There are two things you must do to enjoy camping.

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 07/07/2019 at 17:37 • Filed to: None

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1 . Cook. Everything—and I do mean everything—tastes better when cooked in cast iron over a blazing fire.

2. Manage mosquitos. This can mean bug spray, this can mean winter camping, this can mean setting up your base away from water and praying the little bastards don’t find you, or it can even mean inviting an extra “friend” or two to further divide the bloodsuckers.

I think it’s safe to say I had the cooking part handled with aplomb, but the bugs got the best of me. With my bump-riddled body I’m now paying for my lack of foresight, and looking ahead with longing to the bug-free winter camping season coming up.

Three nights, four days, 400,000 calories, give or take. We decided early on that I would make lunch and dinner, and my buddy would make breakfast.

Hibachi beef made from a nice cut of rib eye and some Prosecco because I like being fancy sometimes, dammit.

Hibachi veggies

Big ol’ roast

Garlic Naan bread was an unsung hero. I’d put it on the pan after cooking each main dish, and the bread would soak up all the oil and spices resulting in one hell of an after-dinner snack.

My one and only cider for the trip. I thought I was going to go through withdrawals after I finished it

Cheese-dogs, bacon-egg mcmuffins, and every potato dish under the sun rounded out the main meals. Oh, and Rainier beer. A seemingly endless supply of Rainier.

Food was amazing, and the campsites were just as good.

We spent one night about 10 miles down increasingly windy forest service roads when we came upon a nice clearing in the woods, set about 80ft above a small creek. A backpacker came through our area and mentioned a great fishing spot about two miles though the woods, which was more than enough to get us up on our feet in search of adventure.

The adventure dog proved his worth

We made it through the woods and onto a beautiful river

Taught my friend how to fish with the gear he’d brought. Unfortunately that gear hadn’t included a bobber so he was dragging along the river bed. Tried tying the hook a foot above the weight to compensate, but we didn’t even get do much as a nibble.

The next few nights we spent in a new spot that we found by.... Well. Driving off the side of the road! I thought for sure the 4runner would high-center here, but I was wrong. The Toyota could not be stopped. Never in my life have I wanted an offroad capable SUV as much as I did right then.

This spot was perfect. We spent a good hour collecting an ungodly amount of fallen wood and got our campsite ready. Did I mention we were hammock-camping? I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep on the ground again. It can take a while to figure it out, but once you get the hammock sleeping arrangement down, oh man. Best sleep I’ve gotten away from home.

Just past the opening in the trees to the right is a large, fast-moving stream. An offshoot of the Tye River, or maaaaybe even the Tye River itself. I don’t know. There was a large waterfall about 50ft down from our camp

It drizzled a bit each night, but between the sleeping bags and the hammock sides folding over the top, neither of us felt so much as a drop.

Again, it was a gorgeous place to stay a few nights. A tree had fallen precariously over the top of the waterfall, and against my better judgment I ran across to get a view from the other side.

It didn’t dissapoint. The falls were a good 60ft high, with a small pool off the one side and various trees hanging down.

Top of the falls

Here you can see the middle section, and a small sliver of the bottom.

Zoidberg, you were right about the planes. I definitely heard a few pretty late at night. Thankfully the waterfall masked most of it.

All trash was bagged and removed

Tl:Dr - camping is the best. Get out there, and don’t forget the cast iron pan!

AestheticsInMotion > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 17:56

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Oh, let’s talk the Toyota.

I love it. The rear glass rolling down at the flick of a switch is the most under-rated feature out there. My friend’s 4runner is on oversize tires but stock ride height, and there’s a bit of rubbing at full lock. Front and rear bumpers are on the way to alleviate that, and aid approach and departure angles. Running boards will be removed soon.

Honestly the 4runner seems absolutely unstoppable offroad, it can hold a metric shit-ton, and it’s perfectly okay on the highways. I like this thing. It even has one-touch up AND down windows! For the driver AND the passenger!!!

