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[FONT="]I am happy to announce that the time has come for the 2012 Steel Soldiers Georgia Rally info thread.
Please read ALL of this 1st post-it should answer 99% of the questions about the rally.
Also, please do not create additional rally threads. If you feel there is a need for a separate rally related thread, PM me and I will consider it. One rally doesn't need half a dozen threads. It’s confusing to members who are not computer or web forum proficient to have to get all their info from 5 different threads. I will delete other 12SSGR threads, so you can’t complain when you’ve been warned.
Please try to limit the conversation in this thread to important rally related matters-last year's info thread was over 100 pages long. Imagine a new SS member finding the site and this thread a week before the rally and having to read 100+ pages in order to get up to speed.
Ok, pleasantries out of the way, let's get to it.
This is the Sixth Annual Steel Soldiers Georgia Rally (SSGR). We have grown steadily, starting with 22 military vehicles in our 2007 event to 86 trucks and a fully functioning Military Kitchen Trailer (MKT) in 2011.
If you are unfamiliar with the SSGR, then check out the after action threads from the last few years. These threads features pictures and videos from each year's event:
[/FONT]
[FONT="]2011: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rally/76699-official-2011-ga-rally-multimedia-thread.html
2010: [/FONT][FONT="]http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...ia-thread.html[/FONT][FONT="]
2009: [/FONT][FONT="]http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...ia-thread.html[/FONT][FONT="]
2008: [/FONT][FONT="]http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...ia-thread.html[/FONT][FONT="]
2007: [/FONT][FONT="]http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...bs-thread.html[/FONT][FONT="]
There is a website for the rally; you can find it at
[/FONT][FONT="]Coming Soon![/FONT][FONT="]
Feel free to send the link to any friends who may be interested in attending.
The 12SSGR will be held October 10-14, 2012 at Durhamtown Plantation Offroad Park in Union Point, Ga. It is a 5 day event, although Wednesday and Thursday are lighter days, as attendees are still showing up and Sunday is light as everyone is packing up in the morning for their trips home. The bulk of the rally is Friday and Saturday. It is a rain or shine event so please be prepared accordingly. Please note the rally is a week earlier this year, as requested by Durhamtown to account for the opening weekend of deer season.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Location[/FONT]
[FONT="]Durhamtown Plantation in Union Point, Ga. Durhamtown is a facility which has catered to the motocross and ATV markets for several years and a few years ago, they expanded to include a 1200 acre offroad park for the full sized vehicle market. Link to their website: [/FONT][FONT="]Welcome[/FONT][FONT="]. Please make sure you pay careful attention to their directions page ([/FONT][FONT="]Directions[/FONT][FONT="] ). See where it says “Using GPS or MapQuest will take you on unnecessary dirt roads! We recommend using our directions.”? Well, it’s the truth. This place is in a very rural area and it’s easy to get lost. Cell phone reception is very poor in this area so make sure you know exactly how to get there and make sure you have Durhamtown’s phone # so that if you get lost and you manage to get a signal you can call them.
The owner of the Durhamtown has greatly supported us in putting on our rally, allowing us into restricted areas and giving us greater hours of access to the trails, provided porta-potties in our field free of charge, given us our own, private fenced-in area for our rally and has even come over to our campfire to eat with us. All the employees of Durhamtown love having us there and are outstanding people. The enthusiasm we have received from everyone from the owner all the way down the chain has been nothing short of outstanding.
IMPORTANT: A note about Durhamtown-they don't put on the SSGR; we do. If you call them and catch one of their customer service representatives, they may have no idea what you are talking about when you tell them you are coming to the "military vehicle show". [/FONT]
[FONT="]
Lodging[/FONT]
[FONT="]You have several options at the SSGR: You can pitch a tent or sleep in your truck for a primitive camping fee of $15 per night for 3 people, $5 per additional person (I don’t know how this would work if you are by yourself; call Durhamtown for more details), you can rent an RV or a cabin from Durhamtown (fees vary, see their site for details) or you can bring your own camper (they do have electric, water and sanitation hookups for RVs). Please see the Durhamtown website with any questions you have about lodging. Again, when you contact Durhamtown for lodging reservations (not needed for primitive camping), simply tell them you need to rent whatever it is you are renting and on which dates-if you tell them you are there for the military vehicle rally, they will have no idea what you are talking about.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Activities[/FONT]
[FONT="]SSGR attendees have every component of a military vehicle rally they could want-camping, social get-together in the evenings around a huge campfire, offroading of every variety, vendors selling parts and accessories, vehicle displays and an authentic Military Kitchen trailer (MKT) providing hot breakfasts, lunches and dinners for very reasonable prices. There is no set schedule for SSGR activities-the basic setup of the rally has been a short, 1-3 hour trailride in the mornings, go back to camp for lunch, then a several hour excursion on the trails, then back to the camp for dinner . We may do a post-dinner trailride, as the night trailrides have been very popular. We tried having a rigid schedule the first year and the complexity of getting everyone together proved to be overwhelming. So now it is more of a free-flow schedule.
