There’s lots of great advice posted already. FWIW…I’m 6’6” 225, I could have made a REI Quarter Dome work and possibly added a smaller camper with me that I liked a lot i.e. wife or son, especially for one night. I bought a Kelty Pagosa 2-man because it was 90 inches long. So I agree with the two person tent. You will go on solo missions and be glad to not have the 3-person for weight purposes although it’s nice to have the extra room.
Ditto on the small camp stove…I bought a Jet-Boil and I’m drinking coffee or coco in no-time at all. It boils a liter ridiculously fast. Instant Oatmeal is fast easy, light and I find it tasty day or night. Add a little jerky and you’re gourmet dining. I have a therm-a-rest foam pad, can’t speak to the Big Agnes. Wool beanie for the head will aid in warmth considerably. You’ll undoubtedly pack too much, but you’ll learn each time you go. Have fun. I’m envious of you Californians…It takes me a bit of distance to get out of Chicago to someplace interesting… but then the journey is the treat. _____ From: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com [mailto:rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Rene Sterental Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 4:17 AM To: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Subject: [RBW] S24O for a complete newbie! I'm going to do my very first S24O in China Camp (Marin county, CA) on the weekend of May 8 - 9 with my 11 year old son. I have absolutely no experience and the only camping I did years ago (too many...) was in the beach in Venezuela where we would bring everything by car/boat. I chose China Camp because I already know the place, know the trails, and feel that if it doesn't work out, we're quite close to the car. I have purchased a 2 person REI Quarter Dome tent, but I'm wondering if a 3 person tent would be a better choice if we want to invite someone along. I also got a pair of Big Agnes Lost Dog (rated 50 deg) sleeping bags with their respective air matresses. I'm planning to use my Bombadil to bike from the main parking lot (at one end of the Shoreline Trail) by the Fishing Village to the campgrounds (at the other end). It's about 5 miles or so, so it won't be a disaster if I make mistakes. It's also a good manageable distance for my son. Here is my list of questions... :-) 1.- What else do I need to bring? At this time, I'm not planning to cook; we'll just bring sandwiches and water in bottles and our Camelbaks. I'm leaving the logistics of cooking/warm food for another time. 2.- How should I pack? I'll have to carry all the stuff for both of us as my son's Specialized 29er cannot carry anything. He'll have his small Camelbak, but that's about it. I do have the medium and huge front baskets with their respective medium and large sackville bags. I also have a medium sackville saddlebag. I can mount the Nitto rear pannier rack, but all I currently have is a pair of the small Ortlieb panniers I used to commute with a few years ago. Budget-wise, at most I might be able to get the large sackville saddlebag, or a set of rear panniers. I don't think I'll be doing anything beyond the S24Os this year; but I do want to do them on a regular basis. I have no idea what will happen or what we'll do once we've set up camp, but I'm looking forward to discovering this new dimension. Please feel free to give me all the advice you think I'll need, and even advice you think I may not... you never know. If you want to e-mail me off-list, feel free to do so. As was incredibly excited when I discovered what an S24O was, shortly after I discovered RBW and got my bikes there late last year. If I don't get started now, the whole inertia of work and travelling for work will drag me down and by the time I realize it, another year will have passed. It's been a recurring theme for me. My son is also growing up relentlessly, so if I don't do it now, it might soon be too late. Thanks again for all your support and guidance; I've certainly learned a lot from all of you, and continue to do so... René -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
