OTR9 - ToTake List

Below is the final To-Take list for this year's trip, give or take a few things, all 12 pages,  1764 words.  The Defender takes about 1000 pounds of gear and supplies, half of it in the roof rack.  Most of the stuff I will never  use, but because I believe in being prepared, and since do not know what I will actually need, it all goes with me. Having this stuff gives me to freedom to go where I want to go and get back (maybe even live), will let me hang out (survive) somewhere for up to 10 days if need be, and minimizes the amount of time I have to spend shopping for supplies. 

1	2	LOOSE IN DEFENDER
2	2	ELECTRONICS BAG
3	3	MAP ROOM:
4	3	LIBRARY:
5	3	OFFICE:
6	3	WALLET
7	3	SAFETY DEPOSIT
8	3	TOILET KIT:
9	3	MEDS ED:
10	4	FIRST AID KIT:
11	5	BACKPACK
12	5	IN-TENT and CAMO bags
13	5	LINEN BAG
14	5	WARDROBE,
15	6	ED’S STUFF BOX
16	7	DONNER’S DAILY FOOD BOX
17	7	SHOWER – D’s GROOMING BAG
18	7	DONNER’S STUFF BOX
19	7	DONNER’s MEDS:
20	8	DEFENDER CAB
21	8	CONSOLE
22	9	PASSENGER WELL
23	9	GARAGE
24	10	UTILITY BOX
25	10	STAKE BAG & BUNGEE BAG:
26	10	GEAR AND EQUIPMENT (6 bags) Tent bags(2), Tarps bag, Sleeping bags(2), Donner’s Cot, Off-Road Recovery Bag
27	11	KITCHEN
28	11	ED’S FOOD CONTAINER
29	11	SUPPLY BOX
30	11	PANTRY BAG

 

loose in Defender
Watch; whistle; dog tags; wallet
Recovery equipment on floor or passenger seat
Donner’s rear bed
Green tent floor/Gray Tent floor
Donner’s rear bed
Donner’s metal bowls (2)
Cane
Road triangles
Trash can with various fluids and funnels
102 locks and wires
Road atlas under driver’s seat
Aluminum stays for roof
Green chair (on roof)
Trash Bag (on back of passenger seat)
Backpack
Step stool (may
Ground mat
In-tent bag (and maybe camouflage bag(s)
ELECTRONICS BAG
Instructions for all; cables for all
iPad and cables  (in E-bag)
Cell phone (in E-bag)
Satellite phone; chargers (console)
Nikon Cameras; charger; Camera + charger;  memory chips (in E-bag)
Beet headphones + other headphones (in console)
Mophie battery chargers (2) +  small chargers (2) (in console)
Headlight and charger 1 in tent bag; 1 in Ed’s stuff box)
GARMIN + 2 chargers (Garmin in dashboard; chargers in Ed’s Stuff Box) (cab, Supply box)
Car Battery charger and cables for it (in console)
Multi-Charger in Defender; Various cigarette lighter plug-ins chargers (console)
Donner’s e-collar + charger (in Donner’s stuff box)
Donner’s radio collar + charger + antenna (in Donner’s Stuff Box)
Donner’s red lights (in D-Stuff box)
	MAP ROOM:
	Woodall’s; KOA; AAA Maps; road Atlas; other
	LIBRARY:
	Books;  Defender Workshop Manual (in separate box)
	OFFICE:
	Small Clip board + pads
	Pens Box; laser pens
	JOURNAL
	Check list; rules of road; contact list; papers; etc.
	Lost dog posters Donner
	Read glasses (3); mag glass
	checkbook
	WALLET: 3 cards; driver’s license reg; USAA;  BCBC;  DCBar,FED, Nat Parks, etc.
	Planning Book: Emergency Contacts; Donner’s papers; My papers; Itinerary; Rules of Road; check Lists;PWs, Contacts; BACK COVER: Trip MAP
	SDP
	Donner’s papers;
	Passport
	Extra car keys; house keys
	cash; checks
	credit cards: AX; Visa; Visa; ATM (3)
	Cards: KOA; national Parks ; Fed ID; Navy ID; DC Bar card
	Copies of driver’s license; insurance card; passport; etc.
	TOILET KIT: Pill box; scissors; shave cream; razor; blades; styptic stick; lip salve; deodorants; after shave; lotion; tooth brush; paste; floss; rubber tip; night guard; eyelid cleaners; nail clippers and brush; soap; wash cloth; brush; comb; OFF + Cortisone, tweezers, handy-wipes, Kleenexes small; earplugs; ear wax cleaner
	MEDS ED:
	Prav; Advil; Vitamins; Multi; CoQ10; Aspirin;  Ambien, cold pills; Penicillin
	FIRST AID KIT
	First-aid books Thermometer Blood pressure monitor Bandages Surgical masks Latex gloves Gauze dressing pads Gauze dressing roll Calamine lotion Cordran Tape Vaseline Adhesive tape Cotton balls and Qtips Surgical kit Fleet enema Moist wipes (none) Ace bandages Syringes, scissors, tweezers, tick removal item Cortisone, Neosporin, Benadryl Rubbing alcohol Hydrogen peroxide Iodine Hand sanitizers Ice packs CPR kit Holistic pain-relieving medicated plaster Splint Anticlot powder
	Donner’s First Aid Kit: Animax for superficial wounds Quadritop for skin and ear infections, Baytril Otic for ear antibiotic Synotic for external ear infections Tobramycin Opthalmic Solution for ext eye infections Canine wound cleaner Diarrhea medication for dog Betegen topic solution

