Camping Gear Game

pjalau · Post by **pjalau** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:15 am

At Maupin this year, PJ (my neighbor, not PJ me) and I had a great time playing the gear game. The men here understand the game just by mentioning it - it starts with "Wow, nice espresso maker, did I remember to pack my milk frother?" and continues throughout the camp with better and better gear. I did pretty well with the telescoping marshmellow roasters, but honestly, PJ's propane campfire was a serious trump card.

My co-workers also camp, and after discussing this topic far more than we should, we came up with a basic set of rules for:
"The unoffical totally pointless ego driven gear game" (TUTPEDGG?) I'll have to come up with a better acronym.

Before reading on, let's establish the basic premise clearly and concisely: There is absolutely no real value to the points. No money or fame will come of them. Women will not be attracted to you. Your eternal glory will not be sung. Poems will not be written about you. Bottom line - this is a pointless tournament, even though we are assigning points. so why bother? Simple - if you build a ladder, some fool will climb it, and we are far more than some fools.

Additions welcome. Insults ignored (unless they are funny). Suggestions considered. Thoughts encouraged. (Thought is always encouraged)

THE RULES:
Gear cannot be over $100.00
-Rationale: any Monkey can spend money, we have to work for this.
Gear must be viable for more than one purpose.
-Rationale: if you have to resort to a "latte milk frother" that doesn't also whip cream, you've subdivided the game to an infinitely small and non-competable level of granularity- gear will be disqualified.
Gear can be made
-Rationale: if you have skills, use them. Weld, wire, cut, tie, build. Well-made may earn extra points
Gear can merely be modifications of existing gear
-Rationale: If you found a way to make the camping pole also useful for holding the lantern, hammock, and leveling the bus, rock on, you get a point.

Points for:
Functionality
Multi-purpose
Matched Form and Function - elegance.
Easily obtained items - those LED lights are awesome and everywhere - easy points.
Economy of Size - Smaller versions of Gear that perform the same function as larger Gear wins.
Rationale: The grill that disassembles and fits together as a virtual cube & can fit under the seat gets an extra point over the one that takes up half the back seat.

Lost points for:
Ostentation - your leaded-crystal wine decanter does not score points.
Over thinking the problem. IE: couldn't you have just used a screwdriver?
Un-obtainium construction - You may have been able to build it using the down feathers of the extinct dodo bird, but if the materials are not easily available, you lose points.

Grey Areas:
What-Is-It Gear
Gear may lose points if you can't figure out what it's for without explanation.
Gear may gain points if, after explanation, it's cool factor increases. This will likely be a subject of debate

Bonus Points
Space Utilization - if the gear fits in a space that normally doesn't get used (aka "air") extra points may be awarded.

Anyone care to add on to the list?

bean5446 · Post by **bean5446** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:21 pm

My gear entry is called the:

ABSOLUTE NECESSITY KIT!

Contents:
One (1) Single Propane Burner
One (1) Propane Cylinder
One (1) Box of Strike Anywhere Matches
One (1) Lighter
One (1) Saucepan, Quart Size
One (1) 48oz French Press
One (1) Gallon Jug of clean, pure Bend, Oregon water
Two (2) Pounds of Fresh, Hand Roasted (by me) Bellatazza Coffee, ground for French Press
Four (4) Coffee Mugs

This travels with us almost everywhere under the back seat for Totoro. Fits neatly in a smallish Rubbermaid container. We replenish the water and coffee right before we leave and the propane as needed.

Many of these items serve a dual purpose, even the coffee grounds can be used as a facial scrub, add valuable nitrogen to your campsite compost whilst being almost pH neutral. You can even throw some unused coffee grounds under your tires for added traction in slippery areas. :) The possibilities are endless.

I think those around Totoro in Maupin were happy I brought my ABSOLUTE NECESSITY KIT!

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:57 pm

What about points for "surviving" with less gear? I usually show up at a camp, take out a rug and chair, and watch everybody else set up for an hour while I drink a beer.

pjalau · Post by **pjalau** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:21 pm

No Points for Hambone! (unless his bottle opener doubles as a tent stake) Not playing is immediate grounds for disqualification.

But a coffee bar is always worth points. If I recall correctly, your coffee is worth double points.

