A tent, two sleeping bags, two ground pads, water bottle, cook stove, camp pots, sporks lay on the floor in preparation for a night of camping and a morning of ocean kayaking on the Channel Islands with my friend Phil.
I ask Phil if he has any camping gear and he sends me back a photo of a pocket knife. So basically no.
I’ve made my list:
- Camping Items
- Tent
- Sleeping Bag (2)
- Ground Pad (2)
- Camp Pillow (2)
- Big Water Proof Bag (2) for camp gear.
- Little Water Proof Bag (2) for cameras, phones, etc.
- Flashlights (2)
- Water Bottles (2)
- Cook stove and fuel
- Backpack Pots
- Sporks
- Clothing Items
- Swim Suit
- Mask and snorkel
- Dive booties
- Water shirt
- Gym shorts
- Underwear
- T-shirt
- Miscellaneous
- Camera
- Sunscreen
- Trash Bags
- Cigars
- Cooler
- TP roll
- Food
- Granola bars
- Alcohol ( a food group for some of us)
- Fruit
- Freeze dried coffee
- Ramun Noodles
- Oatmeal
- ?? Two lunches
I have all the gear for two except a backpack. Phil and I are both to call REI in our respective areas to see if we can rent one. I call and it depends on whether on what people will return tonight and tomorrow.
These are the last minute details to attend to. I’ve have made all the reservations I need and I print out all the corresponding documentation for boat ride, campsite, and kayaking.
And then there is some of the email banter to get excited about the trip:
Phil: “Any chicks on the island?” Mike: “I think we would have to bring them, national parks have a strict pack them in, pack them out policy on chicks.” Phil: “Copy that”
Phil: “Which part of the trip will I have my near death experience? (In each of the last three trips I’ve had at least one.)” Mike: “Its on the itinerary somewhere after the spotting of the Orca and surfing the rogue wave on the kayak. ” Phil: “I’m riding one of those Orcas if it’s the last thing I do.”
Some days about doing and some are about getting ready.
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Note: Phil is my friend I just told you about:
“On Catalina island, I actually hired dive instructor to take us out, which may have saved his life. Dive instructor says he got seasick from motion of kelp going back and forth. And then he panicked going to the top putting air into is BC instead of taking it out but dive master grabbed him and slowed him down. And I never seen so much chum come out of person’s mouth before. All the fish swam up and started eating it.”