Locksmith Trailer Locks

 I decided to put this here because I have a trailer I use for camping with the scouts.  Earlier tonight, I needed to move the trailer and realized I had lost the keys to the trailer coupler lock.  It was a masterlock trailer coupler lock that looked like this:

With a single search on YouTube, I found a video that showed how to bypass this lock in 10 seconds.  My lock was pretty tight so i had to use a maul to get the prybar in the right place- so it actually took me almost 30 seconds to get this lock off!  You read that right- in less than 30 seconds i was able to entirely remove the lock from my trailer without the key using nothing more than a prybar.

ref: Common MasterLock trailer lock EASILY defeated - YouTube

LESSON TO BE LEARNED:  I can't even call this lock a deterrent to honest people much less to thieves. 

:-(

Bois D'Arc Trailhead Campground - Caddo National Grasslands

Coffee Mill Lake campground - Caddo National Grassland

 

So for the last 10 years, i had the Vertex 4 in storage inside a Rubbermaid container.  I took it out about 2 weeks ago for a camping trip with my youngest son who is now in scouts, and I was disappointed to learn that the clear plastic windows had become brittle and cracked.  Exploring my options, I discovered the warranty page of Alps Mountaineering at https://www.alpsbrands.com/alpsmountaineering/warranty 

I decided to take a swing and see if my expectations would in fact be exceeded.  Rather than tell the story through a skewed view point, I'll simply share the conversation:

MY ORIGINAL EMAIL:

VENDOR REPLY

MY ANSWER TO THE VENDOR

AND THEIR ANSWER BACK TO ME

So here's my conclusion of the matter, like i said to the vendor, i suspected it was a long shot when i asked for the RMA... and to be clear, i do NOT have proof of purchase that the warranty says is required.  However, the vendor reply left me with no confidence this vendor would warranty their products as implied- and i found them entirely too eager to embrace excuses why they would not honor the warranty.

 Bottom line, they still make a good product at a good price so I'll still give them repeat business- but I am sorely disappointed in the customer service and will state with zero ambiguity that Alps Mountaineering DID NOT exceed my expectations when given the opportunity.

Prepping for a backpacking trip with friends

LET'S ROLL!!!!

Almost a year ago, I switched employers- but I still remain in contact with some of the friends I made while at my former employer.  Last week (shortly after Thanksgiving), we were talking and decided we should take a group backpacking trip.  After some short exchanges, I think we opted to hike the Ouachita Trail from Talimena State Park to Queen Wilhelmena State Park- a distance of 51 miles by trail- and we'll go in the spring.

To be entirely candid, I am in the worst physical shape of all of us, but I really want to get into better shape again, and preparing for this trip will FORCE me to do so.  My friends, while in much better physical shape than me, don't have as much outdoor experience and wanted me to join them to help ensure a positive and enjoyable experience.  It was a win-win scenario so I'm excited about the idea.  In fact, they have me so excited now, I'm going to make this trip in the spring even if I have to go solo (which I'm certain I won't). 

So this entry, and some of the future entries to come, will be to help my friends prepare for the trip so we have the best possible experience.  For this first entry, with Christmas coming, I want to make a list of gear they should ask for Christmas.

BACKPACK

The first thing you'll need for a backpacking trip is... a backpack!  No surprise there.  You'll have an overwhelming sense of choices.  Here are some things to consider:

