I leave tomorrow to head for the Cuyahoga Valley section of the Buckeye Trail in Ohio. (and surrounding area). Marie is already on her way, making stops to visit relatives.
We decided to take the trailer. This will certainly be a new camping experience for us. The long range forecast shows a lot of rain in that area. Not necessarily constant, but a good chance of wetting things nearly every day. And since the affordable campground we found has electric hookups with sites close together, it seemed like the right choice to take advantage of the trailer to stay drier, have privacy and use the electricity.
By contrast, last year, we found a completely private site where no one came through all week except a ranger one time. It only rained a couple of nights. The tent was fine. I like to think this change doesn't mean I'm getting soft, but since I HAVE the trailer, why not use it?
This will also give us a good chance to spend enough time in the trailer to actually plan how I want to change the inside. I have a good feel for things I don't like, but no real plan for how to make it the way I would like.
Anyway, here's the last curtain done and the bed made. Cute enough for this time.
And, once again I trashed the living room getting all the gear sorted and ready. I'm really good at this part. (The stove unit in the back is the huge one I removed from the trailer. It will be sold.)
Last year, we ate out very little, but fixed fast hot meals in camp that I organized ahead of time so they would be quick. It takes a lot of time to spot the cars each day, so unless we eat out the food needs to be quick prep or we are too tired and the bugs too thick to pull it off. But it's a lot cheaper.
I did the same this year. Marie is bringing the breakfasts, but I did the cold meals (lunch while hiking), morning snacks, and hot meals.
Here are the hot meals.
This is different from backpacking food, although some people say I'm just as obsessive.
Very little is dehydrated. But, except for a couple of things we will use early, it's all shelf-stable (trying to stay away from over-processed ick). For example, one meal is tuna skillet and cheese crackers with cucumber salad. The tuna and milk are canned, the macaroni is in a package, and the other ingredients baggied together. The salad is made ahead and will be in the cooler, but it keeps well. So all I have to do is cook the macaroni, open the tuna and milk (yes I remembered the can opener), and mix together. Dinner ready in 15 minutes.
Each is in a marked bag. Pull a bag, read the tag. If it's the one you want, you've got everything either right there or in the cooler.
The snacks are bagged by day and marked too. When we base camp and day hike our lunches are peanut butter and cheese with crackers (or sometimes some special deli chip with salsa). Last year, we experimented with keeping finger food veggies in the cooler and packing some of those every day. It worked great, tasted wonderful on hot days, and we are veggie hounds! We'll do that again. Add an apple each, and a tiny dessert- Reissen candies travel well, or a cookie, or a granola bar to split, and that is lunch.
When backpacking, we usually had an afternoon snack too, but haven't really wanted one when day hiking. We carry a couple extra things in case someone gets a snack attack.
I leave tomorrow afternoon. I'm almost ready. It's a good thing, because after I woke up today I realized I had a migraine headache. Only the third one I've ever had, but today was not a day I was able to race around doing big projects. I finished a few things slowly, and am feeling some better now although I still am nauseous when I move.
Shouldn't have any trouble leaving on time (I know... don't faint). I'm spending tomorrow night with Chuck and Sylvia, and then heading for Ohio from their place on Monday morning.