;)

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:24 pm

Crap! Ok I deserve it.

satchmo · Post by **satchmo** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:06 pm

bean5446 wrote:My gear entry is called the:

ABSOLUTE NECESSITY KIT!

Contents:
One (1) Single Propane Burner
One (1) Propane Cylinder
One (1) Box of Strike Anywhere Matches
One (1) Lighter
One (1) Saucepan, Quart Size
One (1) 48oz French Press
One (1) Gallon Jug of clean, pure Bend, Oregon water
Two (2) Pounds of Fresh, Hand Roasted (by me) Bellatazza Coffee, ground for French Press
Four (4) Coffee Mugs

I think those around Totoro in Maupin were happy I brought my ABSOLUTE NECESSITY KIT!

I'll second the double points for Bean, being as I was one of the human beings that beanifitted from his roasting skills and forethought.

My only gaget is home made magnetic mounted screens for the slider windows and the rear hatch, and I forgot to bring them to Maupin, so maybe just a half point for me. Maybe.

Tim

bean5446 · Post by **bean5446** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:15 pm

If we have 110v hookup, i can bring my sample roaster, some green coffee and a grinder. But that seems excessive! :)

glasseye · Post by **glasseye** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 5:43 pm

bean5446 wrote: I think those around Totoro in Maupin were happy I brought my ABSOLUTE NECESSITY KIT!

YAH!

=D>

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:09 am

I too have the telescoping hot dog/marshmallow rods. I would say the versatile and weird things I have are a complete WWI German mess kit. Big and made of aluminum, I have cooked beans, beef stew and even baked biscuits in it closed up. I also use extensively the folding spoon knife combo issued with it. The kit looks something like this:

And the folding spoon/knife combo:

I also use old kerosene lanterns, not Coleman pump up jobs or monster battery florescent ones. Do I score?

pjalau · Post by **pjalau** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:53 pm

serious point for the german camp kit. Partial point for the frok/spoon thingy - since a spork would probably do just as well.

Possible rule addition: useful vintage stuff that works as well as new stuff gets extra points.

Elwood · Post by **Elwood** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 12:05 am

OK pjalau I want to play, however Im a female and wondering if that is allowed??? I cooked for myself alone on a one burner propane stove in a porciline w/lid (cutesy w/cambells logo on it) soup pot, for several miles last year to Arctic Circle. I did spend a few nights ordering room service in great Canadian hotels and had my first ever "Real Canadian Bacon" on eggs benidict, it was the best ever

I did pack for the trip a large cast iron for cooking for 30 or more buses but not to be , now at Hambone,s along with a screen tent never used, anyway. Got lots of experiance and would rather live in a teepee and would love to share. Can I ????

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:37 am

pjalau wrote:serious point for the german camp kit. Partial point for the frok/spoon thingy - since a spork would probably do just as well.

Possible rule addition: useful vintage stuff that works as well as new stuff gets extra points.

Hey hey! The spoon/fork combo is German war surplus too! I forgot I also have an East German small folding stove, with fuel tab. I wish I had bought lots of surplus East German stuff in the 90's when it was dirt cheap.

flatlander · Post by **flatlander** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:28 am

I was thoroughly impressed with Gypsie's $12 awning. It's a tarp and the supports are extending paint poles. (He already had the poles.) I really liked how it was high enough that we could walk under it without ducking our heads. And he may even have been hanging a lamp from it at night if I remember correctly.

pjalau · Post by **pjalau** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:08 pm

Sorry, been busy recovering seats and stuff.

Yes Women can play.

Point for the awning.

Sorry so short, limited time.

-P

Gypsie · Post by **Gypsie** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:10 pm

Wow, I got a point whilst reading the thread and thinking about what I could enter.

Thank you M.

I'm still thinkin.

Ooh...Kind of an easy target but the dutch oven is one of my all time favs.

Cookin over the fire (all sorts of delectibles from tri-tip and gumbo to cornbread and cobbler); Heating water for dishes, laundry, cowboycoffee (ie throw the grounds in the hot water and let steep), carryin embers from one place to another. Easily washed with sand and heat. Room enough inside for a weekend's worth of dry goods (all the above mentioned 'ceptin the meat.) and finally filled with ice and a few cold ones for a day down by the river with a place to keep the fish on ice afore headin' back to camp. and it fits under the seat.

Still thinkin'

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Camping Gear Game

Camping Gear Game