SURVIVAL II

Starting out sunrise was a bust this morning. There was a thick cloud coverage on the horizon preventing a view as it tried to peak above the skyline. But it was still nice to be out that early and smell the sweet ocean and to see the clean swept untouched beach from the nights high tide. 

Today Tim and I never left the campground. It was a pretty cool day though. I was able to play my ukulele on the beach. Then we both piloted my new kite on the beach. Since I couldn't wait another week until I actually arrived in Kitty Hawk I bought my hot little Kitty Hawk Special Edition Prism Nexus Stunt Kite in Ocracoke yesterday. Favorable wind conditions were present now so I didn't want to waste it. We both haven't flown since we were kids nor have we ever had such GREAT FLIGHTS! Fun was had today!!! 

Back to surviving . . .

Water usage ... In most situations the 33 gallons of onboard fresh water would be sufficient. However as we have learned in the past, you never know if the next location has had their water source dry up or a well out from a lightning strike. Or just be off like one of today's trips to our water source.  

Here at the Ocracoke Campground there are water bottle filling stations. Its pretty neat, the water filling station has a count meter on it showing how many plastic bottles are being saved by refilling. I so try not to buy individual plastic water bottles to help out the environment. We do however buy Gatorade and refill those bottles with water to help save the environment and landfills from hundreds of them. So here at Ocracoke who ever goes to the restroom, ya take an empty water container and fill it. We then either save it in the container or pour it, by use of a funnel, into our fresh water tank. Anything taken out of the A/S faucet for consumption is then filtered through a Brita pitcher. 

SHOWERS

With all this said showers become our next concern. Most state and private Park's have decent bath/shower houses. Most National Parks that we have visited don't have shower facilities at all. But the NP's here in the OBX have showers! Oh but their not combined/connected in with the restrooms. Oh and they don't have hot water. Oh and no lights. Lovely!

We have worked around that. Since we don't have a sewer connection here. And since we also have a limited supply of fresh water onboard we must conserve this as well. Tim and I are forced to use the outdoor shower stalls here. To make things a little more 'bare-able' (pun intended) I researched and came up with a devise ...

I had Tim rig a NEW Hudson sprayer with a longer  hose and a cheap plastic shower head. Prior to departing for this trip we tested it out and came up with an adjustable garden sprayer that worked best. Before heading over to the shower stall we setup a 50/50 mixture of boiling water (propane heated) to regular temp tap water.  And va-la ... the perfect water temperature is achieved and a decent shower as well. I now know that I can get a shower with less than 2 gallons of water! 

When you enter one of the shower stalls though it's a good habit to double if not triple check that latch. I am in such fear of having a M*A*S*H Hot Lips Houlihan moment! LOL  

Once we depart this campsite and prior to arriving at our next location we will visit a dump station. Luckily one is located directly across the street. This is one of the things we have found out about the Outer Banks. Not everyone has a dump station. You have to know where they are. Word on the street is another one is located farther north, up the OBX at a Welcome Center. Now that gives another whole meaning to a Welcome Center!