Mike demands nothing less than complete obedience from his lackeys!
Well Ben and I we're on our way to pick up Ryan, when Dunc phoned me to tell us that we had suffered both our first fatality, and our first tool usage (That part of the story can be found in the original thread on Multitool.org! ), but being the breed of men that gave birth to the phrase ''stiff upper lip'' we pressed on.
L-R= DaveK, Mike (Micky_D), Ben (Benner) and Ryan (Roadie)
So after 2 and a half hours of annoying Ben on my lonesome, we picked Ryan up, who was perched like a goblin on a big rock . Despite his smallish stature he wore a green shirt with the immortal words MT.O proudly giving him the stature of a God (Similar god-like T shirts are available from Travis ) Then came our second opportunity for tool usage...we had to strip his racing bicycle down to fit in Ben's car, which was already bursting at the seams with Tool's sharps, food and booze! So out comes Ryans Crunch, and off come the bikes wheels, with a bit of help from the bike tool Ben gave me , so bike in the car, and Ryan and his Gerbers were kicked mercilessly into a student shaped space , and we were on our way again
Finally after 4 hours 20mins on the road (5.30 for poor ole Ben!) we turn up at the lovely little campsite, and the first of many handshakes that day .Dunc our intrepid high sea's adventurer had already been there for a couple of hours and had made the campsite ship shape for we three tired hero's. As you'd expect, Dunc really is a friendly bloke, who despite not getting the kettle on quick enough, soon earned my approval.
Well we were now four adventure seeking Brit's, and it didn't take long for us to move beyond the subject of women, and on to the really important stuff...MT/Sak's/Sharp pointy things! As a prototype for the rest of the day, we all immediately descended on our car's, and produced a truly biblical number of sharps and shinnies
After much debating and droolage (don't look it up) my phone rang, telling me that Dave had arrived, so off I traipse to the car park to be greeted by yet another grinning face with a certain maniacal gleam in his eye. After hand shakes and directions, he came to join us and show off his impressive and very near comprehensive Leatherman collection! All went well, and we entered the great Vic versus Lm debate, and not for the last time either
All the while this going on the weather keeps getting darker and colder, and the threat of rain is one we're all starting to take seriously , so coats on and Non Vics bathed in wd40 as a precaution (sorry couldn't resist ) we awaited the arrival of the gazebo bearing Flash...
And here he came, his golden coach pulled by a pair of stout steeds (OK I may be exaggerating, but we were pleased to see the gazebo ). So the party was almost here now, but first we had to have a good route through his very eclectic mix (sensibly he brought stuff he thought we didn't have!) and that's when our second...but fortunately only near...fatality occurred . Dave in a seemingly desperate moment of depression, tried to cut his finger off with one of Flashes very, very nasty Kershaws . OK there wasn't much blood, but I'm a strong believer in melodrama.
And finally, just as the clouds opened and we were starting to get a little moist (and not from the tools this time ) our final adventurous soul decended upon us. Neil, who after many hours of searching for a baby sitter, was finally able to journey forth, bringing much needed sugar based supplies, and vital cold and flu medicines. He also brought forth his might collection of old, rare and mucho collectable Saks with him
So now we were complete, 7 brave (stupid), hardy men against the ravage's of horrizontal rain, and very high winds, holding ourselves to the holy tenents of MT.O, risking all to ''make the unworkable work'', and so with Def's holy eddict in our hearts, we had a long and final what tool is best/shiniest debate (sadly Ben's MPT lost this one ). We chatted at length about the most controversial tool of our time, the Skeletool, but far from desolving into and angry free for all (this ain't BF after all ) it never got heated or angry and no one had there feathers ruffled. Just like the forum, it remained polite and friendly, with me inevitably trying to go off topic
L-R= Dunc in the throne, Ryan and Mike
Sadly we moved on to our first goodbye's when Dave had to make his long trek home, now in the pouring rain . Shortly after, Neil followed suit into the darkening night , so what once was 7, then became 5. Most of the tool's had been put away, so's to avoid them drifting away in the rain! We had a long chat about all things multitool, and the inevitable putting the world to rights, while we all (except Ryan, who's northern) got increasingly cold and damp . Fortunatly, we had our very own man of action, Flash, who proceded to show us the correct application of napalm . After near immolation, we decided it might be better to use smaller amounts of incendries to keep us warm . By now it's properly dark, so all those suffering from the dreaded ''Jamie'' torch affliction wanted to go play despite the rain . I stayed tending the napalm pit, as the other's went rolling arround outside (i'm assuming) to play with the torches
Midnight and time to turn in, it's now bloody freezing (at least I am) and we all clamber into our tents to at least try and get some sleep...only there was a terrifying, earth trembling monster outside . So grasping at least 3 knives each we went to investigate!...Fortunatly it was just a red wine fueled snoring Dunc, but Flash swears he could here distant sperm whales calling...
Where's the fun in camping if you don't get a chance to take funny pictures of the other guys?
After a very patchy nights sleep (or 2 hour'sish in my case) we got up, Dunc first (he could here the plaintive call of the sea carried on the wind) with me a close second. I stealthily crept out of the tent so as not to wake the ''kids'' and joined Dunc topside to watch the sun being up, and all being right with the world again
So we ate breakfast, broke camp, chilled out and warmed our bones in the near warmth of the sun . It was drawing near kicking out time, and so with a genuinly heavy heart we parted ways , first Dunc, then the rest of us, Flash went his way (still lead by his noble horses) and we three went our's (after kicking Ryan and his Gerber back into his hole). An all to short time later we droped our latest genious off home and battled our way south through very, very heavy traffic home . After a loooong time Ben dropped me back home, I manfully resisted the urge to hug him, and shed a tear, and then he was gone.
All joking aside, I had an absolutly epic time, brilliant tool's but more importantly, brilliant company too . There was never any question of trust, these were all honest, stand up guys , 7 near stranger's brought together as mate's by little metal tool boxes...can't be bad
And for all you Sosakers out there you'll be pleased to note that there was a HUGE Sak content at the meet, everything from old Soldier's to Brand new PE Rescue tool's, and the earliest type of Swisstool to the latest plier headed version, and some very, very nice customs from the likes of Scibeer and NKB!
So for all you who are thinking ''Hmm, it'd be great to have a meet'' get out there and plan one!, you'll be glad you did