Packing for one week camping trip to new DZ -- Forgotten Items?

[mdrejhon 8]

piisfish - Beethoven wasn't born deaf like I was.
SkymonkeyONE - Good idea about fan, might use that next time I travel to somewhere warmer (Forecast shows 70-degree nights, about 18-20 degrees C)
skyblu3 - Good lesson. I pitched the tent in Florida in POURING WEATHER; UGH! Had to use a whole roll of paper towels to dry the interior since I unpacked it in the rain. I was very glad I got double layered (rain canopy). Forecasts look better for Wainfleet, Ontario so far -- knock on wood.
ChrisL - Thanks for the warning about DEET on canopy. I'll make sure to use the bugspray after the sunset load and shower before bed.
Spatula - Have you seen the 400-way World Team list? It's more comprehensive than mine :)
Sandals - Good one
uponone - Yeah, it's merely "camping", not extreme Camping (With the capital C). Yeah, I'm spoiled.
bch7773 - Probably not, but I'm going for the 'camp' aspect. If Guy Wright is impressed enough and invites me to continue onto the record attempts, by all means -- but I'm keeping my expectations low. Four Twin Otters at one dropzone in CANADA is rare - means lots of other plain fun jumping anyway! Still, I've registered anyway, so I can be part of the camp before the record attempt, requested standby status -- it's one of the few times there is a real 'bigway' camp in Canada. I've been speciallizing in RW, have never made a freefly jump -- but I'd like to maximize my chances of nailing the Record in Year 2007 (or 2008). Since I have a budget of up to ~40 jumps and the weather forecast is looking really good, I maight have over 200 jumps by the end of the week...and LOTS of practice for future bigways. If trusted people such as Guy Wright say I am ready, and I feel ready, I WILL gladly move on to participate in the 2006 Record Attempts but I'm not yet that optimistic about moving that far anyway -- Smaller 'bigways' happening on the side, including 10-ways, 15-ways, etc, that I've jumped several times before. Some 300-jump freefliers have made far less bellyfly jumps than I; so you never know...

[JohnRich 4]

I do a lot of camping, and I've developed a checklist, similar to what you did in your first post. I have to assemble my gear from all over the house; the garage, the kitchen, spare bedroom closet, etc. The checklist ensures that I don't forget anything. Just keep building onto that list of yours, and save it somewhere so that you can pull it out and mark things off on each trip. You can just scrawl on a piece of notebook paper, or even get fancy and use a computer spreadsheet like Excel. Take the list with you, and when you realize you've forgotten something, pull it out and add the missing item, so that it will be on the list for next time.

Aw, what the heck, I'll attach my Excel camping checklist. Feel free to see if there's anything on there that might help you out.

[HydroGuy 0]

Are you camping or moving?

Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary

[Dolph 0]

Now that is what I call a throughout checklist. Apart from condoms, I can't see what ya need except more money.

When I went to Russia for three weeks I had my gear, a bunch of clothes I wouldn't mind losing, sleeping bag and a toothbrush and toothpaste. Funny thing is that I didn't lack anything except maybe some sleep.

You should be good to go, provided you actually can carry all that stuff without breaking something

[JerryBaumchen 1,390]

Hi Greg,

***Things are more like they are now than they've ever been BEFORE.***

I fixed it for you. Now, do you know who that quote belongs to.

Yup, Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower. I understand he was well known for getting his words all turned around.

It is one of my all-time favorite quotes.

Jerry

[popsjumper 2]

But where's the kitchen sink...I don't see a sink on the list.

Damn John...wouldn't it be easier to just put wheels and a hitch on your house?

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[popsjumper 2]

My list:

Gear
sleeping bag
book
flashlight
Wallet (cash and CC and licenses)

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Royd 0]

Looks like you forgot the motorhome to carry all of that stuff.

[JohnRich 4]

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Damn John...wouldn't it be easier to just put wheels and a hitch on your house?

There's not that much to it when it's all assembled. Much of it is small items, or back-up items that rarely get used. The tent and sleeping stuff are most of the bulk. The rest fits in a backpack, and a big plastic tub. And a bag of clothes. And a 5-gallon jug of water for primitive truck camping - most of the time you can't drink nature's water safely, but I bathe in it often. I try to keep it simple, and snub my nose at people that spend hours unloading and setting up all their junk, including a satellite dish for TV. Bah humbug!

Camping for me is for sitting outside listening to crickets and coyotes and watching shooting stars - not locking yourself inside a steel box to watch TV over a loudly humming generator.

[Eule 0]

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georgerussia - can't play music. I'm a deafie.

Well, you probably could, but you just wouldn't have any idea if you're doing a good job or not (unless you're playing something you can feel, like a big drum or standup bass). If a hearing musician is doing a bad job, everybody gets mad at him or her for not realizing that it sounds bad; nobody can get mad at you on those grounds. On that note, I will admit that I feel a little silly for not remembering this and listing some of the stuff about phones.

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LED flashlights don't need stinkin' replacement lamps.

They do when I get done with them. :)

As for the comments on the length of the list, some of my list-making comes from forgetting things and having to go back and get them or purchase an expensive replacement locally; both of these cost money which is better spent on beer, food, jumps, etc. I used to get nearly everything packed up the night before I went somewhere, instead of trying to remember to pack things first thing in the morning. I still do that sometimes, but if I just write out the list the night before, I find that I usually get everything I need on the list and can just check it off in the morning as I pack.

