Camping on Lake Verret

[Kayak Jack]

Lookee that UP Cajun showing off his 'spensive equipment there. Him n Joey are in a "cheap race" - which one can do it the cheapest?

Coupla nuts to camp with. When they were shooting, at least Keith gave me a short, running start before he started pumping up his pellet gun.

 

[islandpiper]

Jack, jdupre' wins the cheap race any day, and that is commendable. He is as "thrifty" as my Dad was, and probably your Dad and all the other geezers' Dads. Thrifty used to be an honorable way of life, and now the Goodwill or the landfill gets everything that folks buy to fill the closet till the new color, or fashion or style comes out.

The NEWS is troubling these days and i personally think that guys like us on this forum will survive the coming economic conditions, and the ones who can't repair, can't create and can't adapt will not.

As for our cheap little stoves, anybody can make them and there will be lots of cans left for a long time. The trouble is the fuel. That will be harder to find in any sort of turmoil. It is a good idea, IMHO, to have a twig stove or be able to make one quickly. Here in the Hurricane zone we know about the lines being down for extended periods and when gas is virtually impossible to get, you can't run the generator to run the coffee maker.

And COFFEE is NECESSARY!!
piper

 

[Steve]

. . .And COFFEE is NECESSARY!!
piper

Amen, Brother, AMEN

 

[jdupre']

Making instead of buying stuff is at least partly because I'm cheap. I mostly enjoy the challenge, though. Coaxing good performing equipment out of simple materials is really satisfying. Making cheap stuff that doesn't work doesn't do it for me. A lot of it has to do with getting more bang for my buck. Faced with the choice of spending $700.00 for first quality wood, epoxy, glass and varnish, almost $300.00 for a good hammock and rain fly, and all of the other things that add up to big dollars, I might have hesitated getting into this wonderful pastime. Might not have met all the great guys on this forum, enjoyed a couple of great Rendezvous's or enjoyed a Great Pirogue Expedition.

Yep, being a bit frugal has really paid off.


Joey

PS: I look at it this way. If Tx river rat had chosen to build with only the best materials, we would probably not have been treated to all his wonderful creations. He might have stopped after the first one. I for one am glad he took the route he did.

 

[islandpiper]

joey, i sometimes feel that way about myself. I was made from decent materials but there may have been a couple little design flaws in there someplace. Some of the smaller bits are wearing out, like bearings and hydraulics.

I agree, though, with the challenge and DOWNRIGHT FUN of making something from nothing.

piper