Before I get into all the details. I consider the trip a success. It went from 75 degree days with low's of 60's at night to a high of 55 and 30's at night. And I was comfortable even though there was about 48 hours worth of rain over the week.
The truck carried everything I wanted, but it felt unorganized and cluttered at times. I need to work on that still. The electric system is a game changer. But overall I'm happy with the concept, it just needs more refinement before I do a month long, cross country trip in it.
Anyway, here goes.
Oh, and the bluetooth keyboard I brought along for my phone became unusable because the space bar wouldn't work, so I had to go old school. I think handwriting my notes for this blog was useful. Slowed my mind down. Technology detox is good from time to time.
Friday Sept 9th
I drove to Belleville to see my folks. My Dad was very keen on seeing the Truck updates in person. He seemed impressed. The more I tried to explain all the electrical stuff, I think the more confusing I made things. I'll work on that.
Saturday my Dad, Grissinger (my Dad's friend) and I went for a paddle on a creek/river that flowed into Lake Ontario. It was a good day. We had lunch afterwards at a local golf course. It was fun to people watch. The nice thing is that NY has these aluminum platform kayak launchers to help get in/out of the water. Cheaper than a boat ramp, more eco friendly, and helps older paddlers like my Dad and Grissinger get in/out of the water on their own.
I took screenshots of the Garmin Connect app on my phone which shows how far we went and a map of the trip. Photos are here, click here.
Sunday Sept 11,
After getting some cookies from my parent's Church (they had a social after their service), I headed off to Cranberry Lake for 3 nights. And I should say I got to enjoy my Mom's cooking over the weekend, good to see the family.
Anyway, From my notes of the trip....
Cranberry lake, site 9
arrived~3p.m. Drizzle and overcast, temps ~65-70F
site was by the main Water holding tank, making a very quiet neighbor, but not scenic. Only 1 other camper in the "upper loop" sites right near the check-in booth.
I picked this site, so I could carry my surfski down to the beach and not have to move my truck. Cranberry is weird in that most of the camp sites are so far away from the beach. Too far to walk even with a kayak cart.
My mind wouldn't settle when I first arrived. Like a mini anxiety attack almost. I think it was really hard to shift gears after being so busy working on the truck build the last few weeks. Lots of worries about how I'd keep myself busy all week. But I felt much better after biking the campground and all its loops. For dinner, I made ramen w bbq rib meat stripped off the bone, diced peppers and onions. Not brothy, I just drained off the water and sprinkled on some of the spice mix with a little toasted sesame oil.
Then I started a fire using the Ranger Solo Stove. It makes much less smoke than the campground fireplaces, and much easier to get the fire going. The holes in the stove just help the fire breathe while the sides protect it from the wind. Ideally I should cuts the logs in half lengthwise so they're not sticking out of the top like that, but you get the idea.
The upper tent lights stopped working, but it was just a loose fuse, easy fix.
Discovered the Geyser sponger shower gadget I have had stopped working at my parents, when I went to demo it to them (just a kitchen sink demo, you pervs! lol) , I think it's the short power cord's fuse (at home after trip, confirmed it was the cord)
On the drive to Cranberry I had the Victron app open and the dc/dc charge controller had the battleborn batteries fully charged back up in about 20 minutes, about the time I got to Watertown Center. LOVE IT. I only had to replace what the fridge had drawn down since Friday night. Adding 30 amps/hour to the 200amp battery bank while driving is huge. When I get the high output alternator, i think I'll add a second charge controller, so I can add 60amps/hour. If that works, it means on trips where I'm moving every day or two, i can just cook with any normal electric kitchen gadget that I have room for, even a small toaster oven if I wanted.
The Camper is working well, but I need to spend time on organizing things when I get back home.
Monday, Sept 12
morning....slept well last night, but woke at 5a.m. peed and then fell back asleep until 7:30. (side note, I use a urinal jug when camping... takes a little practice to use while laying on your side, but it's so much better than having to go out in the cold and dark in the middle of the night. GET ONE guys!)
It did rain a bit overnight, but I slept solid throughout. Camper was dry other than humidity and moisture from my breathing all night. I like that the roof panel is insulated plastic, If you put your feet against it while sleeping, they don't get wet/cold. Also easy to wipe off the condensation with a micro fiber towel in the morning.
After getting out of the tent, I used the electric hot water kettle for the first time while camping. It's power hungry for sure. 8-10amp hours to boil 1 liter of hot water. I have <=200 amp hours in my batteries. Worth it on cold mornings though. I set it up before walking off to the bathroom and came back to hot water for tea
Breakfast,
2 strips of bacon cooked until crispy and I then used some of the fat to grease the Camp Chef cook top for 2 Kodiak pancakes.
