Author: Rae

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Of Hiking Gear and Roof Racks

First stop today was Mountain Equipment Co-Op. I have mixed feelings about my shopping experience there, my first at MEC. On the one hand, they had everything I needed but on the other, service was abominable. I’d suggest to novice gear hunters that they call ahead and ask if it’s possible to request a personal shopper.

I started off with boots. I’d done a bit of research before hand and knew that I needed their backpacking boots. I only buy Italian ‘full grain’ leather hiking boots, so that narrowed the choice down even further. Perhaps I sounded too sure of what I wanted, but the clerk just dumped three pairs of boots in front of me and never spoke to me again. Thankfully, this wasn’t my first time buying hiking boots and I knew what sort of fit I needed, so I’m fairly confident I made the right choice. Hiking boots are probably the only thing for which I never consider price. You can be soaking wet and cold out on the trail, but if your feet are comfy, life is good. Also, good boots will last you a long time. My last pair lasted through eleven years of real use, including a month of backpacking around Scotland in 1998.

Next up were socks. I couldn’t believe that the exact same socks and liners I’d bought for Scotland expedition were still available!!! I loved that combo and have, in fact, only just recently worn through my last pair! I had no qualms dropping sixty dollars total for two sets!

Then, I moved on to clothes. I walked around the ladies department for at least a half hour looking through everything and waiting for a clerk to show up in this section. Just as I was about to just walk out without anything, a clerk walked right by me and I must have given enough of a sigh or a LOOK for her to spin around and notice me. She guided me through my clothing options and was helpful enough, but soon as I was ready to examine my options on my own, she left and didn’t come back to see if I had any further questions.

It’s really hot out today, so much so that I left home in capris, sandals, and a short-sleeved top for the first time this season. So, let me just say that it was very uncomfortable in the changing room wearing the following:

-cotton underpants and bra;

-polyester longjohns and undershirt;

-hiking pants and lightweight top;

-fleece jacket;

-wind/rainproof Gortex-style pants and shell

*laughs* I didn’t need to buy all these layers, of course, but I wanted to try them all on to make sure that the shell layer, which I was buying, would fit.

I left MEC much, much poorer than I’d entered, but I was long overdue to renew my hiking gear, so much so that I’ve actually passed up on some hiking trips due to lack of appropriate equipment. Now, I’m all set to do the West Coast trail whenever I get to Vancouver Island, or to try any number of other trails I’ll pass on my way north. In fact, I have to try a few trails so I can break in those boots!

I’ll pause here to mention that MEC has a (pay) parking lot accessible from an alley behind the store. This lot is the equivalent of two stories above street level. The view from up there was stunning; I was surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Vancouver’s beauty never ceases to astound me.

Next stop was Rack Attack, just a few blocks from MEC. Their site boasts that they carry every Thule product in stock, so it seemed like the place to go to get geared up to carry the bike and kayak. My experience there was great! Service was excellent, with the clerk being very knowledgeable. I just about passed out when I got the total bill for the roof bars (400XT Aero Foot), the kayak rack, and the bike rack, though! The bike rack cost was exorbitant and I decided to pass on it for the time being. I’ll just stuff the bike in the trunk for now. The kayak rack, though was reasonably priced.

Being a DIY kind of gal, I passed on installation.

I wish I hadn’t.

First, the Swedes have got to start hiring proper translators!!!

Second, this rack was supposed to take 15-30 minutes to install. 3 hours later, I’m not even close.

I am not impressed with Thule products. Some parts seem very shoddy and flimsy; I kept thinking I was going to break something! Moreover, I bought a fitting kit made specifically for my car that specifies the bar span between the two mounts. The dimension is incorrect. If they can’t get that right, what can I trust? Lesson learned: just because a brand is the most popular doesn’t mean it’s the best, just that nobody’s invented anything better yet. I feel like I got scammed. 🙁 Hopefully, I can figure the stupid thing out before Saturday morning. I’m almost afraid to think of what the kayak rack is going to be like…

The race to departure is on. Four days left!

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Detrenchment

Today was the first day of my last weekend here at Pacific Border and it was beautiful! Here are some of the projects I’ve accomplished:

  • Putting winter stuff away under the rig

I stored the aluminum coated bubble wrap I’d used to insulate the cab window as well as the foam blocks I’d stuffed into the skylights. I left the one in the bedroom, though, because it blocks out the light. I also put away the rest of the winter clothes and took out the summer clothes. I shifted some stuff around and got rid of a tote, freeing up room to store some items like the charger in the basement instead of the cab.

