I'm leaving Thursday morning, and I've reached that stage of preparation where everything is weighed, packed. I'm finding myself waking up (4am), thinking of the hunt and going to sleep, same. In this case, counting sheep is NOT helping. You'd think I'd get better at this, you know, more calm, after all, this "ain't my first rodeo", but it Feels like the first time, to quote Foreigner. So........I've been working on a list of activities that I can engage in during my pre-hunt, hyper-excited, insomniac phase:
1. Learn a musical instrument.....you'll have to do this in a part of the house or yard where your wife will not be disturbed (ask me how I know, I'm worried that these keystrokes are waking her up now)
2. Review your gear again
a) remember, there is the "gear" as is will go on the plane (weighed and measured.....no ammo in carry-on, not even a stray round from last years deer hunt (ask me how I know.......thanks TSA for the nice letter), and there is
b) gear as it will be in the field: hopefully there is a secure place for the hard gun cases and rolling duffels, when you convert all your stuff into the backpack. Don't forget to pack coming home clothes. One year my packing strategy had me wearing the hunting boots onto the plane, and then home. This is not a good plan. I ended up at a layover in Seattle, clothes shopping at the airport and leaving some sweaty hunting clothes and some slick soled Lowa's in the trash at that store
c) is everything made out of Titanium? if not, why not?
3. Ask you wife if she'd like to review the things in your backpack. I mean, she's been watching this process as its developed for months, surely she's curious. So far my wife hasn't really showed an interest, and she can usually terminate the conversation by asking, "how much did this sheep trip cost again?" Beep Beep, I'm off like the Roadrunner
Oh look the sun's coming up........again, I hope these keystrokes aren't waking the wife
4. Back to gear.......lets talk about entertainment. I like to take books and videos (I've got some older Westerns that almost make me feel like my Dad is still nearby) on my iPhone. I know the old timers recommended a paperback, and I, myself, for years, carried a tiny Bible in a ziplock bag for those rain days, but just like any other time, I find it hard to read (no disrespect). So if I'm gonna have the iPhone be useful for the 12 day trip, I'm gonna need some extra power. I've currently got three alternatives:
a) New Trent Powerpak Ultra, 13oz and will charge the iPhone supposedly 7X; this thing is a brick, and I'm a little suspicious of it after multiple recharges
b) Fenix HP 30 headlight, who's battery pack has a USB port, and contains two 18650 batteries, said to be equivalent to 8 AAs, this has been in the gear pile and then removed because of bulk and weight in favor of......
c) Lithium AAs and a recharger that I got from Amazon that holds four of them. In my testing that setup will recharge the iPhone about 1.5 times. I've gone with this because my GPS (Garmin eTrex 30) and my headlight (Zebralight 502c) use AA. The weight is right, and TSA requires Lithium batteries to be in carry on luggage and the prefer original packaging. Has anyone seen the reports of fires from those 18650s on the internet. I don't know how real possibility is, but I've decided to use the 18650s on local trips. Funny thing is, after all this, I'll probably fall dead asleep every time we stop, never watch or read a thing
5. Another Gear topic: Things you are bringing that you know you won't need, but can't bear to leave at home:
a) knife: I've got a carbon fiber scale Sebenza from Chris Reeve knives that is superlight, but I know on a guided trip, the guide will have you hold a leg at best, and the knife is just along for the ride
b) GPS: the guide has been doing this for 20 yrs in the same spot, but hey emergencies do happen
c) Sat phone, I have to have my Iridium, I figure my last line of defense in an emergency, although the guide has one
d) Heavy, heavy, heavy Panasonic Lumix waterproof camera, I mean I will have the iPhone as mentioned above, I just like the pics better with a real camera
6. Here is a cool idea to kill those insomniac hours: look up all the monster Dall pictures on the web and file them on your iPhone, that way you can constantly review what a big one looks like vs an average one. One word of caution, don't show these to the guide. I've never met a guide that doesn't disapprove of a quest for 40 inches. Just keep those pictures to yourself.
7. Read the newspaper....I hear the dog barking, so the newspaper must have just dropped into the grass. This is Atlanta, so I'll have to skip through the daily articles on the Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, and Martin Luther King.
