M i c r o s o f t
TOPOGEAR NEWS
V o l u m e
2 0 1 1 , I s s u e 0 3 - 04
M a r c h - A p r i l 2 0 1 1
AFRICAN SKYLINE: COPYRIGHT 2011 DAVID PEREZ
TANZANIA
By David Perez
Part 2 of the series. See the February 2011
issue for part 1
Editorial:
In the Feb 2011 issue. Trash
Can Turkey Recipe. We like to give
credit where credit is due. One of our
readers submitted the following history
on this cooking technique.
Garbage/Trash Can Turkey origi-
nated in the mid to late 50's in Northern
CA...credit is normally given to the Girl
Scouts of that area and time frame...as
the GSA moved to less rough and tumble
settings for their outdoor activities the
method sort of slipped into the by and
by.
It stayed that way until the mid
80s..when a former GS from Northern
Ca and basically new BSA leader de-
cided to try it out on a troop campout in
CT.
It has been taught at our Leadership
courses for the last 20+ years and has
been even published in several local
cookbooks, as well as 1 or 2 Outdoor
Magazines. One of which is "Woods
and Water" from the Southern states.
Credit has pointed to the GSA and
BSA for this recipe. In the past it has
been donated for use on many Hunting/
Cooking and outdoor sites, including
IDSO forums. If you would be so kind
as to make an editorial Note giving
credit to the GSA and BSA for the Rec-
ipe and method..
April 16th 10am-4pm
Location: Casablanca Events Tent
See full page ad toward end of publication
To reserve your vendor booth or receive
more info contact Carrie at
702-346-7091
Arusha Coffee Plantation
After an overnight stay at the Arusha
Coffee Plantation, we flew out in a single
engine Cessna Caravan toward Klien's
Camp in the plains of the Serengeti. Out
of our starboard window we could see the
tallest, freestanding mountain in Africa
disappearing in our wake. We flew close
to an impressive dormant volcano; don‟t
recall the name, sorry, and continued
across expansive savannahs. We had no
idea what to expect as we touched down
on a rocky dirt strip that was nearly a 2-
hour drive from our lodge.
Our Tour Company, & Beyond
Travel, met us at the airstrip and we im-
mediately began our game drive adven-
ture.
At the Silverton Casino, Las Vegas, NV
3333 Blue Diamond Roan
Las Vegas, NV 89139
APRIL 8th & 9th
See full page ad toward end of publication
Thank you,
Ralph (Two Tales) Jackson
Editor: Well said. We find the history
very interesting. Our hats are off to
whomever the original cook was!
(Continued on Page 2, Col 2)
Material, articles and images contained within this Newsletter publication including subsequent pages may not be copied, reproduced, or otherwise
used for other purposes without written consent of TOPOGEAR. All images are considered Copyright by TOPOGEAR or the images owner.
1
See full page ad toward end of publication
TANZANIA, AFRICA From Page 1, Col 1
On route to the lodge in our diesel powered
Land Cruiser, we were greeted by herds of ele-
phants, giraffes, zebra, gazelle, wart hogs (called
Pumba
like in the Disney movie), wildebeest and
various bizarre species of birds... and that was
only in the first couple of hours of our trip before
we‟d even driven onto Kline‟s private game pre-
serve!
Our trip was broken into 4 legs over a three-
week period. We began at Klien's Camp, moved
to the Lake Manyara Tree House Lodge (it liter-
ally was a group of beautiful and posh tree
houses). We then made our way to Ngorongoro
Crater Lodge (the largest volcanic crater on
Earth) and a place where our resort dwellings
looked like something Bilbo Baggins of Lord of
The Rings should be welcoming us to… but ex-
tremely upscale to be sure.
