Sunday, May 24, 2015

Backpacking Chair...

I just realized that I've never shared my Backpacking Chair with you. Kathleen bought it for me for Christmas. It is pretty amazing! I'm pretty sure I got it as an incentive to keep going on those 9 mile long hikes with her.  :o)  It weighs less than 2 pounds, holds up to 300 pounds, and folds into a small travel case that's 4x4x14. I can attach it to the bottom straps on my new backpack. We've already tried them out in the house (she got her one too - This time a 50% off Thanksgiving sale from TRAVELCHAIR.com!) and took them to Tuttle Puddle for a short picnic lunch. They rock! 

Joey Chair
e Joey is light, comfortable, packs down to nothing and still supports 300lbs. If you want full on comfort and not all the fuss, this is the chair for you. With a packed size about the same as a California burrito and a weight of less than 2 lbs, this chair can easily fit into your tote or backpack and still has the highest seat height in its class. Set up takes care of itself. With 30 years of know how and experience, we've created a chair weighing virtually nothing and at a far more fair price. - See more at: http://travelchair.com/products/joey-chair-model-7801#sthash.R9ET0flN.dpuf
The Joey is light, comfortable, packs down to nothing and still supports 300lbs. If you want full on comfort and not all the fuss, this is the chair for you. With a packed size about the same as a California burrito and a weight of less than 2 lbs, this chair can easily fit into your tote or backpack and still has the highest seat height in its class. Set up takes care of itself. With 30 years of know how and experience, we've created a chair weighing virtually nothing and at a far more fair price. - See more at: http://travelchair.com/products/joey-chair-model-7801#sthash.R9ET0flN.dpu
The Joey is light, comfortable, packs down to nothing and still supports 300lbs. If you want full on comfort and not all the fuss, this is the chair for you. With a packed size about the same as a California burrito and a weight of less than 2 lbs, this chair can easily fit into your tote or backpack and still has the highest seat height in its class. Set up takes care of itself. With 30 years of know how and experience, we've created a chair weighing virtually nothing and at a far more fair price. - See more at: http://travelchair.com/products/joey-chair-model-7801#sthash.R9ET0flN.dpuf
The Joey is light, comfortable, packs down to nothing and still supports 300lbs. If you want full on comfort and not all the fuss, this is the chair for you. With a packed size about the same as a California burrito and a weight of less than 2 lbs, this chair can easily fit into your tote or backpack and still has the highest seat height in its class. Set up takes care of itself. With 30 years of know how and experience, we've created a chair weighing virtually nothing and at a far more fair price. - See more at: http://travelchair.com/products/joey-chair-model-7801#sthash.R9ET0flN.dpuf
The Joey is light, comfortable, packs down to nothing and still supports 300lbs. If you want full on comfort and not all the fuss, this is the chair for you. With a packed size about the same as a California burrito and a weight of less than 2 lbs, this chair can easily fit into your tote or backpack and still has the highest seat height in its class. Set up takes care of itself. With 30 years of know how and experience, we've created a chair weighing virtually nothing and at a far more fair price. - See more at: http://travelchair.com/products/joey-chair-model-7801#sthash.R9ET0flN.dpuf

We Tried Out A Tent...

When we went to REI last weekend, we also checked out a couple of tents. If you ask them, they will put tents up for you... of course, I asked!  We wanted to compare the Marmot Tungsten 2P to the REI Half Dome 2+. We were trying to get a feel for the actual size with 2 people inside. How big a tent... or in this case, how small of a tent, could we get by with? The Marmot Tungsten is a brand new updated version, so no one had pitched it yet. Our REI assistant had a few issues. Kathleen is pretty sure that the rainfly was put on backwards! Anyway, when we got inside (see pic) it seemed narrow, especially when both of us were in there. We found out that the foot of the tent is narrower than the head. We were sitting in it backwards! What I did love was the headroom. Many of these small backpacking tents have little to no headroom. You need to be sitting in the center of the tent in order to be able to sit upright! This one allows you to sit on your side of the tent and still be upright without leaning to the center. Nice! That's what we were looking for. The store only had the orange in stock. We're thinking the nice subtle green shadow/moss color.  :o)  Now we just need another 30% Off Sale!

Here are the specs:

  • 2 D-shape doors allow easy entry / exit with vestibule storage space around both doors; jingle-free nylon zipper pulls
  • Volume-optimizing structure with sleeping-zone pre-bends and strategic clip placement creates ample interior volume for livable space and a roomy sleeping area
  • Seam-taped, full-coverage fly with vents
  • Seam-taped, catenary-cut floor
  • Color-coded, easy-pitch clips, poles and fly
  • Interior pockets for small gear organization; lampshade pocket securely holds your headlamp to provide ambient light
  • Save weight and create a minimalist shelter by using just the rainfly, poles and included footprint.   (This fact alone will save us $30)
 Marmot Tungsten 2p Tent










Backpack Anyone?

