back from 8 days in the Eastern Sierra

[catmanriff]

Great trip. Loaded up the truck on a Friday, hooked up the trailer Saturday morning and took off. About a 300 mile trip, mostly uphill. We managed to beat the heat last week(110 degrees on Monday at home) which was nice. I got 16mpg with my F150 on a mostly uphill journey. The Sliverlake RV resort park we went to is pretty tight, full hook ups. But, the facilities, view and weather make up for the privacy between spaces. We had a few nice trees on our eastern side which made for shade until almost 1:00pm. Very quiet at night. Everyone is nice. Great general store. It was windy a couple days. The lake is gorgeous. 

We had worked so hard leading up to our trip that the first few days we did nearly nothing except sit in the campsite looking at the mountains. I cooked every night. Mom in law was there, sister & brother in law came later in the week to their own spots. 

The QS10 was great. We are getting things worked out after only a few trips. Packing, towing, leveling, stabilizing, seeing up the interior and the campsite is going smoother each trip. We learn what improvements, mods and conveniences might make things better and which ones are really working well. 

What was great:
-The Lowes yellow-lid packing tubs system is great. Fast, easy to load and makes the pack much neater. I'd like to expand upon the idea even more by having the least amount of loose one-off items as possible
-The Valterra stabilizers make the inside wobble free. My wife immediately noticed how nice it was inside. They're a bit kludgey but perform well.
-The Iwatani single butane stove was awesome. It's really hot, very adjustable flame wise and gives us options . I used it each morning for coffee and at night for an additional dinner heat source.
-The Yeti, on it's second year, is really nice. I want the 65 next year for ice. 
-I got a Napoleon O grill for my birthday. I like it. very even heat, reliable starting. Weird but cool form factor. It needs the case however..
-The plastic organizers inside the QS were great for everything.
-The memory foam dual stiffness mattress was the ticket. It's soft for 3 inches then a layer of blue stiffer foam. Fits perfect in the tilt-out pan. 
-I used the Coleman propane lantern every night. Great warm light for the whole site
-I bought three of those tiny military grade LED flashlights. Very surprising performance.
-the 10' EZup and half wall makes it really comfortable and I believe it's better than an awning
-I got a water filter for the shore water. tastes like Brita water.
-the oil-change container worked well for the sink water

Not so great, or needs some attention:
-We broke quite a few snaps off the tonneau cover. My wife fixed them
-The dinette cushions slide all over the place and the table is fidgety. We need more velcro.
-we didn't use the water jug but the hose that goes to it from the sink (to pump water up from the jug) leaked. A trip to the hardware store got a PVC cap and thread tape
-we need a water pressure regulator. Trying to limit the water pressure at the spigot proved inaccurate
-we had mosquitos which meant zipping and unzipping the door a zillion times. The rubber bumper that springs the door back makes it hard to carry something through the door, like dishes. It wants to send the door back closed. Maybe I'll shave a bit off of it.
-I'd like a short hose section coming off the bottom drain for the sink. 

[catmanriff]

side trips to Yosemite, Mammoth mountain and Devils post pile monument:








This is what it looked like while casting my spoon for trout. If you're not going to catch a fish, this is where you wanna do it!

[ammobob]

Looks as though you had a great time. Love the pictures. Now I am more determined to plan this trip next year. Saw a neat tip for a natural mosquito trap on facebook this weekend. 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon of dry yeast. Take a 1.75 liter bottle and using a serrated edge knife cut the top off 2/3s the way up. Mix water, yeast and sugar in bottom and invert the top, press into the bottom. Mixture draws them in and hole block escape. Going to try it this weekend.

[shark24]

Let us know how the trap works.
Thanks

[daplumbr]

Mosquitoes find their blood meal by CO2, movement and heat. CO2 is the long-range attraction, movement is the medium range attraction, and heat attracts them to the specific place to "drill". A bottle producing CO2 and warmth (yeast activity) will attract some mosquitoes, but it may also generally attract more to the area than what it catches! In the end, repellents might work better to reduce the local population.