• Internal vs External - what type of frame to get
• Internals are going to ride closer to your body and move with you easier.  You are less likely to get off balance with an internal frame.  That said, internal frames ride closer to your body and are therefore hotter because there is less air circulation between you and the backpack.  Additionally, internal packs generally tend to want nearly everything on the inside of the pack... great for protecting stuff, but it's a pain when you want to get to it later.
• External frames are better suited for heavier loads.  They work fine for established trails.  Because the design of external frames transfers weight through the frame, more weight is transferred to your hips (instead of your shoulders like an internal frame)- this means you're likely going to have a more comfortable experience with the external frame. 
• Size - Is there such a thing as too big?
• For a 1 week trip, I would almost definately take nothing smaller than a 40L backpack.  Personally, I'll probably be taking my 55L backpack.
• However- the bigger the pack, the heavier it is going to be... and that weight gets REALLY heavy after a week on the trail!
• Bigger backpacks allow you to pack more.  Packing more means more weight.  You are going to have to be intentional about not overpacking with a larger pack.  A smaller pack FORCES you to be selective.
• Other factors to look at when picking a pack
• Pockets and access - Packs with more pockets and more access makes for a better experience.  It gets old really fast if you are always unpacking to get to something at the bottom of your pack because there isn't accss.  Murphy's law of backpacking says that the thing you need will always be in the most difficult place to get to.
• Adjustable - More expensive packs are adjustable to fit your torso.  A properly fitted pack packs a big difference in how your week is going to end.  If nothing else, make a trip to REI and ask the staff their to help you find a pack that fits.  Not saying you should buy at REI- but they do have knowledgable helpful staff.
• Hip belt - perhaps more than any other attribute on the pack, get a great hip belt!  A properly fitted backpack puts most of the weight on your hips.  Don't shortcut getting a great hipbelt- even if it means you buy one aftermarket.

CAMPING HAMMOCK

• For years and years, I slept in tents- but as i've done more trips, i've grown to be a huge fan of camping hammocks instead.
• A hammock arrangement is going to be about as light if not lighter than most tents- especially because you don't have poles to carry.
• A hammock arrangement is going to be more comfortable- even my $150 self inflating air mattress doesn't compare the comfort of sleeping in a hammock- plus now i just dropped the weight and space required for an air mattress too. 
• Generally speaking, the cost of a camping hammock is going to be less than the cost of a backpacking tent and a good sleeping pad.
• A camping hammock is going to take less space than a tent, poles, and sleeping pad.
• So what is a camping hammock?
• Look for a system that contains the hammock, a bug net, and a tarp.  You can buy these as a set or piece meal it.  
• The original that started it is something called a "Hennessy Hammock"- Hennessy is to hammocks what Harley Davidson is to motorcycles.
• You can get imported knock-offs on Amazon for a small fraction of the cost of a Hennessy system. 

HIKING BOOTS

• I don't have a lot to say about hiking boots other than to encourage you to get them sooner rather than later.  
• You'll want to start wearing them now to break them in before our trip this spring.
• You want boots that go over your ankles- some of the ground we'll be covering is going to be somewhat rugged.  You don't want a twisted ankle when you're 12 miles to the closest road.
• Look for boots that are waterproof yet breathable- backpacking is hard on your feet and you want to give them every advantage possible.  I personally wear and recommend boots that are made from Gore-Tex.  There might be better/newer materials- maybe... but Gore-Tex boots are crazy good.

There are several other things you'll need before our trip, but these are the majors items.  You can spend $300 before you know it... and to get top-of-the line gear, you're looking at closer to $600~$700... so Christmas is a good time to get a head start on these.

RV Spots an Bonham State Park in Texas

When I am heading to a new destination with my camper- or even if I am going to a destination I've been to in the past but don't visit often- I often find myself wishing I could find better campsite pictures than are often available.  To that end, I'll try to put up campsite photos when I can to help myself (and others) pick a site that suits their needs.  The pics below are for the RV spots in Bonham State Park in Texas.

Site 1 - one of two sites that has a sewer connection.

Site 2 - The second of two sites with a sewer connection.

Site 3

Site 4

Site 5

Site 6

Site 7 - closest site to the lake and arguably best view of the lake

I skipped site 8 - probably because I didn't like it.

Site 9

Site 10

Site 11

Site 12 - The most private of the spots- offers a woods view with no
camping spots on the door/awning side of the camper.

Site 13 - the only pull through site available

Site 14

BSA? Thanks but no thanks.

