Equip Report

A quick report on gear:
You know and I know my FlipHD camera has been great to have.  My Olypus camera took the photos in the slide show below.
Having two tents has not been a burden. Its a nice change of pace to have one for backpacking and another for car camping. I used the heavy one in Georgia for like 9 days straight. I left it open and was under some trees (to reduce UV exposure).

I have upgraded tent stakes to MSR metal triangular types. They are red and much lighter and better than the ones the tent came with.

My neo air is like the gift that keeps on giving. Thank god that when the first one got a hole, I was 1 day away from a visit to REI (free switchout, no questions asked). So now my $150 air mattress has only cost me $75 since I got two for the price of one (and they held it for me until I needed it enroute).

My REI sleeping bag has been great and my coolmax bug resistant liner has been a great security blanket everyday, a nice sheet on warm nights with my clothes on and a life saver on those frigid nights below 40.

My Asolo boots are holding up fine so far.

I love my crocs. They deserve their own post. So lightweight, so comfy and great to drive in. My feet look forward to them after a long days hike. And the bright red color that I'm sporting are so easy to find in the dark, impossible to forget at camp, and simply say "I don't care what you think I look like" from the get go.

While we are on that note. I don't care... I have decided, it's simply this: "I didn't get up and get dressed for YOU today. It's not my prob, it's yours" :) This is how I deal with all the weird looks I get and cold shoulders I run into along the way. And I have had my fair share, thanks.

The plastic bins are working out great. Tough, and easy enough to handle. I can also fit 2 perfectly in the car go box above, so it's great that my cabin and roof storage are semi compatible.

I have too many stuff sacks and organizational doodads. I keep them because I keep telling myself they will be needed when I decide to get REALLY organized. It's always next time...

GPS is holding together. It is not accurate with US Forest Roads (it knows some of them, it doesn't know others, and it imagines some too). It also stinks in places like Phoenix because it is all based on many different moments in time that A) aren't now and B) aren't all the same. This makes for a GPS that knows roads that haven't been built yet, wants to avoid construction that is over with and wants to take you on the quickest way possible even though a new road has opened that goes straight where you want it to. Then when it comes to the directory, in rural places a lot of the stuff has closed, in new developments it has very little data yet and with therefore take you past 3 of what you are looking for on the way to the one it knows (Gee, thanks!). It also got me from Georgia to Arizona without ever going down the wrong road. Well there was some driver errors (my fault!), but nothing compared to the navigating errors I would have made trying to route my self all the way out to Phoenix.

Car is running great. I got my 2nd oil change when I got to Phoenix.

What other pieces of equipment would you like to have an update on?

While I'm typing I need to make a shout out to two fine gentlemen (Eric C. and Tim S.) at the Ace Hardware store today that helped me fabricate a screen for my sunroof (attaches with industrial strength velcro). I have my fingers crossed! I'll share photos and a review sometime soon. I should also include my custom driver/passenger window sunshades I made.