mdrejhon 8 #1 June 16, 2006 You know, those one week camping trips to dropzones. Boogies. Freefly festivals. Bigway events. Swooping competitions. National Formation record. Novice canopy camp. Or whatever. The first day we arrive at the dropzone, we realize we forget the bugspray... I definitely forgot a few items when I went to Deaf World Record (deaf boogie with all-deaf formation skydives) such as bugspray and an air mattress, sleeping on the hard ground. Ooops! Never again, I'll be more prepared this time. :) I think I've got most of the bases covered. - 9'x7' double-layer dome tent - Sleeping bag (3M thinsulate) - Air mattress + pump + camping pillow - Bugspray - Sunblock lotion - Two flashlights - Toilettries (especially toothbrush, toothpaste and showering items) - A towel (for showers) - One week worth of clothes plus two or three days extras (and 4-5 days extra pairs of underwear/socks -- you never know if I will land in mud) plus two sets of warmer clothes including jeans and sweater - Skydive rig (reserve in-date) - Gear wear (jumpsuit, helmet, altimeter, gloves). - My night jump gear (just in case) - strobe, lightsticks, bright Luxeon headlamp - Logbook, license, membership (in-date) - Cypres2 replacement filter, Cypres2 Xray card, TSA travel paper (although I won't be flying this time) - Spare parts (rubber bands, pullup cords, closing loop) - new PC + new D-Bag from Relative Workshop (just received, but no time to get a rigger to install them on rig before I go, but will bring just in case) - BlackBerry cellphone (I always put this in my jumpsuit pocket) - Spare cellphone - Laptop, car adaptor, and other accessories. - AC chargers for everything (laptop, cellphones) - Wallet, keys - Pullman suitcase + gear bag + backpack - Plastic bags (i.e. for partitioning dirty laundry separately from clean clothes) - Notepads and pens - Extension cord (for electric power, charging electronics in my tent) - Padlock for locking my gear/valuables up -- or to simply padlock the risers together when the rig is unattended - although it's an ugly old Vector2 - Carpool buddy (And a car trunk to lock a few things in, if no lockers are available) - Old sneakers (don't want to use my good shoes) - My ATM (Interac) card for paying for jumps and restaurants - A little cash for those that don't take ATM (Interac) - Spare ATM card in case of loss of original - Enough money in the bank for at least 35+ skydives Did I do something dumb and leave some essential out of this for a 1-week camping trip at a DZ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kimblair13 0 #2 June 16, 2006 QuoteDid I do something dumb and leave some essential out of this for a 1-week camping trip at a DZ? ME! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob.dino 1 #3 June 16, 2006 QuoteDid I do something dumb and leave some essential out of this for a 1-week camping trip at a DZ? Condoms. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gregzilla 0 #5 June 16, 2006 Lube "Just remember that when mortal men play superheroes, gravity is their kryptonite." Dudiest Skydiver # 3760 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skypuppy 1 #6 June 16, 2006 Cooler and ice? I have one that plugs into the cigarette lighter. I find it a lot cheaper to buy beverages and keep them in my vehicle then buying at a machine, etc., plus they're always there when I want. Can then keep milk, etc. for your cereal in the morning.If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AFFI 0 #7 June 16, 2006 Ummmmm, Didnt read the list, not nearly that organized when I pack for myself... Remember parachute, log book and USPA card. Ther rest will take care of itself - have a really cool time dude... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eule 0 #8 June 16, 2006 QuoteI think I've got most of the bases covered. After forgetting things a few times, I now make a checklist every time I'm going to the dropzone and planning on staying overnight. Quote- Air mattress + pump + camping pillow Electric pump? Spare batteries and fuse, manual pump as a backup. Or, the little plastic nozzle that lets you fill it from an air hose designed for a car tire. Duct tape for patching leaks and a thousand other uses. Maybe one of those sleeping-bag-sized rolls of foam in case the air mattress is a complete bust. Quote- Two flashlights [....] - My night jump gear (just in case) - strobe, lightsticks, bright Luxeon headlamp Spare lamps (if so equipped) and spare batteries. Quote- One week worth of clothes [....] Don't forget a hat. In most places it's nice and in someplace like Eloy it can be essential. Quote- Logbook, license, membership (in-date) You might make a couple of photocopies of your license and membership. Leave one copy at home and take one copy with you, but keep it in a different place than the actual documents. Along