SAG stands for "Support and Gear" wagon and we are running 2 of them for our cycling tour. One of our vehicles, affectionately known as the "ice cream truck" or "taco truck", was generously donated by Tasco Security, Inc. The other vehicle is Story's Honda CRV with a dual bike rack on the hitch.
There is a teacher driver schedule for each day and drivers switch at lunch time so they can cycle for half of the day.
Riding and camping with 16 people means ALOT of gear:
7 tents
16 sleeping bags and pads
16 individual clothing/gear bags
2 full size coolers
2 playmate coolers
2 gatorade water jugs
1 plastic bin that contains the kitchen
2 coleman camp stoves and multiple propane canisters
1 "bin of everything"
2 bins of tools and bike parts
1 bin of electronics and charging stations for bike lights and teacher phones
multiple shopping bags organized with each night's dinner recipe and non-perishable foods
2 laundry bags
1 bin of assorted granola bars
2 bins of plastic plates, bowls, and cups
1 bin of flatware
1 bike stand for mechanical work
1 floor standing bike pump
1 big first aid kit for each vehicle, 6 small first aid kits for each teacher bike
32 reusable plastic bike water bottles
1 binder in each vehicle with all student medical and emergency contact info, daily route maps, reservation info, expense sheets, and receipt envelopes.
Rachel Sanders, using her magical organizational abilities, has a specific spot in each vehicle for each item. The Tasco truck gets unpacked and repacked each day in the same way.
So what does a SAG wagon do all day while everyone is riding?
Once the day's route is determined, the driver of the Tasco truck drives about 10-12 miles ahead and finds a safe and visible spot to pull over. The driver then drives back along the route to check on the riders and then turns around and drives to the predetermined spot. There, the riders stop, refill bottles, grab a snack, and stretch before continuing the ride. Sometimes SAG stops have playgrounds!
Sometimes, we find Doc Browne playing his uke as we arrive.
The driver of the other SAG vehicle runs all necessary errands for the day. This includes grocery shopping for perishable food items and doing laundry so everyone has clean cycling shorts and shirts for the next day. Doc Browne often drives ahead to scout the route to make sure that the roads we will be riding on are safe with good road surface and minimal traffic.
Lunch stops are a little bit longer where everyone makes sandwiches, lounges in the shade, reapplies sunscreen, packs away extra layers of clothing, and reviews the afternoon route to the campground.
If the SAG driver happens to have a few minutes of extra time that means a Tim Horton's stop for iced coffee!!!
There is a teacher driver schedule for each day and drivers switch at lunch time so they can cycle for half of the day.
Riding and camping with 16 people means ALOT of gear:
7 tents
16 sleeping bags and pads
16 individual clothing/gear bags
2 full size coolers
2 playmate coolers
2 gatorade water jugs
1 plastic bin that contains the kitchen
2 coleman camp stoves and multiple propane canisters
1 "bin of everything"
2 bins of tools and bike parts
1 bin of electronics and charging stations for bike lights and teacher phones
multiple shopping bags organized with each night's dinner recipe and non-perishable foods
2 laundry bags
1 bin of assorted granola bars
2 bins of plastic plates, bowls, and cups
1 bin of flatware
1 bike stand for mechanical work
1 floor standing bike pump
1 big first aid kit for each vehicle, 6 small first aid kits for each teacher bike
32 reusable plastic bike water bottles
1 binder in each vehicle with all student medical and emergency contact info, daily route maps, reservation info, expense sheets, and receipt envelopes.
Rachel Sanders, using her magical organizational abilities, has a specific spot in each vehicle for each item. The Tasco truck gets unpacked and repacked each day in the same way.
Once the day's route is determined, the driver of the Tasco truck drives about 10-12 miles ahead and finds a safe and visible spot to pull over. The driver then drives back along the route to check on the riders and then turns around and drives to the predetermined spot. There, the riders stop, refill bottles, grab a snack, and stretch before continuing the ride. Sometimes SAG stops have playgrounds!
Sometimes, we find Doc Browne playing his uke as we arrive.
The driver of the other SAG vehicle runs all necessary errands for the day. This includes grocery shopping for perishable food items and doing laundry so everyone has clean cycling shorts and shirts for the next day. Doc Browne often drives ahead to scout the route to make sure that the roads we will be riding on are safe with good road surface and minimal traffic.
Lunch stops are a little bit longer where everyone makes sandwiches, lounges in the shade, reapplies sunscreen, packs away extra layers of clothing, and reviews the afternoon route to the campground.
SAG driving means a lot of fun zipping back and forth along the route and making sure all of the riders have everything they need so they can all have the best ride possible.
Thank you for keeping our kids well fed, clean-clothed and safe!
ReplyDeleteYes, thank you! Good to see that update :)
ReplyDelete