Mesquite, Nevada Apr 16th, 2011
See Full page ad
To reserve your vendor booth or receive
more info contact Carrie at
702-346-7091
or
Goro’s Hobbit Holes
Some of the highlights of our trip (and there
were many) were the big cats (lions, leopards,
cheetah- known as
Duma
in Swahili) and of
course, the huge herds of elephants known as
Tembo
. While on safari one morning we were
fortunate enough to stop within 50 yards of a
heard of 30 or more of these awe-inspiring
pachyderms. We watched adults, juveniles and
several babies while they ate and interacted with
each other in the tall grasses surrounded by a
grove of heavily thorned acacia trees (very simi-
lar to the kiawe trees introduced to the Hawaiian
islands by early missionaries). We could smell,
hear, and at times even feel the sounds the herd
made as they foraged less than a 100 feet from
our vehicle. Amazing!.
On the last day of our Klien's Camp safari we
planed to visit one of the nearby Maasai villages.
The Maasai are a proud, colorful, and noble
people that mainly raise cows, goats and live in
small fenced compounds called
bomas.
They
drink cows blood (to avoid killing their cattle)
mixed with milk. Quite delicious… or so I was
told by the tribe!
! Their homes, designed and built by the
women, (their women do nearly all of the work)
are made of woven sticks that are then covered in
wet, cow dung and allowed to dry to form well
insulated rigid walls resembling stucco or mud
huts.
A TOPOGEAR SPECIAL
Compass w/ Light & Whistle Combo
Email us for a special bulk rate to supply your
scout troop or organization at little over cost +
shipping. Buy on an order over $75 and re-
ceive free shipping.
TOPOGEAR is always looking for reader
interest stories. Please submit your story, trip
log, photos, recipes and humor. Subjects on
Climbing, Paddling, Cycling, Backpacking,
Horses, Search and Rescue, travel destinations
and more! Send material to:
Continued on Page 3 Column !
2
From Page 2 Column 2
sunrise. What fun! They really are cute
though.
The lions, actually lionesses, put on a tree-
climbing extravaganza we will never forget. At
one point we were just below them when they
chose to display some dominant aggression on
a large tree branch . It lasted for a couple of
seconds then they relaxed and went back to
looking for game in the wetlands below their
perch.
You may contact David through our email
David‟s phenomenal photo‟s are available,
reproduced in art quality, on canvas. The
images in this publication are low quality to
keep file size and downloading time to a mini-
mum.
Havasu Falls Backpacking Trip
Pre Trip Planning
Our TOPOGAR 2nd Annual Havasu Falls
backpacking trip is officially on. We have
secured the required permits/reservations to
enter the Havasupai Reservation.
We are still open to gear manufactures that
would like to have their gear along on the trip
for testing and trip report evaluation, advertis-
ing logo photo shots, etc. Contact us through
our generic email at:
sales@topogear.com
Most of our team„s goal is a 25lb total pack
weight, for the 5 day trip.
Welcome aboard Gossamer Gear. Our
hats (or should we say “our packs?�) are off to
Grant , at Gossamer Gear. He fixed up one of
the team members with a Mariposa Plus pack
of the appropriate size, and the matching belt
size. Thank You for your personal attention.
We contacted Gossamer, since last year a Gos-
samer Gear pack also went. Our team was so
impressed we wanted another. Two Mari-
posa‟s will be making the trek this year.
The amazing thing is that there is no odor in
or around any of the dwellings. They are rela-
tively clean and neat inside with a packed dirt
floor, low ceiling and a small open fire that
vents through a very tiny window. It is a mod-
est house that also houses their goats at times.
There have been many books written about the
Maasai but there is nothing like spending an
afternoon with them to get to know and appre-
ciate their kindness, culture and humanity.
Our next hop took us to Lake Manyara where
we stayed in an astoundingly plush and large
tree house in the land of famous “tree lions�
and “bush baby hell.� If you‟ve never spent the
night near a crying baby, you can‟t imagine
what bush babies sound like… they are small,
malevolent, nocturnal, lemur like creatures that
spend their evenings climbing near the tree
houses torturing its‟ occupants until just before
Wow! The birds and hippos surrounding the
lake were abundant and spectacular to watch.
At one of the viewing pools, we saw well over
45 hippos dozing on land and sunning them-
selves. Almost on queue, in a mass beach exo-
dus they slowly eased into the muddy ponds to
cool down and relax. Tens of thousand of peli-
cans, flamingos and other birds soared over-
head and landed in trees while others strutted in
shallow water gathering food. It was all quite
surreal to say the least.
