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rebeccmeisterWe have our first (for masters rowers, at least) regatta of the season this Saturday. Getting ready for it is kind of a hilarious contrast to getting ready for a brevet.
Brevets actually aren't especially minimalist except with regards to how much stuff one actually winds up physically carrying on the bicycle (ideally). Unless maybe that's actually a secret or not-so-secret hallmark of minimalism: actual minimalism might actually require a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes effort and expense, in contrast to the most common global state of existence of having very little and never knowing where one's next meal will come from. Regardless: bike storage space is limited, so it's best to leave the kitchen sink behind. Most of the time.
In any case. This morning I think I may have come up with a solution for one of the other pieces of gear I've been puzzling over for long distance bike rides - something I can now test out on the 600k in two weeks' time. I've been thinking it would be really nice to have some sort of blanket-type item to flop down with for ditch naps, to go along with the space blanket. What would be best? My prior thought had been maybe a scrap of wool army blanket, but this morning while folding up some laundry a different idea came to me: how about just bringing along the larger of my two PakTowels? It could serve so many different purposes, and is totally blanket-like. The only thing it is missing is some sort of festive decoration, but maybe I can stamp some ants onto it using my fabric ink stamp pads to make up for that.
It is so very satisfying to come up with a potential solution that doesn't involve running out to buy yet another thing.
Okay, so then, the regatta, at the other end of the spectrum. I did go ahead and buy that bright orange EZ-Up tent last year (or was that two years ago?), in large part for regattas. We have used it a lot and it is great. I'll be carting that along, plus a folding table and folding chairs, a cooler, and probably a massive excess of food and beverages. This is all on top of the enormous production that is derigging rowing racing shells and carting them along on a rowing shell trailer.
More than anything, it's all just hilarious.
This time I am going to try putting together a changing area at the tent. At this particular regatta, in the past I think we've just gone over to change in the Porta-johns, but they tend to get pretty gross after a point. We have a fairly big collection of thrift store bedsheets at home, so I think I can put something together using them plus some binder clips.
And now the rower chit-chat about food has started up, so I am finding myself committing to bringing along the large stovetop Moka pot and probably a half-dozen other comestibles, heh.
Sooner or later I am going to need to figure out some tent weights to go along with the Ez-Up. Once again back to wondering whether I should pay money for a thing, or figure out some creative DIY alternative. This one might actually be a 'pay money for a thing' decision; the purpose-built sandbags look like they require a minimum of fuss.
We are getting very close to Three Men In a Boat standards, heh. I'd better make a mental note to pack along a can opener.
Brevets actually aren't especially minimalist except with regards to how much stuff one actually winds up physically carrying on the bicycle (ideally). Unless maybe that's actually a secret or not-so-secret hallmark of minimalism: actual minimalism might actually require a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes effort and expense, in contrast to the most common global state of existence of having very little and never knowing where one's next meal will come from. Regardless: bike storage space is limited, so it's best to leave the kitchen sink behind. Most of the time.
In any case. This morning I think I may have come up with a solution for one of the other pieces of gear I've been puzzling over for long distance bike rides - something I can now test out on the 600k in two weeks' time. I've been thinking it would be really nice to have some sort of blanket-type item to flop down with for ditch naps, to go along with the space blanket. What would be best? My prior thought had been maybe a scrap of wool army blanket, but this morning while folding up some laundry a different idea came to me: how about just bringing along the larger of my two PakTowels? It could serve so many different purposes, and is totally blanket-like. The only thing it is missing is some sort of festive decoration, but maybe I can stamp some ants onto it using my fabric ink stamp pads to make up for that.
It is so very satisfying to come up with a potential solution that doesn't involve running out to buy yet another thing.
Okay, so then, the regatta, at the other end of the spectrum. I did go ahead and buy that bright orange EZ-Up tent last year (or was that two years ago?), in large part for regattas. We have used it a lot and it is great. I'll be carting that along, plus a folding table and folding chairs, a cooler, and probably a massive excess of food and beverages. This is all on top of the enormous production that is derigging rowing racing shells and carting them along on a rowing shell trailer.
More than anything, it's all just hilarious.
This time I am going to try putting together a changing area at the tent. At this particular regatta, in the past I think we've just gone over to change in the Porta-johns, but they tend to get pretty gross after a point. We have a fairly big collection of thrift store bedsheets at home, so I think I can put something together using them plus some binder clips.
And now the rower chit-chat about food has started up, so I am finding myself committing to bringing along the large stovetop Moka pot and probably a half-dozen other comestibles, heh.
Sooner or later I am going to need to figure out some tent weights to go along with the Ez-Up. Once again back to wondering whether I should pay money for a thing, or figure out some creative DIY alternative. This one might actually be a 'pay money for a thing' decision; the purpose-built sandbags look like they require a minimum of fuss.
We are getting very close to Three Men In a Boat standards, heh. I'd better make a mental note to pack along a can opener.
