Hatchets, Extension cords, loud stoves, farkles

[BlaSTr]

I'm getting ready for a long ride out west and was wondering:

Hatchet, hammer, or mallet? Which is the preferred tool to carry if there's only room for one? I'm leaning towards the hatchet so I can pound in tent pegs and chop wood.

Should I stuff a cheapo extension cord in the panners? In some private campgrounds, power is available. It'd be nice to plug in to charge the laptop, phone, iPod, camera, etc.

Is it considered bad etiquette to have a loud stove? I've recently bought the MSR whisperlight and while it's light, whispering doesn't appear to be in its vocabulary.

Farkles? Has there been any one or two items that you've come to considere essential in motocamping?

[Mellow]

I have a gerber campaxe (http://www.motocampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112).. tough, light and small.

Many sites have electrical hook ups. I think you'll be okay without an ext cord but that's up to you. I use the bike to charge anything I have.

The stoves seem loud but they aren't that bad.

[Gonzo]

You might consider a mallet and a wedge. Both means you can pound things, but also split wood.

[Uncle Phil]

Good Estwing all steel hatchet that has the hammer head on the other end and a leather cover for the sharp side.

[Trekker]

I'm getting ready for a long ride out west and was wondering:

Hatchet, hammer, or mallet? Which is the preferred tool to carry if there's only room for one? I'm leaning towards the hatchet so I can pound in tent pegs and chop wood.

Should I stuff a cheapo extension cord in the panners? In some private campgrounds, power is available. It'd be nice to plug in to charge the laptop, phone, iPod, camera, etc.

Is it considered bad etiquette to have a loud stove? I've recently bought the MSR whisperlight and while it's light, whispering doesn't appear to be in its vocabulary.

Farkles? Has there been any one or two items that you've come to considere essential in motocamping?

Any small hatchet will do. I too have a Gerber that seems to meet all my needs.

If you have the space for a laptop, then you can probably find the space for a short extension cord, eh? Why not!

I wouldn't worry about any noise coming from your cook stove. Sure they are a bit loud, but so are those drunk kids playing the boombox! :wink: jk
Normal camping gear that has a little noise to it is considered OK. It's the loud radios & generators that get me ticked.

[BigTom]

Quote by Uncle Phil
...... on the other end and a leather cover for the sharp side

Oh, yeah. Some day I'll tell the story about the leather cover for the sharp side. Oh, wait. I quit drinking 18 years ago. Another story you will never hear:)

[BlaSTr]

Thanks for the response. Looks like a small, well protected, hatchet is in the kit, along with an extension cord. I thought about getting an inverter so I could charge things off the ST, but the charging curve for the bike seems to indicate that you need considerable RPMs (well above idle) to keep the battery from being drained.

[Tor]

Loud stove: We use an MSR Dragonfly. Sounds like a jet engine on full tilt. I would think as long as you don't fire it up at ungodly times (5 in the morning) you should be ok. :D