Mariposa Plus Ultralight Backpack
A TOPOGEAR SPECIAL
Compass w/ Light & Whistle Combo
Email us for a special bulk rate to supply
your scout troop or organization at little over
cost + shipping. Buy on an order over $75
and receive free shipping.
The Mariposaâ„¢ Plus continues the ultralight
backpacking revolution with the same in-
credible array of important features at a
weight of just over a pound! This is the same
great pack as the original but constructed of
ripstop nylon for added durability while keep-
ing the weight penalty to about 3 ounces.
We've also made the side pockets bigger and
beefed up the interior stay pockets to make
them more sturdy. For those of you who
prefer a more "stealth" color scheme it comes
in a light Sage. Other products chosen to
make the trip, but not sponsored are Moun-
tain House, MSR Tents, and Therm-a-rest..
The trip comes up in May 2011.
TOPOGEAR is always looking for reader
interest stories. Please submit your story, trip
log, photos, recipes and humor. Subjects on
Climbing, Paddling, Cycling, Backpacking,
Horses, Search and Rescue, travel destina-
tions and more! Send material to:
Follow David‟s African adventure series in the
next issue of the TOPOGEAR Newsletter. Say
good-bye to the Bush Babies and on to one of
the Natural Wonders of the World,
Ngorongoro Crater
.
3
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
TOPOGEAR‟s
March-April Recipe
Family Recipe
Easy Chicken Fried Mushroom Steak
1 1/2 lb round or Sirloin Steak
Salt
Pepper
Flour
1/2 Diced Onion
2-3 Tbsp Oil or fat
Cut Steak into serving sizes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then dip
in flour to coat steak. Fry steak and onion in oil until steak is golden
brown on both sides. Retain the drippings.
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup (undiluted)
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Small can of sliced, or pieces, mushrooms
Mix the Mushroom Soup, sliced mushrooms. and Worcestershire
Sauce together and dump over the steak.
The TOPOGEAR Outdoor Recipe Page
Outdoor Cooking Recipes
Cooking Tips & Tricks
(Send them to us!)
Cook covered with moderate heat (mostly on the top) until steak can
be cut with a fork (1 to 1 1/2 hours)
Serve with rice or potato, and veggies.
Send us your recipe and photo of your prepared item to
appear on this page. See rules off our Home page at
Dutch Oven Heat “Three Up-Three Down Rule
TOPOGEAR is always looking for reader interest stories. Please
submit your story, trip log, photos, recipes and humor. Subjects
on Climbing, Paddling, Cycling, Backpacking, Horses, Search
and Rescue, travel destinations and more! Send material to:
It is better to place more coals or briquettes on the lid of
the Dutch oven. Many Dutch oven cooks follow a simple
three up, three down rule
. Measure the diameter of your
Dutch oven and add 3 to estimate how many briquettes to
place on the lid. Take 3 away from the diameter measure-
ment and this is the number you need to place under the
Dutch oven.
If you have a 12 inch Dutch oven. 12 + 3 = 15. Place 15
briquettes on the lid of your oven.
12 - 3 = 9. Place 9 briquettes underneath your oven.
This should give you an approximate oven temperature of 350°
F. Each two additional coals will give you about 20° F more heat
4
.
TOPOGEAR
is carrying a new line of Fine
Jewelry.
We are specializing in new 925 Sterling
Silver and Semi precious gemstone Jewelry.
The photo above is some current examples.
We wish to offer something affordable to
all. We hope to find and offer items under
the $200 retail range, with many under the
$100 mark.
We offer a selection that will be ever chang-
ing. We are able to buy direct from our
distributor and many of our items are indi-
vidually hand selected when being pur-
chased.
These items will soon start showing up on
the TOPO site so check back often. We also
have large selections of used and vintage
Jewelry. This stock is also changing con-
stantly. Currently we have a large stock of
vintage Rhinestone jewelry.
If you are looking for a specific item that
we do not show, please
email us
for a list of
the latest inventory.
