100 Comments

Shut up, dork is doing quite well.

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It is the Substack way of punching you in the arm when you say/write that is on the money, but boys are too uncomfortable to share or admit.

Teasing, shit-talking, and punching are a few of XY’s love languages.

bsn

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😂

I would totally show up for the Banning House option were it not for my son's graduation at that exact time. If your "assembly" gets pushed into July, I'm there.

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It's the "we live nowhere near there" option

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Whiskey?

Potato vodka! And fresh lingonberries! Drop a fistful into the bottle when you break camp in the morning, flavoured vodka in the evening. Called "Vargtass" here - Wolf's Paw.

For medicinal purposes, of course.

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In Massachusetts they were called Cape Codders. Cranberries instead of lingon, but close enough.

We also made pinbread when we camped in Sweden.

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Pinbread - when you roll the dough around a stick a bake it over the fire or on a flat rock, right? That takes me back to my youth. Me and three other guys used to go camping on the islands of the Stockholm archipelago sometimes, when we were 13-16 years old: canned split pea soup, pinbread (pinnbröd), Falukorv (a kind of sausage) and beer, nothing strong just 2.5%vol.

It's sad kids these days don't get to that.

Cranberries do grow some places here, but they are rare and it's too much of a hassle to go looking for them. I'm a big fan of flavouring the vodka with rowan berries, but it's very easy to overdo it - best method I've found is put the ripe berries in the freezer overnight, it makes them sweeter and takes the edge of the sharp sour tang they have.

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We did most of our camping in Norrland. The insects were the worst part. But I did get to see reindeer sleeping in the middle of gravel roads, and snow in July.

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Oh yeah, Norrland mosquitoes. My great-uncle used to call them "motivators" (translated) because they kept you moving when marching.

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A few varieties of flying bloodsuckers to deal with.

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Sounds nice, but I'm staying in SC. The benefits of enjoying nature through camping are right here, only with electricity and running water.

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And clean sheets.

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And no Commies.

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And AC. We always had the air mattress and clean sheets. Camping over 50 requires extra comfort!

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My dear departed was really big on nature and liked to go camping a half-dozen times a year. My current husband used to farm and got all the fresh air he needed, has no particular desire to become one with nature :) He's lived on this land his entire life. Kind of mind-boggling for a rolling stone like me. But I'm home now.

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And a toilet bowl.

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Medford? Y’all can camp in Grants Pass free of charge and the government has to supply hot catered meals and all you can drink liquor. Ninth Circuit said so. Something about a constitutional provision nobody found before for some reason.

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ON THE WAY

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Smart. Tim Pool, who BTW should be on Chris’s list of podcasts to be on, often talks about the culture war, and how it must be physical, not just digital.

This is a brilliant step in that direction.

Sadly, our fundraiser is the first week in August. I do hundred hour weeks through the summer until the race. Zero bandwidth until after the race.

Would love to see it happen, just knowing people are getting together is good for my morale.

bsn

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I would love to go but it's too far away. Enjoy the water!

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My feelings too, I moved across 4 states only one month ago but I’m still on the opposite coast for this. and already committed to 2 plane-ride trips this summer anyway. Gotta let things cool down. but I love the energy of this!

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lol should have put a fourth option, Chris!

4. Sounds like so much fun but I’m a suburbanite with an infant.

I am so excited for all of you!

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As the reader to whom Chris has referred, I want to mention one additional point.

Please respond only if there is a realistic chance you can go. Comments here as qualifications are welcome.

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Sample qualifications would be

Love to go, late June bad for me

Too far away

Can I bring friends

Can't go to Catalina, I am afraid of seagulls.

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To your qualifications, I'll add mine:

Big NO on the river rafting adventure

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May 3
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Not legal for powerboats down stream of hellgate canyon (the run we would be doing) all the way until Blossom bar. Powerboats are on lesser whitewater sections where there is typically enough room for both.

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Though I can run for hours in the woods, I don’t camp. Haven’t been to Catalina in years and never to Two Harbors so I vote for that. I’d love to meet everyone here. That said timing is tricky (for everyone I’m sure): second week in June is a Jewish holiday and third week I have to travel to NY for my oldest niece’s wedding.

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Boy would it ever be on my bucket list to meet you, Chris, and hang with the rest of these great 'Stackers. Wish I could go.... Big time hugs from the free state of Florida (and if you ever get out this way, we've got some great camping here too!) Sincerely, your biggest fan and the wife of a Naval Aviator.

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Dang it, this sounds awesome. I vote for a day hike in Rocky Mountain National Park in August!

On a more serious note, Scott Alexander does meet ups in various cities. So, if you are traveling to an area and want to offer that, it might make sense too. Although camping is much more fun.

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Agree, I'd love a meetup when you travel. This summer is filled, but a getaway with this group sounds like a lot of fun.

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Well shit the Banning House looks awesome!

Either way I'm in if you can put up with me!...:)

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I’d go too RG

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guessing that i'd be banned from the house for lack of ducats

oregon scares me but rolling on the river could be fun!

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lol 😆

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Sounds like a John Mellencamp song title…

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I voted shut up dork because it’s funny.

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This is obviously a wise choice.

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Shut up dork, because it’s there.

But I hope it works out, though I won’t be able to join you

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Can't miss with Ron Burgundy. When Biden was caught (last week, today, all the time?) reading "pause" on the teleprompter it made me wonder when his "Go fuck yourself San Diego!" moment will arrive.

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I'd vote Medford or Idaho. Both driving distance for me.

Only catch is one of those states would imprison me for bringing in a bunch of cool guns to shoot, one would give me a medal and ammo for each said gun, and the last would imprison me for bringing them back home.

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Will you be mad at me if I show up late, drink a bunch of your beer, and then just disappear into the woods?

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I mean, as long as you don't disappear permanently....

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