New guy, ready for a scortch

“Ok, hopefully I don't need to walk through fire, just a general introduction and a little gear talk. It has been hard finding people that share my interest to the same depths, so I was glad to find this board. I've stalked for a little while, I like the overall crowd here, so time to come out of the (gear) closet.

My experience? Several trips over the years from 8-18, then almost none for the next 10. Finally decided to jump back in with both feet about 4 years ago and never looked back. I actually go a little crazy now if I don't get out on the trail regularly - I'm even ready to start winter camping to stop my mid-winter withdrawl. Yes, I'm addicted. To the gear and to the actual experience of being out under the stars.

In recent years I have really gotten into the ultralight philosophy. For a 2-nighter cold-weather trip (late Fall, early Spring) I have gone from 45 lbs total four years ago to 24 lbs total on my trip last weekend. Soon to be 22 lbs total when I order yet another, lighter tent in a week or two. Gear ho? Yup. Four shelters, four packs, three pads, two bags... and a partridge in a pear tree. And lately if it ain't light, I ain't buyin' (or makin').

My latest favorites: just got a Golite Team pack; soon to get an Arapaho tent from trailquest.net (she's a real-life gram freak hiker, love her stuff), and I'll never give up the Pepsi can stove I built a few years ago.

See you around the board.”

“What part of the country are you in?”

“Get ready for a troll bashing like you've never seen before from the children! LOL!

Welcome!”

“When you comin out on a trip?

Troll”

“Baltimore, MD area. I selected my state when I signed up, for some reason it didn't take. Just did it again.

Troll-bash away! :-)”

“TROLL!”

“Well he did fill out his profile and he has posted more than once.

Hey, sign up for the Ithaca Car Camping Trip in July”

“Yeah, meet some of them crazy ones! Wait I'm signed up on that trip. OK meet some of us crazy ones!

What are your tents and bags?”

“This guy sound a lot like me. I started at 42 pounds, gout down to 20.”

“And here I thought this was gonna be a thread about some poor young schmuck tryin' to get a date with Scortchfire, LOL.”

“I thought that when I saw this thread, too FG.”

“yeah that gout can really put a hurtin on your pack weight”

“Hey HOI, how's it going?”

“can i have his spleen?”

“Welcome, techntrek.

FG, I thought the same thing.”

“You got a spleen pocket on your pack, strat???”

“"And here I thought this was gonna be a thread about some poor young schmuck tryin' to get a date with Scortchfire, LOL."
Father Goose
12:18:24 PM
03/12/0

Me too!!!!!...LOl......

welcome!!!!!”

“I'll certainly sign up for a trip or two soon - although I don't see much near me right now. May need to start my own trip.

Tango: Hmm. Tents include a 3-person no-name dome circa 1990. I think the poles are made of lead, haven't weighed it but should; probably 6 or 7 lbs. Eureka Zeus Exo 2-person, which I love (under 4 lbs). 6-ounce silnylon 5x8 tarp, which I haven't gotten the guts to use as my sole shelter yet but will try this summer. Until then it works great when it is raining as a huge vestibule to cook and hang under either in camp or over the lunch break. My next tent will be the one I mentioned in my first post - 1.75 lbs silnylon tarp/tent. Bags include a no-name car-camping lead brick, I don't remember the brand of my summer (40F) bag. Winter (20F) bag is an REI Sub Kilo @ 2 lbs. Also use a silk liner either as a liner in winter or by itself in summer.

Wounded Knee: combination bad ankles, brand new bad back, and just plain tired of being tired in camp made the decision easy. Plus I got a new hobby-within-a-hobby (bonus). Now I can spend my time off the trail obsessing over what to buy or make next. My wife can't complain, she has her own hobby that she obsesses over, too!”

“Yeah, I thought it was the return of Batman Luke with a new name!”

“Don't think my wife would like that! Heh. We both love to window shop, we just have rights to murder/slash/maim/whip if we try the shoes on.

I think I'll keep my toes in my own shoes.”

“Wear protectison.”

“I thought these folks took up a collection to get you to take her out.”

“nuttin like a good spleen pocket, FG.....heh heh”

“techntrek, the wolfgap trip next weekend is not far for you. marko lives in the baltimore area also.”

“What is a scortch?”

“New brand of Scotch Crazy Mike likes to drink.”

“LMAO @ WoundedKnee!



Did you all read Matt's post yesterday (or was it the day before) about calling everyone a troll????”

“Oh and watch out for Smiley Girl...she's trouble with a capitol "T"!”

“Welcome!

I live in Towson.

Take a look at the Trips Page.

There is a trip to Wolf Gap WVa next weekend.”

“Thanks, Nigal!! :)”

“I thought it was "New guy, ready for a crotch" in which case I was going to introduce him to Nigal.”

“Welcome.

Watch out for smiley girl - she's a troll.”