Not sure I need the big Camp Chef grill for this. It's overkill and I'm annoyed I burned the bacon slightly...maybe I'm just mad at it because of that.
Made a small fire in the Solo Stove just to burn up the paper towels soaked in bacon grease.
I discovered a chipmunk stayed overnight in the truck cab and made a little bed for himself with a toilet paper roll I had in there. He got some of the Church cookies too. Little jerk. I not 100% sure, but he made have hitched a ride to 8th lake, but he eventually left.
After the Solo stove cooled off, I packed it up and then went for a paddle.
~10:45a.m. From site 9, I carried the kayak down to the beach on my head. I used a towel for a cushion. Comfortable once I got the balance right.
Paddled quite a bit, 9+ miles!, but not down to Janack's landing. That would have been closer to 15 miles round trip. Compared to my first paddle July 4th week, I felt stronger for sure. Doing 9+ miles would have hurt just a couple months ago. Today I felt strong. 9 miles in 2.5 hours is pretty good I think.
While paddling, I ate lunch by an island NYS campsite, just sitting sideways in the surfski with my feet in the water and just touching bottom to keep myself in place. It's very comfortable sitting like that. Lunch was just a peanut butter sandwich and some peanut butter fudge, but with the hunger from paddling and the scenery, it tasted better than any fine dining I've had IMHO. I think that's part of what gets people addicted to endurance type exercise. Food tastes amazing. You feel it in your bones as you eat.
Dinner I made jasmine rice, and seared a chicken breast in a non-stick pan using some roasted peanut oil. Always smells like a Five Guys joint to me. I also sauteed some diced onion, peppers and garlic, adding the diced garlic at the last minute so it wouldn't burn. Then I mixed in a couple spoons of asian peanut sauce I made at home. Btw, I LOVE the Keith Ti6300 titanium multifuctional cooker I have for making the rice, amazon sells them, click here. Works sort of like a double boiler, but it has tiny vent holes in the top. You get it to boil then reduce your stove to simmer. Rice is ready in about 20-30 minutes depending on the variety and how much you're cooking. Works on small backpacking type stoves best. Makes it nearly impossible to burn your rice and it's only the size of a large beer mug.
Had another campfire from about 5-8 p.m. but I let it go out and cool down, so I could pack up the SoloStove before the rain hits tomorrow. Walked down to the beach and tried to get a sunset photo while the stove was cooling off, but I missed it. I figured I didn't have to worry about the SoloStove getting stolen when it's too hot to touch. Almost funny to think I was so anxious the day before. Time is flying by.
As I climbed into the tent and settled in, I got an overwhelming sense of life is good. Felt very happy. Read on my Kindle until I drifted off to sleep
Tuesday Sept 13th
Rain, Rain and more Rain
The GFC camper kept me dry though. I think part of why I was feeling euphoric the night before is that my vision of the truck camper was paying off. I've been worried there'd be hidden catches that would make me regret my decisions, but it's been great. It's a bit of a swiss army knife. It does everything, but that also means it doesn't do anything perfectly, but I'm ok with the compromises. I freely concede that it does require some fitness and flexibility to get in and out. Mandatory Yoga I guess.
Anyway I made eggs for breakfast. The Thule awning on the back of the camper kept me mostly dry while cooking in the rain. It's 4.5' wide by 6' long the rain did reach my legs a little when the wind kicked up and drove the rain sideways under the awning. Heavy rain during the morning, so I crawled back into the camper and watched Amazon's Rings of Power (LOTR series) episode 3 on my smartphone (downloaded it while I was at my folks).. Visually quite stunning, even on my smartphone screen. I worry it's too boring for most people though, but I hope it gets renewed. I have the feeling, the only person that matters when that decision is made is Bezos. We're ruled by the whims of Kings and Queens of a different type now, but I digress.
Forecast said rain would reduce to just showers/drizzle from 12-3p.m. so that's when I hiked up Bear Mt at Cranberry. On the wet stones it took about 3 hours to do 4.5 miles round trip with 1,000ft elevation gain. I use hiking poles, which helps a lot with stability in slippery conditions. I did get a fair bit of rain when I reached the peak. Luckily the cheap Frogg Toggs 3xl rain jacket I have is big enough to wear over the backpack I had on. It was always a bit big, but dropping 30lbs has made it even roomier (ideally 60lbs more to go). A good hike though, walked from site 9 which added about a half mile each way. The foggy photo is from the overlook on Bear Mt, and the leanto is on the way up. I felt no soreness during or after the hike. I might try full cushion socks though. My boots are comfy but you do feel the rocks a bit through them. My 280lb current weight doesn't help (dropping 60 will get me to 220, a wt I can live comfortably with I think).