As for the negatives, I have but one. It’s designed for someone who’s half my size, and for whatever crazy reason Toyota didn’t include seat height adjustment. My head hits the roof, and I’m not talking just a slight grazing. I have to tilt my head or recline the seat a rediculous amount. Making matters worse, the front cabin is downright claustrophobic in terms of space between the two doors. I feel like I have to keep my arms tucked in to my body, as there’s no space without the window rolled down, and you better be comfortable bumping elbows with the driver. It’s worse than a Miata in that regard. Hell, it feels about the same as an Elise! What gives, Toyota? At 6'1 210 pounds with a 5'10 185ish driver, we’re not exactly outliers. I’m sure one of those aftermarket truck seats and some electrical finagling to get height adjustments would help. I’d buy a 4runner of this gen, but would 100% need to do something about the seating.

DipodomysDeserti > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 17:56

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I picked up a cast iron d utch o ven for when I car camp. I have a good collection of cast iron skillets for home use as well. Cooked up our turkey in it when we camped last thanksgiving. Let the turkey sit in it for a few hours with all the veggies, then removed the turkey and added the stuffing mix.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 17:57

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I’m surprised not to see your miata following the 4runner down the trail. I’ve gotta do more camping now that I live out West. Certainly wayyyyy less mosquitoes than back East at least. And down here in the deserty places, we dont get any of them. Even when I recently camped at Sequoia in a low elevation area next to a river, a little bit of bug spray kept all of them away. Cool nights though are my favorite part camping out here. That was NEVER a thing in the summer time in NJ. 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 17:57

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I’m surprised not to see your miata following the 4runner down the trail. I’ve gotta do more camping now that I live out West. Certainly wayyyyy less mosquitoes than back East at least. And down here in the deserty places, we dont get any of them. Even when I recently camped at Sequoia in a low elevation area next to a river, a little bit of bug spray kept all of them away. Cool nights though are my favorite part camping out here. That was NEVER a thing in the summer time in NJ.

AestheticsInMotion > DipodomysDeserti 07/07/2019 at 18:00

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It’s nice when one of the most important peices of gear is both cheap and indestructible.

I’m super jealous of the Dutch oven . I could really use one of those. 

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 07/07/2019 at 18:01

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Ha, I thought about bringing it, but didn’t want the hassle. And there’s no way the Miata would have made it to the second campsite. If I tried going down that ledge s lowly I would have buckled the frame rails, and if I just tried to send it the shock mounting points would likely sheer off on impact...

Future Heap Owner > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 18:02

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When I backpack I always bring fresh veggies and pasta to cook up for dinner, because it tastes goddamn amazing, especially since I get so hungry after a full day of hiking with a heavy load. Hunger is the best spice.

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 07/07/2019 at 18:02

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I camped on the east coast once.

Never again. I'd never seen a literal swarm of mosquitos before that evening.... 

AestheticsInMotion > Future Heap Owner 07/07/2019 at 18:04

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Are you using a little backpacking stove? For better or worse, my friend group leans more towards car camping. It's been awhile since I've done more than an overnighter without being within sight lines of the car. 

I'd rank hunger a close second behind garlic, but to each their own  

Future Heap Owner > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 18:28

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I bring two stoves (I am a backglamper). One is a tiny thing that fits on top of a pressurized fuel canister, and whose only job is to boil water. The other one is an MSR Whisperlite, which has much better flame control so works pretty well for saute-ing. It can be a challenge to fit everything in the saute pot, though, and I’m only cooking for three at most (usually two).

Garlic is pretty great but I’d rank it third after hunger & salt. I don’t use extreme hunger often , but nothing else comes close.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 18:54

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That hibachi beef.... I’m gonna need some of that right now. Please and thank you. 

MrDakka > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 19:14

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Next time take some spam instead. Nothing like spam fried on  a cast iron pan.

DipodomysDeserti > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 19:55

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Yep. I’ve been hoarding cast iron cook wear for a few years. I find the real rusty pieces at thrift stores for cheap then recondition them. Scored an iron teapot a few years ago. I found that dutch oven sitting outside at a place for like $10. It’s really nice for camping with a group as you can throw one pot meat/grain/veggie  recipes in it and just let it do it’s thing.

jminer > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 20:14

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Beautiful pics and an excellent trip.  I was just talking with the Mrs that we haven’t gotten out and camped enough lately.  Missouri isn’t nearly as pretty as that but it’s still nice to get out.

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 20:28

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That all looks amazing. Unfortunately my wife HATES camping, but at least w e managed this little cabin in the woods (of an RV Park.) No food was cooked (takeout) but we did drink an entire bottle of wine over dinner. Which is a LOT for us.

