Grugger’s Way

I saw five families camping together over the Labor Day weekend. Perhaps 20 people in all, including five unruly kids, who were evidently INVISIBLE to their parents, or maybe everyone was making so damn much noise that the kids made no impression.

The best part of the weekend was Monday afternoon, Labor Day, when all the campers with all the kids all packed up and headed for home.

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I don’t recall when I first fantasized about traveling around the country in a motor home, wild and free, I imagined, like a wandering saddle tramp in the Old West. But it was probably during high school in the 1960’s. I wanted to buy a used school bus, fix it up (PAINT!) use it as a place to live at college. I figured I could take it camping on the weekends and then take cross-country trips during the summer months. Ha Ha. Reality check, 18-year-old. Every thing takes MONEY! So I joined the Navy.

My First Time to Fire a Rifle I killed a deer.  I was only 12, and was just riding along with my Father during a hunt for the first time.  I didn’t have a rifle of my own; my Dad had a 30-06.

The year was 1959.  We were alone on a country road when my Dad spotted a Mule Deer doe and pulled off into the pasture.  The doe took off running directly away from us.  Dad fired.  The doe turned and ran across our field of view. He fired again and she went down.  I yelled, “You got him!”  I think Dad was more surprised than I was.

We ran to the downed deer and Dad saw that she was “gut-shot.” He said, “We need to finish her off. Here, son, you do it.”

I didn’t know what to do.  He said to aim between her eyes from a couple feet away and pull the trigger.  I was scared and shaky.  Her eyes were light brown and she was looking at me.  Her eyes reminded me of a woman, a nun, that I knew at school:  Sister Mary Jeanne.  I pulled the trigger.  That was my last hunt.

I have nothing against hunting or hunters. Harvesting wild game animals is a large part of the western heritage where our family has always lived.  I just never anticipated the total revulsion I would experience at the kill, and later…when Dad had the deer hanging from her hind legs in the garage…when he sliced off a small piece of flesh from her thigh, bloody, raw, and told me to eat it.  And he ate a piece. “This is like the Indians used to do,” he said. “Be a man!”  I ate it.

Not something I would ever want to push upon any one of my three sons–none of whom turned out to be hunters.

A few years later, Dad had to sell that 30-06 to the local Coast-to-Coast hardware store for $75 so we could buy groceries.  Times were tough, but I was glad to see the rifle out of the house.  I never trusted my Father around guns–but that is another story completely–and one that will never be told on these pages.

Emergency Stuff to Keep in the Car

To assemble this list I examined what I like to carry along for emergencies.  Obviously, you will want to adjust what you include based on the season of the year, where you live, and what one might want to have on hand for weekend trips (or longer).  The extremes of summer in the desert and winter in the mountains will require extra attention be paid to this list, as it is by no means all-inclusive:

First Aid Kit with extra elastic wraps and large gauze pads. Add snake bite kit in summer and, in winter, have some of those little heating bags you crush for wearing in your ski boots and gloves.

Axe, bucket and shovel. Required for travel in any mountain state. A good idea anywhere.

Hammer (I keep a 20-ounce with straight claw)

Leatherman tool, plus an assortment of other screwdrivers, blades and wrenches (whatever you have room for in a $20 tool bag).

Flashlight (Big enough that you need at least two D batteries)

Flares, road type.

Tow line made of nylon, usually. These come with big hooks at each end.

Jack and lug wrench for changing tires. (Better check just to make sure the lug wrench FITS and that you know how to operate the jack, especially in the dark.)

Tarp (I recommend 6’x10’)

Gloves, Leather

Gloves, Rubberized (these are waterproof for working outside in winter snow, etc.)

Rope nylon.  Fifty feet of it.  You just never know.

Twine.  A standard ball of it, because it can be used in first aid, and is a way to start a fire too)

Bungee cords. I like the nylon type that are flat and have plastic hooks. Also good for first aid as in securing a splint to arm or leg.

Butane lighters or torches. Waterproof matches are ok too. 

Red flag, plastic, like you hang at the end of an oversized load. Good for signaling that you need help, and you can secure it from the driver side window to alert other drivers.

Tire Chains for winter traction. (Practice putting them on in the dark.) Don’t you dare believe that four-wheel drive is all you will ever need in the mountains.

Sleeping bag (I think I prefer this over the little shiny and thin ”space blankets”)

Energy Bars (There are other high-energy foods, like granola and carrots, if you don’t like energy bars)

Drinking water (bring a gallon per person)

And, remember the cell phone with a charger that works in the car.

If you have additional suggestions, please Comment.