 

BACKPACK (as needed)” towel, Long Johns (T&B), cap,

IN-TENT BAG (as needed): bear spray, headlamp, tent lamp, flashlight, Ed’s bath kit

 

LINEN BAG

BLUE SACK - Towels Ed (2)

ORANGE SACK- Towels Donner (2)

YELLOW BAG - Pillow cases (3); small towels (2); wash cloths (2)

GREEN SACKS – Blankets, red, emergency (2)

 

 

WARDROBE BAG(S)	(circle wear) * one in tent bag
BLUE	Brown pants/belts (2, H/L); Agility pants (3 pair, H/M/L weight)
BLUE w/ purple tape:	REI Winter Jacket and Liner
Blue/light sea summit	NF Rain jacket/pants (in cab)
GREEN small	Red windbreaker
green large	Shirts: SS Crew (2), LS Crew (2);  Long Johns T&B (2*) (tops with zip turtleneck)
MAROON	Hoodies (2); turtlenecks (2);
PURPLE large	U-clothes (6): Bandanas, briefs, T-shirts, socks (1 heavy)
PURPLE small	Scarf, Gloves (2); watch caps(3*); wool caps  (3); baseball caps (2)
SHOES	Garmont boots, Nike’s
WEAR	Watch, whistle; door tags; shoes
black tent bag	Long-johns, watch cap, small towel

 

 

Ed’s stuff box

Back brace and knew brace (in Supply box)

Bear spray-2 (1 in tent bag, 1 in console)

Binoculars (in console)

Blue band (in Tent Bag)

Compass (in Tray)

Deet

Electronics from elsewhere: Garmin cables, unknown cables, Canada phone (in Supply Box)

Emergency tent

Flares (in Console)

Flashlights- 2 (in dash tray, 1 in tent bag)

Foot spray

Headlamps 2 (1 in tent bag)

Hunting knife

Lamps for tent-2 ( in tent bag)

Leatherman-2

Light Snap On

Magnifying glass- 2  (in Tray and Office)

Mosquito nets

Personal supplies extra: Toothpaste, shaving cream, blades,  soap, etc.  (in Black Pod Sack in Supply box)

Plastic stays

Repair kit, various items

Rubber bands

Safety glasses-2, (1 in console)

