Appreciation of other folk's gear

[Guest]

I tend to be completely self-sufficient, even on group trips; tent, food, stove, tarp, spares, whatever. But much as I love tripping solo there are things I appreciate in other folk’s kit or behavior on group trips.

Top three:

Real food and cookware shared by a skilled backwoods chef. I can get started with oatmeal and instant coffee, but if we are off to a slow morning start and someone wants to cook up a mess of eggs and sausage and biscuits, well I’m going to have a seat right here and try my best to look hungry.

The firewood and kindling guy. I can make a fire in dang near any condition, but having an obsessed flameboy along, someone who delights in cutting firewood and tending the fire, in another joy. I will refrain from offering suggestions and just sit back and enjoy.

A well trained canine companion. I love having a well trained canoe and camp dog along. Someone else’s well trained canoe and camp dog. I have known some great backwoods canoe canines, and relished my dog time with them, but that is just too dang much extra work and worry for me.

 

[pblanc]

I have been generally very happy to sample any single-malt Scotch that any of my paddling companions happen to have brought along.

I love dogs, both my own and those owned by others.

 

[flyingbison]

The firewood and kindling guy.

That's usually me. I love gathering, sawing, and splitting firewood. When I'm on any type of group/family camping trip, it is something I can do alone.

 

[southcove]

If you have picked your companions well, pretty much everything should be smooth sailing. We all know, of course, that life is not necessarily fond of treating us or them that way, so an open mind can work wonders for all involved. That being said, an individual(s) peculiarities or habits can be enough sometimes to bring a grown man or woman to tears (or acts of desperation)...

".. I will refrain from offering suggestions and just sit back and enjoy."

That make take some restraint and perhaps 'shared' alcohol, sitting around someone else's fire, enjoying their food and their tarp on a dark and dreary rainy day that seemed to have followed the group around. And you, scraping dog poo off your otherwise pristine shoes.

Others can weigh in with their own horrors (or similarly stories of wonder and revelation) - I will take your sage advice as noted...just in case.

Karma is an interesting concept.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I'm always self-sufficient whether solo or on a group trip. You do your thing; I'll do mine.

Sometimes I've envied one of my companions guns, so I could (at least in fantasy) shoot someone's dog -- which far more often than not, even as a lifetime dog owner myself, are PITA pests on camping trips.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Appreciation of other peoples gear could be called Lust
Appreciation of other peoples skills Envy


. I lust after some gear, and envy those who excel at the skills of fire and fishing and gathering firewood

I do need to see a priest.

 

[Mihun09]

Appreciation of other peoples gear could be called Lust
Appreciation of other peoples skills Envy


. I lust after some gear, and envy those who excel at the skills of fire and fishing and gathering firewood

I do need to see a priest.

I helped out Brad last year on the Marshall trip, I'm certain I could sort you out with the fishies as well.

 

[yellowcanoe]

I helped out Brad last year on the Marshall trip, I'm certain I could sort you out with the fishies as well.

I'm sure you could. My weakness is getting the fish off the hook. I can bait the hook but get the fish off gives me the willies. I have visions of a Northern wrecking my hand

 

[forest runes]

I've always thought it important to treat others gear better than you would your own. Using someones axe or knife & returning it nicked , or running someones canoe ashore or anything of that sort amounts to malfeasance of the highest order. I hold some of my gear most dear and am reticent to borrow or use other's gear as they may have the same feelings , but I have seen others with a cavalier attitude. ( oftentimes they they they treat their own gear in a rough & reckless manner ! )

 

[latremorej]

I have a dog, love cooking sausage and pan cakes, (did you forget the maple syrup? ) and I can put together a fire almost anywhere... problem is, when you're flipping pancakes, it's hard to saw and split wood. The dog is a shelter rescue pointer mix and minds very well. Mostly she minds her own business. She does like to sit in her own chair though. And she sleeps in my hammock with me.

 

[Iskweo]

YC...ughhhhhh I hate handling Pike too. Being the cavalier sportswomen that we are, the use of barbless hooks not only reinforces our legendary status but makes it soooooo much easier to get the fish off the hook. Tire em out, grab the leader and shake. At worst ya just have to give them a little flip and off they drop. I love letting larger ones go like that. Way easier on the fish. And you.

