2013 Valero BackPack Giveaway Valero Energy Corporation helped 200 of our members get ready for back to school with backpacks full of supplies. Valero employees helped collect the supplies, stuff the backpacks, and distribute them to the kids at their headquarters. They are ready for school! All photos by Gary Perkins. 600 SW 19th Street San Antonio, TX 78207 (at Candlewood Elementary School) San Antonio, TX 78244 San Antonio, TX 78223 San Antonio, TX 78220HomeAnnual Backpack DriveBondoc Roofing Annual Backpack DriveBondoc Roofing proudly presents its First Annual Backpack Drive to help needy children with back to school supplies. The date of the event will be on Friday, August 14th and Saturday, August 15th from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM in front of the Amegy Bank located at 5408 Broadway Street, San Antonio, TX 78209. For more information, click the button below to download our flyer with information on what donations are needed and more information on how you can volunteer with the backpack drive with our San Antonio Roofing Contractor.If you want to help Bondoc Roofing with our Annual Backpack Drive please call 877-930-3031 or complete our online request form.

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If you’re not experienced, though, the mere sight of a tent can conjure up images of dirt, blisters, snakes and physical misery. u105 urban laptop backpackWhich is why I enlisted the company of Leilani Perry, director of marketing and communications for YMCA Austin, to join me on an overnight trip to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. granite gear boundary laptop backpackShe’d backpacked as a youth in California, but hadn’t hoisted a pack since. ciee backpackI needed to remind her of the joys of hauling a bunch of gear into the backcountry.“tardis slouch backpack hot topic

What I’ve done as an adult has been ‘car camping,’ so I haven’t had to carry the essentials in with me,” she said.gibbs backpack ncisShe was about to get a lesson in the difference. pelican backpack u160Cook gourmet meals over a very tiny camp stove. Test out some new gear I got for the three-week backpacking trip I plan to take next summer. Enjoy the wide-open spaces.We set a date, picked a destination and packed our bags. Then, when I went to pick up Perry, we unpacked and did it all over again. The number one rule of backpacking? And remember that water weighs more than 8 pounds per gallon.We traded her heavy-duty sleeping bag for an ultralight backpacking one. We ditched the extra clothes. (Backpackers have to be prepared to wallow in each other’s stink.) We left out her pillow and packed an inflatable one the size of a breakfast burrito instead.

Then we loaded up a gallon of water each.But because we knew we’d be hiking just 2 miles into the primitive camping area on the backside of Enchanted Rock, we decided to do some things I wouldn’t.Perry had searched online using the key words “camping food hacks” to create a menu of pasta and apple crisp for dinner, and sweet rolls baked inside hollowed-out oranges for breakfast. It all sounded so much better than the feather-light freeze-dried meals I’m used to eating that we agreed to strap metal pans and baking racks on our backs.Then we made the hour-and-a-half drive to the park.Enchanted Rock makes the perfect training ground for newbie backpackers. You need to be reasonably fit to slog up the slick rock with even one night’s worth of stuff on your back, but you’re never far from civilization in case something goes awry.The park has three hike-to primitive camping areas. We marched, sweaty and breathing heavily, to Moss Lake, where we picked a spot underneath a sprawling oak tree and popped up our lightweight two-person Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 tent.

We unfurled our sleeping pads and bags, then poured a glass of wine (a Platypus water bag weighs much less than a wine bottle) for a toast as we watched the sun light the granite dome like a giant copper penny.By then we were hungry, so I sparked up the Snickers-sized Snow Peak Gigapower camp stove. We stacked a metal pan on top of the stove, balanced a wire rack on top of that to create a flat space, and piled on packets of precooked pasta and sauce. Fifteen minutes later, voila — gourmet pasta.For dessert, Perry mixed sliced apples, oats, butter and brown sugar and cooked it over the stove in foil packets. In 20 minutes, we were spearing gooey, baked apples with our forks.One of the best parts of backpacking comes after the sun sets, when the critters sing, the stars pop out and you realize your own insignificance. At Moss Lake, frogs rule the night. When they started croaking, we thought someone had started a lawn mower. Then Perry pulled out a surprise — footie pajamas. I zipped up my fuzzy, red-and-white-striped set and danced a little jig before crawling into our very cozy tent.