The offroading is outstanding-very challenging and difficult places for the most adventurous of operators and easy, “trail rides” for those who are more cautious/conservative/inexperienced and everything in between. We have several highly experienced professional grade off roaders and recovery experts, so getting stuck isn’t an issue. Every year Durhamtown has opened new areas to explore, so we aren't recapturing the same real estate over and over. I also need to say that one of the most important aspects of the SSGR has always been for it to be “all things to all people”-if you want to come to the rally and spend the entire weekend on the trails, you can. If you want to spend a relaxing weekend at camp looking at military vehicles, you can. There is no rule or expectation for attendees to do anything other than show up and have a good time.[/FONT]
[FONT="] There will be a hardball convoy this year, I've already discussed it with wreckerman893. We just have to firm up the details then I'll post the info in this post.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Organization[/FONT]
[FONT="]This year, we are going to have 2-5 “detachments” (working title) who will help smoothe out ruffles. Think of them as “Points of Contact” between the Rally Leader and attendees. One who will manage just the trailriding aspect, one who will manage interaction between the rally and Durhamtown, one who will manage rally attendee questions and problems (the guy next to me snores too loud, can I get a better parking spot, can I get some electricity and water over to my truck, etc.). Anyone who wants to volunteer for these jobs can at any time PM me. Please do not be offended if you do not get chosen, as I can find plenty of ways to put you to work. The trailride master will be none other than SS member Squirt-Truck ([/FONT][FONT="]Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite - View Profile: Squirt-Truck[/FONT][FONT="]) and his assistant will be SS member Dumpster ([/FONT][FONT="]http://www.steelsoldiers.com/members/Dumpster).html[/FONT][FONT="]. [/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
MKT cleanup, all days but ESPECIALLY Sunday morning. SCSG-G4 and Wreckerman have an epic task on Sunday morning getting the MKT prepped for the ride home. Anyone who can help clean up is needed. I need reliable, hard workers who if they say they'll be there, they'll be there.
I also need volunteers to man the front gate and check in rally attendees and familiarize them with the layout of the field. Kenny can't stay there the entire time, he needs time for trailrides, convoys, social time, etc. Even something like 4-5 hour blocks would be helpful.
[/FONT][FONT="] Costs[/FONT]
[FONT="]Your only costs will be lodging (camping or rental fees), food (if you eat at Durhamtown’s excellent café or the MKT) and the offroad park access fees. Offroad park access fees are described on Durhamtown’s site. There is no admission fee for the rally itself. So if you can only come one day and you are not offroading, you will encounter no fees. If you ride with another person in their vehicle, there is a small fee (I think $5 per day).[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Weather:[/FONT]
[FONT="]
The last 8 years weather on this weekend:
[/FONT]
[FONT="]2011 temps: 49/81
2010 temps: 46/79
2009 temps: 51/80
2008 temps: 46/61
2007 temps: 59/77
2006 temps: 32/59
2005 temps: 48/65
2004 temps: 56/67
Please prepare accordingly-the weather could be perfect Southern fall weather, requiring nothing more than a t-shirt or it could be very chilly and rainy. At night around the campfire, you will likely want some kind of a jacket and perhaps hat, gloves, etc.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Food & drink[/FONT]
[FONT="]You can bring our own food, eat at Durhamtown’s excellent café which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner or you can eat at our fully functioning Military Kitchen trailer. The MKT will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The prices are very low as well (comparable to fast food prices). The MKT also had tea and coffee. There are not any restaurants nearby other than Durhamtown’s café, so please make sure you have a plan! The menu and suggested prices for the MKT are as follows:
[/FONT][FONT="]Breakfast - Eggs (scrambled and over easy), bacon (maybe ham or sausage too), grits, biscuits, SOS, and if Walter gets froggy, French Toast and pancakes. Estimated cost $3 per person. Served Thursday through Sunday, with Sunday being leftovers also.[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Lunch - brown bag, U-fixum, with a pair of cold cuts sandwiches, chips, cookies, fruit (apple or banana) and bottled water. We will send tea and coolaid (but not in Gimpy's truck) to supplement the drinks. A hot lunch of some sort will be made for those staying behind with the gear in camp. Estimated cost $4 per person. Served Thursday through Saturday.[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Supper - Wednesday and Thursday nights probably hamburgers or something similar with side dishes and a salad. Friday night will be chili mac (in honor of papabear and the CAMO Crew) with fixings. Saturday night is the biggie (No, we're not going whole hog, that would be too much) with steaks and trimmings (french fries or baked potato, beans, yams, etc.) Estimated costs W & Th $4, F -$5, Sat - $6. Not quite as good as the prime rib we had at the FL rally, but a whole lot better than cold beanie weenies![/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Note: Please expect some flexibility in the MKT menu(s)-our access to discounted raw materials does sometimes change, necessitating some change in the menu.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Communications:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Durhamtown is in a rural area and cell phone reception is spotty at best. Last year we attempted to put some communications capabilities in place so that the base camp could communicate with riders out in the woods, but the lack of sufficient radio equipment for trailriders meant the system was lacking in functionality. I am still in the process of trying to decide what we will attempt this year. Luckily there are some extremely knowledgeable folks out there like Tennmogger that I can rely on.
