Getting away from it all!!

wish I could get my swmbo under a million stars....
she is a miser I reckon....no less than three and no more than five is her idea of camping

she needs a passionate night under the stars, give it to her good and she wont be able to wait for the next...remember be romantic....me, well I'm just a pig and that suits me fine.

tried that but all she wanted was another bottle of bubbly ...Ring Room Service she said!!

lol good point.

and while he's at it...no matches either...just rub sticks together.

Rev

He seems to like warm beer too.
hl

Rev I was just scrolling down to write that and you beat me to it!!

Doesnt like jumping on the internet to get info either apparently. Should be scratching the message on a rock for all to read instead!

I love these threads!!

Is that a typo..or do you mean 'ceases' .....
"It never siezes to amaze me...."

It never siezes to amaze me.... either.

The originator of the post suffering from a severe case of Pen-s envy perhaps ?

"To me, a little piece of heaven is sitting in the middle of nowhere by a camp fire with a glass of wine talking to people all over the world and Australia on my radio AND looking up at those million stars as I listen to the forest getting itself ready for the night."

Mike you have put me in a happy place. THANK YOU>

Trevor.

I guess I should 'fess up with what "modern trappings" I do use:
Many years ago I recovered a Trailblazer fridge from the bottom of Moreton Bay. Stripped it down to the shell only, and rebuilt it with a number of modifications and redesign- thinking outside the square. After a lot more head scratching and trial and error, this unit became the working prototype for the current Explorer range of fridge/freezers. It was one of the first (if not the first) unit with dual thermostat control. Still working fine today.
We also utilize a GPS system in conjunction with a compass for 'off piste' situations. The GPS is also useful for locating remote and discreet POIs.
And, for your interest sake Mike, I use a good old IC720A for Amateur (and other) uses- but I don't require a generator to power it.
Of course I can't forget the obligatory bottle of Tawny Port.
NO TV,DVD,MP3,phone, internet, or even a hair curler.....

>And, for your interest sake Mike, I use a good old IC720A for Amateur
>(and other) uses- but I don't require a generator to power it.

Perhaps we've chatted? :)

I could manage without the gen and just rely on recharging my AGM battery via the vehicle but for $98 it seemed worth it to avoid long periods with the vehicle on idle.
My Yaesu FT-857D draws over 22A when running at 100W so even an 88Ah battery goes down quite a lot once I'm out more than about three days. As for the GPS; I gold prospect in some funny places and it has helped me walk out via the most direct route more than once - easy to become "geographically challenged" when you're wondering vaguely through the bush listening to a detector.

Like you; no TV etc and mobiles never work in the places I go anyway. However I just will _not_ go away without my hair curler - I don't care if it is the bush I still have standards to keep! Anyway, suppose some nice big strong lumberjack happened along.... :)

Mike Harding

>no TV

Hell! I live on the outskirts of the city and I don't get _ANY_ TV! But that is through choice :)

Haha, Mike I get a snowy ch2 or a static abc radio, also by choice. If I watch a crapola picture I might as well be listening to radio, but if radio reception is crapola I might as well listen to nothing... and ain't it nice!

hehehe, I used to roll my dates too but that was long ago. Thanks for the memories Al.

That all sounds pretty good to me too Jeff.

Oh well Matt, I'd better resign my membership...

I love my gadgets, I love tickering and experimenting with electronics and things to make it easier. Yes, it makes it easier, but part of my joy of 4wding and camping is mucking around with my rig. If I'm not camping with it, I'm tinkering with it.

And yes, we play music. Sometimes quite late too. What is everyone's beef with music on this forum! I consider myself and extremely considerate person, we never camp within cooee of anyone, if we were forced to for some reason (can't see it myself) then I would probally choose not to play music. I don't have sub wooders and crank tic boom music at full volume, we play a range of music that we enjoy at a reasonable volume. I go for a walk for a bleep and can barley here it!

Some people like cold beer, so they take a fridge.

We love music, so we take CD's. What's the problem? Why does this make me "not worthy" of enjoying the bush?

Yes I love the peice and quiet of the bush too, in those cold mornings when I get up with the sun and crank the fire before anyone else is awake, get the billy boiled and put some porage in the camp oven, I enjoy the peace and quiet. I also love going for a morning bush walk or bike ride and enjoying the peace and quiet.

But we also love sitting around the fire with some music playing, a few too many rums and some good conversation. What wrong with that??

Maybe you can tell that I have gadgets "as they tend to be the ones playing music loudly well into the night." But if there isn't anyone around for 10k's either side, who cares!? Who am I annoying, no bloody one, that's who.

