Eclipse:

I don't think there was a packing list email, per se. Was there?

And you shouldn't worry much about packing anyway. Pack light. Pack for normal travel. Almost anything you're missing, we can get on the road. I'll go through my own thinking on my tentative packing list to give you some ideas. It's also a good way to "frame" the days of the expedition for everyone.

First of all, I should say that I am driving to Kennesaw from an island in the middle of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. Yes, we islanders do occasionally trek over to the mainland for supplies. It's an arduous journey... on a four-lane highway ;). I'll be taking an extra day getting down to Georgia, so some of my items are just for the first day of driving (drinks and snacks). We can ignore that.

I'll arrive in Kennesaw mid-afternoon on Saturday, and anyone who needs anything on Saturday, you may contact me. I'll post an 'I am here' when I arrive. I'll find myself a motel, cheap with any luck, for Saturday night. So let's see... I need to pack an extra shirt for Saturday and toothbrush, soap, etc. Also phone charger! Maybe my laptop or an iPad, with charger(s)... No problem.

For Sunday: another fresh change of clothes. OK, that's easy. Maybe some extra juice or soda for a long, long bus ride, leaving at 9:00am from Kennesaw (exact pickup location, to be determined). We don't know where we are going yet on Sunday, but we have to plan on as much as a twelve-hour drive (maybe much less than 12 hours, but plan on a long drive on Sunday). Of course, I need entertainment. Some movies or similar on my iPad or laptop. I assume the bus will have AC outlets at each seat and probably WiFi. I'll bring one good book, too. And that reminds me, for those of us of the right age, don't forget reading glasses! We'll stop somewhere outside the path of totality Sunday night, somewhere on the long stretch from roughly Shreveport, Louisiana to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, based on best estimates of clear skies. So that's one night in a hotel or motel away from Kennesaw, location as yet unknown. Plan for whatever you need for that night. And remember, of course, that you'll have to pay for whatever level of hotel suits you each night.

Now we hit eclipse day, Monday, April 8: another fresh change of clothes. Easy again. I may buy some more juice en route so I should bring a credit card and/or some spare cash. We drive for three or four more hours Monday morning and set up to observe under beautiful clear skies. And now I need some observing gear. I'm bringing lots of spare eclipse glasses for the partial phase leading up to totality. I have plenty to share with our group members and passers-by, too. I also will bring a small spotting scope and maybe a sextant (unique to my interests) and binoculars. I recommend binoculars for everyone. If you don't own a pair, let us know. You'll want to look at totality --only totality!-- with some modest optical aid, like binoculars. Some of you will also want to pack a camera in addition to your smartphone camera (which is already probably a great camera ...maybe you don't need another camera). Don't over-plan for photography during totality. The whole magnificent thing lasts only three and a half minutes (Maine) to four and a half minutes (Texas).

Remember that we'll be outside "in the elements" for as much as two hours of partial eclipse and on through totality. It could be chilly, windy. Or it might be hot. It all depends on the weather and our final location on the day! It won't be raining. Think "layers" for those two hours on Monday.

Almost immediately after totality, we hit the road. Totality on the whole long path from southern Texas to Maine ends between 2:35 and 3:35pm (Eastern time). So no matter where we watch the eclipse from, we'll be on the road by 4:15 Eastern and headed towards Georgia. We'll stop somewhere for a light meal. If we are still a long way from Kennesaw at 11:00pm (-ish), then we'll have to stop again for the night somewhere. That's another motel. It's possible we'll be close enough so that we end in Kennesaw on Monday night, but most of us will still need a room Monday night, Kennesaw or not. Plan on that.

Among other essentials, if you have meds or daily supplies that you need, plan on enough for the time we're on the road. On the other hand, we're not traveling to the outback! There's shopping everywhere. Anything we need or want, we can get with a little planning on the road.

Tuesday, April 9: We may have a few more hours driving in the morning to reach Kennesaw. Presumably by 12:00 noon Eastern time at the latest, we'll all go our separate ways from Kennesaw. Back to Rhode Island for me...

Frank Reed
Clockwork Mapping / ReedNavigation.com
Conanicut Island USA