Everglades Challenge: Smurf Bags

As our planned 2014 Everglades Challenge entry, Frankenscot, has been taking shape from a classic Flying Scot sailboat to something a bit more weird-science-y, the project threatens to ooze into every corner of our living space. 

At first, the necessary gear for TwoBeers and Moresailesed formed a small mountain in the living room. 

We moved it between venues and the mountain grew as we added sleeping pads, a solar recharging pack, charts, collapsing water jugs, GPSes, whistles, dry-bags, bug juice, duct tape.

Before long, the stuff formed two mountains, three, and continued to rise. Flashlights, handwarmers, camping cookware, EPIRBs, more dry-bags, mylar blankets, running lights, survival knives.  

It was like an Icelandic volcano spewing water-proofed technical fabric and nifty camping equipment.  In our very own living room! An unnatural miracle!  Weird science!

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But my tolerance for chaos has an outside limit. As Daddo used to say, "You can do things right, honey, or you can do them twice." Or you can do it a half-dozen times, when it comes to organizing a disorderly mountain range of survival gear. 

Bring on the IKEA carry sacks. 

Who knew that FEMA-blue tarp could seem actively cheerful? Who knew that smurf (not amber) is the color of our energy (whoo-ooo)?

Plus -- be still my tight-fisted heart -- they cost 55 cents a piece! Such a value.

Suddenly, the mountain range is tamed. A big blue IKEA bag of sleeping gear! A big blue IKEA bag of electronics and cooking stuff! A big blue IKEA bag for clothing! 

When it comes time to transfer Mondo Cargo Mountain yet again, those big blue IKEA bags have handles, and they resist water. So when settled for a moment on dewy grass while someone runs back upstairs (Gah!) for the key and then wrestles open the cargo doors on the van -- no problem. Water stays on the outside, stuff stays put. At least on my shore-side watch.

How do you move the world? A big lever? Sure -- or take it one bag at a time.

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