Brian, Yeah they are full waders with boot bottoms. Chinese issue and way too cheap, I haven't tested their waterproofing yet, may learn the hard way
Keith, Yes, my breathers run up to my body a couple inches above the frame. I just relocated my back one. It was hooked to the bottom of the frame and I raised it up into my body lift about 8" higher. The front one already ends up above the framerail so I haven't extended it yet, but it's pretty high as is.
Everyone else,
Showers are forecast for Saturday while we are there and thunderstorms are forecast for Sunday. The danger in my mind is making it to Eagle Rock, playing all day Saturday, camping out, and then a storm feeds the river to shut us in with no way out once we are out there. Sinjin and I have already talked over that possibility on the phone. His last post is trying to nicely suggest a strong hint to the rest of you of that possibility.
Trcmagik has a fast deployed integral Explorer tent. I am not even bringing a tent; I'll be dropping my rear seat, using an inflatable mattress, and making a tent out of my vehicle. If a thunderstorm comes Saturday night I am out of Eagle Rock in minutes.
Just something for everyone to think about. I know you like to make fun of me and call me an old grump but the way I see it, the point of this thing is to have fun. All I ever meant by "lecturing" was to ask to please be prepared so we can all have a good time. I want to spend my time out there crawling rocks.
I remember my first time snowskiing. I wish that someone who had done that before had told me that I needed to bring a couple extra spare layers of thermals, that Thorlos are really warm to wear and your toes won't get so cold, etc. I had a blast my first snowskiing trip, but I got miserably cold a couple of times and had a hard time learning because I had the wrong equipment (a friend told me the best skiis, but they weren't the ones to learn on, they required much better ability to use). It would have been so much more fun if I only knew what to prepare for. That's all I mean when I post with suggestions about preparing for the trip. Unfortunately when I do so it comes across differently in the printed word and I sound like a grouch. I just want all you guys to be equipped enough to have a great time. If this ain't for fun then why bother to do it at all, right?
I guess you guys can tell by now that I am planning to tell my work to take a hike and I will do my best to go out and prerun the river for you all and make sure we can do this.
On to the positive. If we can be prepared, we will have great fun. We all know how well meterologists forecast Texas weather, right? Maybe we'll get no precip at all.
Who's bringing firewood? I'll bring starters for easy lighting and a couple of logs.
Whatever happens, we'll need lots of firewood.
PS: Do you youngun's REALLY want to play poker with me? Bring lotsa change with your firewood
PPS: Did I mention we'll need lotsa firewood?
[Edited by GJarrett on 01-26-2001 at 06:02 AM]