[admin]

For mosquitoes I find the cheap coils work exceptionally well. I remember using the coils when I was a kid in Florida but never gave them much thought as an adult until I went to buy a refill for my Thermacell. For anyone that does not know a Thermacell is an amazing little but repellant device that heats a small pad which releases the repellant. Sportsman swear by them as they are silent and don't disturb wildlife with strange smells. With all that they have a down side when it comes to price. Each pad can cost a few bucks but only lasts up to 4 hours. Turns out the active ingredient in a thermacell pad is d-cis/trans allethrin and I'll give you two guesses what the active ingredient in a mosquito coil is. Thats right d-cis/trans allethrin. They both work on the same repellant principles but the coil needs no extra appliance. Plus the coil last 5-7 hours and can cost as little as .25 cents per coil. I pick these up and my local wally world for .97 per pack of four: http://www.walmart.com/ip/COLEMAN-MOSQUITO-COIL/13848678?action=product_interest&action_type=title&item_id=13848678&placement_id=irs-2-m3&strategy=PWBAB&visitor_id&category=&client_guid=0d5257ea-7d50-40d4-a078-0fab360f2c34&customer_id_enc&config_id=2&parent_item_id=19598755&parent_anchor_item_id=19598755&guid=677d5f7a-4515-4d6b-8f97-176fd142b0dd&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n

[ammobob]

Mosquitoes find their blood meal by CO2, movement and heat. CO2 is the long-range attraction, movement is the medium range attraction, and heat attracts them to the specific place to "drill". A bottle producing CO2 and warmth (yeast activity) will attract some mosquitoes, but it may also generally attract more to the area than what it catches! In the end, repellents might work better to reduce the local population.

I guess I would agree but what the heck I'll give it a try since it was mostly free. Has the bottle in recycling and wife (who likes to bake) had the rest. Last year in Yellowstone they were really bad but they didn't like me and ate her alive . She got home and bought a couple of zappers.

[daplumbr]

Mosquitoes find their blood meal by CO2, movement and heat. CO2 is the long-range attraction, movement is the medium range attraction, and heat attracts them to the specific place to "drill". A bottle producing CO2 and warmth (yeast activity) will attract some mosquitoes, but it may also generally attract more to the area than what it catches! In the end, repellents might work better to reduce the local population.

I guess I would agree but what the heck I'll give it a try since it was mostly free. Has the bottle in recycling and wife (who likes to bake) had the rest. Last year in Yellowstone they were really bad but they didn't like me and ate her alive  . She got home and bought a couple of zappers.

My wife has the same problem. The bugs don't bother me much (famous last words), but they go after her big time. Let us know how the yeast in a bottle works!

[daplumbr]

For mosquitoes I find the cheap coils work exceptionally well. I remember using the coils when I was a kid in Florida but never gave them much thought as an adult until I went to buy a refill for my Thermacell. For anyone that does not know a Thermacell is an amazing little but repellant device that heats a small pad which releases the repellant. Sportsman swear by them as they are silent and don't disturb wildlife with strange smells. With all that they have a down side when it comes to price. Each pad can cost a few bucks but only lasts up to 4 hours. Turns out the active ingredient in a thermacell pad is d-cis/trans allethrin and I'll give you two guesses what the active ingredient in a mosquito coil is. Thats right d-cis/trans allethrin. They both work on the same repellant principles but the coil needs no extra appliance. Plus the coil last 5-7 hours and can cost as little as .25 cents per coil. I pick these up and my local wally world for .97 per pack of four: http://www.walmart.com/ip/COLEMAN-MOSQUITO-COIL/13848678?action=product_interest&action_type=title&item_id=13848678&placement_id=irs-2-m3&strategy=PWBAB&visitor_id&category=&client_guid=0d5257ea-7d50-40d4-a078-0fab360f2c34&customer_id_enc&config_id=2&parent_item_id=19598755&parent_anchor_item_id=19598755&guid=677d5f7a-4515-4d6b-8f97-176fd142b0dd&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n

Wow, thanks for the inside info! I've sworn by Thermacell for years and use them all the time. I buy the giant refill packs end enjoy mosquito-free areas where I'm outside. If the cheap coils have the same active, I'm in!