So, remember my post about no longer being cheap? True to my word, I bought a new Bontrager bike bag last month. This is the kind of bag that goes on a rack behind your bike seat. This particular pack has a latch system for easy installation and removal from the rack, as well as side pockets that turn into panniers when you need exra storage. I paid a lot for this little bag (maybe $90), but I bought it at the local bike store, so I figured I was also doing my part to help the local economy and all.
Anyway, I have been very pleased with my new little bike rack pack.
Fast forward to last weekend. Camping. Since the billboards from the DNR practically make me pledge not to move firewood around the state (due mainly to the emerald ash borer), I am a good little citizen and I buy my firewood at the state park. $5 for a dozen little pieces that burn up in about 90 minutes. On Sunday, most of the campground cleared out, but we still had another night. I got the brilliant idea to go around the campground and take any firewood that was left behind. What a coup! I even got the kids involved.
Since some of the campsites were a ways away, I had my second brilliant idea of the day. Let's ride our bikes around! The only challenge was hauling the wood back on our bikes, but my new bike bag (with the panniers unfolded) came in handy for the hauling of the wood. My best find was a rather large, half burned log. This piece obviously wasn't sold by the state park; this was a REAL piece of firewood. It would probably burn for another 3 hours! So what if it still was a little warm. I could pick it up with my bare hands. Which I did. And placed it on top of my new bike pack for the 1/4 mile ride back to our campsite.
The first thing Lisa said upon my arrival was, What's up with the log? It's still burning! What?? Sure enough, part of the log still had red embers. Uh oh. I didn't see that part. You know, the flaming part.
Wouldn't you know, it burned several holes in my brand new bag. And worse, it burned completely through the zipper as well. My bag is still usable, but it is now imperfect, and I have to decide if I'm ok with that.
So yes, in my quest to save $5 on firewood, I ruined a $90 bike bag. Ms. Cheap reared her ugly head just when I thought I was safe from her. The irony in this situation is twofold. First, had I bought a cheap bike bag, I wouldn't be out so much money. And second, the next day we left behind lots of unused firewood for the next campers. Didn't need that big log after all.
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