PREPARE
Then
SHARE
Prepare Then Share provides delicious,
high-quality food storage, preparedness
products and information that helps pre-
pare individuals, families and communities
for the unexpected. We then provide op-
portunities and avenues for them to share
with others. Our nationwide network of
humanitarian entrepreneurs educate cus-
tomers on emergency preparedness, while
helping them identify their food supply
needs – whether that‟s 72-hours, 3 months
or even a year‟s worth of food products
.
RECIPE CONTEST
We have a winner for our Monthly News-
letter RECIPE Contest. The Monthly winner
is sent a FREE Gift. Contest is extended to
future issues. Have your entry submitted by
the 15th of a month, for judging/publishing/
winning consideration in the following months
newsletter.
A FREE “gift� is going out to our winner.
See the TOPOGEAR rules and submission
form at the
TOPOGEAR Home Page
Find it
in the left menu
Contest Win Free Stuff
.
Also
join our
FACEBOOK Dutch Oven
g
roup if
you aren‟t already a member.
We are changing some of the contest rules
starting with subsequent issues. The Contest is
now open to recipes for both Dutch Ovens and
BBQ/Outdoor Cooking.
There are now a choice of 2 prizes. A Mey-
erco G10 Tactical Folding knife, or a 9 inch
Dutch Oven Lid lifter. Winner gets to select
their choice of one of these two prizes.
USA “Ship To� addresses only.
Meyerco Tactical Folder
G10 Tactical Folder (MATCMDH)
*440 Bead Blasted Blade
*Easy One-Hand Opening
“MAIR� Dutch Oven Lid Lifter
Prize size is 9 inch only
5
UPCOMING EVENTS
MARCH 2011
Event: Crossroads of the West Gun Shows
Glendale, AZ March 19th and 29th
Costa Mesa, CA 26th and 27th
Visit their website for details and directions
Trail Sherpa
was created to
chronicle the hiking and back-
packing adventures that I have
with my friends. Follow us as
we tackle some of the country's
epic trails.
Visit our Website
AMIGO Metal and Iron Work
1233 Calle Cherokee
Rio Rico, AZ 85648
Cell (520) 440-2469
Fax (520) 761-1776
Email:
amigo_metal@hotmail.com
Email us your event info, meet-ups, Dutch Oven Cooking meets,
Expo’s, Community events, art fairs, craft fairs, gun shows, knife
shows, etc. We will post your info for FREE in this section!!
6
UPCOMING EVENTS
APRIL 2011
Event: Crossroads of the West Gun Shows
Paddling Festival
Hosted by SOUTHWIND
KAYAK CENTER
Newport Dunes, California Visit
site for latest info
1-800-SOUTHWIND or
1-800-768-8494
Phoenix, AZ Apr 2nd and 3rd
Salt Lake City, UT Apr 9th and 10th
Mesa, AZ Apr 9th and 10th
San Francisco, CA Apr 16th and 17th
Ventura, CA Apr 30th and May 1st
Visit their website for details and directions
Event: Spring Fling Car Show (23rd Annual)
Location: Silverton Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Date: April 8h & 9th, 2011
Benefits the Childhood Cancer Foundation
For Details and Vendor booth in Contact:
Sharon (702) 456-9569
Cars, Poker Run, Free entertainment, Vendor Booths
Prizes, T-Shirts , Music.
www.camp-cook.com
900 + Members
Desert River Outfitters is located in
Bullhead City Arizona in Northwest-
ern Arizona on the lower Colorado
River. We provide kayak and canoe
sales, rentals and guided river trips
around the tri-state area of Arizona,
Nevada and California
.
Boy Scouts and Leaders
Receive Special
Deep Discounts &
Bulk Order Discounts
"LODGE" Dutch Ovens
With BSA LOGO
Contact:
For Special Price Quote
Event: IDOS Annual Spring Gathering & Open House
Location: 151 South 1100 West, Farmington, UT
Date: April 8th & 9th
Time: See Full ad
Website
www.idos.org
Don‟t miss our
Discount Sale
.
Look for items marked with the
discount. Many items in our
inventory of over 8000 items are
marked down. These discounts
are for limited times, and change
without notice. Don‟t miss out.
