Getting kitted out

Here was the plan. First I’d go through all of the stuff I might have lying around; then I would ask members of the family what they might have and be willing to part with; then I’d beg on ‘freecycle’ – request would be a more neutral and accurate term I suppose; and finally, as a last resort I would buy what I needed.

Most of my old camping gear is either moled away in the heaps of stuff in the storage unit I pay an exorbitant amount for each month, or, it is buried in the landfill where they hauled off the excess left over from the gutting of the house. Luckily there was an air mattress and a sleeping bag riding atop the clutter in the storage unit; both of them are in fine shape.

My brother ferreted out some old pots and pans, a small cluster of plates and other eating utensils, and an old stainless steel combination knife and hatchet rig from my Boy Scout days; the latter was still in its leather sheath. (see photo) It’s more a nostalgia piece than a really useful item, but I took it anyway. What will be practical is an old WWII folding shovel that I had forgotten we had. Two plastic tarps with welcoming grommets were also found. And there was an early-model propane lantern complete with a couple of new mantles. It’s a kind of last resort item, but better than nothing.

However useful this collection is, I am still without a tent, a stove, a camp chair, and a folding table. The table isn’t strictly necessary, but it would be a good item to have. Time to ask the universe and see if it might be given me. So I joined the freecycle crowd in Newton, Cambridge, and Boston. Within a day or so I got a stove. It’s an older model Coleman that requires ‘white gas’ or Coleman’s own fuel to operate, but it’s nearly brand new condition. So far there’s no sign of a tent or the other ‘wanted’ items.

That leaves buying as a last resort. On Saturday I went to Target on a reconnaissance mission. Checking out the tents I discovered a perfectly acceptable one for about $35. That was a pleasant surprise. A slightly more commodious one could be had for about $50. I didn’t really look at the chairs or a folding table. I realized I could also use a good ice chest. There are newer models of camping lanterns that operate off battery power rather than propane. They’re certainly appealing; no danger of fire or explosions and all that. Plus no annoying and cumbersome canisters. None of the lighting options are particularly ‘green’, but WTF. I wasn’t attempting for a minute to make this trek an example of green consciousness. A final note on this: Their on-line inventory assured me that the store carried Coleman fuel. They didn’t of course. Probably not a favorite seller. Nor a safe thing to keep on the shelves in store full of unattended curious children.

Among the other items I have to buy, and there’s no way around this: an inverter that can power and charge the laptop from the car battery. Cost: more than $70 by the time all the taxes are rolled in.

What about a first aid kit. I have a feeling I'll need one at some point. Maybe I can assemble one from scratch. Too bad I can't afford a defibrillator. That might actually be useful.