At about 5 a.m., I crawled out into the dark and staggered sleepily around in the bushes for a few minutes, apparently encountering a cactus or two. I pulled spines out for two days.I got up for real a couple of hours later, tugged on a pair of running shorts and shoes, and headed out for a 4-mile trail run, which is another reason Enchanted Rock makes a nice camping destination.Back at camp, it was time for breakfast. Perry unwrapped a roll of instant sweet rolls, and tucked them into hollowed-out oranges. We set them on the stove and covered them with foil, then left them to bake while we admired the surroundings.That’s when the stove ran out of fuel, crushing our dreams of pillowlike, orange-infused sweet rolls. We ate the raw dough anyway and braced for the bloat, which was totally worth it.Relaxed and satisfied, we packed up camp, buckled on our mobile homes and hit the trail again.“The best part about backpacking is simply being outdoors and being reminded how extraordinary our natural world is,” Perry told me later.

“The sounds of nature are grounding, calming and the best nighttime lullaby.”Camping reminds you what’s essential and important, she said. It helps you reconnect with yourself and your friends.Perry wants to camp again. But maybe with lighter equipment. 1 box of whole wheat spaghetti 4 tomatoes 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil Minced garlic to taste Handful fresh basil leaves Squeeze of lemon Aluminum foil, four 8-inch-by-12-inch sheets Dollop goat cheese Cook 1 box whole wheat spaghetti the night before. Rinse with cold water and store in resealable plastic bag. Toss together spaghetti, olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and basil. Divide spaghetti mixture between double-layered pieces of foil (about 1 ½ cup per pack). Squeeze one lemon wedge over each packet. Dollop each portion with a few teaspoons goat cheese. Fold the foil to form a package, folding edges tightly. Avoid squeezing out all the air from packages. Heat over camp stove or camp fire for about 10 minutes. Shake partway through cooking.

Remove from heat and eat. ½ cup old-fashioned oats 6 Tbsp. flour 3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar ¼ cup granulated sugar ¼ tsp. cinnamon Dash of nutmeg 2 Tbsp. butter, plus more for foil 3 apples Squeeze of lemon juice Aluminum foil, two sheets, a foot long each Combine oats, flour, sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Core and slice apples, then toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice. Lightly butter the center of each piece of foil. Place apples into one of the foil pieces and sprinkle with crumble mixture. Place the top of foil (butter side down) on the package and crimp the edges inward. Make sure package is well-sealed. Wrap the entire package in another layer of foil to help prevent burning. Place foil pack on camp stove or fire (medium heat/350 degrees) for about 20 minutes. Open, eat an enjoy. 4 oranges Roll of refrigerated cinnamon roll dough Aluminum foil Slice 4 oranges in half and scoop out insides. Place cinnamon rolls — one in each hollowed-out orange half.

Place stuffed oranges on rack over stove/fire. Cover loosely with foil and cook approximately 10-12 minutes or until rolls are toasty brown and cooked through. Frost with provided frosting and eat. Headlamp or flashlight Water bottles or hydration reservoirs Water filter or other treatment system Tent Backpack Sleeping bag and pad Pillow or stuffable pillow case Whistle Trekking poles Meals Stove and fuel Matches or lighter Dishes and utensils Wicking T-shirt Wicking underwear Quick-drying pants or shorts Long-sleeve shirt Wicking long underwear (good sleepwear) Rainwear Hiking shoes suited to terrain Socks (synthetic or wool) Sun-shielding hat Bandana Gaiters Sandals (for fording, in camp) Permits Credit card; small amount of cash Toilet paper Hand sanitizer Toothbrush Biodegradable soap Quick-dry towel Trip itinerary left with friend and under car seat Source: REIOpen, eat and enjoy.small amount of cash Toilet paper Hand sanitizer Toothbrush Biodegradable soap Quick-dry towel Trip itinerary left with friend and under car seat Source: REI