Also take advantage of the lim-
ited time
FREE SHIPPING
on
orders with amounts over the
current minimum. Check the
Event: Spring Bazaar (3rd Annual)
Location: CasaBlanca Events Tent, Mesquite, NV
Date: April 16th, 2011
Time: 10am-4pm
Crafts, Jewelry, Clothing, Food and more.
Vendor Booths $50/$75
Contact: Carrie 702-346-7091 or
Email us your event info, meet-ups, Dutch Oven Cooking
meets, Expo’s, Community events, art fairs, craft fairs, gun
7
UPCOMING EVENTS
MAY 2011
Month/Year May 2011
Event: Crossroads of the West Gun Shows
Ontario, Ca
May 14th and 15th
Del Mar, Ca
May 21st and 22nd
Reno, NV
May 21t and 22nd
Visit their website for details and directions
WEATHERED WONDERS
Creations by Artist Dave Bruce. Utilizing materials recycled from
abandoned buildings and alleyways. One-of-a-kind birdhouses and
furniture. These creations can be found through various stores and
specialty shops. Each piece is handcrafted with pride and signed
with love, from Dave‟s heart to your home.
Cell: 602 576-7376
Shade USA
is a national distributor of comfort and conven-
ience related outdoor products that are perfect for the beach,
camp grounds, soccer field, baseball diamond, parks, and
lakes or any vacation destination (including your own back
yard). We specialize in unique and innovative products
which feature portability, comfort and value.
Email us your event info, meet-ups, Dutch Oven Cooking
meets, Expo’s, Community events, art fairs, craft fairs, gun
shows, knife shows, etc. We will post your info for FREE
in this section!!
8
UPCOMING EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Month/Year June 2011
Event: Crossroads of the West Gun Shows
Costa Mesa, CA
Jun 4th and 5th
Las Vegas, NV
Jun 11th and 12th
Mesa, AZ
Jun 25th and 36th
Visit their website for details and directions
Month/Year: JUNE 2011
Event: South Dakota State Dutch Oven Gathering
Location: Fairgrounds in Huron South Dakota
Date: June 11-12, 2011
An action packed weekend of FREE fun at the South Da-
kota Expo. Dutch Oven Cooking Contest Saturday, and
a South Dakota Wild Game Cooking Contest during the
weekend. Expo is FREE. Camping is FREE.
FOR INFO
Or Call 605-353-7340
Contact Person Cassandra Swanson 605-
Place your upcoming events here
Place for FREE
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We now list events up to a year
In advance
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meets, Expo’s, Community events, art fairs, craft fairs, gun
shows, knife shows, etc. We will post your info for FREE
in this section!!
Email to: sales@topogear.com
TOPOGEAR is always looking for reader inter-
est stories and events. Please submit your story,
trip log, photos, recipes and humor. Subjects on
Climbing, Paddling, Cycling, Backpacking,
Horses, Search and Rescue, travel destinations
and more! Send material to:
9
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TOPOGEAR
TOPOGEAR SPECIAL(S) OF THE
MONTH
&
May not be available once sold out. No rain-
checks. Hurry before sale ends!
Products for Climbing, Camping, Search and Rescue, Police, Hik-
ing, Backpacking, Cycling, Paddling, Military. Lights, Knives,
Packs, Clothing, Consumables such as Jerky, Batteries, soaps,
cleaning products. Some items sold in bulk for resale. We also
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11
Or
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New 925 Sterling Silver &
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THE NEW WAY OF PRINTING
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T-SHART by Emerald-5LTD
Don & Sherry
Email
EMERALD-5@COX.NET
Tel:702-452-3033
Wanted to Buy: Enclosed tandem axle trailer with side RV
style door. 14 to 20 ft
Must be in excellent condition and clean/
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printing uses environ-
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Enter your
Dutch Oven/BBQ or Outdoor Recipe
for a chance to win
a “MAIR� 9 inch Dutch Oven Lid Lifter, or a Meyerco Folding Knife. We have had nu-
merous winners. We have extended this for subsequent issues too! Enter before the 15th of
the month, to be considered for the following months Next Newsletter. Details are found on
the
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are there. To keep it simple just email a statement that you
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