GGG 2023 Gathering of Gear Geeks

[David Gardner]

True, 3 feet isn’t enough to walk by. The inspiration for this event came from a BPL thread on backup lights. For an ultimate “when all else fails” light for nighttime emergencies it seems that key fobs are popular, and I took a s.w.a.g. at their range. We could also have three other categories for UL headlamps or flashlights: weight, range, and range/weight.

[David Gardner]

More great news Gear Geeks! GGG founder Ken Thompson will be attending and helping out this year. He has so many shelters he’s not sure which one he’ll be bringing for the shelter tour but it will be interesting I’m sure.

Attendees so far: Ken Thompson, Peter V, Glen Van Peski (hopefullv), Russ Zandbergen, Erik G & son, Mark Verber, Slim L & friend, Nick Gatel, Bob Shuff, Rick Niemi, d k (hopefullv), Catherine D (hopefullv), me.

[peter v]

we are down to the last week of prep.

so ; what was the past nomenclature, “concerned individuals” .. “inquiring minds”, whatever they were called, these folks would want to know about stuff. and in this case (staring a sentence with an “and” because .. reasons ..) the one of them that is Me, wants to know when the BlunderBus, or whatever the support vehicle is named, is on the galactic schedule of questionable grammar set to depart park HQ, so for to toss in “group items” (shade and such).

[David Gardner]

I plan to leave the ranger station at 2:00 p.m.

[David Gardner]

Hey everybody, Erik G. had to cancel due to family commitments. He was going to be one of our two drive-in vehicles and bring a couple of propane fire pits plus some fresh water. I think we have the fresh water covered. Does someone else have a dirt-road worthy vehicle to drive in, and/or propane fire pits?

[Bob Shuff]

I would be happy to volunteer my Subaru Outback.  I have an untried propane firepit in the style of an ammo canister.

 

It also solves my conundrums about backpacking or bikepacking, tent or hammock, solo ultralight cook kit or…

I’m driving up from So-Cal, and I’m not sure I can be there at 2pm, but I will get on the road early for the 7 hour drive.  I can meet folks that want to load up some group equipment to some extent.

[David Gardner]

Thanks Bob! Erik G. had an Outback too :-)

I still plan to drive in at 2 pm. Anyone who has items they need driven in after 2 pm can wait for Bob if he gets there after 2 pm.

[David Gardner]

It will likely be very warm, maybe hot, so I’ll be bringing some large tarps to set up for shade area(s), a couple moving blankets for lying down in the shade if necessary, an ice chest full of ice, 30 gallons of water, micro fans, a pop-up shower and “room”, and a misting sprayer. I’ll be at the ranger station by 1:00 p.m. on Friday and driving in at 2:00 p.m., so if you want to bring some personal hot weather supplies be at the ranger station by then.

[peter v]

Ok, peter has tanks of propane. i will toss a couple of reasonably sized ones in the mix. according to Alaska David, this should be more than sufficient.

the tanks have the universal screw-in CGA fitting, but i do not have the hose and regulator/valve assy.

have in possession the above mentioned propane, far in excessively enough mood lighting, a folding canopy, the larger of the Big Agnus Whetsone shelters, a virginal bottle of Laphroaig, and probably enough 2mm line for tarp hangings.

cheers,

v.

[Glen Van Peski]

I’m planning on attending.  Tentative plan is to drive the Sprinter down on Friday, camp Friday night and Saturday night, drive back to Bend on Sunday as we have guests coming from Germany.

[Mark Verber]

just a reminder that there is a fire ban on stoves without an “off” knob.  No esbit or the typical alcohol stoves.

[Glen Van Peski]

Sorry, seems like I read something about the general layout but can’t find it. So it sounds like it’s a couple of mile hike in to the group site from the parking area?

[peter v]

so ; south of san jose on Hy 101 is Morgan Hill. near the middle of Morgan Hill is the E. Dunne Ave off-ramp off of Hy 101.

exit on/off (tough call on the right word) E. Dunne. to the west is a very large Trader Joes, it’s about a block west on the north side. to GGG, take E. Dunne east. it goes thru town and then eventually goes up up up thru a spendy neighborhood. there are no services avail once away from Hy 101. watch for the split off to the right near/past the high point in the residential area. from the split E. Dunne will become a proper drive and drop to a bridge. from the bridge it will twist splendidly for some miles, until you reach the park.

bypass the initial overnight parking lot and drive directly to the park HQ. sign in at HQ and obtain parking permit, then return back down the road a few hundred yards to overnight parking lot. trail from parking area is easy to find. i suppose the trek from HQ to GGG is about 2.5 miles of rolling terrain.

that is as i recall.

[Matthew / BPL]

Have fun folks. Looking forward to seeing photos. Bummed I’m not going to meet y’all but I decided I didn’t want to disrupt my students and coworkers so early in the school year.

[David Gardner]

Thanks for the reminder Mark. No wood or alcohol burn-offs this year, unless you also have an alcohol stove with a valve.

Good directions peter v. Thanks.

Matthew, I’m thinking March for the 2024 GGG. Will that work for you?

I’ll put up the proposed certain-to-change schedule in my next post.

 

[David Gardner]

GGG 2023 EVENT SCHEDULE

FRIDAY
2:00 PM onward: Gather at Manzanita Point Group Campsite #5. It will be marked with a sign surrounded by flashing LED’s.

SATURDAY
12 Noon Burn Offs:
Wood speed- canceled
Alcohol speed- canceled
Alcohol efficiency- canceled
Esbit speed – canceled
Esbit efficiency – canceled
Canister speed
Canister efficiency

1:00 PM Weigh-Offs:
1P full tent
2P full tent
Bivvy
Alcohol stove cooking system
Esbit cooking system
Wood stove cooking system
Canister stove cooking system (500 ml minimum, includes stove, windscreen, pot, lid, fuel container, sack; categories by fuel)
3-season sleep system
Knife (1.5″ blade minimum)
Saws (4″, 6″, 8″, 10″ of teeth)
Backpack (categories by capacity)
Fishing system – tenkara
Fishing system – reel)
Trekking poles – fixed
Trekking poles – adjustable
Camp shoes/sandals
Headlamp (light sufficient to read a book with light 3′ from book)

2:00 PM Timed Shelter Set Up, from Pack to Fully Pitched

Prizes:
(1) International fame and glory
(2) Flat Cat gear courtesy of Jon Fong: 3 Epicurean Stoves, 5 Cheetah windscreens for JetBoil type mug, 1 Ocelot for the Pocket Rocket Deluxe, and 1 Ocelot 6 for the Pocket Rocket Stove
(3) From Zachary R: UL sleeping pad inflators and BeFree water filter back-flushers
(4) 6 LED USB plug-in dimmable “flashlights” (2.87 grams!!)ter filter back-flushers
(5) 11 inch (3 oz) or 6 inch (2 oz) GOLD Gear ultimate UL saw (saw contest winner’s choice)

SUNDAY
We have the site until 12 Noon.
1:00 Gear swap/sell in dirt parking lot: Bring interesting stuff you don’t need or use anymore, or products you’re selling

2:00 PM FRIDAY – 1:00 PM SUNDAY: GOOD TIMES!

Let me know if I’ve missed anything.

[David Gardner]

I’m also bringing at least 2 solar cookers (5 oz – 11 oz each), trying to find my 3rd, to see how they do.

[Ethan A.]

Have a great time everyone and have a safe and easy drive! Andrea and I miss you and will be looking forward to photos, contest winners and stories. Careful, those wild hogs are still out there.

For anyone missing the excitement of a stove burn-off, and wondering how much fun a GGG can be, here’s a little film for you: Backpackers Gone Wild: BPL 3rd Annual SF Bay Area Gathering of Gear Geeks (GGG). There’s lots of drama – tough rangers, hail snow, pack and shelter tours galore, a possibly romantic hog incident, gourmet brownies, snarky commentary, and unabashed gear geekery. Wonderful people all around. The stove burn-off starts at 25:00 if you can’t wait. It’s a wonder a helicopter didn’t do a water drop on us with all that smoke.

[Glen Van Peski]

Wow, what a great time!  Definitely felt out of my league, hanging with the real gear geeks, but everyone was so welcoming, even when I didn’t understand half of what they were talking about.  Great to see Peter V. after a 20? year hiatus, and to see Nick, who I’ve only met twice in real life, both on the PCT around San Jacinto, both times while leading a trip for Wilderness Outings.  I boondocked at Lake Shasta Saturday night, made it the rest of the way to Bend on Sunday.  Oh, and I did stop in and sign Ranger Manny Pitta’s venerable-but-still-in-use-old-GVPGear-G4-pack on my way out.  Turns out it was pack #1869, according to my yellow-lined pad from the era…  Thanks for all the great info and sources and connections!  So glad I came.

[Steve S.]

Drat! I didn’t know about this event until this morning. I had been watching the forum in January hoping for an event in March, and when it didn’t happen, I forgot to keep looking. I would have joined had I known.

I was on uniformed-volunteer foot patrol today. I saw the drivers come out, and then I escorted three hikers (who’s names I didn’t document) back toward the visitor’s center on the shady Forest Trail.

I’ll have to check the forum a bit more often from now on.

[Bob Shuff]

Amazing first time for me with this NorCal GGG.  The casual gear talks – with notable founders of respected gear companies and other experts (all) was another level from my normal outings.  No one looked confused when I or others talked about our gear list spreadsheets.  This event somehow left me with an appreciation of some of the cool things I’ve only seen on the internet (and some things not yet on the internet), but also how so many approaches work well and “less is more”.  I didn’t leave with a shopping list of cool new things, and that’s progress for me compared to my previous self who was constantly “upgrading.”

Of course the comradery was great.  I would have liked to hike out with the others, but I did have a long drive ahead so it was probably for the best for me to get on the road ASAP.  The weather was great even for a picky SoCal person like me, but I wouldn’t mind a little more weather next time (famous last words).  I’m looking forward to the next event, and hopefully the wood stove contest will be back in play.

I think everyone can add photo(s) or make comments on this Google Shared Album: Bay Area GGG – Aug’23 . If not maybe someone can setup a dropbox instead.  My photos were skewed to tents and packs so hopefully others can share more.

Thanks Dave for organizing this and everyone who came.  I’m fired up for another outing.

-Bob

[Mark Verber]

Books I heard mentioned or were mentioned by me.  What did I miss?

• Books by Colin Fletcher. Several were inspired by The Complete Walker, though others felt it had them start heavier weight than necessary.  Everyone thought Version 4 was a regression from version 3.  Many people mentioned Walk Through Time. The Man from the Cave was unknown to several of us.
• A Walk in the Woods and other books by Bill Bryson.  Book funny, movie a disappointment.
• Everything by John McPhee.
• Dessert Solitude by Edward Abbey. People loved the book but some were troubled by some of Abbey’s other materials.
• Books by Barry Lopez. Arctic Dreams was mentioned.
• The Sun is a Compass – 4000 mile journey in Alaska.  Description sounds a bit similar to High & Erin’s adventure. http://www.aktrekking.com/index.html
• 4000 Weeks – An Anti Productivity book. Being comfortable with limitations.
• Die with Zero – Don’t wait til end of life to do interesting things. Experiences early in life pay a compounding dividend.
• Strength to Strength – Leaning into the second half of life
• Outlive by Peter Attia. Working for a good healthspan. I particularly appreciates his idea of Training for the Centenarian Decathlon

[Mark Verber]

Wonderful to meet people I have “known” online for 20+ years but never met. Enjoyed seeing true humility of people with amazing experience. Appreciated the deep kindness of people, though some hide it with a gruff exterior.

Some take-aways for me:

Give desert hiking another try. Anza-Borrego is a lot less crowded than Joshua Tree. There are some really cool places around Lake Mead.

te araroa trail in NZ

Consider returning to Alaska and doing some long walks.

For people who sleep hot, hammocks can be really nice. I should revisit using a hammock. Many places are more hammock friendly than you would think. Other places are less friendly because the trees are too large and close together.

Boss Torch Ultimate Propane fuel with Lindal value.  Snowpeak GigiPower can run directly off it.  Can use one of the lindal transfer devices to put it into smaller fuel canisters and since it’s propane not worry about cold weather performance.

experiment of using chopsticks (which can be go in carryon bags) as stakes worked reasonably well. I was able to press them into the ground where my mini groundhog stakes only went in when pounding with a rock.

[David Gardner]

It was a great year, with great people, good weather and good energy. Inspiring to see old friends and make new ones. So many interesting things developing in gear these days with micro-cottage businesses and 3D printers.

Glen, great to meet you. Glad you could attend and really appreciate you driving all the way down from Bend, and that you made it home safely. So awesome you could autograph Manny’s pack! Would you mind sharing some of the info and sources you mentioned if you have a moment?

Steve, it was a weird year. I almost didn’t do it, but was persuaded in June and went from there. Advance notice: I intend to do GGG 2024 in March, so I hope that works for you.

Mark, great posts. One note:

“Boss Torch Ultimate Propane fuel with Lindal value. Snowpeak GigiPower can run directly off it. Can use one of the lindal transfer devices to put it into smaller fuel canisters and since it’s propane not worry about cold weather performance.”

For safety I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is not to transfer propane into any container not designed for propane, and especially butane containers. They will explode. Only transfer between propane containers. To refill the Boss Torch containers I use adapters for several standard propane containers that let you use stoves or devices with standard Lindal valves, plus a Lindal-to-Lindal adapter normally used for transfer between propane containers. I have never transferred from the Boss Torch to anything else and advise against it.

[Glen Van Peski]

David, I don’t remember mentioning info and sources, but if you can refresh my memory, glad to share.  I feel like I spent most of my time soaking up stories from Peter and Nick (and say that with absolutely zero regrets!)

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