“Hey! Shut it, string man! :)”

“Tango - legs are still bothering me some and I am a bit depressed at being back at work instead of out but ... time to plan my next week off (I get six per year)”

“Is the Sierra Club a terrorist organization?”

“MarkO: seriously considering the trip next weekend, there is a good chance I can make it. As for the Sierra Club, we are only terrorist against Bush.”

“you can come on the trip to Shenandoah trip April 10th. We're ascending Old Rag and then camping somewhere nearby. It's going to be a good trip. Bison is the coordinator. Sign up.”

“Techntrek, I get Backpacker Magazine and because of that, I keep getting requests to join the Sierra Club to defeat Bush. Since I made a donations to Bush-Cheney 04, Inc, I also get requests for more political donations to the Bush campaign. As a firm believer in recycling, I send the Bush literature to the Sierra Club in their envelope, and my checks to Bush Cheney 04, Inc. in their envelope.

As a member of the Sierra Club, how does your organization keep its tax exempt status with such blatant political activity?”

“the same way unions take the dues of members, no matter what the members believe, and give it all to the dems.”

“God, you neo-cons are a riot. How about corporations giving to the GOP when some of their shareholders are Dems? Same exact thing, funny how you types never complain about that! Or what about politicking by conservative Christian churches? I'll bet they'll love to hear that persecutor et al want to remove their tax exempt status for talking politics! And the money given to the Sierra Club's political wing is NOT tax exempt, so get your facts straight, persecutor. And for you to snidely semi-imply that they get some sort of special deal, when the American Nazi Party controls the white house and the house of representatives, is just crazy.”

“You're a one trick pony, and a lame one at that.”

“Slugman, your one trick pony does not reflect current reality. A new campaign-finance law limits the parties from accepting donations from wealthy individuals, corporations and labor unions because they are seen as a potential source of corruption. Republicans can get smaller donations from individuals because most people believe in the principles of the Republican party. The loss of unlimited contributions hits the Democrats hardest. But the Democrats have hit back by forming up new groups to evade the campaign financing laws to collect soft money. Most of the new groups are closely linked to Democrats. They have been established by former party operatives, labor union leaders and advocates for issues.
The explosive growth in these has come mostly, but not exclusively, on the Democratic side. At least a dozen have been created since the campaign-finance law took effect 14 months ago. The list of their organizers and officers is dominated by party and labor union alumni.”

“you guys have ruined a perfectly good thread.

Now what do you have to say for yourselves!!!”

“Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa

I should be flogged for starting this conflict.

I was just jivin', y'all!!!

techntrek, welcome to the nut shack!

The Wolf Gap area is nice, hope the weather is as nice as this weekend.”

“So why is the Republican party awash in corporate blood money to the tune of 100's of millions of dollars, if they're so pure? Get a life, persecutor. Stickmanwalking, you are a nitwit. I see you don't even try to refute my arguments.”

“Hey, I figured mentioning Bush would start a political firestorm. While I am severely against Bush (bad environmental, economic, education policies plus very poor treatment of the same feds that supposedly work for him), I am actually not very politically minded. I love a lot of things, but I hate talking politics.

Saw that Shendandoah trip - would love to go on that one, too, but since I may now be going on the 2-nighter next weekend, plus just got one night out last weekend, and I am committed to a 2-nighter (Sierra trip) at the end of May, yet another trip so early in the season may be pushing it. Don't want the kids looking at me one day and saying - who are you, and why do you always really smell?

Gotta love trail stink.”

“Welcome techntrek. Glad to see some new blood here on TT.”

“Stickmanwalking, you are a nitwit. I see you don't even try to refute my arguments."
Slugman
09:33:10 AM
03/13/04

I can't refute something that doesn't exist.
Your "argument" consists of calling republicans the "American Nazi Party." If I'm going to argue, it will be with someone with intelligence, like Phaed or Violin.

And welcome Technotrek. Don't mind me and the slug. I'm a nice guy, I just get tired of hearing the same ole song and dance. Remember the words of a wise man (named Geobeet): Take only pictures, leave only gear I can use.”

“i wasn't sure what to expect with this thread lol”

“Ah, stickmanwalking, typical neo-con liar. I had a very valid argument: that prosecutor lied when he claimed that the Sierra Club's political activities are tax-exempt. I notice you both try like hell to change the subject and deny your dishonesty. I made several other points as well, relating to republican hypocrisy. It's persecutor, you, and all other neo-cons who are one-trick ponies: lie, lie, and more lies. Good thing you're about to be consigned to the scrap heap of history.

techntrek, welcome. It's too bad the notoriously dishonest persecutor had to divert your thread with slanderous attacks upon your fine organization that you support. Typical neo-con tactic: attack someone using underhanded lies, then slam anyone who protests. Sorry you had to witness that on your "welcome" thread.”