We also plan to have a functioning PA system at the rally like we had in 2009 so that people can be alerted to the food being ready and trail ride departures. [/FONT]
[FONT="]
Convoy and travel ops:[/FONT]
[FONT="]People come to the SSGR from all over-Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia and everywhere in between. If you are interested in meeting up with others and coming in together, please post (in this thread) where you are leaving from and when. If there is enough interest in a “convoy to the SSGR thread” from a specific state, I will start one and I will link to it from this thread. I am really trying to keep most of the rally information in one place-we don’t need 5 threads for one rally. I know from prior year's experience and the amount of Florida members planning to attend that a Florida thread is justified. I suspect we will end up with an Alabama thread.
The information regarding the convoy from Florida can be found here:[/FONT][FONT="]
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/military-vehicle-road-trips/90332-2012-florida-convoy-ga-rally.html
Parts wanted/for sale/swap meet thread:[/FONT]
[FONT="]This is a thread where you can post what parts you are bringing to the rally to sell or swap and post items you are looking for.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/upcoming-events/90333-2012-ga-rally-parts-wanted-sale-swap-thread.html[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Field layout:
[/FONT][FONT="]If you have a few (5-10) items for sale, you can set them up next to your truck in your camping area. If you have more than 10 items, you need to grab a vendor spot. See maps below with questions. You can camp in your swap meet space or you can have a swap meet space and a camping space on the right. As always, vendor spots are free.[/FONT][FONT="]
T-shirts[/FONT]
[FONT="]We will have t-shirts available for the 2012 event, when more information is available, a thread will be created and linked here.[/FONT]
31-August-2012 update: t-shirt thread is at the following link:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/upcoming-events/94238-2012-ga-rally-t-shirt-order-thread.html
[FONT="]FAQ:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Is the rally child and animal friendly?[/FONT] [FONT="]
Yes-but as in all aspects of life, please show consideration for others. Aggressive dogs or constant barkers should be managed in a respectful way and poorly behaved children will be drafted into cleaning mud out of tire treads. The SSGR is a family friendly affair, so behave accordingly.
How many people will be there?
It’s safe to say we should have over 250 attendees and at least 90 military vehicles, plus trailers. Last year’s turnout was over 86 vehicles, more than a hundred if you count trailers.
Do I have to be a member of [/FONT][FONT="]www.steelsoldiers.com[/FONT][FONT="] to attend? What if I don’t own a (or can’t bring my) vehicle?[/FONT][FONT="]
No, you have to be interested in the historic military vehicle hobby! If you do not have a vehicle, this isn’t a problem. We can probably even find someone to let you ride with on the trails if you wish to go.
Is there electricity at the rally?
Yes and no. One of our attendees does rent an RV spot so he can pull power for his MKT, but there is a limit. Some members bring generators, you may be able to convince someone to let you use theirs. If you have a consistent need for electricity (a/c units, etc.) you may be well served bringing your own generator.
Do I need to bring firewood?
YES!!!!!!! Bring an entire forest! We can not have enough. Gimpy and Jerry like a BIG campfire. Let's give it to 'em. [/FONT]
The website [/FONT][FONT="]www.steelsoldiers.com[/FONT][FONT="] and/or Durhamtown Plantation, nor any person acting in conjunction with those entities will not be held liable for any injuries to anyone attending the SSGR or damage to personal/private property during the SSGR. All persons accept this personal responsibility and release [/FONT][FONT="]www.steelsoldiers.com[/FONT][FONT="] and their agents (rally organizers, volunteers, etc.) and/or Durhamtown Plantation and their agents (employees, etc.) from any liability resulting from injury or damages to property by attending the rally. Attendance at the rally is and will be understood to signify acceptance of these terms.[/FONT]
Please read ALL of this 1st post-it should answer 99% of the questions about the rally.
Also, please do not create additional rally threads. If you feel there is a need for a separate rally related thread, PM me and I will consider it. One rally doesn't need half a dozen threads. It’s confusing to members who are not computer or web forum proficient to have to get all their info from 5 different threads. I will delete other 12SSGR threads, so you can’t complain when you’ve been warned.
Please try to limit the conversation in this thread to important rally related matters-last year's info thread was over 100 pages long. Imagine a new SS member finding the site and this thread a week before the rally and having to read 100+ pages in order to get up to speed.
Ok, pleasantries out of the way, let's get to it.
This is the Sixth Annual Steel Soldiers Georgia Rally (SSGR). We have grown steadily, starting with 22 military vehicles in our 2007 event to 86 trucks and a fully functioning Military Kitchen Trailer (MKT) in 2011.