  • Resealing the entrance well

Even though I’ve had a rubber mat over the stair thread, water leaked under. There was also an unmistakable smell of eau de chat.  I washed the stairwell, sanded it, and applied three coats of sealant. I didn’t think that the results would be visually apparent, but you be the judge:

stairs1

stairs2

I used Verathane water-based ‘crystal’ sealant. I love this product–it is easy to use, inexpensive, durable, and readily available. I usually get it at the home store, but Walmart had some for 6$ for a small container.

  • Cleaning the cab carpet

After so many months on the road and a few Tabitha accidents, it was definitely time to degrime the cab floor! I was going to rent a carpet cleaner to do so, but a rental was about 40$ for a day, plus a deposit. Also, the machines were very bulky and I worried that I wouldn’t be able to get into all the nooks and crannies of the cab. I therefore spent quite some time in the vacuum cleaner aisle at Walmart and decided to instead buy a carpet cleaning machine of my own for 80$:

Even though it will mean something extra to store, I have tons of room for it and the machine will pay itself with three cleanings.

I am very impressed with it because it is so easy to use that I even cleaned the seats in the cab, the bucket chairs in the lounge, and the dinette cushions!!! The machine’s footprint is small enough that I can wedge it between one of the bucket seats and the back of the passenger seat so that it can remain handy, but out of the way. It also seems quite sturdy.

This was in no means an impulse buy; I’ve been looking for a compact carpet cleaner and this was the first model I found that seemed halfway decent. So far, so good!

I also, finally (*rolls eyes*) laid down some plastic mats in the cab.

  • Charging the truck battery and testing the starter

I have been remiss in keeping the battery at a good charge, so I trickled charged it this afternoon, then started the truck to make sure it would. It took a bit of coaxing, so first thing I will do Saturday morning is get the charger on it.

I spoke with some neighbours and was told that the Mr. Lube at 200th and the Fraser Highway in Langley will be able to accommodate Miranda, and this without an appointment. That’s right on my way north, so super convenient. If my shopping goes well tomorrow, I might head out of this area on Saturday after all!

Finally, my cats would like to start the rumour that I am the most horrible mother in the world. I would like the opportunity to respond to that. Since I was cleaning the carpets and sealing the stairs, and it was a beautiful day out, I decided to throw open all the doors to make drying easier. I therefore had to ‘lock’ the cats in the back part of the rig (LOVE having a real door!). They had fully half the rig to themselves–the dressing room and the study, with three big windows for entertainment and two skylights for air (plus the shower skylight!). They also had food, water, a litter box, and several soft places to curl up on. They therefore had no reason to be sit at the door howling to be let out!!!

For dinner, I decided to try out Chicken Bob’s Cantina in White Rock where I had their very yummy chicken enchiladas, cantina-style, and a couple of Coronas. Sure felt like a Saturday night even if it’s Sunday. 🙂

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Traveling With Miranda

I will be the first person to admit that I haven’t done much actual traveling with Miranda since October! So, I’m really, really, really pleased to announce that at least two, if not three, weeks in May will be lived September ’08-style! I’ve decided to shoot straight up to the Yukon and not try to look for work en route. I’m going to follow the weather. If it’s good, I’ll inch north. If not, I’ll stay put. Arrival in the Yukon is scheduled between May 15th and June 1st. I’m really hope to get in a lot of hiking during this time; July is coming up fast!

There is so much literature available detailing the route that I’m going to be able to really plan my itinerary around free and cheap campsites and also make better decisions about how many kilometres I’ll do per day. I still doubt that I’ll be pushing off May 2nd, but departure day is coming up fast nonetheless and I am giddy!

There is still so much to do that it boggles the mind. 🙂 I am working tomorrow, but off Monday (my choice), which will mean a much quieter (I hope) excursion to Mountain Equipment Co-Op to get the gear I need to upgrade for the Chilkoot hike (I’ll be renting a few items I don’t anticipate needing later).

The sound track of my life right now beats to the tune of Canada’s beloved Stan Rogers. I’ve got Canol Road playing right now. 🙂

Well you could see it in his eyes as they strained against the night
And the bone-white-knuckle grip upon the wheel
Sixty-five miles into town, and a winter’s thirst to drown
A winter still with two months left to go.

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Comparing Apples to Apples

Warning: this post is definitely geeky!

