What is your non- paddling G RATED fetish?

Fat biking and my dog

That is one lucky pup.

Yes, I have a great public library nearby (which I support with annual cash and book donations) and most years I also pay a fee to my alma mater to use their libraries. But I have esoteric taste in books and most that interest me can’t be found in the stacks. Archaeology, history of scientific and geographic explorations, sea kayaking, guides to construction techniques, etc. I also buy books of local interest when I travel, often having to mail back a box of them before flying home: hiking and water trail guides, regional histories and printings by small presses in those areas.

My late father was a great bibliophile and when I was executrix of my parents’ estate I had to deal with close to 10 thousand volumes. Virtually every room in their large house had a bookcase – the three largest rooms had whole walls of them. I had a scholarly used book dealer inspect the collection – had him pull any he wanted to buy out from the stack an inch or so, then my siblings and I went through and pushed back in or removed any of those we wished to keep. He gave us over $800 for several dozen that he took. Fortunately, I then sold the home to a good friend who also loves books so many of them stayed with it including vintage first editions and a huge collection of dictionaries and learning guides to dozens of languages (Dad was a linguist). He never bought a new book that I know of, other than books he bought us kids when we were little. He was well known in all the used book stores and thrift shops around the city and, like me, would bring them home from his travels abroad as well, especially when he took sabbaticals in England.

I read somewhere that a 4’ thick wall of books will block radiation from a nuclear bomb. I expect I could build a pretty sizable safe room with what I have. Though I have been purging lately and either giving them to friends or the library or “selling” them to the local Half Price Books outlet (that is in quotes because i always end up using the pittance store credit they issue for your volumes, plus more cash, to walk out with another batch of books! )

I’ve tried e-books – just not the same. I want the book in my hand and on my nightstand.

My mother was an avid reader of almost anything with a huge vocabulary. She read constantly, but they were always paperbacks.
As she aged, her favorite activity was reading while drinking coffee.
She grew up the 6th child of farmers and cattle ranchers in central Florida during the Depression.
Tough woman.

@willowleaf said:
Yes, I have a great public library nearby (which I support with annual cash and book donations) and most years I also pay a fee to my alma mater to use their libraries. But I have esoteric taste in books and most that interest me can’t be found in the stacks. Archaeology, history of scientific and geographic explorations, sea kayaking, guides to construction techniques, etc. I also buy books of local interest when I travel, often having to mail back a box of them before flying home: hiking and water trail guides, regional histories and printings by small presses in those areas.

My late father was a great bibliophile and when I was executrix of my parents’ estate I had to deal with close to 10 thousand volumes. Virtually every room in their large house had a bookcase – the three largest rooms had whole walls of them. I had a scholarly used book dealer inspect the collection – had him pull any he wanted to buy out from the stack an inch or so, then my siblings and I went through and pushed back in or removed any of those we wished to keep. He gave us over $800 for several dozen that he took. Fortunately, I then sold the home to a good friend who also loves books so many of them stayed with it including vintage first editions and a huge collection of dictionaries and learning guides to dozens of languages (Dad was a linguist). He never bought a new book that I know of, other than books he bought us kids when we were little. He was well known in all the used book stores and thrift shops around the city and, like me, would bring them home from his travels abroad as well, especially when he took sabbaticals in England.

I read somewhere that a 4’ thick wall of books will block radiation from a nuclear bomb. I expect I could build a pretty sizable safe room with what I have. Though I have been purging lately and either giving them to friends or the library or “selling” them to the local Half Price Books outlet (that is in quotes because i always end up using the pittance store credit they issue for your volumes, plus more cash, to walk out with another batch of books! )

I’ve tried e-books – just not the same. I want the book in my hand and on my nightstand.

After you block the radiation what are do you think you will be coming out to?

There won’t be any power boats or party barges.

@PaddleDog52 said:

After you block the radiation what are do you think you will be coming out to?

Why, The Book of Eli, of course.

I started playing ukulele a few months ago, so that’s my latest obsession…songbooks & using up a ton of paper printing off song sheets. Not to mention all sorts of accessories and cases. Plus of coarse a bigger dry bag for taking the uke on my kayak & raft.

Mostly, I’m just a gear head. Any new outdoor gadget that could possibly be useful while paddling, rafting, or camping is hard for me to resist.

With a room made of 4’ thick walls of books to read, why would I need to come out?

Being the terrible gear head that I am, any shiny multi-purpose piece of outdoor gear will catch my eye. I’m also at the stage in life where I’m thinking about cutting back on work and perhaps retirement in the next few years. I’m also thinking about ending my class IV whitewater rafting career in favor of kayak touring. My rafting buddy & I were discussing our impending life changes and he asked me if I’d consider getting a small RV at some point. I’ve been having that “towable little RV vs all-in-one RV” debate in my head. Then I came across the Sylvansport GO. A multi-use utility trailer/toy hauler/pop-up camper. OH NO. A shiny, multi-purpose piece of outdoor gear. It could haul my gear, and my kayak, and I can sleep in it, and it’s small & light, and a local RV dealership carries them. I may be in trouble. Hmmmm.
https://www.sylvansport.com/shop/sylvansport-go-camper/

Much more expensive than river shoes, books, or ukulele stuff.