Shoe inserts and laces

Suspenders

Swiss Army knife (in console tray)

Thermometer (n Tray)

 

DONNER’S DAILY FOOD BOX : Dry food; can opener; canned food; treats; spoon; cup; daily meds

SHOWER – hose do not take

Donner’s Grooming bag – Brush;  Derm shampoo; Mousse; Ear rinse gauze pads Spray (fresh) Spray (for flies) Nail clippers

DONNER’S STUFF BOX

Backpack –purple (in Supply box)

Bandana repellant

Blue dog harness; sling (don ‘take)

Bowls: 2 metal + food bowl

Brush (in shower)

Coat – Green (in Supply Box)

Collar - tube

collar; long choke collar; tags;

Dog bags

Dog first aid kit (see first aid kit)

E-collar, handheld and charger

Flea collar (canned)

Kong – small red

Leashes: 1 long; 2 regulars

Lost dog posters (in office)

Medicine kit: daily + extra (see medicine below)

Muzzles mesh extra (one id my daypack)

Papers (in office)

Radio collar + instructions

Red lights (AAA batteries)

Salmon (small cans – 6)

Treats

Tennis balls

Tick kit tweezers + cotton + HPO (in first aid kit)

Towels (in linen bag)

Toy duck

DONNER’s MEDS: Dasuquin; Fish Oil pills, Galiprant, Gabenpentin, Hansen meds syringe for HPO I(n first aid bag), Heartworm and Flea meds; Ointments (in first aid bag)

 

DEFENDER CAB

Left Dash Tray: Air gauge, pens, compass; mag-glass; flashlight, sunglasses, lighters; distance glasses; safety glasses

Center Dash: Garmin

Dash Board: coffee cup, chargers, Beets, fire extinguisher, wipes,  disinfectant wipes

CONSOLE Air conditioning vent Air pressure checkers - 3 Air spray and air fresheners American and Canadian flags Bear spray Cable rechargers Cigarette lighters Compass Covers for air vents in winter Dogs seatbelt Duct tape Extension cord Extra Garman connector Flares 6 Fuses and relays (also in Garage) Gas caps -2 Graphite lubricant + ? Headphones (extra) Light for battery recharger LR Manual + winch/bat charger   Magnifying glass Miscellaneous stuff Notebook Panels for air vents Patches (OTR) Plastic storage bags Rear view mirror repair kit plus alcohol - SDP Safety glasses Sunglasses Tire air caps Battery charger + cables iPad holder and brace

 

PASSENGER WELL

Air compressor compartment: hose; ARB bumper accessory

Winch + control cord; air compressor hose

Air pressure gauge (in dash tray)

Off road recovery rope, hitch; winch bag; tire iron; rope; ARB item/hijack (in compressor)

Workshop manual + parts manual

Electric cord + grey cord for battery charger

Chains

1-2 spare tires (wrench for rack if there)

Shovel; pull pal; Hi-jack (+plate)

5 gallon spare water tank and spout

5 gallon Gas can and spout

Screen for radiator; wire mesh for headlights

Flares (in console); warning triangles

Fire extinguisher (in Console)

Camp Chair (in Bag on RR)

GARAGE

Cage panel (beneath it)

Fluids: Oil (5W/30 genuine), Gurling oil, ATF power steering, Bake/clutch oil, funnels (in Trash can in rear of Defender flat tire air + kit Various Gaskets, seals, O-rings Rearview mirror adhesive repair kit Windshield wiper Fuses and relays hijack clip fix-it kit Part from thermostat sensor installation Spare ignition wire JB Weld Spare Hoses and Belts Spare Spark plug wires and Spark plug Spare Ignition coil   Oil filters (3) Spare Distributor and cap Nuts and bolts Spare Alternator Spare Fuel pump Extension cord orange (in passenger well) Extension cord gray (in console?) Headlight protectors Spare headlight switch Spare lights switch Spare water pump Spare wiper fluid pump Spare windshield wipers