If you are unfamiliar with the SSGR, then check out the after action threads from the last few years. These threads features pictures and videos from each year's event:
[/FONT]
[FONT="]2011: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rally/76699-official-2011-ga-rally-multimedia-thread.html
2010: [/FONT][FONT="]http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...ia-thread.html[/FONT][FONT="]
2009: [/FONT][FONT="]http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...ia-thread.html[/FONT][FONT="]
2008: [/FONT][FONT="]http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...ia-thread.html[/FONT][FONT="]
2007: [/FONT][FONT="]http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...bs-thread.html[/FONT][FONT="]
There is a website for the rally; you can find it at
[/FONT][FONT="]Coming Soon![/FONT][FONT="]
Feel free to send the link to any friends who may be interested in attending.
The 12SSGR will be held October 10-14, 2012 at Durhamtown Plantation Offroad Park in Union Point, Ga. It is a 5 day event, although Wednesday and Thursday are lighter days, as attendees are still showing up and Sunday is light as everyone is packing up in the morning for their trips home. The bulk of the rally is Friday and Saturday. It is a rain or shine event so please be prepared accordingly. Please note the rally is a week earlier this year, as requested by Durhamtown to account for the opening weekend of deer season.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Location[/FONT]
[FONT="]Durhamtown Plantation in Union Point, Ga. Durhamtown is a facility which has catered to the motocross and ATV markets for several years and a few years ago, they expanded to include a 1200 acre offroad park for the full sized vehicle market. Link to their website: [/FONT][FONT="]Welcome[/FONT][FONT="]. Please make sure you pay careful attention to their directions page ([/FONT][FONT="]Directions[/FONT][FONT="] ). See where it says “Using GPS or MapQuest will take you on unnecessary dirt roads! We recommend using our directions.”? Well, it’s the truth. This place is in a very rural area and it’s easy to get lost. Cell phone reception is very poor in this area so make sure you know exactly how to get there and make sure you have Durhamtown’s phone # so that if you get lost and you manage to get a signal you can call them.
The owner of the Durhamtown has greatly supported us in putting on our rally, allowing us into restricted areas and giving us greater hours of access to the trails, provided porta-potties in our field free of charge, given us our own, private fenced-in area for our rally and has even come over to our campfire to eat with us. All the employees of Durhamtown love having us there and are outstanding people. The enthusiasm we have received from everyone from the owner all the way down the chain has been nothing short of outstanding.
IMPORTANT: A note about Durhamtown-they don't put on the SSGR; we do. If you call them and catch one of their customer service representatives, they may have no idea what you are talking about when you tell them you are coming to the "military vehicle show". [/FONT]
[FONT="]
Lodging[/FONT]
[FONT="]You have several options at the SSGR: You can pitch a tent or sleep in your truck for a primitive camping fee of $15 per night for 3 people, $5 per additional person (I don’t know how this would work if you are by yourself; call Durhamtown for more details), you can rent an RV or a cabin from Durhamtown (fees vary, see their site for details) or you can bring your own camper (they do have electric, water and sanitation hookups for RVs). Please see the Durhamtown website with any questions you have about lodging. Again, when you contact Durhamtown for lodging reservations (not needed for primitive camping), simply tell them you need to rent whatever it is you are renting and on which dates-if you tell them you are there for the military vehicle rally, they will have no idea what you are talking about.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Activities[/FONT]
[FONT="]SSGR attendees have every component of a military vehicle rally they could want-camping, social get-together in the evenings around a huge campfire, offroading of every variety, vendors selling parts and accessories, vehicle displays and an authentic Military Kitchen trailer (MKT) providing hot breakfasts, lunches and dinners for very reasonable prices. There is no set schedule for SSGR activities-the basic setup of the rally has been a short, 1-3 hour trailride in the mornings, go back to camp for lunch, then a several hour excursion on the trails, then back to the camp for dinner . We may do a post-dinner trailride, as the night trailrides have been very popular. We tried having a rigid schedule the first year and the complexity of getting everyone together proved to be overwhelming. So now it is more of a free-flow schedule.
The offroading is outstanding-very challenging and difficult places for the most adventurous of operators and easy, “trail rides” for those who are more cautious/conservative/inexperienced and everything in between. We have several highly experienced professional grade off roaders and recovery experts, so getting stuck isn’t an issue. Every year Durhamtown has opened new areas to explore, so we aren't recapturing the same real estate over and over. I also need to say that one of the most important aspects of the SSGR has always been for it to be “all things to all people”-if you want to come to the rally and spend the entire weekend on the trails, you can. If you want to spend a relaxing weekend at camp looking at military vehicles, you can. There is no rule or expectation for attendees to do anything other than show up and have a good time.[/FONT]
[FONT="] There will be a hardball convoy this year, I've already discussed it with wreckerman893. We just have to firm up the details then I'll post the info in this post.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Organization[/FONT]
[FONT="]This year, we are going to have 2-5 “detachments” (working title) who will help smoothe out ruffles. Think of them as “Points of Contact” between the Rally Leader and attendees. One who will manage just the trailriding aspect, one who will manage interaction between the rally and Durhamtown, one who will manage rally attendee questions and problems (the guy next to me snores too loud, can I get a better parking spot, can I get some electricity and water over to my truck, etc.). Anyone who wants to volunteer for these jobs can at any time PM me. Please do not be offended if you do not get chosen, as I can find plenty of ways to put you to work. The trailride master will be none other than SS member Squirt-Truck ([/FONT][FONT="]Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite - View Profile: Squirt-Truck[/FONT][FONT="]) and his assistant will be SS member Dumpster ([/FONT][FONT="]http://www.steelsoldiers.com/members/Dumpster).html[/FONT][FONT="]. [/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]24.June.2012 addition:[/FONT]
[FONT="]T[/FONT][FONT="]he rally is in need of volunteers for the following:
MKT cleanup, all days but ESPECIALLY Sunday morning. SCSG-G4 and Wreckerman have an epic task on Sunday morning getting the MKT prepped for the ride home. Anyone who can help clean up is needed. I need reliable, hard workers who if they say they'll be there, they'll be there.