@Raftergirl said:
A shiny, multi-purpose piece of outdoor gear. It could haul my gear, and my kayak, and I can sleep in it, and it’s small & light, and a local RV dealership carries them. I may be in trouble. Hmmmm.
https://www.sylvansport.com/shop/sylvansport-go-camper/

One of the retirement things I’ve noticed is that my gear is getting more quality and easier to use. That RV looks good for light camping in areas you’d have tent camped in, “car camped” tent camping. Base camping and taking day trips from the camp is the way we do many weekends. As a retired guy my “weekend” is four days long. Just remember that if you base camp and the trailer stays in one spot you still need the ability to put the kayak on the vehicle. One of our favorite camping spots has two upstream put ins. One at 6 miles one at 12 miles. Drive up. Put in. Paddle down. Then ride the bike back to the put in for the truck, a peddle paddle.

Yes, I though about that. I could carry my T-loader in the back for my 4-Runner, or attach it to the rack on the Go trailer. Then after parking & setting up the camper, I could stick the T-loader on to load my kayak on my roof rack for day trips. Right now, I either bring a tent & roll-a-cot, or sleep in the back of my 4-Runner. I’m 5’5", so I fit nicely in the back with the rear cargo area flat. I have some screens I made that attach around my windows for ventilation. The 4-Runner works ok as a poor man’s RV. I can always add a rocket box on the roof rack for gear. The 4-Runner RV would of course be the more economical and minimalist way to go. It’s actually not bad sleeping in the back on my Exped pad. The Sylvansport Go “only” costs $10,000…but it looks so cool :wink: :wink:

@Raftergirl said:
Then I came across the Sylvansport GO. A multi-use utility trailer/toy hauler/pop-up camper. OH NO.

I have been coveting this ever since I saw it. We will be camping this weekend and there is a dealership on our way. I keep telling myself it’s just to look. I am about 338 days from retiring so it may be premature since most of what we have planned is strictly for the tent (including kayak camping of course). We could not even take it with us to our camp site. So it’s just to look. Really.

But other than this, I have been told I am obsessed with hiking, earthcaching, taking pictures, and watching professional darts.

There are folks building DIY versions of that Sylvansport camper for cheap. Basic trailer add plywood deck and tent. Some are adding raised sides and cutting out the floor of the tent so you have a footwell similar to a popup. Easier than building a teardrop.

Fishing gear. Sometimes I think I like buying fishing gear more than I like actually fishing. I have more rods than you can shake a stick at, but if I find a good deal on a rod or reel, I buy it. Then of course I need to buy a new rod or reel to match the new rod or reel. Last week I saw a rod that I really like on sale on Cabelas for half price and bought two. Now I need reels for them.

And buying lures. Every time I read about “new greatest lure” I’m there. I have so many plastic worms, brush hogs, flukes, etc. that I had to buy a tackle box just for them. And my main tackle box is huge. Of course I need a smaller tackle box for my canoe and that is fully stocked too.

Next to that, this might be a G- rating, is the SUPs. I don’t do it. I don’t own a SUP board. But I really like seeing all of lithe, 20 something females in bikinis on SUPs while I’m out fishing or paddling. In the old days they were sitting in canoes or kayaks and you could only see the top half and imagine the rest. Now, after a day on the water I just can’t wait to get home to my girlfriend.

@BFamilyAdventureTeam said:
There are folks building DIY versions of that Sylvansport camper for cheap. Basic trailer add plywood deck and tent. Some are adding raised sides and cutting out the floor of the tent so you have a footwell similar to a popup. Easier than building a teardrop.

My rafting buddy and I talked about ways to convert my small rafting trailer into a camping trailer. I don’t have the skills, tools, or patience needed for that, so something pre-made appeals to me. The more I think about the Go trailer, the more I think it’s a lot of money to pay for basically a fancy rolling tent. I can almost completely stand up in the Big Agnes tent that I take rafting, and I use a roll-a-cot in it so it’s pretty comfy. Actually sleeping in my 4-Runner is pretty nice, and it’s about as compact & portable as it comes.

@Geodarts said:

@Raftergirl said:
Then I came across the Sylvansport GO. A multi-use utility trailer/toy hauler/pop-up camper. OH NO.

I have been coveting this ever since I saw it. We will be camping this weekend and there is a dealership on our way. I keep telling myself it’s just to look. I am about 338 days from retiring so it may be premature since most of what we have planned is strictly for the tent (including kayak camping of course). We could not even take it with us to our camp site. So it’s just to look. Really.

But other than this, I have been told I am obsessed with hiking, earthcaching, taking pictures, and watching professional darts.

I’d love to hear what you think of it!

Geo, at your age, “just looking” is usually done with the means to buy. That’s how I got a new truck and my wife got the better than sex sewing machine.

Flashlights. Fire starting survival gear. Tools. Anything to do with kayak transportation. I’m a gear hog! I’ll ask my kids to post the garage sale here after I’m gone!

@string said:
… and my wife got the better than sex sewing machine.

With a Better Than Sex Sewing Machine
one must know how to push the right switches.
With all those spinnin’ of bobbins and needles a throbbin’
stray unseamly might have some in stitches.,
where a dart might depart from the matter at heart
as you say, “Gee, spot I thread just let go.”
The manufacture should warn us that it’s churning performance
goes from prickly to just the sew-sew.

(OK, maybe this is a Semi-G rating)