Who wants to spend a week with Ray Jay?

“I saw on Jardine's web site he is going to be offering classes now. You can spend a whole week with him and Jenny for a mere $300. Anyone who knows me for more than like 10 minutes knows how I feel about this guy but I thought in light of how much the Tom Brown schools cost that his prices are very fair. It's a cool idea and a pretty good way to meet a hiking legend. Me? I'd probably kill him after the first day. LOL!

He also has a video out about his trip they did rowing across the Atlantic. That would be pretty cool to see as I love big expeditions like that.”

“Who is Ray Jay?”

“did you see he is going to have a book out on tarps. It is called the ray-way tarp book. How to make a tarp and net-tent and set them up in the wilds.”

“Free, Ray is the one who supossedly started the ultralight craze. He is very opinionated, very, very smart but with somewhat poor people skills. He has hiked the PCT like three times, the AT once (in 3 months), and the CDT. A hiking legend to be sure but a bit of an a@@. It's Ray's way or no way.

http://www.rayjardine.com/index.shtml”

“He'd have to pay me to hang out with him.”

“Ray has some good advice to give, but he strikes me as the type I would rather sock in the face in place of a hand shake.”

“I had just ordered the materials for the Rayway tarp using the plans on his website when the SOB jerked the plans off the website when Go-Lite started selling his tarps. :(
I had not downloaded the plans because "they were on his website".
I'm still ticked about it.”

“Ray is the type of person I avoid.

He would have to pay me and a lot more than $300!”

“I have a full copy of his plans that I printed out before he took them off his site but have lost interest in tarping for the time being...”

“'Somewhat poor people skills...'


That was pretty diplomatic of you.”

“Could I beg a copy from you?
I'll be happy to reimburse any costs.”

“Poor people skills? What, does this guy flip boogers at people and taunt them like a wee, little school girl?”

“I'd be willing to pitch in $25 to help you get to the camp of your choice, Nigal.

11 more $25 donations and you're there...anyone else wanna donate???”

“I wonder if that contributed to backpacker.com's decision to have a poll about who you'd most like to hike with. Choices included Ray Jardine and Edmund Hillary - I voter for Halle Berry, but she has not emailed me yet.


Ray Jay contributed a lot to backpacking, but he seems to have be a bit taken with his legend. It's easy to find him annoying.”

“When he had his boards up he was all about the tolerance of others and opening your mind to new ideas. Sadly he only meant HIS ideas. LOL! You couldn't post anything positive about tens, ponchos or anything else he deamed "superflous". When I was there I was a christian and used the handle Yeshua Oddity (Jesus Freak) and he booted me for being disrespectful to the Master. Yet he posted all kinds of crazy hippy crap false quotes from Jesus. The last straw was when he started a religion thread and I gave my personal story of how I came to know G-d and he called it a bunch of bull and deleted it.

Other than than, a nice guy.”

“Sure Stove. I'll dig it out if I can find it and let you know!”

“I'll pitch in to get Nigal to RayJay camp, but only if he promises a full and complete trip report.”

“I'll take my 12 pound Eureka tent, all cooked food, wear my poncho, heavy hiking boots, an 8 pound pack, brush my teeth with tooth paste [GASP!], kill bugs and small creatures for no reason but to watch them die, and sit in the back of the class making fart noises. I bet he blows before I do!”

“Depends upon your definition of "blow" lol.”

“I still see he claims he invented 'friend'.

Go to any climbing museum and see early versions of the device that were made before he was born.

What's next? He'll claim he invented air?”

“I'll send in my $25, but I want a full trip report with pictures! Nigal, make sure you pack a few cans of chili or pork and beans! And remember to take your whole toothbrush.”

“heck take a battery operated one...”

“...and a cast iron skillet...”

“Trekking poles! How could I forget the trekking poles? And leather! Lots and lots of leather!”