UTILITY BOX Laundry detergent Iron mallet Rubber mallet (in stake bag) Assortment of open wrenches Assortment of socket wrenches Assortment of Allen wrenches Screwdriver Small screwdrivers Adjustable pliers Pincher pliers Long tweezers Heavy duty adjustable pliers Assortment of C clamps and vice grips Assortment of O-camps etc. Grommet kit Saw Wire Nylon Ties Work gloves Trowel Scotchgard WD-40 PB penetrating catalyst Disinfectant wipes Shop towels (also in Supply box) Brush Measuring tape Spout for gas jerrycan JB Weld (in garage) Car air spray (in Ed’s stuff box?) Trash Bags (in Ed’s stuff box?)

STAKE BAG + BUBGEE CORD BAG

stakes, rope, mallet, D clips; double hooks; single hooks, stays/ties (MOVE)

Bungee cords

GEAR AND EQUIPMENT (ROOF RACK ?)

Sleeping bags (2) + 2 mats

4 man tent:; floor; footprint/tarp; stakes; extra poles

2 man Tent: North face + footprint

Green/grey tent floors (2) (in Defender)

Tarps 2 (one in pole bag; one in supply box)

COTS: Mine and Donner’s (Brown and blue)

Donner’s blue cot

 

KITCHEN

DEET candle

Table cloth; napkins

Trash bags

Cups: green/blue/brown , wine glass

Utensils bag: Kinde, food, fork, can opener, strainer, tongs

Coffee pot

Bowls; plates;

Bowls 2 plastic with tops

Cooking pot

Stove fuel (2); matches/lighters (fireplace)

Pipe, tobacco, tamper (or in Pantry)

Soap; pot scrubber

Kitchen towels; hot mat

Shop towels

Everyday Food Bag coffee/ tea, lemon juice; rice; meta; protein; dog treats;

Extra food bag

First day’s Food Rations box

FOOD CONTAINER (Daily meal boxes)

10 daily food boxes (Juice, Oatmeal (2),Raisins, Soymilk; oatmeal; coffee; Energy bars, Trail mix, crackers; wine;  V8; soup; salmon; rice; chocolate) Loose: soups, wine

PANTRY BAG: Thermos, coffee cup; daily food + treats

Supply box

Alternator

Bungee cords and straps

Camouflage bag, empty

Donner’s backpack

Donne’s winter coat

Dog bags, two

Extension cord Grey

Extra foodstuff: Rice _+ Coffee/tea

Extra tarp poles

Extra tent poles

Garmin extra, Canadian phone, unknown cables

Personal supplies extra, Ed

Propane, three cans

Shop towels, two

Tarp, second

Wet ones, extra

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Just got the Defender back yesterday from Dean’s. The occasional starting problem persists.  In the past, it would fire up immediately after two cranks. Now it does that only after a recent use. If it sits for a while, especially overnight or longer, it takes any number of cranks, or a second try, and then sometimes it fires up on with a labored startup.  Right now, it always fires up on the second try, or sometimes on the first if I turn the key to the second position to let the fuel pump prime the engine.  The best guess is that that has something to do with the new RPI Tornado chip (for the more powerful engine) I had installed after the I brought the Defender back home in 2016.  I hate leaving for my trip with this problem still lingering and undiagnosed, but I have to take the risk.  Under a worst-case scenario, if the vehicle acts up on me again at the most distant point expected on the trip, it will cost me $5600 to have to shipped back home again. But I am sure I would do exactly what I did in 2016 before I resort to that option, but this time I will rent as vehicle and drive home. But I am confident it will not come to that, so off we will go.

Other than the starting issue, the Defender is in the best shape it has been in for years, if not ever.  Well, almost. On the way home from Dean’s yesterday, the horn sounded a little weak. So, when I got home I tired it again and it was gone. Hopefully, Dean can order one on Tuesday and have it installed by Friday so I can leave as planned. 