I also need volunteers to man the front gate and check in rally attendees and familiarize them with the layout of the field. Kenny can't stay there the entire time, he needs time for trailrides, convoys, social time, etc. Even something like 4-5 hour blocks would be helpful.
[/FONT][FONT="] Costs[/FONT]
[FONT="]Your only costs will be lodging (camping or rental fees), food (if you eat at Durhamtown’s excellent café or the MKT) and the offroad park access fees. Offroad park access fees are described on Durhamtown’s site. There is no admission fee for the rally itself. So if you can only come one day and you are not offroading, you will encounter no fees. If you ride with another person in their vehicle, there is a small fee (I think $5 per day).[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Weather:[/FONT]
[FONT="]
The last 8 years weather on this weekend:
[/FONT]
[FONT="]2011 temps: 49/81
2010 temps: 46/79
2009 temps: 51/80
2008 temps: 46/61
2007 temps: 59/77
2006 temps: 32/59
2005 temps: 48/65
2004 temps: 56/67
Please prepare accordingly-the weather could be perfect Southern fall weather, requiring nothing more than a t-shirt or it could be very chilly and rainy. At night around the campfire, you will likely want some kind of a jacket and perhaps hat, gloves, etc.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Food & drink[/FONT]
[FONT="]You can bring our own food, eat at Durhamtown’s excellent café which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner or you can eat at our fully functioning Military Kitchen trailer. The MKT will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The prices are very low as well (comparable to fast food prices). The MKT also had tea and coffee. There are not any restaurants nearby other than Durhamtown’s café, so please make sure you have a plan! The menu and suggested prices for the MKT are as follows:
[/FONT][FONT="]Breakfast - Eggs (scrambled and over easy), bacon (maybe ham or sausage too), grits, biscuits, SOS, and if Walter gets froggy, French Toast and pancakes. Estimated cost $3 per person. Served Thursday through Sunday, with Sunday being leftovers also.[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Lunch - brown bag, U-fixum, with a pair of cold cuts sandwiches, chips, cookies, fruit (apple or banana) and bottled water. We will send tea and coolaid (but not in Gimpy's truck) to supplement the drinks. A hot lunch of some sort will be made for those staying behind with the gear in camp. Estimated cost $4 per person. Served Thursday through Saturday.[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Supper - Wednesday and Thursday nights probably hamburgers or something similar with side dishes and a salad. Friday night will be chili mac (in honor of papabear and the CAMO Crew) with fixings. Saturday night is the biggie (No, we're not going whole hog, that would be too much) with steaks and trimmings (french fries or baked potato, beans, yams, etc.) Estimated costs W & Th $4, F -$5, Sat - $6. Not quite as good as the prime rib we had at the FL rally, but a whole lot better than cold beanie weenies![/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Note: Please expect some flexibility in the MKT menu(s)-our access to discounted raw materials does sometimes change, necessitating some change in the menu.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Communications:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Durhamtown is in a rural area and cell phone reception is spotty at best. Last year we attempted to put some communications capabilities in place so that the base camp could communicate with riders out in the woods, but the lack of sufficient radio equipment for trailriders meant the system was lacking in functionality. I am still in the process of trying to decide what we will attempt this year. Luckily there are some extremely knowledgeable folks out there like Tennmogger that I can rely on.
We also plan to have a functioning PA system at the rally like we had in 2009 so that people can be alerted to the food being ready and trail ride departures. [/FONT]
[FONT="]
Convoy and travel ops:[/FONT]
[FONT="]People come to the SSGR from all over-Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia and everywhere in between. If you are interested in meeting up with others and coming in together, please post (in this thread) where you are leaving from and when. If there is enough interest in a “convoy to the SSGR thread” from a specific state, I will start one and I will link to it from this thread. I am really trying to keep most of the rally information in one place-we don’t need 5 threads for one rally. I know from prior year's experience and the amount of Florida members planning to attend that a Florida thread is justified. I suspect we will end up with an Alabama thread.
