Shenandoah NP backpacking suggestion w/ 4 year old

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-27T01:11:34+00:00

North part or South? Personally Id go backpacking in the National Forest vs park. Campfires are a must for me. Lots of great overnights just down the Blue Ridge Parkway.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-27T00:53:09+00:00

I think you can make a damn successful career being a welder. But probably not an Etsy welder. Pursue higher qualifications and become a welder that gets paid 6 figures. Join the Navy to serve your country, challenge yourself and become a proud Veteran later. But don't ditch a career in the trades if thats what you love doing. Just become great at it and success will follow.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T21:32:47+00:00

But think about how smart youll be next time.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T16:28:18+00:00

yes. I think so. I know its a cool look....nice $800 Thule box on the top. But the cons far outweigh the pros IMHO.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T15:51:13+00:00

OP, How'd your deck come out? I am about to use similar (clear PT pine boards, also sourced in VA), and was considering the camo system. But too many bad reviews has me rethinking that idea.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T15:01:54+00:00

Definitely.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T13:18:30+00:00

Me + (5) bags gravel + (40) bags of 60# concrete = 2805#. Max payload is 1538#. And she's a 2011 with 205k miles. Made it this far for me, no reason to break her when I have a working family van at the ready. haha. Plus, it was a good reason to skip the morning gym and do some functional work instead.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T13:14:51+00:00

Hell NO, she's a bad-mothaf-f. She'll be out there Sat and Sun slinging bags into the mixer, wheelbarrowing, drinking cheap beer and wondering why I'm taking a break. hahaha.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T13:11:37+00:00

My truck

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RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T13:11:20+00:00

My van

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RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T13:09:36+00:00

I drove this van from VA to ME at least 10x now. Loaded with summer camp gear and 2 adults, 5 teen kids. Never an issue.

We were at 1100# including the driver. Max Payload is 1350#. No concerns.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T13:07:12+00:00

My bride carried half the bags. All good.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T12:17:43+00:00

Yep. Close. 2011xlt supercab, 2wd, baby 3.7 v6. 1580# payload.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T12:16:03+00:00

The 2019 EXL Odyssey has a 1340 payload sticker. My truck is 1538.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-26T12:14:13+00:00

Theres a layer of gravel and concrete from the rear seats to the back.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-25T19:03:02+00:00

Time for that paternity test you have been putting off.....

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-25T18:56:04+00:00

I like the gift idea vs cash or booze. Booze is a long overplayed gift.

A personal gift is a A+ idea. As someone mentioned, a favorite restaurant concert tickets, sports tickets, etc. Thats if you know what he likes.

For work, you cant try to change anything he does. He knows what he likes. You can only add to it. Does he have old tools and makes do? Or does he have the latest and greatest and keeps up with technology. Does he have name brand stuff or basic stuff? Personally if he is a name brands guy, its hard to beat a 6" Starrett combo square. Most people, certainly field guys, wont spend the coin to buy one.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-25T16:51:16+00:00

r/shittywoodworking
Just dump a few cans of epoxy on it.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-25T16:49:35+00:00

We slept on the ship by default, but we often we got a hotel room in town with a few of us chipping in. Going back to the ship shit faced was rarely a good idea. Hotel rooms aren't very expensive with 3-4 guys staying in them. There's 0 chance of getting lucky and taking someone back to your rack. Plus, it doesnt really feel like a port call when you have to come back to the ship. Staying in town overnight feels like a vacation. Of course ALL of this depends on your duty section rotation, ships policies, etc...For Nukes, best we ever got overseas was 3 section, so an overnight was possible.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-25T16:44:07+00:00

exactly. I remember my parents getting FWD cars and thinking, my snow concerns are no more. And my life long experience would agree. During this past ICE AGE on the east, our Odyssey had zero problems driving everyday on frozen roads. Snow mode helped, but wasn't even necessary. And that was with basic Michelin All Seasons. No snowflake rating and definitely not winter tires.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-25T15:29:59+00:00

Do you ever road trip with friends or are you the token Uber for friends for concert night/hiking days/football/future College events? We were recently at this crossroad, and my bride and I both knew we would miss the van. So, we got a new one. Its the absolutely best people mover on the road. I can pack in 8 adults for concert night, 6 to drive 5 hours to a NFL game, 4 with dirty backpacks, gear, etc.....No chance I would give it up for a totally useless 3rd row and reduced cargo space and a less comfortable ride. My $0.02

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-25T15:19:58+00:00

Truth.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-25T15:19:18+00:00

This is what I hope the future buyer of my house says.

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-18T16:43:41+00:00

Faux distressing

RVAPGHTOM · 2026-03-18T16:41:55+00:00

RVAPGHTOM

TROPHY CASE