Blue View – Geriatric Backpacking – Part 2

/
Blue View – Geriatric Backpacking – Part 2

If you read last week's Blue View, you may remember that we were planning to spend a night or two sleeping on the ground to see whether our old geriatric bones could still manage it. Would we have to endure a very long night of throbbing hips, backs and shoulders? Would we ever again be able to get into an upright position? Would the campground host, investigating the bad smell emanating from our tent, find our bloated, rattlesnake-bitten remains? Since then, we did spend a couple of nights camped at nearby Lake Mead, and I'm happy to report that …

Read More

Blue View – Geriatric Backpacking

/
Blue View – Geriatric Backpacking

The Thames Path was sort of a trial run to see whether we could still hike reasonable distances each day for days or weeks at a time, while carrying full packs. Although it wasn't without a few blisters and there were the occasional 'Ibuprofen nights' we had a glorious time, and there was nothing that dissuaded us from trying something more ambitious.

Most of the world’s greatest hikes aren’t this luxurious, however, which begs the question as to whether we're now way too old to sleep on the ground, utilizing only the lightweight backpacking gear we can carry. Will we spend a very long night with throbbing backs, hips and shoulders, then be too 'stove-up' in the morning to get into an upright position or tie our own shoes? Will I be too cranky to live with? Time to find out.

Read More

Blue View - Repairing the Fuel Filler Door on Blue

/
Blue View - Repairing the Fuel Filler Door on Blue

The fuel filler door on Blue is rather unique. It is located just aft of the driver’s door, and can’t be opened without first opening said driver’s door. I like the arrangement except for one teeny-tiny detail - the little tab on the edge. It’s put there to make the door easier to open when it’s time to fill up, but it has a tendency to catch on my pants pocket as I exit the driver’s side, especially when we’re parked in a tight space and I can’t open the door all the way. On at least one occasion, I’ve exerted enough leverage to actually break the hinge that holds the filler door.

It’s not cheap to repair… the dealer wanted $485. As it turns out, the repair is quite simple and a whole lot less expensive to do it yourself, once you discover a couple of little disassembly tricks. Watch our video that describes the process…

Read More