You are Invited!
Welcome to 2013 Steel Soldiers Georgia Rally, (13SSGR)
We cordially invite all Steel Soldiers Members, family, friends, military enthusiast’s, great people and anyone else interested to the 2013 Steel Soldiers Georgia Rally!
To start, I would like to thank Clinto for his eight years of dedication to making the Steel Soldiers Georgia Rally, (SSGR) the event that it is today. This is a grass roots Rally that was started as a backyard picnic in 2006 with 8 military vehicles and last year surpassed 100+ military trucks. SSGR is a legacy to Clinto and many others who have worked selflessly to make this event happen. A Big Salute to Clinto for improving the lives of all who have attended the SSGR both past and future.
This is a closed thread at this time. In June this thread will be opened for posting so you can subscribe and join the fun that starts today! Do not create additional rally threads; they will be deleted by our wonderful moderators.
2013 Steel Soldiers Georgia Rally, (13SSGR)
· DATES: October 9-13, 2013 Wednesday-Sunday
· LOCATION: Durhamtown Plantation Off-road Park, Union Point, Georgia
· COSTS: 13SSGR No Charge for Rally Attendance
· Durhamtown Costs: Camping/Lodging/Trail rides outlined in more detail later in this post
· LODGING: Durhamtown facilities: Camping or limited cabins available for rent
· FACILITIES: Clean Porta Potties and External Hand Wash Stations
· FOOD: Available for purchase from the MKT, Military Kitchen Trailer, Durhamtown Café or bring your own
· RAIN OR SHINE
· ACTIVITIES: Trail Rides, Fellowship, Campfires, Vendors and so much more
· ATMOSPHERE: Family Friendly, Respect of all Others and Safety will be emphasized at all times. Violators will be asked to leave.
Feel free to send a link to this post to any friends who may be interested in attending.
See what you missed last year!
http://vimeo.com/51498861
To learn more please read all the details, the knowledge is here for those that seek the truth.
The Rally is a 5 day event with the busiest times Friday and Saturday. Wednesday and Thursday are ramping up with attendees from all over the world coming in and Sunday is demobilization as everyone starts packing and getting ready for the trip home. That being said we started on the previous Saturday last year for the diehards, (John, Ron, Steve). Actually John started Friday, but you cannot have a Rally by yourself.
Past Years Events
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:
2012:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthr...timedia-thread
2011:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...ia-thread.html
2010:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...ia-thread.html
2009:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...ia-thread.html
2008:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...ia-thread.html
2007:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ga-rall...bs-thread.html
Location
http://www.durhamtown.com/
Durhamtown Plantation in Union Point, Ga. Durhamtown is a facility which has catered to the motocross and ATV markets for several years and recently they expanded to include a 1200 acre off-road park for vehicles creating the best Military Vehicle Trail Riding in the United States at the SSGR.
Directions
Please make sure you pay careful attention to their directions page (
Directions ). 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. We are guest of Durhamtown and need to respect the facilities and employees.
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".
Lodging
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. 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 and additional details.
When contacting Durhamtown for lodging or RV reservations (not needed for primitive camping), talk to them about what you are looking to rent and on which dates. Don’t call and tell them you are inquiring about the SSGR or the military vehicle rally, they will have no idea what you are talking about.
Costs
Your only costs will be lodging (camping or rental fees), food (if you eat at Durhamtown’s excellent café or the MKT) and the off-road park access fees. Off-road 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 off-roading, you will encounter no fees. If you ride with another person in their vehicle, there is a small Off Road park access fee. Additional details can be found on the Durhamtown website.
Where to Pay Your Fees
Fees for Lodging, Camping, Off Roading are to be paid at the main Lodge or office areas. Last year, Durhamtown offered to have an employee sit with us at our registration desk and register participants for camping and off-roading, thus saving them the trip to the lodge. They decided not to do this at the last minute, but we are going to attempt to persuade them to do this for 2013. If it happens, it will make all of our lives much easier. If not, you’ll need to go to the lodge and pay for your camping and off-roading bands before coming to the rally field. Registration will be checking that the camping fees have been paid. I will update the thread when we get closer to the rally and have our sit-down meeting with Mike from Durhamtown.
Food & drink
You can bring your 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 during set hours. 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! MKT operator and master chef SCSG-G4 will post the menu and prices as we get closer to the dates. Saturday night is Steak Night at the MKT!
On Site Military Kitchen Trailer, MKT (SSGR Diner)
Wednesday Evening Dinner 1800 hours
· Chicken Bog (chicken, rice, peas, maybe onions, carrots, etc.)
Breakfast 0800 hour
· Eggs, bacon/sausage, grits, biscuit, SOS,
Lunch 1200-1300 hours
· Ham/cheese or turkey/cheese sandwiches, potato chips and a fruit cup
Thursday Evening Dinner 1800 hours
· ChiliMac with a side of green beans or corn
Friday Evening Dinner 1800 hours
· Pulled Pork and Veggies
Saturday Night Dinner 1800 hours
· Steak with veggies
·
For now we hope to stick with the about same prices $3.00 for breakfast, $3 or 4 for lunch (higher if fresh fruit - apples and bananas), and $5 for weekday suppers and $7 for steak night.
Activities
SSGR offers attendees every aspect of a military vehicle rally that is possible. Great people, camping, socializing, get-togethers in the evenings around a huge campfire, off-roading 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 hard fast schedule for SSGR activities; there are planned activities such as trail riding and the HardBall Convoy. 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. You could spend 3 days buying and selling items. There is no rule or expectation for attendees to do anything other than show up and have a good time.
