Official NCLR Oregon Discovery Trail '08 Thread

[PCRover]

Thanks Ron, that is all great information and very useful for preparing for future trips.

Do you have the newer TentCot with the domed top, or the original with the flat top?

[esteban]

Awesome pics guys! This sounds and looks like a great trip! I actually got the wife to look at some of the pics and I think I convinced her to go next year....

Steve

[RON CT110]

No problem Gary; glad to share any info re: my exp with the tent cot.

To answer your question, I have the original model; nice to see the new domed top model with the extra legs so you can exit on the sides.

I would have purchased the new domed model, but wasn't avail to me at that time.

Get the rain fly option to make it a 3 seasons tent-cot!

For now, I will keep my original tent-cot till it falls apart; then I will want to get the new domed model. So far so good after almost 2 years of good use, no quality issues thus far. My tent cot has been to Oregon twice (last year's hot/dusty weather, and this year's snow/rain), Pismo once, Mojave, Shaver Lake, etc...

Ron


Thanks Ron, that is all great information and very useful for preparing for future trips.

Do you have the newer TentCot with the domed top, or the original with the flat top?

[LCPDX]

My first experience was using a small 2 man tent with fly, Metolius pad and 3 season Marmot down bag with an optional Australian silk liner. This setup is not warm enough for 3 seasons and is hard on the back at 46 years young so.....I purchased an inexpenisve ($40.00) HI TECH brand holofill bag and a fold up cott and a larger 3 man domed Coleman tent. The tent and bag were bought at Big 5 and the cott at a Pacific NW sporting goods store. (GI JOES).

Completely different/better sleeping experience. Erect the tent, setup the cott in the tent and set the pad and bag on top of the cott. Getting up and off the ground not only keeps me warmer, it makes getting out of bed in the middle of night heaps easier.

The down sides to this arrangement are packing up the bag, pad, cott and then tent plus the tarp that goes under the tent. Also, the tarp gets nasty if the weather is inclement.

Have yet to experience roof top tents but bonuses look like easier/faster time to break camp and no mud/messy tarps to contend with. Also, might need to keep a piss bottle in the roof top tent instead of climbing down in the middle of the night. Oh, I also like the idea of having all your sleeping equipt. up and out of the vehicle. You don't have to lift it off the roof everynight nor remove it out of the back of the rig. If you can simply climb up the ladder, open up your tent and thats it, seems like a pretty slick system. Next up on the list for expedition camping is roof top tent and hand held HAM radio.

Tim


I used my trusty 3 season North Face 2 man tent. Perfect size for one person and gear. Held up to the rain and snow perfectly and the full fly helps keep the heat in. Self inflating mat and a 0 degree Synthetic bag kept me warm and cosy.
My tent goes up and down really easily, but I did lust after the roof top tent on Brian and Nancy's G4.

[PCRover]

Thanks or your excellent explanation of your sleeping arrangements. I have used that exact setup and it works well yet is labor intensive to setup and take down. The RTT is tough to beat and there are models now that are not to horribly expensive and used ones pop up now and then for decent prices.

[HMBRover]

The downside of a RTT is that if you are camping in the same location for several nights, you still have to pack up the tent in order to move the vehicle. With a tent cot you could leave it and go wheeling without doing much packing.

We are still learning about our RTT. It performed well in Oregon but we're still unsure how to deal with (1) all the noise the wind makes blowing the rain fly and other stuff around and (2) how wet it will get with several days of rainy weather without an opportunity to dry things out. We'll probably find out during our Alaska trip. :D

And yes, the "personal potty" accessible from the roof is a must!

[LandRoverRo]

...of Dan and Carlos enjoying themselves. Lucky there's no smell to go with this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP9a0rNSj3Q

(You might have to copy and paste.)

[RBBailey]

Yeah! That's nice Ro!

By the way, I'm done with school and freed up a bit. If any of you want HD versions of any of the photos, I can get them to you via email. Just let me know.

Also, I'm going to do a write up on my blog in the next day or two.

[RBBailey]

Had I continued on the expedition with ya'll, I would have missed out on a exciting high speed romp over double track, fording deep water holes & nearly catching air in a 4800 lb vehicle!

