RL camping and T2K observations

[Adm.Lee]

Thanks for the insights. As a non-camper, but frequently the family packer, I appreciate the comments, especially the T2k-relations.

Loadmaster: in all of the past games I have refereed, including the current one, I have been the one to go over the PCs' equipment loads, seeing if they could be redistributed between characters or vehicles. If I were a player, I'd be asking to see the others' character sheets for the same reason. I closely watch fuel and food loads, as well as ammo. Perhaps a Scrounge skill roll to turn up the right item, or the average of Scrounge + Mechanic to make something close enough?

I've done this in D&D and other games, too, I'm our group's default treasure collector and wealth-tracker. It's something I sometimes build into my PCs. Again, if it were T2k, I think I'd play a transportation or QM officer.

In my current game, the middle-schoolers playing Marines, there's a way to radically shift their loads that might get them out of trouble right now, but as there are two adults in the game, I don't want to hand them "the right answer" on a plate.

[M-Type]

Fun notes on packing: It's amazing what you can fit in the smallest spaces if you do it right. I was in the Boy Scouts (of America), and we had NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training). I referred to it as 'Boot Camp for Boy Scouts' because it was 110% marching and sweating and marching and then more marching.

But the leader was this grizzled 80 year old guy. We had no idea who he was, and he comes marching out with a backpack a little bit larger than a fanny-pack.

We're sitting there with our large metal framed backpacks, packed with all sorts of gear we figured we needed. He took off his backpack, unpacked everything, and he had a month's supplies of clothes/survival gear/knick-knacks.

Then he made us throw all of our stuff away

Turns out the guy climbed Everest too. Must have been a Highlander or something.

[kcdusk]

1. 5,000km over 22 nights. Setting up new camp 17 times.

2. There was 4 of us for the first week, (Me, wifey, 8 year old daughter and 6 year old son). For the second week, my sister inlaw joined us (2 adults + 3 kids (13 months old, 5 and 7). Together we've covered allot of miles, looking for rough tracks, especially sand dunes. We planned the trip for 2 years (we were meant to go last year but they had a baby). So we travelled well together and had done all the prep work as far as making it through the Simpson Desert (1,100 sandhills).

3. We were on holidays! We loved it! Yeah, i thought about quitting though. It was about night 18 and the closer we got to being home, the more i wanted to rush it. The other couple had phone and internet coverage and kept telling us tidbits, while we had no comms to home or the world (& we'd been away a week longer). That made it tough. We also took some damage (more below) that was making life difficult. I didnt want to go back to work, and i knew once back i'd miss being on the road, so i knuckled down and made the most of every day. Slight tangent, day 1 our rear canapy backwindow was hit by a stone and broke into a million pieces of glass through our gear in the back of the ute/truck. I knew i had to put cardboard over the rear glass but never got around to it ... day 1 on a dirt road we took a rock from a passing car and smash, gone. Glass through everything. We fixed it with a $2 tarp we had with us. Wifey wanted to go home right there and then though. I knew i wasnt going anywhere but away from home on day 1. We stuck with it, cleaned it up, it made access to all our gear (fridge and food box for example) more difficult and by day 20 we were sick of it.

4. The first 2 days away we travelled big kms. 500kms each day (mostly on dirt). Some days were only 350km on dirt, but that still meant pack up (2 hours for everyone to get up, dressed, breakfast and break camp) then about 5-6 hours driving time before setting up camp again that night. Through the Simpson Desert we were doing 70-120km per day. The best days were 200-250km per day because they were a few hours drive then enjoy the rest of the day. We had 3 places we stayed multiple nights.

I am writing a more complete trip report for other reasons, and should be able to post it back here, hopefully with pictures.

Quick side note: before leaving home my laptop was sounding like a coffee grinder, i knew i would have to get a new one when i got home but i didnt want to take a new laptop on the trip. While away i took 4,000 pics (avid photographer) which i hope to whittle down to 800 or so keepers. I backed up pics from my camera card to the laptop on the trip. When i got home i backed up all my photos to my external HDD ... 3 hours later my laptop died. How close was that?!?! Long story short, i'm having trouble with PC & photo access until i get a new laptop.

[Greylond]

Very good thread. Personally, as a GM I typically consider all the PCs to already be skilled/experienced in camping and traveling long term. I'd think that after surviving for 2+ years in the standard T2K campaign you'd be very familiar with how to live/camp/travel. However, this account of your camping trip is a very good way to help the Players imagine the conditions.