Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Rain and cleaning

It's been raining a fair bit out here. Most unusual for September. The weir is flowing.
I using the mop each day. Cleaning the pub. My favourite kitchen appliance is the dishwasher! Load, press the button. 2 hours latter unpack hot dry everything! If i can fit it in, it's going to washed by the machine. Still there are lots that don't fit. So hot water, soap, rubber gloves and scrub.
Oh for my wheels...

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Go-Getters and rain

I've been meaning to comment on using the Go-Getters for touring for a while now. Time to do it. They are huge! But, i think that they are not the best for touring. This is my experience so far:
They are not 100% water and dust proof. The lid folds over the bag opening. I've not been able to get it to a state that i'm happy with in dusty conditions, or that i'd trust it in driving rain. In rain i'm having important stuff in plastic bags. This is annoying.
Dust sticks in the weave of the fabric.
I think they might be mean't to be used with running boards and side boards. I'm not using either, and have found that the braze- on points, with button bolts in them are wearing the bags out. See the holes in the bottom of one bag in the pictures.
The clips are not easy to operate, if your taking the bags on and off daily. I have ended up using two hold points on each bag-the inside two. The outside two are used to attach the shoulder strap. The shoulder strap makes picking up loaded bags easier.
I find that i cannot stuff goods into them in the same way as using roll top bags. If i stuff them too hard, the lid has a larger gap which has me worried for water and dust.
My bags sit on the wide loader, which is lower than the wheel axle. This is good for center of gravity, but the down side is that i've scrapped the bags on rocks, stumps, and road kill. They now have tiny holes.
The bags are weighty on their own. This is more in comparison to roll top bags. The fabric is thick and should last ages.
Both shoulder straps broke the adjustment bit of plastic. Since this is one attachment point, both are now tied onto the bags.
I'll be getting some roll top plastic bags. Ortlieb make some. I'm considering removing the wide loaders, and attaching some core flute on the sides of the rack. The two bags will them be hung in a cloth sling on the side. This will place them above the axle.
I'll have to visit a larger town when mobile again to get the cloth, well probably canvas. I'll have a photo then. It may be easier to understand then.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Windorah!

More new jobs. Got to drive a bobcat for two days. Just like a playstation one guy said. Well i've never had a playstation, but the bobact was fun. Very intuitive controls; two joy sticks. Actually, its really called a front skid loader, but everyone knows the one brand: Bobcat.
Today was a trip to Windorah. I became a liquid waste management expert.
Okay, i drove a truck. Known as the "poop truck".
Yeap, i pumped shit. Tanks in the ground fill up, someone (me today) drives up in a truck with a large tank, and a pump. Put hose from pump into the tank, and pump until truck tank is full. Drive to a remote dump point and open value to empty truck tank. Avoid all contact with liquids, and stay upwind. Repeat until ground tank is empty.
Its a smelly job, but someone has to do it.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

New wheels!

Yeap. Thats my current wheels.How did that happen?
While sheltering from the wind and rain in the shade of a toilet block i noticed my rear rim had cracks! Lots in fact. Needless to say, i couldn't pedal on.
I'm going to get both rims rebuilt on wider and stronger rims. That will take some time, as i'm in the country. (There is a mail truck twice a week.) Until that is done, i've got a job: truck driving. I'm getting to see the road from up high.
Its an old truck. Patience with the gear changing is essential.
I'm moving sand at the moment; Drive to point A. The truck is loaded. Drive to point B and empty it out. Go back to point A and repeat. Interestingly i'm finding it peaceful work.
I've also been helping out with the usual computer problems, but truck driving is different.
It's stopped raining for now, and the temp is rising. Soon it will be "hot". Truck air-con is "keep the window open"

Friday, September 3, 2010

Isisford

Well time to move on. It has been really nice in Isisford. Wonderful people living there and travelling through.
The dirt road out of Isisford to Stonehenge was easy enough going. There is a lack of trees though when your at the Stonehenge end of the road. Lots of traffic at the moment on the way to Birdsville for the races this weekend. Rain is forcaste so that could make it interesting for them.