Maybe tomorrow morning, I'll go back over; 1) rain gear, 2) should I bring puffy pants, 3) one or two boxes of ammo, 4) water treatment yes/no/method, and other vexing Sheep Trip issues
Don (yawn)
1. Learn a musical instrument.....you'll have to do this in a part of the house or yard where your wife will not be disturbed (ask me how I know, I'm worried that these keystrokes are waking her up now)
2. Review your gear again
a) remember, there is the "gear" as is will go on the plane (weighed and measured.....no ammo in carry-on, not even a stray round from last years deer hunt (ask me how I know.......thanks TSA for the nice letter), and there is
b) gear as it will be in the field: hopefully there is a secure place for the hard gun cases and rolling duffels, when you convert all your stuff into the backpack. Don't forget to pack coming home clothes. One year my packing strategy had me wearing the hunting boots onto the plane, and then home. This is not a good plan. I ended up at a layover in Seattle, clothes shopping at the airport and leaving some sweaty hunting clothes and some slick soled Lowa's in the trash at that store
c) is everything made out of Titanium? if not, why not?
3. Ask you wife if she'd like to review the things in your backpack. I mean, she's been watching this process as its developed for months, surely she's curious. So far my wife hasn't really showed an interest, and she can usually terminate the conversation by asking, "how much did this sheep trip cost again?" Beep Beep, I'm off like the Roadrunner
Oh look the sun's coming up........again, I hope these keystrokes aren't waking the wife
4. Back to gear.......lets talk about entertainment. I like to take books and videos (I've got some older Westerns that almost make me feel like my Dad is still nearby) on my iPhone. I know the old timers recommended a paperback, and I, myself, for years, carried a tiny Bible in a ziplock bag for those rain days, but just like any other time, I find it hard to read (no disrespect). So if I'm gonna have the iPhone be useful for the 12 day trip, I'm gonna need some extra power. I've currently got three alternatives:
a) New Trent Powerpak Ultra, 13oz and will charge the iPhone supposedly 7X; this thing is a brick, and I'm a little suspicious of it after multiple recharges
b) Fenix HP 30 headlight, who's battery pack has a USB port, and contains two 18650 batteries, said to be equivalent to 8 AAs, this has been in the gear pile and then removed because of bulk and weight in favor of......
c) Lithium AAs and a recharger that I got from Amazon that holds four of them. In my testing that setup will recharge the iPhone about 1.5 times. I've gone with this because my GPS (Garmin eTrex 30) and my headlight (Zebralight 502c) use AA. The weight is right, and TSA requires Lithium batteries to be in carry on luggage and the prefer original packaging. Has anyone seen the reports of fires from those 18650s on the internet. I don't know how real possibility is, but I've decided to use the 18650s on local trips. Funny thing is, after all this, I'll probably fall dead asleep every time we stop, never watch or read a thing
5. Another Gear topic: Things you are bringing that you know you won't need, but can't bear to leave at home:
a) knife: I've got a carbon fiber scale Sebenza from Chris Reeve knives that is superlight, but I know on a guided trip, the guide will have you hold a leg at best, and the knife is just along for the ride
b) GPS: the guide has been doing this for 20 yrs in the same spot, but hey emergencies do happen
c) Sat phone, I have to have my Iridium, I figure my last line of defense in an emergency, although the guide has one
d) Heavy, heavy, heavy Panasonic Lumix waterproof camera, I mean I will have the iPhone as mentioned above, I just like the pics better with a real camera
6. Here is a cool idea to kill those insomniac hours: look up all the monster Dall pictures on the web and file them on your iPhone, that way you can constantly review what a big one looks like vs an average one. One word of caution, don't show these to the guide. I've never met a guide that doesn't disapprove of a quest for 40 inches. Just keep those pictures to yourself.
7. Read the newspaper....I hear the dog barking, so the newspaper must have just dropped into the grass. This is Atlanta, so I'll have to skip through the daily articles on the Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, and Martin Luther King.
Maybe tomorrow morning, I'll go back over; 1) rain gear, 2) should I bring puffy pants, 3) one or two boxes of ammo, 4) water treatment yes/no/method, and other vexing Sheep Trip issues
Don (yawn)
Here's is one of it with it's old paint job and a couple mountains over. MUCH smaller ram though. You guys slayed them last year.