I am now in the red zone for planning and preparing. This means I will have to spend just about every waking moment working on my To-Do list to get on the road. But as my rules required, I will not leave until I am 100% ready to go. And I am as determined to get on the road again after a one-year delay as much as I was to make it back home with the Defender and take it on another journey two years ago after the engine failed on the Alaskan Hiway.

 

ED & Donner

FW: OTR - Items for defender console

Contents of Defender Console and Dashboard

	Air conditioning vent
	Air pressure checkers - 3
	Air spray and air fresheners
	American and Canadian flags
	Cable rechargers
	Cigarette lighters
	Compass
	Covers for air vents in winter
	Dogs seatbelt
	Duct tape
	Extension cord
	Extra Garman connector
	Flares 6
	Fuses and relays
	Gas caps -2
	Graphite lubricant
	Light for battery recharger
	LR Manual + winch/bat charger  instr
	Magnifying glass
	Miscellaneous stuff
	Notebook
	Plastic storage bags
	Rear view mirror repair kit plus alcohol -
	Safety glasses
	Sunglasses
	Tire air caps

 

OTR First aid kit

Below are the contents of my first aid kit.   Fortunately, I have had to dip into it rarely, but when I did, I appreciated lugging it around for 120,000 miles.

 

First aid kit

Ace bandages	Various ointments for Dog:
Adhesive tape	Animax (superficial wounds)
Anticlot powder	Quadritop (skin and ear infections)
Bandages	Baytril Otic (ear antibiotic)
Calamine lotion	Synotic (external ear infections)
Cordran Tape	Trm.Opth Solution (external eye infections)
Cortisone, Neosporin, Benadryl	Canine wound cleaner
Cotton balls	Diarrhea medication for dog
CPR kit
Fleet enema
Gauze dressing pads
Gauze dressing roll
Hand sanitizers
Holistic pain-relieving plaster
Hydrogen peroxide
Ice packs
Iodine
Moist wipes
Q-tips
Rubbing alcohol
Splint
Surgical kit
Syringes, scissors, tweezers, tick removal
Vaseline

First-aid books

 

August 28th -

Today, I decided to do something I never did before for any of my trips.  While I would plan the route that I would take, and stick with it (except when I chose to deviate from it, which happened often), I never planned my target campsite for the night until the night before, before I broke campo the next morning, or even on the drive itself.  So many things can happen that can set me back a critical hour two, or even five weeks, as happened once (i.e., on the ALCAN in 2016). But planning for target campsites takes at least 30 minutes, sometimes an hour, which at least for the first leg of the trip I would like to save.  So, I spent several hours today mapping out the route I will take on the first leg of the trip, DC to Yellowstone.  Below is that plan. This has me averaging 241 miles a day on the road, but as little as 119 and as much as 317.  The blank rows are there just in case I want to break that part of the trip into two as I will be in no rush to meet any deadlines as in previous years. I planned the itinerary to stay in as many state or national parks as I can.

 

SP=State Park; NP=National Park; PP=Provincial Park.

Day	Take	Miles	State	Camp	Near/Before
1	I70, I68	192	WV	Coopers Rock SP	Morgantown
2	I79, I70	277	OH	John Bryan SP	Springfield
		0
3	I70, I74,	298	IL	Weldon Springs SP	Champaign
4	I74	181	IA	Wildcat Den SP	Davenport
5	61, I80	119	IA	Rock Creek SP	Grinnell
		0
6	I80, I29	287	SD	Union Grove SP	Vermillion
		0
7	I90	317	SD	Badlands NP
		0
8	I90	270	WY	Indian Campground	Buffalo
9	US 16,20,30,14	229	WY	Yellowstone NP	Wyoming
		2166	241 mpd	2046 SHORTEST ROUTE

 

This is leg 1 of the trip.  The other legs will be as follows:

Leg 2- Yellowstone and northwest to Vancouver Island or wherever.