Here are some pics:
http://s157.photobucket.com/albums/t59/lcpdx/NCLRC%20Oregon%202008/?albumview=slideshow&direction=reverse


Ya, for those of you who don't know. Tim and I headed directly north from the gas station where we left you. We ended up in the back roads that only the farmers use to get to their way-out fields, and the roads built for powerlines. We ran into one dead-end, and had to backtrack about 1.5 miles, but it was all flat, all smooth and sandy, lots of puddles, and we drove about 15 miles at 20-45 MPH. Lots of roller coaster fun. We ended up at Ft. Rock, and then went to Hole in the Ground on the way back.

[LandRoverRo]

OK, finally got my stuff together and worked out how to get my photos onto a sharing site:

http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk160/ROVA-PHOTO/Oregon%20Backcountry%20Route%202008/

This is all new to me so I hope this works.

Anyone heard from David?

[RON CT110]

Nice photos Ro! I like the talking rock! :D

Have not heard from David; he's probably busy e.g. search and rescue class...

We have a NCLR club board meeting today - hope to see him today and catch up! If we don't hear from him by the end of the month, let's send the search and rescue team! Hope all is well w/David :) C yah!

[RBBailey]

Ya, good pics.

Dan, could you point me in the direction of the tent you had? One of these days I want to pick up something like that.

[LandRoverRo]

Nice photos Ro! I like the talking rock! :D


The kids and I were playing around with the photo editing software on Photobucket. I completely forgot that would show up in the album. funny. Aida's nose and mouth aren't usually that big. Couldn't work out how to flip the bubble so it's a rock talking. Oh well.

R.

[TigerDan]

Ben, this is the one I got and the place I got it from, but they don't seem to be carrying it anymore:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/322,88166_Apex-Technologies-Tent-Quick-Pitch-.html

I originally found it while searching for "60-second tents". Here's a different one on e-bay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/TENT-DOME-CAMPTOWN-BJ412-ADULT-SIXTY-SECOND-INSTANT-UP_W0QQitemZ290238687549QQcmdZViewItem?IMSfp=TL080 614157r25338

...and some other possibilities:

http://www.firecache.com/products.asp?dept=43

[HMBRover]

You might also try www.campmor.com . They have one made by Eureka advertised in their latest print catalog.

[N2RVRS]

Nice photos Ro, nice to see your posting, it just reminded me the great time in Oregon

[RBBailey]

New image edited -- maybe over edited!

Take a look: My Blog (http://classicrover.blogspot.com/)

Hey guys, Ro and his family are getting close to moving out of the country, back Down Under, I'm sure he would appreciate a last send-off email from each of us.

It will be nice to be able to keep in touch with him though.

[RON CT110]

Great blog!

Ditto on send-off email to Ro and his family!

I will send him a PM from here and hope he checks his msgs; or if you can PM me his email, I can send my well wishes directly!

Agree; would be great to be able to keep in touch with him thru this forum or email!

Keep us posted; hope Ro post here before leaving!

Cheers!


Hey guys, Ro and his family are getting close to moving out of the country, back Down Under, I'm sure he would appreciate a last send-off email from each of us.

It will be nice to be able to keep in touch with him though.

[LandRoverRo]

New image edited -- maybe over edited!

Take a look: My Blog (http://classicrover.blogspot.com/)

Hey guys, Ro and his family are getting close to moving out of the country, back Down Under, I'm sure he would appreciate a last send-off email from each of us.

It will be nice to be able to keep in touch with him though.

Thanks very much Ben. Yes, of course I would dearly love to stay in touch with everyone. Although my trip was cut short, I still had a wonderful time. This trip will be remembered for a long, long time to come, and the friendships will be remembered always.

I finished work last Friday and today we're off on a road trip up through Glacier NP into Canada. We fly out of the country on September 2nd.

We have an open-door policy so if any of you are ever planning a trip Downunder, drop me a line and we'll meet up somewhere in the Outback, on a beach, or in a rainforest.
My email is: rovarwe@hotmail.com

Thanks again, take care, and see you all again I hope somewhere, sometime.

Rohan.

[TigerDan]

Good to hear from you, Ro! Really enjoyed meeting you and the kids, wish we could have wheeled together a bit more. I enjoyed following you on trail and watching the SIII in action...and I can still smell the french fries! Hope to see you all again soon.