The information regarding the convoy from Florida can be found here:[/FONT][FONT="]
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/military-vehicle-road-trips/90332-2012-florida-convoy-ga-rally.html
Parts wanted/for sale/swap meet thread:[/FONT]
[FONT="]This is a thread where you can post what parts you are bringing to the rally to sell or swap and post items you are looking for.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/upcoming-events/90333-2012-ga-rally-parts-wanted-sale-swap-thread.html[/FONT]
[FONT="]
Field layout:
[/FONT][FONT="]If you have a few (5-10) items for sale, you can set them up next to your truck in your camping area. If you have more than 10 items, you need to grab a vendor spot. See maps below with questions. You can camp in your swap meet space or you can have a swap meet space and a camping space on the right. As always, vendor spots are free.[/FONT][FONT="]
T-shirts[/FONT]
[FONT="]We will have t-shirts available for the 2012 event, when more information is available, a thread will be created and linked here.[/FONT]
31-August-2012 update: t-shirt thread is at the following link:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/upcoming-events/94238-2012-ga-rally-t-shirt-order-thread.html
[FONT="]FAQ:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Is the rally child and animal friendly?[/FONT] [FONT="]
Yes-but as in all aspects of life, please show consideration for others. Aggressive dogs or constant barkers should be managed in a respectful way and poorly behaved children will be drafted into cleaning mud out of tire treads. The SSGR is a family friendly affair, so behave accordingly.
How many people will be there?
It’s safe to say we should have over 250 attendees and at least 90 military vehicles, plus trailers. Last year’s turnout was over 86 vehicles, more than a hundred if you count trailers.
Do I have to be a member of [/FONT][FONT="]www.steelsoldiers.com[/FONT][FONT="] to attend? What if I don’t own a (or can’t bring my) vehicle?[/FONT][FONT="]
No, you have to be interested in the historic military vehicle hobby! If you do not have a vehicle, this isn’t a problem. We can probably even find someone to let you ride with on the trails if you wish to go.
Is there electricity at the rally?
Yes and no. One of our attendees does rent an RV spot so he can pull power for his MKT, but there is a limit. Some members bring generators, you may be able to convince someone to let you use theirs. If you have a consistent need for electricity (a/c units, etc.) you may be well served bringing your own generator.
Do I need to bring firewood?
YES!!!!!!! Bring an entire forest! We can not have enough. Gimpy and Jerry like a BIG campfire. Let's give it to 'em. [/FONT]
18-July-2012 update. IMPORTANT!
You need to read every word of this post. If you have a short attention span, go get some Ritalin and come back and read every word of this.
Last week I received an email from Mike McCommons, the owner and operator of Durhamtown. He informed me that the field we have had for the last 4 years has been significantly changed. They added mobile homes where our MKT and vendor areas were and are in the process of adding more. They had also removed the fence separating our area from the RV area. Mike said they had a new place set up for us, on the other side of the road, on the other side of the lodge.
Squirt-truck and I went to Durhamtown Sunday (15-July) and spent almost the entire day talking to Mike, looking at the old and new locations, scouting out a convoy route and destination (more on this later). We were there from 0900 to almost 1600. ST and I laid out the new area and the map is posted below in .pdf format.
There are issues you need to be made aware of:
The field has 2 “sections”-an upper section that is very flat and a lower section that is heavily wooded that we will use for camping. The wooded area will give excellent shade from the sun and protection from the wind if it’s chilly (doubtful in this year’s climate).
The upper section of the field will be for swap meet vendors, the large campfire, the MKT/first aid/eating area and vehicle day parking. Attendees are welcome to park their vehicles during the day in this area to make it easier to arrive and depart for trail rides, convoys and such.
The lower section of the field will be for camping and a smaller campfire. You may keep your vehicles and trailers in your campsite, just as we did last year.
You guys who like seclusion on the “lower 40” have been accommodated and will have equivalent positions.
There are 2 ingress/egress points shown on the map- the red arrows indicate these points.
We will also have a “rear” access to the North park. That will allow us to leave our compound and travel to and from the North park at will with no interference with the other campers.
A huge improvement this year will be the registering process. Previously, upon arrival at D-town, SSGR attendees had to go over to the lodge, pay for their camping arrangements and their off-roading passes and the off-roading passes would have to be done each morning. This led to many people not paying because a trailride would be leaving and they wouldn’t have time and they’d just take off. To remedy this, Durhamtown has offered to place one of their employees at our registration table, with a laptop, a cash box and wristbands, so you will no longer need to go to the lodge for off-roading or camping signups. I suspect cabin renters will still have to go to the lodge to get their keys and check in.
We will still maintain our registration desk, with SSGR volunteers giving out maps of the field and a flyer giving pertinent rally info like trail ride info, meal times, etc.
Important!
Since the field layout will be totally new this year and no one will know where to go, I need additional volunteers to work the gate and assist attendees by answering questions and directing them to the correct areas. We will need a gate attendant at all times from Probably Wednesday to Saturday around lunch. Probably no point in it after that point. All I ask is 4 hour shifts: maybe 0800-1200, 1201-1600 and 1601-2000. Even if all you want to do is one shift, one day, that’s fine. I just need time to brief you so you are knowledgeable about the rally particulars. Please do not volunteer unless you know you can handle the assignment: Not only am I relying on you, but the other rally volunteers are, the staff of D-town and ultimately, every single rally attendee.