Leg 3- Vancouver Island down the west coast to San Francisco or wherever.

Leg 4- San Francisco to DC

 

Of course, all this might change if the Defender does not cooperate this time, but I would not be taking the trip if I did not have the confidence in it.

 

One goal this year is to get into the campsites long before sunset, at least three hours, so I can enjoy them. And maybe get some reading done, which I have generally failed to do on all eight of my prior trips. I just bought Mike Wallace’s the history of NY, about 1300 pages, or about 25 pages a day if I am gone 51 days as I hope.   

 

Here is what the routine for a typical day looks like:

6:00 a.m. Reveille (get up); walk with Donner; breakfast; plan the day; service Defender

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. On the Road, starting each day’s drive with Pete Seger’s “This Land is Your Land”; With my old engine, I could only average 50 miles an hour, with breaks. I might be able to bring that up to 55, so seven hours at 55 equals 385 miles.

4:00 p.m. Arrive campsite; set up camp; prepare dinner;

8:00 p.m. In tent; download photos; write in journal; write blog; repair items; read

9:00 p.m. Taps (lights out)

 

ED

 

Sunday, Aug 26th -

I decided to take the Defender in tomorrow to my mechanic’s to see about the starting problem.  I am not too sure I should set out with the problem the way it is now.  The vehicle starts, either with a number of turns or on the second try. When the engine is warm, it starts that away. It has to have something to do with the amount of fuel in the engine.  I installed a new fuel pump so I know that’s not it.  When I get the vehicle back, I will decided if this is a trip stopper.  If it is, after 24 years, I will retire the Defender.  I cannot afford to wake up every day or when I stop for a rest break wondering if the Defender is going to start.

 

Before I drop the Defender off tomorrow, I will go shopping for the contents of my Daily Food Boxes.  I take along 12 10V6X4 boxes with food in them for one day each, although on my drive days I usually pick up a healthier lunch or dinner (After breakfast, I eat lunch or dinner, and ward off pesky hunger pangs by snacking on the four items marked with an *).  These boxes consist of:

• Orange juice
• Oatmeal (2)
• Raisins (small box)
• Soy milk
• Fruit cup
• VB juice (small container)
• Soup
• Instant Brown Rice
• Salmon
• Peanut butter cracker*
• Cliff Bar*
• Chocolate bar*
• Nuts*
• Wine (187ml bottles)

 

I started the laborious process of going through each of my 15 “boxes”  to inventory each item and do what needs to get done to get the box ready to go.  This year my goal is to order everything needed on-line (except the DFBs).  As of now, I am awaiting the arrival of 12 deliveries, with more to come soon.  The “boxes”  are:

 

1. Console
2. Electronics
3. First aid Kit
4. Shower with dog’s supplies
5. Donner’s Stuff Box/ Meds
6. Ed’s stuff Box/Meds
7. Garage
8. Map Box
9. Library
10. Kitchen
11. Pantry
12. Supply Box
13. Utility Box
14. Wardrobe
15. Linen Closet

 

These “boxes” are in addition to all of the equipment that goes along with us, i.e., tents and tarps, vehicle and off-road recovery equipment, sleeping bags and mattresses, etc., each of which I need to check out for servicing or replacement.

 

Each morning I will spend some time planning the first leg of the trip to Yellowstone.  Although the sun is setting earlier each night, I am heading west so I have a little extra time for driving or arriving at the campsites before sunset. I hope to do no more than 300 miles a day so to get to Yellowstone it will take me seven days. By contrast, I averaged 297 miles a day during my first road trip with Sonntag. That may not seem like a lot, but remember, I am driving the Defender and four hours a day are spent setting up and then breaking camp, so 300 is a lot.  I have done 500 miles a day several times, and I do not like it.  On the road, I can only average 50 miles an hour, factoring in rest breaks and traffic jams.