So I type this with a little bit of sadness- not that I regret my decision or feel I am making it in haste.  Surely I have prayed about it at length and spent weeks discussing it with my wife and my son.  I have decided as a father that I will not have my son continue from cub scouts into boy scouts.  This blog entry is an effort to capture the 'why'.

For anyone who doesn't know me personally, I want to explain why this is such a tumultuous decision for me.  I am earned my Arrow of Light award as a youth, Eagle Scout with three palms in 1989, served on summer camp staff... more recently I was the committee chair for the first 4 of the last 5 years in a startup cub scout pack and watched them grow from 20 to nearly 50 boys in that time.  I have completed WoodBadge, taught district BALOO classes and a course on running a great cub scout pack for Circle 10 council at their University of Scouting.  My own son went through the cub scout program from Tiger through earning his Arrow of Light and Super Achiever award.  My point is I have been heavily invested in scouting up to this point.... and I haven't even begun to talk about the friendships I and my son have developed during our time in the program- many of which I hope I am able to retain.

I have long been troubled that the Boy Scouts equalizes all religious belief systems as equally valid.  I told myself that while I disagreed with this tenant of faith, I could continue as long as I was part of a Christian based unit.  Then along came the decision of the BSA to no longer oppose open homosexuals if allowed by the chartered organization (just for the record this has NOT been approved yet).  My first reaction was to look at the homosexuality debate in the same light as the religious belief systems- as long as my unit is conservative, I and my son are okay.

HOWEVER....

As I continued to prayerfully seek the best course of action for my son going forward, I came to realize i cannot with clear conscious support the BSA as I have in the past.  The clear fact remains that the Boy Scouts is *not* a Christian organization AND adult leaders are prohibited by BSA policy from providing religious instruction to the youth.

So here lies the crux of the issue.  My concern with the BSA- and reason I have chosen a different path- is not because of their position on sexual orientation- I find that to be a symptom of the problem... not the problem itself.  The problem I perceive is that the BSA has no underlying foundation to call something right or wrong.  The position of absolutes is failing quickly.  If you equalizes beliefs, then one person can say open homosexuality is wrong (and be right) AND someone else can say open homosexuality is okay (and be right).  This doesn't pass the most basic test of logic.  You can't have two opposing positions and BOTH be right.  I can't flip a coin and have it be heads and tails at the same time.  There MUST be a foundation that  guides our opinions and beliefs.  As a Christian, that bedrock is the Bible.  I can respect other people and their belies- and even defend their right to believe it- but I can not and will not say they are equally correct.  I find myself resenting that I am trying to teach boys Christian principles absent the person of Christ... and for that reason I can't entirely commit myself to their cause.

So what is my replacement plan for scouts?  Short answer: Family trips, church youth group and sports.
Longer answer... The value I see in scouting is that is builds character, provides adventure, promotes teamwork and develops leaders.  To each of those points:

Character:
As I look at the points of the scout law (trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, reverent), I find the person of Jesus was the greatest fulfillment of these attributes.  I would so much rather devote myself to raising my son (and other boys) to recognize the value of these personal attributes (along with others) but as they pertain to allowing ourselves to be conformed to the image of Christ.  My goal is to build character by ensuring my son is mentored by men of strong Christian character.

Camping/Adventure/Outdoors:
There are few adventures done within the BSA that we can't perform as a family- or at an even greater level.  There are few arguably few outdoor skills taught by the BSA that I am unable to teach my own son.  As I look at pictures of the past 5 years comparing our family trips to our scout trips, the difference is night and day (with family trips easily the more memorable)- and we had some pretty great scout trips.  You also have summer camp through church, periodic church retreats and mission trips available.

Teamwork:
We'll do sports.  We are looking to enroll our children in a private christian school next year and my son will be in football, basketball and track.

Leadership:
Truly great leaders emerge from servant leaders.  As I get older, the more I realize just how true it is.  I am looking to work with the youth pastors at my church to discuss how we can develop more youth leaders- even to the point of having them plan and implement mission trips and inspire the youth group to plan and perform acts of service for our community, state and nation.