In short, there is a lot of benefit to us with this move. We gain a larger area, which is horse poop free (!!!!!), more Wi-Fi, more power/water availability, a larger area of shade, room for our swap meet vendors to spread out and room to grow in the future, better ingress/egress points, less confusion with D-town registration issues, etc. There are 2 downsides: The layout is a little more complex and we are near a dirt bike track. I have been assured there are no races scheduled for that weekend and riding will cease at 5, but there may be those few riders who show up just to ride by themselves. I know the bikes may be an annoyance, but I ask that everyone keep a positive attitude because we have no choice in the matter.
Thank you for your attention.
Carry on.
8-October-2012 update
Hardball Convoy!
Attention: Major changes for the GA Rally.
You need to read every word of this post. If you have a short attention span, go get some Ritalin and come back and read every word of this.
Last week I received an email from Mike McCommons, the owner and operator of Durhamtown. He informed me that the field we have had for the last 4 years has been significantly changed. They added mobile homes where our MKT and vendor areas were and are in the process of adding more. They had also removed the fence separating our area from the RV area. Mike said they had a new place set up for us, on the other side of the road, on the other side of the lodge.
Squirt-truck and I went to Durhamtown Sunday (15-July) and spent almost the entire day talking to Mike, looking at the old and new locations, scouting out a convoy route and destination (more on this later). We were there from 0900 to almost 1600. ST and I laid out the new area and the map is posted below in .pdf format.
There are issues you need to be made aware of:
- We now have wi-fi over our entire area, as opposed to just parts of last year’s field.
- We have 12 water/power spots that can be rented for $25 an evening. Some of these have 3 pin/30A power, and some have dual 3 pin/30A as well as 4 pin/50A power. All have water spigots, but they do not have a sanitation hookup, so if you are hooking an RV to this, you’ll use your brown/black tanks for this.
- 12SSGR rally attendees who have rented an RV space at the old field (the dirt road leading to our field) can have their reservation moved to our new field if they wish. It is a walk of about 1,000’ from the old location to the new, so if you keep your old spot, you’ll have a short walk. This is your call. I think Dumpster and BlythewoodJoe have rented RV spaces at the old space, but I do not know of anyone else. If you do not wish to move your reservation, you do not have to. It’s your call. But if you wish to move, you need to call Durhamtown and tell them you are coming for the MV rally and need to move your reservation to the new field. If the employee on the phone does not know about this, ask for Mike McCommons.
- The MKT will be taking 2 spots for its water and power needs. This leaves 10, minus the people who already have reservations and wish to move.
The field has 2 “sections”-an upper section that is very flat and a lower section that is heavily wooded that we will use for camping. The wooded area will give excellent shade from the sun and protection from the wind if it’s chilly (doubtful in this year’s climate).
The upper section of the field will be for swap meet vendors, the large campfire, the MKT/first aid/eating area and vehicle day parking. Attendees are welcome to park their vehicles during the day in this area to make it easier to arrive and depart for trail rides, convoys and such.
The lower section of the field will be for camping and a smaller campfire. You may keep your vehicles and trailers in your campsite, just as we did last year.
You guys who like seclusion on the “lower 40” have been accommodated and will have equivalent positions.
There are 2 ingress/egress points shown on the map- the red arrows indicate these points.
We will also have a “rear” access to the North park. That will allow us to leave our compound and travel to and from the North park at will with no interference with the other campers.
A huge improvement this year will be the registering process. Previously, upon arrival at D-town, SSGR attendees had to go over to the lodge, pay for their camping arrangements and their off-roading passes and the off-roading passes would have to be done each morning. This led to many people not paying because a trailride would be leaving and they wouldn’t have time and they’d just take off. To remedy this, Durhamtown has offered to place one of their employees at our registration table, with a laptop, a cash box and wristbands, so you will no longer need to go to the lodge for off-roading or camping signups. I suspect cabin renters will still have to go to the lodge to get their keys and check in.
We will still maintain our registration desk, with SSGR volunteers giving out maps of the field and a flyer giving pertinent rally info like trail ride info, meal times, etc.
Important!
Since the field layout will be totally new this year and no one will know where to go, I need additional volunteers to work the gate and assist attendees by answering questions and directing them to the correct areas. We will need a gate attendant at all times from Probably Wednesday to Saturday around lunch. Probably no point in it after that point. All I ask is 4 hour shifts: maybe 0800-1200, 1201-1600 and 1601-2000. Even if all you want to do is one shift, one day, that’s fine. I just need time to brief you so you are knowledgeable about the rally particulars. Please do not volunteer unless you know you can handle the assignment: Not only am I relying on you, but the other rally volunteers are, the staff of D-town and ultimately, every single rally attendee.
