I am not a happy camper today

Forums: Quebec, Camp Life
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First of all, the rotation is 10 days in (two of which are TRAVEL days!) and four out, back in Val d'Or, a 4 hour drive away. I don't like that much, and neither does Alex. But... after having found out that there is no faucet in the kitchen sink and there is no water pump and I have to get my flipping water from the lake, which, unless I wade right into it, is about 4" deep at the shore line and I have to do multiple trips, I'm starting to think that's not such a bad idea.

So far, I have ONE SMALL fridge for 7 people in 35 degree weather. There are two more, but they cannot get them to work. And one teeny freezer. This is so chintzy. I do have coolers, but the ice melts and then everything is swimming in water. Hey, there's some water for me to boil! Think on the good side, right? On the plus side, my French is improving rapidly, the people are very nice, and it's good weather.

Back to the bad side - ha - Lots of mosquitoes and black flies, and we are hot, sticky, dirty and sweaty - it's so humid and there is no shower - we're supposed to use that lake. Did anyone tell us any of this?? NO! My hair feels like it's 3' thick already - ugh. We do have an outhouse, which is something. All we need is Chevy Chase and John Candy to complete the picture. I feel like I'm back in the 1800's, homesteading.

Alex thinks the drillers won't put up with no shower and no place to wash their clothes, so we'll see what happens when they show up! No one wants to go to town after a 12 hour day to wash clothes - the laundromat will likely be closed by then at any rate. I have to go to town (Temiscaming) today (40 km away) to pick up some supplies, and if the bbq works (questionable), we'll have bbq'd steaks - if not, I guess I'll have to fry them.

Not looking to be a good day. Thank god we have internet!

sigh.

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yikes.
The whole thing sounds dreadful.

The water from the lake, that sound dubious.

Do you boil or otherwise purify it?

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@Mame,

Quote:

sigh.

Well it certainly does sounds a challenging sort of day, Mame.

Good luck!

I reckon if anyone can get these abysmal conditions to work for them, you can!

Have a nice chilled wine at the end of the day on me. Smile

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@Mame,

There is some sort of weird irony that everything is good for internet under those horrid conditions.

Internet - good
Refrigeratioin for food - almost non existent
Fresh drinking water - none
Hygene - intolerable

Thank God that 2 of the 10 days is travel.

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dont blame me
I told you to get your own mobile kitchen.

http://www.crawfordkitchens.com.au/

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Wow.
yeah . that is kind of strange.

Internet is PERFECT.. but you cant shower.

someones priorities are backwards..

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Whatever they're paying you, it ain't enough.

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What? I wash my laundry down at the river too...

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@George,

Theyve got some diesel jennioes dont they? have the guys hook up a pump and storage (use the water supply in the drill rigs if you have to). Weve often had to set up "alternate " devices in remote camps.

BUT not to have a shower is reason to have your drillers bail on you. Well fed and clean are actually more important than drinking and sex to a remote camp.

I was working not too far from you on an ilmenite find a few years ago

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@Mame,

I assume you are off the electric grid and if so.

Go to a boat supply place and get some solar cells and or small wind generator plus a few deep cycle batteries, some tubing and a small pump to the lake and for other water see about setting up a rain catch of some kind.

If you have power off the grid what the problem?

In any case for a shower pump water into old water bed mattress painted black and place in the sun................

Seem like you need a few engineering types that would enjoy the challenge.

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Chai - I boil the water to use for dishes only, and toss the crap on the bottom. I have one sink so I have to wash the dishes, put them to one side, all soapy, then when I'm done, I can rinse them. It's a laborious procedure. I buy bottled water, which is what I'm using for coffee.

msolga - hon, this is a dry camp, so you drink it for me, okay?

Intrepid - yeah, the rotation does look good Smile

but usually we're in for 6 weeks, out for 2, so this is really choppy.

dadpad - There'd still be the water problem. I feel like I'm in Africa. Normally camps provide a water pump and line to the lake where the kitchen gets its water (plus a filtration system, of course), so there's no excuse for this.

George - you got that right!

She - yes, well, this IS Quebec!

CJ - HA!

FM - You're right about the drillers - They have the materials for the dry, so I don't know why it's not hooked up. I think they have $$$ problems. Where were you out this way?

BillRM - We're on generator power only. And they want to shut it off at night but I said the fridge and freezer were too crammed full and enough time hadn't elapsed to chill or freeze the food. So, they grudgingly left it on (this was our first night, mind) - I hope they don't turn it off tonight.

I don't understand this mindset.''Oh well...

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@Mame,

YOU ARE AMAXING GIRL...

all power to you

HUGE RESPECT

GO GIRL and here, have a girl hug ((((((((Mame)))))))) x

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@Mame,

oh to be young again, and able to appreciate this level of roughing it

you'll certainly deserve one heck of a wedding party once you get home from this adventure

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@Mame,

we were south of Ungava.

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@Mame,

It occurs to me that not every camp deserves a cook.

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Okay, now I've adjusted. Had to do a mental shift or I'd drive myself crazy. The people in camp are just delightful, actually. They encourage me to butcher their language, which I do all the time. I ask them to correct me, but I don't think they have the energy, or that much time! (It would really slow the conversational flow down, know what I mean?) At any rate, I'm learning a lot of French (okay, some) and they are a happy bunch, so it's really ok. If you think of this like a family camping holiday instead of a professional job, it's just fine, so that's how I'm looking at it. It was just disconcerting at first, especially the part about schlepping to the lake to get water.

The bbq works, the oven/stove works, and we have a working generator and internet - really, what more could a girl ask for?

Izzie - nice to see you!

FM - that's closer to where I worked in Nunavut than here, I think.

EhBeth - think you'd like it out here? There's no snow at the moment, so I doubt it, but you could entertain us evenings with your belly dancing.

Roger - According to Alex, the Quebecois guys really rough it. They seem hardier than the rest of us - apparently they happily go a month or more without doing their laundry Smile

And last year the cook fed them clubhouse sandwiches or fried balogna and cabbage for dinner with no complaints.

Eh, it's all good. But thanks for letting me blow off some steam.

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@Mame,

HOWS THE BLACK FLY AND MOSQUITO PROBLEM? FIND ANY IN YOUR FOOD YET?

1 Reply

@farmerman,

Nothing tastes better after a long day then a nice Blackfly burger on Pumpernickel Bread.

Joe(with a Dark Lager)Nation

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@Joe Nation,

THEY ALSO CAN STRETCH A POT OF CHILI

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@farmerman,

Well, they're pretty bad some times, but my real issue is with the large black ants. If it aint in a plastic container, you'll get ants with it. They look like currants when they're cooked.

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I am not a happy camper today

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