Gear Envy

http://viningsnaturalhealthcentre.co.uk/haywards-heath-town-day-come-say-hello/ There’s nothing quite like an overnight river trip for a bunch of dudes to flaunt their favorite gear. From fabricated oar frame rigs with custom wood decking, to counter-weighted carbon fiber oars, 64,000 BTU stoves, cast iron Dutch ovens, hand-crank drink mixers and arc welded fire pans – raft trips are a gear head’s dream.

Colonia This past weekend I had the opportunity to introduce my two-year old to the joys of a river trip. We floated a 25-mile flatwater section of the Colorado through Ruby-Horsethief Canyon with a big group of about 20 people. In typical fashion, there was a lot of gear envy on the trip: Ken had a sweet custom bimini rig to provide shade for his cataraft, Joe had a nice multiple room tent that accommodated his whole family (Pack’nPlay crib included), Jimi rented a huge 18-foot raft with the capacity to transport an un-Godly amount of food and beer.

But nothing amongst this group of gear fanatics precipitated even a fraction of the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ I got when I pulled out the Brunton BrewFire I had hidden away in a drybox until early on Sunday morning. I mean really, it doesn’t get much cooler (or hotter in this case) than a propane/butane powered automatic coffee-maker with a stainless steel carafe at a beautiful river-side campsite. In minutes, I had our whole group huddled around the shiny Brewfire in idol-worship, and that was before anyone even tasted the fresh brew.

I may not be the best boatman, or the most engaging conversationalist, but I’m pretty confident I’ll get invited along on the next river trip as long as I bring a BrewFire with me.

The BrewFire in all its shiny glory

The BrewFire in all its shiny glory

Princess Juniper and her dog Hank

Princess Juniper and her dog Hank

Juniper and her friend Sawyer. It's only a matter of time before they can row and I can sit and drink beer.

Juniper and her friend Sawyer. It’s only a matter of time before they can row and I can sit and drink beer.

The Jackson Kayak Dynamic Duo was a big hit on the trip

The Jackson Kayak Dynamic Duo was a big hit on the trip

The now discontinued RuffWear Mutt Hutt clearly fits into the category of 'completely excessive & uneccessary gear' especially since my dog won't go near it, but the kids loved it!

The now discontinued RuffWear Mutt Hutt clearly fits into the category of ‘completely excessive & uneccessary gear’ – especially since my dog won’t go near it, but the kids loved it!

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Two Big Agnes Whiskey Park sleeping bags zipped together provided luxurious digs for mom, dad, daughter, dog and BaBa

Two Big Agnes Whiskey Park sleeping bags zipped together provided luxurious digs for mom, dad, daughter, dog and BahBah