The Day after the Day After

Camping

5 September

I awake to a beam of sunlight streaming under a partially closed window blind. Opposite the window, the door is open and the screen door provides a filtered view of the world outside. The early morning sun, low in the horizon throws an amber glow onto a cottonwood tree. Not completely awake, my brain signals that it is early morning. There is no need to know what time it is or what day it is. Hence there is no hurry to get up. I watch the sunlight creep up a tall eucalyptus tree and the day begins. Once I am completely awake, I get up. It’s coffee time.

Continue reading The Day after the Day After →

The Day After

Camping,

4 September

Just north of Palm Springs, Interstate 10 enters the Coachella Valley skirting most of the area’s communities on its journey through the southernmost states until it ends in Jacksonville, Florida. Soon after entering the Coachella Valley from the San Gorgonio Pass, Highway 62 splits off from this major transportation artery. Heading north Hwy 62 meanders up a small canyon that travels through a gap in Little San Bernardino Mountains and then heads east. Here, for about 10 miles, the San Bernardino Mountains tower above the north side of the roadway, while the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the south complete the Morongo Basin – the beginning of a Mojave Desert drive that Hwy 62 will take travelers another 144 miles to Parker, Arizona on the Colorado River.

Early in the morning, on the best day of the year, we found ourselves on Hwy 62, camper in tow. Continue reading The Day After →

Camping List Methodology

Camping

How I prepare for a camping trip versus a backpacking trip is much different. When backpacking I want the lightest gear possible without sacrificing safety; meaning I need to stay warm, dry, and safe. What I take on each trip is dependent upon the location, terrain, expected weather and time of year. All these variables must be considered when putting together my gear. To do this, I need a list — a checklist — because forgetting a crucial item can lead to a dangerous situation. Because I use a computer, it is easy to calculate how much weight my pack will weigh, which is important. I wrote about this in How to Excel at Backpacking.

Camping is different. You can take extra stuff you need; just in case. But one needs a routine or even a checklist to make sure the important stuff isn’t left at home. So this is how I do it. Continue reading Camping List Methodology →

Favorite Gear of 2018

Camper Upgrades

This topic is a favorite on backpacking blogs. Although it is only August, I thought I’d be the first!

Actually my favorite backpacking gear hasn’t changed in years, so there is no use posting that (again).

Since I just finished all my Christmas shopping (yes, I don’t have to worry about it or stress out like most folks do), I thought it might be helpful to share the most popular items that PopUpBackpacker readers are buying – and there isn’t anything related to backpacking – because the majority of readers here buy stuff for their campers, so all the items on this list are camper related. I approve – too many backpackers are obsessed with gear and are in a constant loop of new gear purchases.

Camping stuff, on the other hand, are usually purchases that are made for the long haul. Readers might find some of the stuff interesting or even a great Christmas gift idea. Since Christmas is several months away, might as well start thinking about it before it creeps up on you and you freak out. And to be upfront, there are product links in this post that will earn me a small commission if you purchase something. Don’t buy any of this stuff if you don’t need it! Continue reading Favorite Gear of 2018 →

Get Ready to ‘Flip Your Lid’ (How to Replace an RV Vent Lid)

Camper Upgrades

Last week was time to wash and condition our membrane roof and to clean the solar panels. While I was on the roof getting ready and inspecting everything, I noticed a small hole in the corner of one of the plastic roof vents. The lid was falling apart due to UV exposure. Checking the other two vent lids, they were also getting brittle and needed to be replaced. So I ordered three lids and postponed the roof and solar panel cleaning.

Hole in the vent lid as seen from the inside of the camper.

Roof vent lids are easy to replace.

In this post I’ll go through the step-by-step instructions. Continue reading Get Ready to ‘Flip Your Lid’ (How to Replace an RV Vent Lid) →

How the Post Office Can Help You When You Are Camping

General Talk

In the not so distance past, the US Postal Service was a very customer-unfriendly organization. We had to do things their way, seems someone removed the words “customer” and “convenience” from their dictionary. In the early days of Fax machines the post office tried to get Faxes classified as First Class mail, and since the USPS has a monopoly on First Class Mail, every Fax would have to be sent to them first and then hand delivered by a postal carrier. That idea didn’t work. I remember back in the ‘80s or early ‘90s the Postmaster General decided that Fax machines were competition and all these machines were removed from USPS facilities. Cooperation with UPS or FedEx? No way?

Today the USPS has a convenient presence on the internet; one can buy stamps at grocery stores, drug stores, and even Costco. You can print your own postage via private companies like Stamp.com. UPS and FedEx now deliver packages to the USPS for final deliver by the Postal Service – a benefit to everyone, including the public. You can communicate electronically with the USPS, track packages and even obtain special services via your computer for when you are away camping. Overall I think the USPS does a great job. The only time we have had problems is when we did something wrong, such as send a package to the wrong address. Here’s a couple of services we use a lot that folks might not be aware of. Continue reading How the Post Office Can Help You When You Are Camping →

Katadyn BeFree Water Filter

Backpacking Gear

This is not a Product Review

I just bought a Katadyn BeFree Filter. It came with a 1.0 liter soft-sided water bottle.

Back in 2013 I wrote about water filters and how they weren’t on my radar as something to purchase. So why did I buy this thing? Am I compromising perceived convenience for more weight and more hassle? Or am I open to considering things that just make sense? Continue reading Katadyn BeFree Water Filter →

How to Polish a Titanium Backpacking Spoon

Backpacking Gear, , , , ,

Why would one want to polish a backpacking spoon?

Sea to Summit Alpha Long Handled Spoon

For many years my favorite spoon was a Sea to Summit Alpha Long Handled Spoon. Made from anodized aluminum, it was perfect for eating meals from a freezer bag. Most of the time I “cook” my meals in a freezer bag (see Freezer Bag Cooking).  Back in February I lost my spoon on the last day of a backpacking trip (the last meal of the day).

My friend, Doug, gave me a titanium long handle spoon, which was identical in size and shape as the one I lost. Both the anodized aluminum and the titanium spoon had one quality that about drove me nuts. Continue reading How to Polish a Titanium Backpacking Spoon →

Fake News, Internet Trolls, and PopUpBackpacker

The Digital Life,

It’s big news today. Countries are hacking into sensitive websites, some media outlets publishing fake news stories, trolls on social media trying to influencing elections and generating discord among the populace. The liberals and the conservatives both agreeing our way of life is at risk. And yet no one asks the question, “Why is it that people can be influenced so easily?” Why are people not skeptical of things they hear, see, or read? Why don’t people do a little research instead of just accepting someone’s opinion or fake news report? Perhaps the problem isn’t fake news or trolls. 

Perhaps we have become our own worst enemies.

I was thinking about this when I realized that some of the popular posts on this blog reflect the same lack of skepticism or skepticism in the face of the facts. Continue reading Fake News, Internet Trolls, and PopUpBackpacker →