, and milked a cow.  I’ve milked a goat too.  I’ve made soap, I’ve skinned a coyote, I’ve hunted for rabbits, and I’ve fished.  I’ve cooked what we’ve caught too.  I’ve made quilts, and sewn clothes.  I’ve grown gardens and canned and made jelly too.  I’ve ridden horses, and harnessed dogs to carts.  I’ve pitched a tent or two, and I’ve slept in the open too.  I’ve made tarp shelters, snow shelters, and taken shelter beneath rocky overhangs.  I’ve fixed leaking pipes, drawn water from a well with a bucket and rope, and drank from a stock tank.  I’ve had fancy bathrooms, outhouses, and imaginary bushes.  I’ve run off coyotes, feral dogs, and bobcats.  I’ve herded cows, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks and geese too.  I’ve even roped a few goats myself, as well as a horse or two.  I’ve stacked hay, tended to sick livestock, and disposed of a few of their corpses.  I’ve been homeless, and I’ve had lovely homes.  I’ve been a mom, a sister, a daughter, a granddaughter, a niece,  an aunt, and a grandma.  I’ve been terrified, and I’ve been infuriated, and after the day was done, I had still survived.

I’ve collected a lot of t-shirts over the years, all in the name of trying new things.  Some I liked, some I didn’t.  Some were tough to walk away from.  I’ve been deliriously happy, hopelessly sad, lost, found, scared, mad, glad, murderous, and loving.  It didn’t kill me.  I survived even when I didn’t think I could or even necessarily wanted to.  Part of me is just too stubborn to give up, I guess.  Maybe its luck.  Whatever it is…I am a survivor.

Is it by choice or by accident or by fortune?  I’m certain its mostly by choice.  I’ve never been good at playing the victim, I’m much better at playing the competent role.  I am competent, I can and do figure out how to solve problems, I cope.  That’s my primary skill–coping, no matter what comes down that river towards me, I adapt and respond.  If its cold, I find ways to get warm.  If its hot, I seek cool.  If its raining out, I figure out how to stay dry.  If my car is broke down and I need to go somewhere, I figure out how to get there, whether its to ask someone to take me, use the bicycle, walk, or some other way…I get there.

Being prepared means knowing how to break the survival scenario into smaller problems and then attacking each problem with a solution.  If its cold, raining, your hungry, and you are standing there…what will you work on first?

First, get some shelter to protect you from rain and wind.  That will go a long ways towards warm too.  Whether its a tent, lean to, brush shelter, under a bridge, or whatever…that shelter is critical.

Second, fire means heat, as well as a way to cook food and it also provides both light and security.  For that, you need fuel and a way to start it burning.  If you are lucky, you are somewhere with ample fuel.  Look for fuel that may be dry, such as the interior of rotting logs, under logs or branches, etc.  You will also need dry tinder and a way to start the fire, be it a match or striker.

Third, water can be heated in many things, including a paper bag.  Hot water is a good start towards soup, an easy thing to make that renders many foods more edible and easier to eat.  It also helps to stay hydrated, much more important initially than food is.  Most areas have a variety of wild foods.  If you don’t know them, learn them before you have to know what they are.  It’s too late when you are standing there with a rumbling belly to learn.

Knowledge is power, and learning how to do these things and hoping to never have to use them is a very wise course of action.  It doesn’t hurt to learn them, they don’t take up room, and they don’t tattoo you forever as a “weirdo”.  No one will ever need to know you know these things…unless you choose to share that knowledge with them.

So how do you learn?  You are on the internet, with a wealth of information in front of you.  If you don’t have a teacher in person, there is still YouTube, Instructables, and blogs such as this.  There are websites such as Exogeny Network with information too.  There are search engines to help you find specific information and gear.

And, along the way, don’t forget…it’s also a very wise idea to have at least 90 days of food on hand in your home too.  Just in case.  Call it a well stocked pantry, your rainy day supply or your end of the world food…whatever name you want to give it.  Choose some foods that are packaged for long term storage, to simplify that rotation of food required for grocery store supplies.  Pay attention and remember…disasters come in many sizes, colors, and flavors.