In short, there is a lot of benefit to us with this move. We gain a larger area, which is horse poop free (!!!!!), more Wi-Fi, more power/water availability, a larger area of shade, room for our swap meet vendors to spread out and room to grow in the future, better ingress/egress points, less confusion with D-town registration issues, etc. There are 2 downsides: The layout is a little more complex and we are near a dirt bike track. I have been assured there are no races scheduled for that weekend and riding will cease at 5, but there may be those few riders who show up just to ride by themselves. I know the bikes may be an annoyance, but I ask that everyone keep a positive attitude because we have no choice in the matter.
Thank you for your attention.
Carry on.
8-October-2012 update
Hardball Convoy!
After last years issue with the VFW, we decided to take it back to basics with the hardball convoy. The whole idea of the hardball convoy was to let attendees get some awesome pics and video of their rides along with 20+ other military vehicles and to let attendees who aren't participating in the offroad activities have a chance to play with their trucks.
To that end, this year the plan is:
At 10:30am on Saturday, 13-October, we will depart the SSGR AO for Heavy's BBQ, a local BBQ place which is 22 miles away. Squirt Truck and I scouted this in June and checked the route. Lots of hills, curves and straightaways, so the opportunity for good pics will be very good. Only 2 turns between D-town and Heavy's. Very rural, with very little traffic, so our slow moving convoy will not inconvenience anyone.
We anticipate 30 minutes of travel time, then arrive, get parked, order lunch, eat and return to D-town. This years plan allows attendees the opportunity to do both the Hardball Convoy and Saturday trail rides. We anticipate returning to D-town at approximately 12:30.
The menu and prices at Heavy's are as follows:
Rib plate. $10.75
Bbq pork or chicken plate. $9.50
Combination platter. $13.75
Child's plate. $8.75
Bowl of stew. $4.40
Bowl of slaw. $3.10
Half a chicken. $6.00
Bbq sandwich. $3.85
Rib sandwich. $5.00
Chicken sandwich. $3.85
Slice of pie. $2.75
Whole pie. $11.00
Sweet potato,lemon,pecan & coconut
Sweet tea or lemonade $1.85
Can drinks. $1.00
A map of our route can be seen at this link: Durhamtown Plantation Resort to 2155 Sparta Rd SE, Crawfordville, GA 30631 - Google Maps
The restaurant does not have enough interior seating for all of us, but they do have multiple park style benches and tables outside. I am sure a hardy group such as ours can make do.
Although I am posting all this info, Wreckerman893 will be heading up the convoy. So if he asks you to jump, ask him how high and comply!
I have pictures of Heavy's facility here: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/1233268-post1213.html
To that end, this year the plan is:
At 10:30am on Saturday, 13-October, we will depart the SSGR AO for Heavy's BBQ, a local BBQ place which is 22 miles away. Squirt Truck and I scouted this in June and checked the route. Lots of hills, curves and straightaways, so the opportunity for good pics will be very good. Only 2 turns between D-town and Heavy's. Very rural, with very little traffic, so our slow moving convoy will not inconvenience anyone.
We anticipate 30 minutes of travel time, then arrive, get parked, order lunch, eat and return to D-town. This years plan allows attendees the opportunity to do both the Hardball Convoy and Saturday trail rides. We anticipate returning to D-town at approximately 12:30.
The menu and prices at Heavy's are as follows:
Rib plate. $10.75
Bbq pork or chicken plate. $9.50
Combination platter. $13.75
Child's plate. $8.75
Bowl of stew. $4.40
Bowl of slaw. $3.10
Half a chicken. $6.00
Bbq sandwich. $3.85
Rib sandwich. $5.00
Chicken sandwich. $3.85
Slice of pie. $2.75
Whole pie. $11.00
Sweet potato,lemon,pecan & coconut
Sweet tea or lemonade $1.85
Can drinks. $1.00
A map of our route can be seen at this link: Durhamtown Plantation Resort to 2155 Sparta Rd SE, Crawfordville, GA 30631 - Google Maps
The restaurant does not have enough interior seating for all of us, but they do have multiple park style benches and tables outside. I am sure a hardy group such as ours can make do.
Although I am posting all this info, Wreckerman893 will be heading up the convoy. So if he asks you to jump, ask him how high and comply!
I have pictures of Heavy's facility here: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/1233268-post1213.html
[FONT="]It shouldn’t have to be said, but it does:[/FONT]
[FONT="]
The website [/FONT][FONT="]www.steelsoldiers.com[/FONT][FONT="] and/or Durhamtown Plantation, nor any person acting in conjunction with those entities will not be held liable for any injuries to anyone attending the SSGR or damage to personal/private property during the SSGR. All persons accept this personal responsibility and release [/FONT][FONT="]www.steelsoldiers.com[/FONT][FONT="] and their agents (rally organizers, volunteers, etc.) and/or Durhamtown Plantation and their agents (employees, etc.) from any liability resulting from injury or damages to property by attending the rally. Attendance at the rally is and will be understood to signify acceptance of these terms.[/FONT]
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