Again, each to their own. Just don't judge people because they happen to have a few more gizzmo's or enjoy a drink while listening to some music.

Nothing wrong with playing music Jeff ___providing___ no one else can hear it.

I guess if you go to a commercial camp site or one of the large bush camp sites you should expect a reasonable dose of morons who will play loud music, swear at the top of their voices etc etc etc.... But if you camp in a proper bush location even if there are other campsites nearby then you should not play music which _may_ be able to be heard by others - if they wanted music they would have gone to a concert!?

I'll let you into a secret: in recent months when I have been out prospecting in remote spots by myself for more than a few days I have started to play some music, when I am cooking dinner, over the vehicle hi fi and have to have it fairly loud in order to hear it (helps stop me going stir crazy :) but I doubt there is anyone else within, at the least, 30km of my camp.

Some of the most beautiful music I have heard in the bush was my last partner who was a classical violinist and she played for me a few times - once on the banks of the Murray in NW Vic as the sun was setting - pure beauty and joy :)

Mike Harding

Sounds lovely! Of course, it should work both ways. Those (and I agree with the public campsite boof heads) people who are playing loud doof doof music in the middle of the night may be just as upset about having to listen to a violine in the "early" (11am) hours of the morning whilst they are hungover! ;-) Just because we don't agree with what they are doing, does not mean they have no rights to do it.

But yeah, i agree with you, not everyone likes the same music etc etc, that's why i am very concious that I do not distrub anyone. Because I ride my mountain bike as one of my hobbies, I generally have a pretty good scout around for quite some k's of our campsite as part of my fun, so I would know if anyone was within earshot.

You seem to have missed my point Jeff: as per my vehicle hi fi my ex partner's violin was not played within many kilometres of anyone else - I never camp near others.

Whether I like or dislike the music others choose is totally irrelevant - when I go bush I don't wish to hear _ANY_ music unless I (or the birds) have chosen to play it and I imagine that applies to most of us?

Mike Harding

Jeff,

I think that you have entirely missed my point as well (perhaps not as well expressed as it could have been). What I was trying to say was that for SOME people the camping experience is entirely about gadgets and toys, not combinng the things we all enjoy tinkering with (read gadgets, and I as much as the next man) and the elemental things things that make camping and 4WDing such a great experience.

Don't get your knickers in a knot over music, I have no problem with it while camping. My point was that the sort of peron who will play it loud, around others and into the early hours is not getting what camping is all about. I have seen people on numerous occasions who will rock up to a campsite (with other campers nearby), crank up the stereo, pull out the axe and start chopping (regardless of the fact that plenty of wood can be had by picking it up), light the biggest fire possible, then drink themselves loudly into the wee hours. Often leaving a disgusting campsite behind the next day.

For those people it is about the 'image' and the gadgets more than the eperience.

Mike, I didn't explain myself very well. Yes I understand that your music was not played near anyone else. I was just trying to put the point accross that what one person likes, may not be what everyone else likes. ie Myself, and yourself would thouroghly enjoy the violin music, however it's not everyone's cup of tea. Sorry for the confusion.

Matt, I picked on you because of the way you wrote your post, but I was reffering to a general point of view that I read from some people on here. It just seems to be a common belief on this forum from time to time that people who play music while camping don't respect the bush for what it is, which I disagree with.

Yeah I think we've all had the type of person you speak of near us at some point, which is probally why so many of us strive to get as far away from anyone else as possible now days. Personally I disagree with the gadgets bit to a degree, most of these people I have experienced are under prepared people who just happen to have a big stereo in their car and an esky full of grog. (my esky is full of grog too mind you! LOL) From the ones I've seen they really don't give to hoots weather they have a dual battery setup or flowing water (or any water for that matter). I guess sometimes you see the really civilised ones of this breed who bring a briggs and stratton generator that sounds like a fishing trawler and full throttle, 2000w of flood lights and the fridge from the kitchen at home on the trailer. Maybe these are the type you were talking about.

I would just hate to be classed as someone with that kind of attitude puley because we like to listen to our music. ... .. Hang on, I've nearly got all the knots out! ;-)

Just make sure you wash 'em when the knots are out Jeff.

And nothing has changed since Dec '04

Baz , make a sign 'no mod con allowed" then stick it on the tent or car , bit of an oxymoron is it not ? to use mod con utensiles to make a sign to put on mod cons such ar a tent and car, bit like some of our indeginous brothers demanding their "traditional" rights to hunt turtles and dugong using all modern equipment such as metal boats/ outboards/ powered spear guns ect ect.