JetBoil Flash stove in action on Toyotie’s tailgate. The yellow swoops on the side of the cup cozy change color as the water inside the cup reaches temperature.

For better or worse, being a gear geek comes naturally to me. In fact, it’s not just a hobby, it’s part of my day job. So with all these observations swirling around inside my skull, I figured I should get them written down. I’ve previously done the odd gear report or review here and there, but my intention is to add these posts more regularly after most (but perhaps not all) trips we do.

I’ve added a new Gear category to the blog, which I will use going forward.

This time around I’ll be covering some of the gear we used during our recent four-day Mountain Rendezvous 2014 Road Trip. This was essentially a “car camping” trip, although most of the gear I’ll be discussing is also suitable (and often designed for) backpacking.

Without further ado, here’s the gear in question:

• Camp Chef Everest stove and Manchester 5lb propane tank
• Snow Peak Giga Power Auto stove
• JetBoil Flash stove
• GSI Java Mill
• Big Agnes Insulated Air Core sleeping pad
• REI 3.5″ sleeping pad
• The North Face Dolomite double sleeping bag
• Various Goal Zero gear
• Kuhl Kontra Air pants
• Marmot Limelight 3P tent
• Adventure Tool Company map case

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The feral howl that shattered my deep slumber was very loud, and also very close. Definitely a coyote, and it was clearly a challenge call. No doubt everyone in camp – and every dog present – had heard it, unless they were remarkably deep sleepers. The howls didn’t last long though, and I soon rolled over and fell right back asleep.

Last year in camp it had been the whole pack of the local coyotes that had taken up the early howling, but it was just the solo critter this time around. Later, a few of us conjectured that it may have been playing the role of lure, a common coyote pack tactic. One coyote will play that role to try and convince a dog to come out after it, while the rest of the pack lies in ambush, waiting for the unsuspecting victim. Fortunately, the pets at Mountain Rendezvous either know better or they’re tied up.

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Upon rolling into the Mountain Rendezvous 2014 event at Camp Tahquitz, we were greeted and checked in by Stuart. He reiterated some of the event information and gave us our welcome papers. which included a ticket for an event t-shirt and a raffle ticket. I looked forward to another cool American Adventurist Rendezvous t-shirt, and hoped that my raffle number would get called her for a change. It’s gotten skunked at both the MR12 and MR13 raffles.

After signing in, I was pleased to see that the spot where I had planned to set up was still available. Ha, no Plan B needed this time! Maybe my luck was changing and that raffle ticket would be a winner too…

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Early on the second morning of our trip, we slowly stirred in our tent. I heard an occasional vehicle roll past out on the main trail, probably residents from the small cluster of homes just down the trail from us. The morning weather was cool but not cold, and it smelled of the wonderful, fresh mountain air and pines.

Overnight I’d heard something crunching along in the woods across the trail and down the hill from us. It might of been a deer but it sounded heavier, perhaps a bear? It was too far away for even my bright headlamp to illuminate, so I guess I’ll never know. It did take me a little longer to get back to sleep after that late night pee break though!

We otherwise had a peaceful night since arriving the previous evening, camping in the same spot as I had the previous year.

We crawled out of the cozy sleeping bag » Continue Reading