 

Tomorrow I will pull together my To Take and To-do lists, which I really should have done first, but the things I knew I had to do were so much on my mind that I just started to do them. I will post them when I get them so those of you who are curious can see what it takes to plan and prepare for one of these adventures. I admit that I may overdo it, but I believe in the motto, “Be Prepared.”

 

Augist 24, 2018 - Serious planning for OTR9 begins

I have set Sunday, September 9^th as my target departure date for OTR-9.  I have had virtually no time to plan this trip, so many distractions have popped up.  But I have given plenty of thought to it.  In fact, as with all eight trips before this one, once I set a date for departure, the trip is my default thought, constantly on my mind.  I have set Yellowstone National Park as my first destination goal since I have never been there and it seems almost un-American not to go there.  Fortunately, the summer tourists will all be gone by the time I arrive. And 2000 of the campsites are given out daily so I do not need to do any planning or reserving. 

 

I have not decided the route to take to Yellowstone, but my guess is that I will head diagonally from DC instead of going through Canada. At Yellowstone, I will decide where to go from there.  The options are to head north to Canada and go through Banff again, and then swing west to Vancouver Island along the same winding back road route I took with Erde in 2014.  There’s a wonderful small isolated remote primitive campground on Goat Creek along that route that I would like to visit again.  On Vancouver Island, I will head to the west coast and camp on the ocean at Wya Point for a few days.   Tent camping is right on the beach amidst a grove of trees that form the boundaries and walls of the individual campsites. Unfortunately, it will be monsoon season there, so I do not have high expectations. Perhaps a few days of reading in my tent might be nice. After that, I will head down to Victoria, hop the ferry to the States and then circumvent the Olympic Peninsula counter-clockwise and then head on down the west coast along the coastal highway to San Francisco, maybe diverting to the Sequoia parks inland. From there, I will leave open how to head home, but one choice is to head to Donner Memorial Park (Donner will like that) at the north end of Lake Tahoe and then head down to route 50 which crosses through the Nevada and Utah deserts.  I can’t make specific plans because, as I now know, anything can happen.  My hope is to arrive no later than November 6^th so I can attend a function in NY for the Humane Society soon after that.  Although I arrived home general on plan my first seven journeys, 2016’s trip taught me the lesson to be prepared to not make that target.

 

A map of this trip is shown below, although all of the above could change over the next two weeks, or as the trip is in progress, of course.

 

In addition to the three Ps, Planning, Preparing and Packing, the three big variables for all my trips are (DDM) the Defender, Dogs (Donner, this time) and Me.

 

In reverse order, my recovery from whatever it was that atrophied my abductor muscles is finally moving along, thanks to the PRP (platelet rich plasma) treatments I have been going through and lots of physical theraphy.  All indications are that this all started with my first road trip and got slightly worse after each trip, but the final blow came with the hip surgery last year.  I just bought one of those beaded seat covers for this trip to keep the blood circulating through those abductor and glut muscles.

 

Donner is in as good shape as he has ever been, although I will take him in for his allergy shot just before I leave.  It lasts about eight weeks, which should get me home in time to ward off any problems.

 

I thought the Defender was all set for another road trip until this morning when it wouldn’t fire up after about 13 turns.  But when I keyed it again, it started up right away.  My guess is that I need to turn the key to the 2^nd stage for a few seconds before trying to start it to get the gas pumping into the engine.  I hate to set off with this problem undiagnosed so I will take it into my mechanic the week before I leave.

 

AAA through a monkey wrench into my planning yesterday when I went to pick up the half dozen camping books they have carried for years.  Back in 2000, I relied on Woodall’s Camping books, but AAA bought them out four years ago, and yesterday I learned that AAA no longer carries them. Nor did they give me any advice on what to do instead.  I have relied heavily of those books for all of my road trips and now they are gone. Fortunately, I think I still have the old books and bought a few others on the internet , so I will not have to change over completely to using the internet to find campsites.  Google has this service where you type in "camping near [city]" and up pop several options. But the problem with the internet is that I often will not have Wi-Fi or even cell phone service, and using the iPad to surf these sites is not the most efficient way to go about finding campsites.  Maybe it’s time to upgrade my 2011 model iPad.    