Organizations, clubs, and associations

I’m not a big “clubber” kind of person.  I get too aggravated with the pecking orders and minor manueverings of people who are under the impression that being the president or v.p. or whatever for an organization has promoted them to the status of a minor deity.  I’ve done it, I’ve even helped found new organizations, but in the long run, when things are up and running, its best if I just go.  I’ve been told that I should have a warning label, because sooner or later, (usually sooner) I’m going to forget to censor what I’m thinking before it comes out of  my mouth.

But with that said, there are a lot of merits to organizations, formal or otherwise, once you step away from coping with people’s thwarted political aspirations.  It creates a collective of information, assets, and even buying power.  It allows for efforts that cannot be achieved on an individual level.

So, I’ll confess, I’m heading down that road all over again with the social organization that meets together under Meetup.com.  We don’t have “officers” though, it’s not that formal at this point.  We do have “organizers” and “hosts” though.  (That’s the people that do the work so that everyone can complain when something goes wrong.  Not always the case, but its a source of wry humor for me sometimes, since I’m usually one or both of those designated go-fers.)  I realize that everyone is busy, and no group can have activities that appeal to everyone all of the time.  At the same time, I’ve only missed out on two camping trips due to vehicle break downs, and one kayak race where we weren’t doing anything but showing up.  Outside of that, I’ve been there. In the rain, in the heat, I’ve showed up.  It has made me try some new things, I’ll admit.  Some I liked…and some I didn’t.  That’s a good thing.  New things expand our horizons.

Organizations also offer something else.  Potential knowledge in the databases of other members’ minds.  That can be trails, skills, tools, anything…and it helps.

Its tough to find other people with similar interests, to facilitate that sharing of knowledge.  That’s the reason that the social organization of Get Ready GO! was created.  We had the website, we knew some people, we knew some stuff…and we wanted to share what we knew, and learn new things.  So…we embarked on this new segment of the journey.

Have we learned anything?  Hmm I’ve learned things, but they were probably not purposeful lessons.  I happen to be, like old…and I’ve done a LOT of camping, the primary focus over the past nine months or so since we started the Meetup group.  The other people who have knowledge I don’t…are the same ones I’ve been camping with for 4-5 years already.  So…I’d been learning about the local plants, animals, snares, traps, and other related material that was a mystery to me.

We do have some unique knowledge that I am very curious about with our other members though.  Kayaking–I’ve always wanted to try it, and someday…I will.  I am learning about boating in the coastal region, not “deep sea” boating, but in the rivers, bayous, and other fresh, brackish, and salt water.  I’m also learning about tides and fishing in the region.

I’m expanding my knowledge about bicycle touring and camping, which is a really odd niche.  It’s not particularly appealing to most devout campers…and it’s not really appealing to most devout cyclists either.  Maybe that’s part of the appeal–it’s odd, and so am I sometimes!  But for me, it just makes a lot of sense.  Backpacking isn’t exactly my thing anymore, carrying that backpack is a killer on back, shoulders, and neck.  I get tired and cranky, and then we start hiking.  With the bicycle, I can go further, and the weight is actually carried on the bike and trailer.  I really want to expand my knowledge and skill in this area.  It’s been tough though, because of the peculiar niche it occupies.  I have no illusions about my ability to keep up with serious touring cyclists who regularly ride 75-100 miles in a single day.  I have a different objective.  To enjoy myself.

I’m learning more about photography in regards to the outdoors too.  Not that I’m the next Ansel Adams, but I take a pretty good photo, well enough to illustrate what I’m talking about.  That old saying that a picture speaks a thousand words is very true.  I’ve not joined any clubs or organizations for this, it’s been books, trial, and error.  It’s been using the photos and realizing that they aren’t perfect, and trying to do better next time.

I’m learning more about people too.  What they (as a group) are apt to like…or dislike.  The things that make them go oh yeah, and the things that make them go ho-hum.  About how they are similar, and how they are different.  About gender differences.  About how people are the key to it all…because each and every organization is made up of individuals coming together and becoming a group of people, hopefully with common goals.

And that’s what makes it all tick.