Styx In The Mud - Adventure Rider

As mentioned in an earlier post it's important to do some controlled training before diving head-long into  your first adventure ride and in late April I was finally ready for an overnight trial-run with all my newly acquired gear. To be honest, this trip probably wouldn't have happened if not for my wife who continued to "suggest" an overnight trip. Once the weather warmed up a little we selected a Friday night to take the test. Being the very first overnight with all my gear she packed up the SUV with all her stuff and a bag of backup gear for me to use should things come completely off the rails. The site we picked is one we frequent often with kayaks but this would be our first use of their campground: a small state part about 10 minutes from our house. The thinking is that if the whole thing turns into a SNAFU we can pack up and head for home. The route to get there is also a good one with gravel backroads the entire way so it will help give my equipment a chance...

One week's worth of deliveries It's been about a month since my new bike arrived and after weeks of researching, spreadsheets, YouTube unboxing reviews, some of my gear is finally starting to arrive!! It's like Christmas, only I have to pay for everything and nothing is a surprise... I can only assume that the USPS and Amazon delivery people must hate me right about now. I came home the other day to find our mailbox jammed - literally forced full - of bubble mailers; so much so that the door wouldn't close without it turning into some kind of theoretical quantum-physics experiment. Much of the stuff is slowly ac cumulating in a big pile on my office floor. According to my badass spreadsheet, (yes, I know, I'm a nerd), in the past 4 weeks I've received 46.7% (that point-seven is sooo important...) of the myriad of items I've been tracking and, while I'd like to think that this number will improve, inevitably I'll find more and mor...