This week REI put a backpack we had on our watch list on sale for 30% off! That doesn't include the extra 20% off members one item discount coupon, which added up to an additional savings of $13.75.  All in all, it was an almost $100 backpack for $55!  Guess who now owns a new 40 liter backpack?  I got the pretty teal blue color.

Here's the specs:
  • Sculpted shoulder straps, canted hipbelt and short torso length offer women an ergonomic fit
  • Spring-steel frame transfers weight to the hipbelt and stabilizes the load
  • Back panel has cooling airflow channels
  • Panel-loading main compartment; bottom zipper
  • Hydration pocket has easy exterior access
  • Zippered pocket with soft lining for sunglasses or phone
  • Unique water-bottle pocket design keeps bottles secure
  • Trekking pole attachments; front lash points
  • Pulley-style side compression straps
  • Quick-release bottom compression straps
  • Lash points on front for extra gear
  • Heavy-duty waterproof bottom
  • Special buy 
This new backpack will hold my 3 liter hydration pack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothes, snacks, poles, camp chair and who knows what else. Kathleen is excited! This means that I can carry all of my own stuff! LOL

REI Lookout 40 Pack-Womens



Sunday, May 17, 2015

Sleeping Bag Sale!

OK... We weren't in a big hurry to buy sleeping bags, then we looked at what we had for car camping this week and one sleeping bag is so old that not much loft is left in the fill.  Who is going to get stuck with that one?  Well, that would be me, because they are both Kathleen's bags.  The older bag is probably 17 years old.  It will be great insulation for our cooler!  Then out of the blue... REI has 40% off the sleeping bag we were looking at starting Friday morning! I'm used to the $25-$30 price range for the camping version -  last one purchased 12 years ago. Its a totally different vibe for the backpacking version! The Editor's Choice on Outdoor Gear Lab is a whopping $540! The low end is $160. Most of those are down. We decided that we really don't want to sleep with down since we both have a bit of an allergic reaction to the feathers, so we settled on a synthetic fill version.  We had our eye on the REI Polar Pod - Short which retails for $79.50 - a price/weight/volume compromise we thought we could live with.  It had good reviews and nice ratings. Road Trip to Kansas City! This bag is a modified mummy bag, another reason we think we can live with it. But can we get by with the short? Will we be comfortable in a mummy type bag? I like a little foot wiggle room when I sleep. We arrive at REI and have a hard time finding the bag.  It looks different. We wait our turn for a store assistant to give us a hand. He gets the bag down and grabs the Regular size as well. They look nothing alike! They still have the old version displayed in the store! Its not a modified mummy. It has a small foot box and none of the new features that drew us to this item. He finds us the new model in both sizes. I try out the Regular... lots of room for feet, hips, shoulders... in fact its a bit too big. I try out the Short and it fits just about right. I felt a little bit like Momma and Papa Bear!  Still roomy enough for the feet, hips and shoulders, just 6 inches shorter and $7 cheaper. We have found our bag!

REI Polar Pod Sleeping Bag


Sunday, May 10, 2015

REI AirRail 1.5 Review

We decided to review our new Sleeping Pad from REI.  Let me know what you think...



Saturday, May 9, 2015

Great Outdoor Gear Reviews...

Kathleen found this great site for Outdoor Equipment Reviews - 

OutdoorGearLab.com

They seem to have everything that you could possibly want for the Outdoors reviewed and rated.  This is where we found the reviews for the Sleeping Pads, but there is so much more. If you are looking to buy, check here first.

http://cdn.outdoorgearlab.com/images/ogl_header_logo.png

Backpacking Beginner Class...

What I haven't shared with you is the fact that if Kathleen is going to spend money on something, she's going to find out what everyone else thinks about it... that means websites, reviews, videos, etc. After she visited REI in Denver, she became a member. With member status comes the perk of being able to take classes in the store for free. She signed us up for a Beginner Backpacking class at REI in Kansas City. We drove down on a Saturday morning, did some shopping around town, then headed to REI prepared to be informed. Our person spent time telling us about several of her mistakes so we wouldn't make the same ones and showed us a nice variety of equipment that would make the adventure more enjoyable. She had the top of the line stuff that everyone wants and some of the basic tools that would get you by. I was looking forward to a little "hands-on" with some Sleeping Pads. The top rated pad sounded like a potato chip bag! That one would keep me up all night long! The REI AirRail 1.5 Women's Self-Inflating Sleeping Pad was quiet! It was a beautiful turquoise color and was pretty amazing to lie on. When I tried it out, my hips only touched the ground while I was turning over on my side. Once I was in position, there was a nice cushion between me and the floor. Its only an inch and a half thick! How is this possible? I never thought I would spend so much for a Sleeping Pad, but it looks like its worth it! There's the first thing off my list! 



This is what it looks like! Pretty color and nice outer cover.

REI AirRail 1.5 - Store

Buy Once Or Buy Twice?