 

That’s all for now.

 

ED

 

Map below…

Estimated Day of Departure

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH, or as soon thereafter when I am 100 percent ready and rested.

OTR 9 - The trip so far

I try to post a homemade map of the trip so far every 500 miles or so in a regular posting.  However, since I may not have time to link this gadget button to the latest map, you might scroll down the postings to see if there is a latest map posted.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO MAP OF TRIP SO FAR.

Comments and Contact Me

You can leave comments here or under any posting where it is permitted.

You can contact me by leaving a comment here. If you do not want your comment posted, please state that, although I will not publish any posts with contact information in them. If I promised you a OTR patch, leave your name and address and tell me where we met.

ED

July 18, 2018

Planning for my upcoming trip has been slow to get off the ground.  My hope is to accelerate it, starting today.  I lost almost some serious planning time due to my helping a friend, Herschel Browne, deal with his daily struggles during his last five months. Herschel died on July 10th.  Here are some brief thoughts about the trip.

The Plan - since I doubt if I will get on the road before late August, I may have to drop northwest Canada and that new road to the  Arctic from Inuvik NWT from my plan.  Perhaps I will settle for a trip across the continent to Vancouver Island, and then drop down the west coast again to some of my favorite camp sites, before heading home.

The Defender is back in the shop again, mostly for some small but important stuff, including rigging a ladder system to make it easier for me to access the front of my roof rack.  It seems that my hip surgery last year took away the full range of motion with my right leg, which did the bulk of the effort to get onto that rack from the bonnet (hood).  But the most important work involves remedying a pesky starting problem I am still having.  My mechanic thinks he has the solution, which I hope is the case.  I would be foolish to start any trip knowing that I have a starting problem.

Donner is in the best shape he has ever been in so I do not expect issues with him to delay the trip any, knock on wood.

My own situation is that I am still dealing with that mobility issue with my right leg, which, all indications are, started with all my road trips,  It seems that driving the Defender over tens of thousands of miles took a toll on my right abductor muscles. Fortunately, I am able to walk without a cane for the first time in two years, and so if I have to take the trip as I am, I will.   I am also starting to clear the deck of the numerous things in my daily life that occupy my time so I can focus almost exclusively in planning and preparing for the trip.

ED

First 10 days

Upcoming journey

June 21, 2018 ----- Today, the day before the days get shorter,  is when I officially start planning for OTR-9, which I hope to set out on in mid-August, returning in late October.

The Defender is still having a starting problem which I have to resolve or the trip is off, at least in the Defender.  I have had a lot of work done on it over the last two years and I am determined to get that machine back on the road.

My own recovery is finally making progress. After a year of seeing one doctor or another, physical therapy with a therapist twice weekly, and physical therapy on my own every day, the problem has been diagnosed as a weak abductor muscle.  My guess is that this started as the result of my first road trip in 2000, and took a serious turn down after my hip surgery.  I am undergoing three Platelet Rich Plasma treatments which are supposed to jump start the muscles again.  Regardless, I can take he trip in the condition I am now, although I would still have to use a cane for long walks. No big deal. A lot of people have it much worse.

Donner is doing just fine, relatively speaking.  An MRI showed that he has a serious spinal issue and arthritic hips, either of which will cause him to go lame eventually.  I am not going to put him through surgery, only to find out after he lost six months recovering from the surgeries that they were not successful.  I will manage him conservatively until he becomes lame, and then put him in a wheelchair like his two predecessors.

As for the destination, I have a lot of options, like all of North America.  I hope to narrow them down over the next few weeks. Maybe I will just get on the road and plan each day as it comes.