these lines, you may want to have the DOMs/serial numbers of your rig components written down somewhere other than on the rig. Same for your laptop, cell phone, etc. Quote- Spare cellphone Plus enough change and/or prepaid phone card to make a couple of calls from a pay phone. (Kids, let me know if you need me to explain what a pay phone is.) I think public-use airports in the US are _required_ to have a pay phone (so pilots can get weather briefings, etc) and they aren't quite as rare as the cell phone propaganda would have you believe. The prepaid phone cards charge a pretty astounding premium for pay phone calls, like 30 minutes of time, but do work. Quote- AC chargers for everything (laptop, cellphones) If any of your rechargeable stuff takes standard-size batteries, you might want to have a set of alkalines as a backup. Sometimes you forget to charge the batteries or similar; the alkalines may not last too long but they're better than nothing. Quote- Extension cord (for electric power, charging electronics in my tent) This bit is peculiar to North America: If you anticipate staying at a place with RV hookups, you might get one of those adapters that lets you plug a NEMA 5-15P plug (the normal plug that's on everything) into a NEMA TT-30R socket (the huge one with two angled flat blades and a ground pin) - this is the usual "30 amp" RV hookup. Most RV hookups have a normal outlet available, but some only have the 30 amp outlet. Any camping or RV store can sell you one and they're usually just a few bucks. You may want to use a cord that's got more than one socket on it, or bring a power strip as well. Quote- Carpool buddy (And a car trunk to lock a few things in, if no lockers are available) If you're taking a car, there can be a whole other list of stuff, depending on the age of the car, how much you trust it, and if you have an auto club membership or not. At the least, check all the fluids and make sure there is air in ALL the tires, INCLUDING THE SPARE. Checking the spare is a lot easier if you do it before you've put all the stuff in the trunk... Some other basics include road maps, weather/terrain gear as needed (snow chains? shovel to dig out of sand?), and gas station credit card(s). Quote- Enough money in the bank for at least 35+ skydives Alternative: a ski mask, a pistol, and a list of all the quickie marts nearby. Some other things: - Poncho/rain gear. You hope you won't need it but if you get rained in really good one day it's nice to not get soaked walking around camp. - Stakes and hammer for tent. I know a lot of modern tents don't "need" stakes to work, but it sucks when your tent blows halfway across the field (and maybe into a prop). - 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 m) of rope. You can use it to fix or steady your tent, as a clothesline, to tie stuff onto the luggage rack of the car, etc. - Swiss army knife, Leatherman tool, or similar, with at least a knife blade for cutting the rope and a bottle opener. - Roll of toilet paper. - Roll of paper towels. - Matches (for starting campfires). - Medical paperwork, like an insurance card and maybe a list of medications you take regularly (if any). You didn't list any cooking stuff; even if you don't plan on cooking it might be good to take some plastic utensils for a big group dinner or something. Maybe some sandwich stuff in case you get hungry on the trip or at 3 AM. Some things that you can usually pick up once you arrive are firewood and . You may have to get the ahead of time in case you're traveling to a theocratic state (like Oklahoma) where the readily available is only 3.2%, or a semi-theocratic state (like Texas) that has dry counties. Have fun! EulePLF does not stand for Please Land on Face. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fueler 0 #9 June 16, 2006 are you f-ing kidding me? i take myself , my dog, gear, a shit load of beer,cooler, shit to shower and brush my grill. done deal. i take a tent sometimes but im usually too smashed to set it up. i like my truck. HAVE FUN! **************************************** what!? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #10 June 16, 2006 Condoms. Never forget the condoms. Even if you don't need them, your friends might. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
monkycndo 0 #11 June 16, 2006 Camera to document the carnage.50 donations so far. Give it a try. You know you want to spank it Jump an Infinity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