Next came the conversation about Car Camping versus Backpack Camping. We live in an apartment.  We have limited space for camping equipment. Everyone knows its smarter to buy once and not twice, so what equipment do we really need for this trip that we can use for other trips? All equipment needs to be small, lightweight, and be the best quality for the cost. We don't want to buy something cheap now that we will want to replace later for a better quality version. These are the big ticket items we are going to need: Sleeping Pad, Sleeping Bag, Backpacking Tent (?), and possibly a bigger Backpack. Well, in order to decide if the tent camping thing is going to fly, it looks like the Sleeping Pad is first on my list. We already have a tent we can get by with if we are car camping, but can I sleep on the ground and still be able to get up in the morning? I'm going to need a good Sleeping Pad in order for me to want to do this. Begin Research... Sleeping-Pad-Womens-Reviews

Tent Camping?

The next conversation that Kathleen and I had was about cost. One way that we could cut down on costs would be to spend some of our nights camping. I have been camping since I was a child, but most of my recent camping experiences involved an RV with running water, bathroom, stove, fridge, and bed. Would I be willing to camp on the ground in a tent? Would I get any sleep sleeping on the cold hard ground? Would I be so miserable that I would say forget it and head to the closest motel? Next step... find out about the equipment needed for tent camping.

Next Questions...

How many miles is that?  How much will all of this cost?  How long will it take?  Those were some of the questions that we had during our initial planning.  The nice thing is MyScenicDrive.com figures some of that for you!  There is an Overview section that looks like this... (If you click the link it will take you to our trip)

OVERVIEW
6,198 miles
about 113 hours 59 minutes of driving
about 16 days

about $636.21 of fuel

Here's Our List of Stops...

Western National Park Trip
  1. Arches National Park
  2. Bryce Canyon National Park
  3. Zion National Park
  4. Las Vegas, NV
  5. Death Valley National Park
  6. Sequoia National Park
  7. Big Sur State Park (2)
  8. Yosemite National Park
  9. Golden Gate Bridge
  10. Redwood National Park
  11. Crater Lake National Park
  12. Mount Hood National Forest
  13. Columbia River Gorge
  14. Tillamook Cheese Factory
  15. Olympic National Forest
  16. Seattle, WA
  17. Mount Rainer National Park
  18. Glacier National Park
  19. Yellowstone National Park
  20. Bighorn National Park
  21. Devils Tower
  22. Mount Rushmore
  23. Badlands
  24. Omaha Zoo

My Scenic Drives...

What you may not know is that Kathleen has been our Vacation Planner for many years.  If she is going on the vacation, we will have a Itinerary, reservations will be made (I do that part), and everyone will receive a list of activities that they can choose from before the plans are finalized.  Of course, she only puts things on the list that she actually wants to do.  She is very organized and likes to have no last minute chaos.  She is also pretty tech savvy.  So what does she do after this conversation? She goes online to see if there is an app or website to help with planning a Road Trip!  She finds MyScenicDrives.com and makes an account!  We now have 25 Stops to make a complete round trip!

National Parks We'd Like To Visit...

Obviously, as a teacher and a college student, our funds are limited.  Although the New Zealand trip is not off the table, it is further down the Bucket List.  Hopefully, some day we will both be in a financial place that will allow that type of vacation.  Right now we turned our attention to places that we have never been and would love to visit.  Our conversation started something like this... I've always wanted to visit the Redwoods... I've always wanted to visit Sequoia National Forest...  I've been to the Grand Canyon, but have never been to Bryce or Zion... What about the Tetons?  So back and forth, we started adding places to our mental list until it started turning into a Road Trip to end all Road Trips!  This would be an amazing way to celebrate Kathleen getting her PhD.  She has been in school for 23 years so far (counting Preschool) and it will be at least another 2-3 years to complete the PhD!  We should do something to mark this momentous occasion!

A Trip To New Zealand?

While checking out the REI website, Kathleen noticed that they offered guided tours to New Zealand!  We have both always wanted to go there, but its a bit out of our budget - from $4,899 per person dbl for 11 days.  That doesn't include airfare and misc expenses.  The New Zealand discussion prompted a conversation about another trip idea, one that we might actually be able to afford. 

http://www.rei.com/graphics/adventures/photos/NZS_01.jpg

A Couple Months Ago...

A couple months ago we were talking about the hiking vacation we have planned for this summer in Colorado.  This will be our 3rd trip to Rocky Mountain National Forest for hiking.  Kathleen was going to be in Denver attending a Chemistry Conference and would be staying close to the REI store that's there.  We started thinking about what other equipment we might want to purchase for our summer trip.  We saw that we could take a week long guided backpacking trip in Colorado, but weren't sure we were ready for that and we had already reserved our accommodations for this year anyway.  Maybe next year...

Nice To Meet You...

It seems like the polite thing to do would be to introduce ourselves.  My name is Shana Whitlock.  I'm the Mom and I'm a teacher.  I was born and raised in Kansas.  I live with my daughter Kathleen, who is a PhD Analytical Chemistry student at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS.