im - 6/01/2005 07:36:00 AM

Lynn (my wife) and Noah the Buttonpusher (my 2-year-old son) went to Illinois for a couple of days to attend a high school graduation. Though I relished the thought of travelling in an RV with my in-laws for a good portion of the holiday weekend, I opted not to go to Illinois with the family unit. Instead, I packed up the Instigator/Xtracycle and rode 30 miles to a stealth, off-the-map campsite out in the western ‘burbs. Minneapolis has a great trail system. Of the 30-mile route to my site, only 2 miles are on roadways. The rest is paved bike/hike trails or crushed limestone bike/hike trails. Most of it follows abandoned railway corridors; a small portion of trail exists inside one of the Three Rivers regional parks. I can cruise along at 15mph without worrying about a self-absorbed, distracted dumbass running me over with his/her highway vehicle. And, the trail moves me through some beautiful areas that most people never get to see. The ride to and from the campsite is a major component of the whole camping experience. Car camping kinda sucks ass in comparison. Foul weather was predicted for most of the weekend. I'm really glad I ignored the overpaid TV weather clowns. It only rained briefly in the early morning hours while I was still tucked in my sleeping bag. Most of the time, it was sunny, warm, and dry. I've done one-day and two-day overnight tours on the Pacer, Cross-check, Long Haul Trucker, and Pugsley, but never on the Instigator...even though it is one of the most capable touring vehicles in my fleet. It will hold anything I'm willing to haul. And, I usually like to camp in some degree of comfort, especially if it's for more than a day. So, I packed my 4-man Kifaru tipi and collapsible wood stove , small bag of charcoal, solid–fuel cooking stove and pot, food for 3 days, 20-degree sleeping bag and sleeping pad, an array of clothing good for almost anything Mother Nature could throw at me, 3 tea light lanterns w/ 6 tea light candles, bike tools,. toiletries and first aid, hatchet, saw, pruning sheers, 4' x 8' ground cloth, 5-gallon collapsible water jug, bottle of cabernet and ½ pint of Jagermeister, camera, 3 magazines and sketch pad, headlamp, misc camping gadgets….and the Xtracycle accepted it all happily. I put everything in stuff sacks or pockets of the Xtracycle Freeloaders. Once the Freeloader cinch straps were lashed tight, I was headed down the road with a well-balanced, stable load that rivals the most carefully packed rack/pannier systems I've used. Instigator_X.jpg The tipi and wood stove combo are really sweet, especially when temps drop below freezing. I have plenty of room for all of my gear, including my bike, and as much wood as I could burn in 2-3 days. The tipi is a single-pole unit, so it's easy to pitch; it takes me less than 10 minutes. The tipi and stove weigh less than 10 pounds combined. That's certainly not ultralight, but I'm more than willing to carry that weight in order to benefit from the comfort provided by this shelter system. The stove cooks my food, dries my clothes, casts some light into the tent, keeps me warm, and satisfies my desire to burn stuff. It's efficient, and it doesn't leave a stanky plot of scorched earth behind. Outside.jpg Inside.jpg I spent my days cutting and gathering wood for the stove, hauling water, hiking deer paths through the woods, napping, reading, designing, sketching, pondering, cooking, eating, and just surviving outside the of the normal routine. Nothing else has proven itself more therapeutic, for me, than getting away from humans for a while. Many of you know what I'm talking about. To all you touring virgins...Dare to explore. Dare to get dirty. Dare to move outside of your comfort zone for a while. Dare to not read your e-mail or surf the web for a day or two. You don't have to go far. Just go. -----