Kaylee about to emulate a Wood Duckling :)

[Kaylee]

Ordered two types, just before Launch, but have not yet experimented with 'em.
Nothing like a live fire test!

[Snikwahjm]

I’ve been thinking real hard how I want to make window screens... after my arm had 6 bites it is getting time to do it.

[MN C Van]

LoL.
I feel your pain!

[Kaylee]

It's been a busy & exhausting few days (way too much schlepping & driving), with some promising test results and one major Noise Hell.

I got to my storage unit after dark Thursday, so crashed there for the night (didn't want to mess with bugs while I unloaded & swapped stuff).

Got to the campground around 8-ish this morning and...

• successfully set up the StraightTalk hotspot (after some head-banging)
  
• caught up on email & did some quick Analysis Work (for my main Volunteer job - email security)
  
• carefully repacked the car (switched from driving to living loadout)
  
• deployed bug netting
  
• used the Suaoki's inverter (have not yet bought the dedicated cords - wee steps) to recharge my laptop (had been suspended for almost two days, so by then was at 20%)
  

Had to wait until after the AC port recharge before I could play with the solar panels (a limitation mentioned in my solar help thread).
Deployed the 60W solar panels flat on my roof to recharge the Suaoki 150 kW-hour battery-gizmo (was at or below 80%), checked it after about two hours, and it was full!
That was considerably better than I was expecting (it was mixed cloudy all day), and in and of itself reassures me that the power issue is under control (yeah, I'll want more, but I can limp by for now).

The bug netting worked fine, too.
I took lots of pictures, and will post them in about a week or two.
Snikwahjm: I feel yer pain! I'll post a review in my bug question thread.

I spent part of the day experimenting, the rest inside working on my laptop.
Lighting and Screen glare is definitely an issue, and needs more work.
I also need to trim down a bunch of excess stuff (mostly "open" food that I didn't want to waste and redundant stuff that I'm experimenting with).


So far, there's been only one major problem.
The campground reviews all emphasized how quiet and all but empty it was.
For me, neither was true.

When I arrived, there were already two groups.
Early pm, a third, very "boisterous" multi-vehicle group arrived. Around 3pm, they started chainsawing. Major Brain Crash for me.
After about half an hour, I punched out, which required repacking the car.
At one point, I slipped badly, and fell on my good knee & hit my nose and other soft bits.

Scouted down the road, and found a potential site about a mile away.
Drove to the Ranger station, to verify that was ok (hey, it's my first time), which she did. I stammered out about the chainsawing, she looked confused, paused, and asked if they were doing it in the campground. I said yes.
Not sure whether anything will come of that. The office had just closed for the day, and it was just a fluke that I spotted her.

Now I don't have a toilet, but will probably drive there for my daily #2.
It's also frustrating that my carefully repacked loadout had to be nuked, so it's semi chaotic again.
I suspect all of them are weekenders, so will relocate there if they're all gone Monday.

On a bright note, that means I really am a Big Gal Boondocker now... or at least I will be after my first toilet adventure.
Bonus: much fewer bugs where I am now.

Also had some nice warblers this morning. Warblers are both pretty wee birds... and eat bugs.

[MN C Van]

You're still in 'sconie? Stay away from pay sites, and more developed sites as you've found.

Get a 5 gal bucket, some bags and a luggable loo. Not a big deal after your you get used to it. The 5 gallon can have other uses, perch for stove, step ladder so you can really break stuff when you fall off.

Operating in a car is always going to be a challenge; cell reception and popularity of a site is a perfect example of negative correlation! You can always find a perfect site with no reception; if you have great reception, there's bound to be a giant bash occurring next door!

You might do well to unbolt passenger's seat and throw it in your storage shed.

[Cammalu]

Kaylee I have a nice spot for you to camp should you decide to travel through Kentucky. On an acre pond. Free . I have your tiny birds nesting close by. Lots of wildlife. Lots of bluegill and bass that will follow you around the pond begging. Even a couple of snapping turtles that will come in to check you out.


I took out the cowbird eggs...


A small portion of the night crew



I don’t have hookups back there YET but have water at the house.

I need a visitor so I can take a break from mowing

[Snikwahjm]

Cammilu does have a nice spot. She feeds everything. We stopped by, chatted a bit, othen decided to go home and work on our rig some more. It was miserable with a dark sun absorbing roof... it now has a white roof, solar and a FAN!!!

[Cammalu]

It was great to meet Snik and hubby. I really enjoyed their stay.

[Kaylee]

Thanks a ton everyone for all the kind words & moral support (in Tick thread too)!

Just a very quick update:
After that first night, decided to pop down to my storage unit (near Eagle River WI), and it finally dawned on me that it's surrounded by NFS land, so all-by-my-lonesome I decided to check out a snowmobile trail, and found a new spot. Was going fine, until the ticks went all Dalek on me.
At least I've learnt a bunch.

Unexpectedly, a recruiter contacted me about a very interesting yet easy sounding contract on the East Coast.
It'll be a few days before I find out if I get it, so I'm temporarily hanging out at highway Rest Stops (after my two days of hot running water ).
I think I'll "cheat" and pay for an indie motel for a couple of days, starting Sunday, purely so I can prep for the interview and have a place to do the phone call(s).
If I do that, I'll download all pics from my (very old) camera, and post some pics & forum stuff.

If that gig falls thru, then I'll head to the mountains or desert.
Thanks for all the great advice!

P.S. Cammalu you're awesome!!!

[Cammalu]

Hope you get the gig Kaylee. We want updates.