After getting back from the hike, I rode my bike to the showers with my rain jacket on. When I got back, my only neighbor in the upper loop sites said he was giving up and going home. He only had a ground tent, and the 24hours+ of rain was too much for him. He'd just saw the forecast had changed and there'd be more rain tomorrow too. He said I could have the firewood he had left, which was nice of him.
Cooking Dinner tonight I realized i need to get all my cooking stuff in the GFC cooking drawer I made. On this trip, I'd brought the wood bin I'd made to store cooking stuff for the mini camper, but it wastes a lot of space. Will work on that when I get home. Also, I'm definitely going to try leaving the big Camp Chef grill at home. Using my Coleman 442 backpacking stove and the primus omni stove is plenty for the meals I make most of the time. The coleman single burner, dual fuel stoves are amazing IMHO, amazon sells a newer version, click here. runs better than the primus omni, but the primus is half the weight, so I'd take it backpacking for sure.
Anyway, because of the heavy rain, I got into bed via the truck bed. Getting in via the ladder on the side would've have brought in too much water from the rain. So happy I wrapped the bottom layer of plywood in the truck bed with grey coin flooring laminate. I epoxied all the edges of the plywood before laminating too, so hopefully it won't rot. It did awesome with the wet and muck I brought in when crawling into the tent via the truck bed. Was easy to wipe out the next day. Anyway, that night I just read some and fell asleep around 9pm
Wednesday Sept 14th
Slept fine. stayed dry. Exited via the truck bed too.
Fire! Oops! well charred wood finish really. Should sand right off. The CampChef stove with the flat cooking top definitely is a no go. I hadn't realized I pushed it too close to the back of the drawer, so even on super low (I cook bacon on low heat), it blackened the drawer a little. Back middle behind the flat top. So that's it. It's gonna go bye bye. Most of the week I was setting my backpacking stoves on the flat steel top and using it as a countertop, so I don't really need the camp chef stove. If I do bring it, I'm leaving the flat top at home. it forces the heat to the edges of the flat top, which I think is too dangerous even if I added an asbestos liner or steel wall air gap.
I packed up with the tent and things were a bit damp. Nothing was soaked, so it wouldn't be cold or uncomfortable to sleep in, things just weren't dry. But it was time to drive to Eighth Lake campground. I drove via Tupper Lake and Blue Mt Lake, instead of back tracking and getting there via Old Forge.
In Tupper Lake, I stopped at Aubuchon hardware and picked up a bright orange knit winter cap, some neon green/black gloves, a lighter and some clothespins. I hate black hats/gloves. I can never find them. Anyway. A nice store, they had a good selection of stuff you'd need for camping if you forgot something. I seriously considered getting the large jug of Coleman white gas. Probably should have in retrospect.
South of Tupper I stopped at a scenic look out/rest stop that was protected from the wind (didn't want my stuff to go flying), but it had good sun, so I hung out for about 30 minutes to dry things out. Looked like a yard sale, lol. But glad I stopped, nearly all the state campground sites are shaded in the Adirondacks, which is great for staying cool on hot Summer days, but not good for drying out after heavy rain
After packing up, I had lunch at Stewart's Shop in Long Lake. Good Cell reception driving down 28N, but it dies right after Racquette Lake, just before you get to Eighth Lake Campground. So I'll digital detox for a couple days. Also, I think it's why you can find campsites at 8th Lake most of the time.
After arriving, the Ranger's office wouldn't be open for check in until 4-5p.m., so I just went to my site and hung up wet hiking and kayaking clothes and left my bike chained to the picnic table to make sure people knew it was reserved. Then I drove over near the 8th lake side and had a quick paddle while I waited to check in. Just did the perimeter as you can see. Felt good though. tried to go hard. Having lost 30lbs since May, the kayak isn't as deep in the water and that definitely helps with speed. A few campers asked about the surfski when I got back, but when I explained it was tippy, they lost interest. They did admire the carbon fiber/kevlar weave and self-draining venturi drain. Got some questions about the truck, but I found the easiest way to shut down those conversations is to go full nerd mode and start talking electronics stuff and amps * volts = watts. Makes people run away, lol.
it rained again Wednesday night. So I did the trick of entering the upper tent via the truck bed again. Ate dinner in my chair under the awning to stay out of the rain before that.
Being stuck inside again made me realize that Dad was right about the lights. Earlier on I found it funny that he seemed to like them the most, but I have to admit they definitely help lift your mood when the weather is not so great and you're stuck inside. For cooking I need another light on the GFC tailgate panel, and maybe one more in the center of the truck bed. What I have now weren't quite bright enough.