Trail Rides
Trail rides for many attendees have been the highlight of the Rally. Squirt –Truck is in charge of the trail rides this year and has 3 other trail ride leaders. You must have paid Durhamtown for the Off-road park access fees to participate. Historically there has been a short, 1-3 hour trail ride in the mornings, go back to camp for lunch, then an afternoon excursion on the trails, then back to the camp for dinner. Potentially, there may be an after dinner trail ride, as the night trail rides have been very popular. Drinking and Driving is not only illegal, but will not be tolerated. We will have more details on the Trail Rides coming later.
The Trail Ride Leaders are:
Squirt-Truck
Dumpster
Mdmorgan
Mdmorganwife
The off-roading ranges from easy to very challenging and provides in some areas a level of difficultly for the most adventurous operators. Nobody gets left behind and the Trail Leaders are there to ensure everyone’s safety and they have authority over all activities on the trail. We have several highly experienced professional 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 trails every time.
Call for Volunteers
SSGR is run by volunteer leaders who dedicate their time and talents to make this event happen. We are not paid, have full time jobs and are driven by a passion to help Steel Soldiers and the Military Truck hobby grow and prosper. Please keep this fact in mind when you have complaints, or feel that the guy camping next to you snores to loud.
Volunteering makes the Rally happen. Please use your gifts and talents to help where you are comfortable and can make a difference. If you do volunteer, you are making a commitment and as fine men and women of Steel Soldiers you need to honor that commitment.
Please PM me if you are committed to helping and making a difference.
Volunteers Needed
MKT: Military Kitchen Preparation and Cleanup. There is always preparation for each meal and clean up after the meals where assistance is needed. On Sunday morning SCSG-G4 and Wreckerman have an epic morning getting the MKT prepped for the ride home. They are there for us, let’s be there for them.
Registration: We 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 trail rides, convoys, social time, etc. We are looking at 3-4 hour blocks of time dependent on the number of volunteers. This is a great way to meet everyone and make a difference.
Radio command post: Anybody that has a radio system, 8+ hand held and can coordinate communications among the Rally Staff please PM me. With over 200 vehicles and 300+ attendees we are in desperate need of better communications.
Logistics: There is always a need for pickup of ice, moving this item from point A to point B, finding something and many other items. Attendees who can volunteer for 3-4 hour blocks to be available for running around and odd tasks are welcome.
We will have other needs and I will post them as the need comes up.
Weather:
The last 9 years weather on this weekend:
2012 temps: 45/74
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.
Communications:
Durhamtown is in a rural area and cell phone reception is spotty at best.
Convoy and travel ops:
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, we will start one and place a 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
Parts wanted/for sale/swap meet thread:
SSGR provides an excellent opportunity to buy or sell your Military parts and other related items at the swap meet. There is a huge vendor showing with a broad range of parts and items for sale. Looking for something in particular? You can probably locate it at the SSGR. The Parts Wanted/For Sale/Swap Meet thread will be opening up in June so that everyone can start talking about what they are bringing and what you need.!
This is last year’s thread to give you an example of how this works.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/upcomin...ap-thread.html
Look for the new thread opening for posting in the June time frame.
Site Layout:
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.
In 2012, our new field was split up, half into general parking and half into swap meet. This year, we will allow the entire field to be swap meet area and move all general parking into the lower (wooded/shaded) area, behind the MKT. In 2012, the field was extremely difficult to get vehicles in and out of, so we’re going to try and alleviate some of this for 2013.
T-shirts
Wreckerman893 is the official 13SSRG Rally T Shirt vendor and is sanctioned by Chris of Steel Soldiers and SSGR. We will have t-shirts available for the 2013 event, when more information is available, a thread will be created and linked here.
FAQ:
Is the rally child and animal friendly?
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 106 military vehicles, more than 150 if you count trailers.
Do I have to be a member of www.steelsoldiers.com to attend? What if I don’t own a (or can’t bring my) vehicle?
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. In the general field, no. There are 12 spots in the main field you can rent from Durhamtown for $25 a day that have power and water. 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. Two of these are taken for the MKT.
Do I need to bring firewood?
YES!!!!!!! Bring an entire forest! We cannot have enough. Gimpy and Jerry like a BIG campfire. Let's give it to 'em.
Hardball Convoy!
After the outstanding reception we received from the 2012 convoy, we’re repeating it identically for 2013. 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 off-road activities have a chance to play with their trucks. Last year, we had 39 military vehicles participate in the convoy and the pictures and video were amazing. A convoy of almost 40 MV’s is over a mile long so on straightaways, all you could see was green.
Hardball Schedule
At 10:30am on Saturday, 12-October, we will depart the SSGR AO for Heavy's BBQ, a local BBQ place which is 22 miles away. Lots of hills, curves and straightaways, so the opportunity for good pics will be outstanding. 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 year’s plan allows attendees the opportunity to do both the Hardball Convoy and Saturday trail rides. We anticipate returning to D-town at approximately 1:30pm.
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!
NOTE: I need volunteer photographers and videographers to shoot the convoy! Please pm me!
Release of Liability
The website
www.steelsoldiers.com and/or Durhamtown Plantation, and 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
www.steelsoldiers.com and their agents (rally organizers, volunteers, etc.) and/or Durhamtown Plantation and their agents (employees, etc.) from all and any liability resulting from injury or damages to property from or by attending the rally. Attendance at the rally is and will be understood to signify acceptance of these terms.
The Steel Soldiers Georgia Rally is a Family Friendly Event. Violators will be asked to leave.
So any drivers that volunteer we will see about getting Mike's stuff moved first. He usually comes down on Wed morning.