georgerussia 0 #13 June 16, 2006 A guitar?* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. * Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #14 June 16, 2006 QuoteA guitar?and spare guitar strings, and a spare guitar, and an amp too as there is electricity. Mark, where are you going ?? thought about mosquito repellant ?scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JeepDiver 0 #15 June 16, 2006 Folding chairs, you can never have enough folding chairs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 5 #16 June 16, 2006 Inflatable "companion" -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #17 June 16, 2006 Kimblair13 - good one. bob.dino - already "covered" (pun intended). MrBrant - nah. Gregzilla - thanks. skypuppy - was thinking about it, not 100% decided yet. AFFI - yes, the bare essentials, I can always sleep on a packing mat. fueler - right on, but I like to pamper myself skybytch - already "covered" too (pun intended). monkycndo - now trying to track a friend's digicam down. JohnMitchell - good idea on allergy medication. georgerussia - can't play music. I'm a deafie. piisfish - insect repellent is already listed as bug spray. JeepDiver - good idea on folding chair, if I have a spare. darkwing - should make excellent video. Eule - good ideas on duct tape, hat(cap), rain gear(duh), paper towels, emergency toilet paper, matches, rope, plastic utensils, swiss army knife, spare batteries. It's only a small twin air mattress, so just a hand pump. LED flashlights don't need stinkin' replacement lamps. Already bringing my insurance cards. Tent includes stakes. Dropzone already has regular power sockets at campsite. Don't need money at North American coin phones to call phone number 711 (relay service for the deaf), but that reminds me, I better bring my TTY in case my BlackBerry dies. piisfish -- In answer to where I am going, Skydive Burnaby in Canada not too far from Niagara Falls. I'm going to a bigway camp (19th-21st) and to watch (maybe, hopefully participate) the Canadian 60-way record attempts (22nd-25th, downgraded from 80-way due to insufficient registrants). I have registered for it anyway, even if just to be a standby. And just maybe, participate in the record attempts and not be cut from it -- but I am definitely going to attend to the bigway camp that precedes it and see how I do -- not gonna keep my hopes "sky high" but will give it a go. I had mixed performance at Gananoque's little-bigway camp a few weeks ago (some really bad jumps, some really good jumps) so I need to go through another bigway camp. Essentially giving myself a fighting chance of maybe just possibly, maybe being part of the record. At the very least, I figure plenty of 10-way and 20-way RW opportunities with other benchwarmers and Guy Wright's support team. If I miss out the record (who knows; I've even seen pigs fly), should still be good experience for a future bid at participating in a record... In response to everyone, thanks for the suggestions. Any other dumb things that I did to forget any other things from this list? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #18 June 16, 2006 Quote[georgerussia - can't play music. I'm a deafie.Bring your piano Beethoven scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 4 #19 June 16, 2006 If you have access to power and you are going someplace that it's hot and muggy, why not bring a small ten-inch high-velocity fan. I HATE sleeping without a breeze blowing on me. I can't believe you travel with an "extra" cellphone! Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyblu3 0 #20 June 16, 2006 I went to Eloy one year and camped at the dz. When I got my tent out I realized I left the rain cover behind. I figured no 'no big deal' it's the desert and only rains a few inches per year. Guess what?? One night it came pissing down at about 5am. I had just enough time to take my rig and clothes inside the bunkhouse. Everything else including me got soaked. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #21 June 16, 2006 a 60 way with 160 jumps? you are an optimist I second the duct tape and leatherman tool. McGeyver once built a CASA with those... in case you guys need another plane. MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisL 2 #22 June 16, 2006 QuoteThe first day we arrive at the dropzone, we realize we forget the bugspray... I've read on here somewhere that bugspray with DEET in it can damage a canopy. Be careful about getting bugspray on your gear __ My mighty steed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spatula 0 #23 June 16, 2006 Man, I gotta say that's the most OCD list I've ever seen/heard of. Holy hell!! But at least you'll be well prepared..even though...after all this....you will without question get there and say "damn it, I forgot xxxx"... Have a killer time! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #24 June 16, 2006 Sandals - at least for the shower Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
uponone 0 #25 June 16, 2006 You call that camping, besides the rig it sounds more like packing for a business seminar. Not exactly roughin' it are ya Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