I’ve conceded that I’m going to need a faster laptop when I get up north (yes, departure is technically a week from tomorrow, don’t stress me out! 😀 ). I have a first generation blueberry clamshell iBook that I adore and souped up as much as possible, but it’s too slow to do any real work or surfing with.  I know that I’m going to be extremely dependent on hot spots when I get up north and that I might be without hookups for days at a time, meaning I won’t be able to fire up the iMac. So, I fired up Craigslist and eBay and ran a few searches, confident that I’d have this new laptop thing buttoned up within an hour.

Well.

My first Apple computer was a blue and white G3. Great machine, bought it used from a friend’s brother who spared me from having to actually shop and learn about Macs when I didn’t even know yet if I would be able to convert. Conversion took about a half hour. 😀 So, when all the stars aligned a few years later and I had both the money and the need to update to a new computer, there was no shopping involved. I knew I wanted a desktop all-in-one model and I wanted the biggest screen so I’d be happy watching movies on it. I called up the local Mac store and asked if they had a 24″ iMac in stock and that was that. I adore my iMac. 🙂 What I find interesting is that had I known at the time that I would end up RVing, I would have still gone with the desktop model instead of a laptop. It might not always be convenient to set up and put away the iMac, but since I’m spending a lot of time in one place before moving on to the next this inconvenience is really minor. I do appreciate the irony that my Apple keyboard crapped out and the best replacement I could find was from Microsoft. Apple should stick to making computers and Microsoft to peripherals and then we’d truly have the perfect computer!

But I digress. 🙂

I thought that upgrading my laptop was going to be just as easy, but I didn’t take into account the fact that the clamshell came out in 1999.

Let me add a sidebar here. I’m still using a laptop that came out in 1999, was used daily by someone, shipped from California to Ottawa, dropped by a customs guy at an airport in California, traveled all over Canada and the US with me, and which has cost me a grand total of 175$ including my purchase price in 2005, a new battery, and extra RAM.  I could resell this computer for at least 100$. My G3 was bought new in 1999, resold to me about four years later, and resold again two years after that. I paid 500$ and recouped every penny of that. Unfortunately, some newer Macs have been proven to be slightly less resistant, but those who say that Macs are overpriced when compared to PCs aren’t comparing apples to apples (pardon the pun). In my experience, PCs need to be replaced every three to five years to run optimally and are essentially worthless within months of purchase. Over time, a Mac is truly an investment. You are also much less likely to have problems with a used Mac than you would with a used PC.

But I digress. Again. 🙂

As I said, my current laptop is ten years old. There have been more than 50 upgrades since then!!! I am essentially wading through 10 years worth of material trying to narrow down exactly what I’m looking for. Thankfully, I’ve found some allies who have started the weeding process for me based on my budget and needs. I would have loved to have gone straight to the first generation Intel portable, the Macbook, but I can’t justify a cost of 600$ to 1,000$+ for a secondary computer. I’m also starting to unofficially look around for a tripod satellite internet system, which would just about render the point of the new laptop moot. So, as a compromise, I’m now looking for the deal of the century on the most recent and souped up PowerBook G4 I can find, which makes me laugh because it’s what I would have bought when I got the clamshell had I had not been having the argument I’m having with myself now about the laptop being a backup only! Ah, the infinite progress of technology.

Anyway, I know what I want now so it’ll drop into my lap soon enough. I think it’ll be my first boy Mac. My first three all felt very feminine and got women’s names (clamshell=Beatrice, G3=Victoria, iMac=Margot). I’m leaning towards Kevin. 😀

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Row, Row, Row Your Boat

I’ve been hankering for a kayak for years now. It’s just never been the right time. With the Yukon before me, I began to wish that I had made it the right time at some point.

Yesterday, on a whim, I decided to check out kayak listings on the local Craigslist. If the first one matched my criteria, I would consider it fate. Said criteria were: about 16′ long (ie. open water model), lightweight, well worn in (I don’t want to be the first one to scratch the bottom!), removable keel, no more than 400$, and blue. The colour is silly, I know, but I just can’t see myself in a red kayak!

At any rate, this was the first kayak that came up:

kayak

200$ only. People wonder why I believe in fate.

Now, I just need a paddle, a life vest, a safety kit, and a waterproof bag for carrying gear. Back to Craigslist I go.

Oh, and I need a roof rack. As well as a bike rack. I’m starting to think a covered trailer will soon be in order. 🙂