While stuck inside due to the rain, I rearranged the cushions in the tent floor so the 2 smaller ones are now on the driver side, and the bigger long one on the passenger side. that made it easier to get in and out. I just step on the fridge to get up/down. I was also able to set things up inside so i was sitting inside with my legs dangling down into the truck bed area while facing the rear wall of the tent. I folded my air mattress to make a nice seat back. I was able to use the clips GFC provides to hang my tablet up and I watched a movie. It was kind of nice. And I remember how Jacqui made fun of the holder I got for the tablet. it has a hand strap on the back, but she thought it looked like something a parent would add to their kid's tablet to protect it. It's a baby blue case after all, so she's probably right about that, but it's very functional and the hand strap on the back enabled me to hang it on the tent wall for more comfortable viewing
Thursday Sept 15th
Rain ended during the night, but then the temps dropped to low 40's during the night. I probably should have gotten up and fished the hat and gloves out of the truck cab, as well as an extra flannel. I woke up cold a few times until I snuggled back into the sleeping bag.
First thing I did after getting out of the camper in the morning (after putting on the hat, gloves, and flannel) was to start a fire to dry out the Solo Stove, and to have a warm place while I ate breakfast. The wood I got from the Pizza and Clam shack at Racquette Lake was really good hardwood, glad I put it in a large trash bag before the rain came.
It started warming up around 9a.m., so after the stove cooled off I decided to go for a long hike up to Black Bear Mt, not to be confused with Bear Mt at Cranberry.
It was over 4 miles each way, but it was mostly on a snowmobile trail that was nice to walk on. Like a soft running track. At times, I trudged. I listened to Moby Dick. I tried to calm and slow my mind. I took things slow. It was a good hike, but I was definitely tired. Makes me wonder if I could actually backpack 10miles a day right now. I'm not so sure.
At the very end of the hike, I even saw a Marten near the swamp that's close to the campground. A Marten is basically a large weasel that climbs trees really well. Never seen anything like that in the wild before. They're small cat size, and they're fast.
Black Bear mt is an easy hike btw. with a good view on top. I'd recommend it to people that want to try a mt hike, but aren't so sure they can do it. There's a much shorter approach off 28N too.
Showered when I got back and then cooked spaghetti for dinner Turned in early, because it had been a long day and I was physically tired for sure. I remember struggling to stay awake at 8p.m.
Friday Sept 16th
colder than last night but this time i wore my hat, gloves, and extra flannel while I slept. The weird thing was I woke up frequently during the night to pee. Pretty much filled the whole jug, sorry about the TMI, but normally it's a quarter full at most by morning. I wonder if it was the LMNT electrolytes I added to my water when hiking up Black Bear. But I woke up the next morning, and I wasn't sore, so relatively happy about that.
The electric kettle was awesome this morning. So cold that I didn't want to wait to get a backpacker stove going. Warm liquid on a cold morning makes it much easier to get moving. Coffee, tea whatever.
Today I did the easy paddle up to the waterfalls at Racquette. Required packing up the truck to go. The lack of organization makes it more of a PITA than it should be. But somehow, I got to the river, and then beat all the other paddlers going up there, so I had a quiet lunch at the falls, and saw a couple different Herons on the way up. On the way back I passed about 10 paddlers coming up. It was a bit windy Friday, so I think everyone else had the same idea to do an easy paddle in protected waters.
I goofed off the rest of the day at camp and just relaxed. Packed up what I could (like my bike), so it'd be easier to head out Sat for my wife's cousin's wedding in Schenectady. The age gap really makes Jacqui more of an Aunt I think, but maybe that's just me.
Saturday, Sept 17th
I did shower Sat morning after making the omelette below and packing up, and then I was off to the Wedding. It was a good trip, even with the weather extremes. Btw i used some of the 6 year old Cheddar from Sharpe's on this bad boy. It was tasty. I do NOT suffer when camping, lol. With all the exercise, I still weighed in 3 pounds lighter when I got home
Final Thoughts on the truck's electronic Victron stuff.
because the camp sites are so well shaded, my 100 watt solar panel only added 5-10 amp hours per day, but I'm getting great highway mileage. 18-20 mpg's. So it helps as a wind fairing big time too. The dc/dc charge controller adds 30amps @12volts per hour. Every little bit helps though, and my fridge would work a lot harder if I was parked in the Sun, so the solar really helps in certain situations.
Love having the electric system though. I don't have to worry at all about keeping the fridge running now, and I can manage the draw down from the electric kettle if I plan for it. If the high output alternator works out. I can add another dc/dc charge controller which would give me 60amps/hour with minimal changes to my setup. Fingers crossed the high output alternator works out. Stay tuned!