I've slept under the stars, in a tent, in a trailer, and in a VW Bus. The trailer and Bus are nice in that as soon as you drop the trailer or pull the handbrake, camp is set up. Some friends of mine recently got an RV; it's sure comfortable but I don't know if I would want to camp that way. Ask me again in 20 years.

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

[sprtdth 0]

Hook knives, yes plural!

CRW Skies
Frank
CRW Diva #58

[Andy9o8 2]

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Packing for one week 3-month camping trip

Fixed it for ya
Dayum, boy.

[fergs 0]

You've left THE most important items - a spare of every skydiving item you can loose, that will ground you if lost. That's spare reserve ripcord, spare reserve bag and P/C, spare cutaway cable, spare cypres cutter.

I've seen too many people at boogies have a malfunction early. They land, expecting the DZ to have a spare of every item of every brand, shape, size rig in the world - and then are bitterly disappointed that that one piece of equipment that has just been lost now grounds them.

Yes, sometimes the freebag cannot be found - yes, sometimes you drop ypur reserve ripcord and it is lost, yes not all riggers carry spare cypress cutters to replace the one you just had fire.

So buy and always carry spares. You won't regret it!!

Blue Skies,

fergs

[narcimund 0]

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not all riggers carry spare cypress cutters to replace the one you just had fire.

If I blow through 750 feet and get saved by a cypres fire, I'm going to ground myself for a while anyway just to think about it.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[mdrejhon 8]

JohnRich - That's a winner! Incorporated a few missing items, saved for future reference, to get new ideas.
HydroGuy - Yep, I am moving -- for one week.
Dolph - Barely. It all fits in 4 bags that I just barely can carry all myself (pull type suitcase, gear bag sitting on top of suitcase, backpack that I wear, gym bag around my shoulder.) Similiar scheme as I used for Deaf World Record event last year -- It's a bus/roadtrip; I mostly need to tow it all between vehicles or the dropzone parking lot and the camping area -- which is less effort than the airports I had to go through with a similiar baggage load.
popsjumper - The bare essentials, right on! I am probably a wimp in comparision. But, at least, I don't need a motorhome myself!
Royd - A motorhome -- that's actually bringing the kitchen sink too! (literally)
Eule - I used to blow up cheap Radio Shack specials with direct 120V AC too in high school. They exploded spetacularly. So did electrolytic capacitors. :P Not into electronics work as much as I used to, but was the top student in my high school for electronics work.
sprtdth - I do wear a plastic-handled hookknife, at least, but damn, I've just run out of time to order a 2nd hookknife. I'll have to ask around or ask the dropzone (gear store?), this one of the dumber things I left out of the list. (And this one will definitely be a metal one; someone almost lost his life recently in the Incidents forum due to a plastic hookknife, which finally broke right after he cut the final entangled line).
Andy9o8 - Yeah, probably would work for a 3 month trip; if I had the money to camp on the dropzone that long
fergs - Excellent idea, but a bit too late to get these - it's a risk I'll have to take until I have the budget. So be it - I'll just be grounded if the DZ doesn't have spares available.
narcimund - Very rational argument, although I've heard cyprii fire for other reasons (albiet rarely)

[GravityGirl 0]

You left out goggles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[HydroGuy 0]

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not all riggers carry spare cypress cutters to replace the one you just had fire.

Handles and PC/freebag I can understand, but extra cypres cutters? Huh?

If my Cypres fires, I either:

1. Got knocked out or became incapacitated...in which case jumping should be over for the week.

2. I screwed up big time...in which case jumping should be over for the week, month, jeez maybe forever depending upon the circumstances.

3. My Cypres screwed up...in which case it sure as hell won't be going back into my rig.

Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary

[georgerussia 0]

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You've left THE most important items - a spare of every skydiving item you can loose, that will ground you if lost. That's spare reserve ripcord, spare reserve bag and P/C, spare cutaway cable, spare cypres cutter.

Well, this also should include spare risers, toggles, d-bag and pilot chute, and a spare main canopy of course - in case you cannot recover it :)

* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. *

[fergs 0]

Well, this also should include spare risers, toggles, d-bag and pilot chute, and a spare main canopy of course - in case you cannot recover it :)

[georgerussia 0]

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George - some day you'll be lucky enough to save your life after having a malfunction. If you manage to hold onto your cutaway and reserve handles, then all you'll have to look for is your main and reserve freebag.

I already had it. Spent two hours to find main (but found it), but didn't find a freebag. Also lost a reserve ripcord.

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Main is usually easiest to find, as it's big and easy to find.

Unless you have a bag lock kind of malfunction (horseshoe, etc), in which case it is probably much more difficult to find.
In this case you may find everything you have spare, but still cannot jump.

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Freebag usually easy to find also.

Well, I didn't find mine, even though I looked around, and it was the open place.

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Or maybe I misinterpreted your remarks - and if indeed I did, let me first apologise and then tell you that you are somewhat correct. Which means that whenever possible when travelling to boogies, I try to take even a spare main.

This is correct. I know a lot of people who just bring two (or even more) rigs. This way you can grab another one, and go to plane after cutaway, and don't even have to spend some time waiting your reserve to be repacked (which will take a few hours anyway).

* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. *

[fergs 0]

George,

Firstly, congratulations on handling your malfunction correctly and professionally.

I'm delighted to hear that you now have that first hand experience of losing vital bits and pieces after a malfunction. That's why I preach so loudly to always travel with spares.

Thanks again for your comments,

fergs