I will be bold and say that I hardly ever lust after or envy other peoples skill or gear....because I am like super awesome. I will admit to covetting Brad's raisin bannock though. A nice light dacron canoe might be pretty sweet too though.

Christy

 

[Steve in Idaho]

YC and Christy, I'll go one better.....baiting and unhooking......both ugh. I like to fish but never with bait. Hate getting bit or stabbed by the fish, or impaled on my own barbed hook. Bait is just a nasty mess. A casual observer might think me a real high-class sportsman, what with the barbless artificial lures and flies - but that ain't what really drives me.

I have a special fondness for campmates who can bake. And also those who can produce live music worth listening to. I suck at both.

 

[dave0]

I rarely lend gear out due to some "mishaps" in the past. I lent my tent to my brother, my BROTHER mind you, and he lost every tent stake on an overnight. Thing is that was the tent my father bought with me for one of my first huge jaunts. How in the hell do ya loose every tent stake??? Then I lent a saw to a friend that my mother left me after she passed and again on an overnight he lost it! I do think there was a fair amount of alcohol involved with each storyI almost never borrow gear and if I do I treat it better then my own, over the years I've bought/traded/made everything I need. I don't fish, eating caught fish for a month long canoe trip kinda turned me off to that so I have no stories to share but when I did fish it was fly fishing so I didn't have to worry to much about a triple hook! I like my fingers!

dougd

 

[Canotrouge]

I can bake, I can cook, I can do dishes, I can gather cut and burn wood, I can rig tarps... But I can't play music to save my life, and as much as I like fishing I really suck at it, May be I should move on from fly fishing to the other kind! I carry a Rugger #1 international in 30-06.....
Hahaha

 

[lowangle al]

I like bringing my nephews, they were the only trips that I didn't have to carry the boat and they took care of the fire.


The only thing I envy is people who have the time to take long trips. For 25 years I've had enough gear to cross a continent but only enough time to cross the county.

 

[Seeker]

I try to be self contained as well, but don't do many group canoe trips... I prefer to be alone or with my wife, daughter, or cousin. Not a loner (good for 3 days totally alone), but like a little quiet companionship around the fire at night.

I'm the fire guy... but a very lazy cook, thought I eat well enough to please myself. Probably would be a dog shooter, but I have actually met a few well trained dogs, and they are good to have around... the vast majority I've met are foul. If a dog cannot obey sit, stay, lie, back, down, and out/drop it, and had to be told to not eat anything within reach, I don't want it around.

I like when other people bring something "weird", like an unusual or unexpected dessert, cheese, snack, wine, gadget, book, or whatever, and I get to try something new.

 

[Doc.]

I'm a singer/songwriter and many times carry a travel guitar with me on trips to the great outdoors. No, you may not touch my guitar. However, I'll be more than happy to entertain you around the campfire in exchange for any fine food or refreshment you have to offer.

 

[Robin]

My friend Dennis has a ton of really nice classic gear, be it canoe camping or winter camping. A visit to his shed is like a step back in time. He introduced me to cold handle frying pans on a trip to the Adirondacks and I never have used any other style since my first cold handle arrived in the mail.

 

[Guest]

Probably would be a dog shooter, but I have actually met a few well trained dogs, and they are good to have around... the vast majority I've met are foul. If a dog cannot obey sit, stay, lie, back, down, and out/drop it, and had to be told to not eat anything within reach, I don't want it around.

I like when other people bring something "weird", like an unusual or unexpected dessert, cheese, snack, wine, gadget, book, or whatever, and I get to try something new.

I have had the good fortune to trip with some (other folks) well trained camp and canoe dogs and enjoyed having them along as much as their humans.

Some companions can be counted on for delightful surprises. CT’er Willie is guaranteed to assemble a plate of delicacies to share during a lunch stop; good cheese, dark chocolate, crackers or crusty bread. Really, pickles?

Don’t mind if I do. If sure beats the squished PB&J sandwich I made five hours ago.