TorqueToYield > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 20:50

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Do they have black flies out west?

Because black fly swarms, particularly in the Adirondacks, are things of legend.

It’s the only time I wish I had one of those full face bug mask hats regardless of how ridiculous they look- those fucked hurt.

RPM esq. > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 20:53

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The 4th gen solves   the interior space problem, at least. I am not a small man and so headroom is frequently a concern—I find the 3rd gen very tight as you describe  but have plenty of space in the 4th gen.

CompactLuxuryFan > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 20:58

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What an awesome trip! Cast iron cooking looks next level compared to anything I’ve done. I always end up with more of a backpacking setup even when I’m car camping.

AestheticsInMotion > TorqueToYield 07/07/2019 at 21:35

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Hmm. I’ve never heard of ‘em, so probably not?

We're pretty lucky in terms of our bugs and insects. The wasps aren't too bad, the spiders are mostly harmless minus the rare widow, and run-of-the-mill mosquitos are the biggest worry. You'll see a Rattlesnake every once in a while, but they're generally easy to avoid

AestheticsInMotion > jminer 07/07/2019 at 21:37

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I’m sure it’s got plenty of hidden gems!

This was my first trip of the year, I gotta start making more time to camp. 

AestheticsInMotion > CompactLuxuryFan 07/07/2019 at 21:37

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I was lucky to have a friend offer to drive. I'd probably be doing cold cuts or maybe just take a pizza if I'd driven the Miata. 

404 - User No Longer Available > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 21:39

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Garlic Naan bread

I was actually talking to coworkers the other day, they said “naan” is literally “bread”, so basically if we say “naan bread” we’re saying “bread bread”.

AestheticsInMotion > 404 - User No Longer Available 07/07/2019 at 21:43

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I’ll add this to the list of phrases that will annoy my friend, along with pin number, atm m achine, and RIP in peace. 

AestheticsInMotion > DipodomysDeserti 07/07/2019 at 22:25

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What's the best way to clean th em up? I just went through my cabinets and found a rusty pan

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 22:34

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You did it up right man. Thanks for reminding me I need to get out camping here soon! I’ve been wanting to get a hammock, but my tent is still in g reat shape , so I can’t justify it. Pretty area.  Where at?

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 22:44

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I have that exact same pan. Mine has been that rusty one time that I forgot it outside in the rain. A good scrubbing with a steel wool pad (a non-soapy one) and lots of water  will take care of it.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 22:50

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If you ever get some time to get out of the PNW and southeast to the high deserts of NM, AZ, UT, and CO the camping is basically mosquito-free. They basically don’t venture above 7,000 ft. and the few stray ones that do can’t find enough moisture to breed. I honestly didn’t people that told me there were  no mosquitos until I moved and experienced it.  It’s really amazing to camp in summer and not get all bit up while you sit around the fire like I was used to.

DipodomysDeserti > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 22:56

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Some medium grit steel wool will clean it up . Or, if you don’t have any steel wool vinegar and salt. Then re- season it (cover in high heat oil and bake for an hour at 350F)

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion 07/07/2019 at 22:58

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Even better is hiking through it and they just follow you flying in your ears nonstop. I've actually had to start running before just to escape a swarm that would not stop following me. 

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 07/07/2019 at 23:00

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Nightmare fuel.

I’ll take my chances with Grizzly’s, C ougars and R attlesnakes.

AestheticsInMotion > RPM esq. 07/07/2019 at 23:54

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Do you know of a decent tailor in Seattle or on the Eastside? 

RPM esq. > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2019 at 00:56

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I swear by Adam Tailoring on Jackson, right by Pioneer Square. One-man operation, so turnaround may not be the fastest, but he’s the b est in Seattle and I know I’m not the only one who thinks so .

AestheticsInMotion > RPM esq. 07/08/2019 at 21:52

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Thanks, I'll give him a try! 

JustAnotherG6 > AestheticsInMotion 07/10/2019 at 09:51

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I’ve been hammocking for about 3 years now, ever since my eldest entered into scouts. (Almost) never going back to the ground. Several backpacking trips and oodles of camp- outs later I’m still trying to find a place to hang. Last trip I had it strung out between the mast and a side-stay.