Starting to acquire camping gear

[gPink]

Jim, have you seasoned that coffee pot yet?

[VirginiaJim]

It's enameled.  What do you need to do to 'season' it?  I did wash it out first, though.

[gPink]

Not really, just been so long since I've perked a pot of coffee I'd have to do a test run. Check equipment before you need it sort of thing. Hate to wake up in the morning with no power, lights, or water and have to stumble through confusion before coffee. I'm not good before coffee. When I get up at 3:30, I'll run a cup through the SO's one-cup machine so I can function well enough to start a pot in the dripmaker.

[VirginiaJim]

    Not any moving parts that I can see.  I've got it loaded with coffee and water so all I have to do is put it on the stove.  Then I just have to watch it, I guess.  How do you know when it's done?  The water in the glass thingy in the top turns coffee colored?

[gPink]

Quits perking?

[VirginiaJim]

Why would it stop if it's being heated?  Hot water rises, goes down through the coffee and is picked up again.  I would think that it would continue to perc as long as heat is applied.  Course I'm not scientist and haven't stayed in a Holiday Inn Express lately.

[stevewfl]

Where i camp all the gear is usually provided 

Examples:

[gPink]

The science behind the magic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_percolator

After the percolator is placed on the heat source (such as a range or stove), the temperature rises until the water in the bottom chamber boils. While some models may have a one-way valve at the bottom of the tube which forces some of the boiling water up the tube, most operate on the simple principle that the rising bubbles will force the liquid up the tube. The hot water is distributed at the top over the perforated lid of the coffee chamber. This water then seeps through the coffee grounds and leaves the coffee chamber through the bottom, dropping back into the lower half of the pot. The rest of the colder water at the bottom is meanwhile also forced up the tube, causing this whole cycle to repeat continually.
 
As the brew continually seeps through the grounds, the overall temperature of the liquid approaches boiling point, at which stage the "perking" action (the characteristic spurting sound the pot makes) stops, and the coffee is ready for drinking. In a manual percolator it is important to remove or reduce the heat at this point (keeping in mind the adage "Coffee boiled is coffee spoiled"). Brewed coffee left on high heat for too long will acquire a bitter taste.

[VirginiaJim]

Thanks!  Just so you know, I usually camp at Hilton properties.  Hence the questions. 

[stevewfl]

Thanks!  Just so you know, I usually camp at Hilton properties.  Hence the questions.

Hilton works for me too, only reason I prefer an "if available Marriott property" is my rewards frequent flier miles is through them 

[Miss Silvera]

Back to topic...

Jeremy, something else I have found as a must have is a collapsable (sp?) sink.  You can find them made out of nylon and heavy canvas.  I prefer the nylon as it will fold down easily and very packable.   Is a plus for adding in hot water for "bird bathing", face washing, or even to wash some small dishes if you need to when a  sink or shower isn't available.

 Over night you can get a mesh bag to hang up with your wet dishes and stuff and pack your stuff in at other times. 

 Packable towels are nice because they don't take a lot of room, but they are funky feeling to me....I prefer a regular towel .....just have to wash it and dry it as needed.

[connie1]

My wife and I took a two week trip to Alaska  twenty years ago and packed the 30-06 behind the seat of the Grand-Am.  Slept with it in the tent also. Crossing into Alaska was a breeze but coming back to Canada was a little more difficult.  They were more interested in whether I bought it while in Alaska than anything (trying to charge duty).

These days with our _____ gun laws, that would be out of the question without a lot of paperwork, but it might be doable.

We are allowed short shotguns as long as they are factory.  A 12 with OO would go a long way towards not being eaten by a bear and still able to be carried on the bike (rolled up in the tent bag perhaps).
A little research into paperwork needed might be all it takes.

I was also very excited to take my new propane lantern and then realized that the sun hardly makes it below the horizon during the summer.  We were reading in the sunshine a 2 am on June 21 at Dawson City.  Could've used that room for something else.