3 apr monday morning, camp.
the heater ran great on the lowest setting all night. not bad considering i’m at 6700ft elevation.
using the instant pot to make steel cut oats this morning. 1:3 oats:water ratio, cooking ¼ cup of oats. 5 min at HP (high pressure), then let it stay at pressure for 20 min, then release. i’ll add some half &half, walnuts, and maple syrup when it’s done.
i add a little oil to the 1 liter titanium camping mug, schmear the oil around, add the oats and water, and then put the vented lid on, pour like ¼ inch of water in the bottom of the instant pot, and place the mug on the trivet that came with it. set to 5min at HP. should be a very easy cleanup when it’s all done too.
[time passing]
the instant pot finished the HP cycle, and I’m letting the inverter run, it’s only pulling 9 watts. 9watt/12v = ⅔ amp that way I can see the instant pot timer. 20 min to go.
while i wait…
the camper is getting easier to pack each morning too. now that the big water jug is behind the passenger seat, it also freed up space so I don’t have to put the 10ft heater hose in the center aisle. I needed to get the step stool to get it out, or put it away. trying to cut down on all the back and forth walking around the truck.
anyway, now I can use one of those wire coated twisty things they sell at home depot to keep the heater hose closest to the driver side., easy reach. makes it easier to set up the heater, which makes me more likely to want to use it.
the other thing I’ve started doing is rolling up the air mattress and using a strap to keep it cinched up. after i put the heater away (when it’s cold), I then go upstairs, open the trap door and drop down all the bedding into the back of the truck. when done right I have a view out the center aisle when driving. if I tow the mini camper, i won’t even have to worry about that.
anyway, camping is starting to feel very civilized. I think if I get that attachable shower stall, it’ll be darn near perfect.
around 9a.m. we’re heading out to Bryce National Park Layering up, it’ll be colder up there. not hiking in the snow, but just getting out for photos will be chilly i’m sure.
18minutes passed, I heard the pressure thing just drop. it’s 38F out, so the natural release on the instant pot was sped up. anyway time to eat! I’ll report back on the results.
oats are cooked well, a little soupy maybe, but i need to hydrate anyway, added heaping spoon of brown sugar to it too. will try a touch less water next time or cook it longer.
Old Bryce Town Ruby’s Diner, lunch 3 apr Monday
just finished the Bryce park. epic views, but crazily crowded. can only imagine how crazy it is in the Summer. you have to go off season IMHO.
wish I’d had my yaktracks or instep crampons. it was icy so it was hard to get to the best views.
anyway, finished up my tiny 7” pizza, going to go out to the truck to dig out some puffed popcorn chips and a desert. We’re heading south this afternoon until we find a spot to camp.
stopped into Kanab for some groceries. taking my chances on Utah sushi…but it looked decent. all sushi in the USA has to be deep frozen first anyway, nothing is ever “fresh”
our camp is on BLM land, in a gully overlooking lots of side by side and dirt bike trails. Jeff and I are both parked nose into the wind, and we’re both getting hammered by the wind right now. steady 20-30mph wind w gusts. the 150lbs struts are keeping the tent up though, the GFC comes stock with 100lb struts, but i remember the first night i slept in the GFC (up in Vermont I think), we had a storm. the wind hit the back tall part of the tent in the middle of the night, and it pushed the fabric in enough to lower the roof a little, then the struts would push it back up. did that several times, but i mostly slept through it.
sounds bad, but I think it’s a good design. the tree that bends in the wind is more likely to survive.
anyway, going to just chill tonight and roll the dice on my sushi. wish me luck!
oh, we’re skipping Zion on this trip. that part of Utah has just been pounded w snow. it’s pretty much closed right now.
lots of stuff to see still. Monument valley and such.
4 apr tues morning still at camp
woke up at 3a.m. because the heater had run out of fuel. oops.
i was sleeping with a fleece jacket on, so i just had to pull on my frogg togg windbreaker and a hat, and I went out into the cold wind, to refill with the diesel rotopax jug i keep on the back of the truck. i was also smart enough to keep the box of disposable gloves in a spot behind the driver seat so i could put one on my right hand to work the fuel nozzle thing without getting fuel all over my hands.
anyway 5mins and I was back in business. will have to be more careful because it sounded hard on the fuel pump.
this mornig there’s a dusting of snow, but the wind is still stronger than i’d like, so i just toasted some pop tarts for breakfast. which i can do from my throne below. that’s also how i ate my sushi last night. makes an impromptu chair with the lid down. and I use the top of the cooler as a table.i’ll have to add a knife, bowl and move the peanut butter to the bin i’ve been keeping up top. then I could have peanut butter toast in the monring without having to go outside. good ot have options when the weather is meh.
today we’re going to find an old abandoned western town nearby, then horseshoe bend, after that we’ll decide if we’re going to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, or onto Monument Valley. need to wait to go into town to find better cell signal so we can check the grand canyon webcam to see how much snow there is .
How i watch movies in the camper. the carabiner is for rolling the side door up, but it makes a good spot to hook the tablet. i got one of those tablet holders with the hand strap thing in the back. removed it, and threaded in a short cam strap that’s longer. easy to watch movies lying in bed, no neck pain.
Scenic photos from Bryce today
