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UER Forum > US: South > A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style (Viewed 4306 times)
Astro 

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A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< on 3/23/2015 2:03 AM >
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Do not consider this an all inclusive guide to drains, or even Houston drains. This is what I know to be true from my experiences in Houston. If anyone would like to add information I welcome it. My knowledge on drains is not absolute but I have been an active drainer for about 3 years, now, and I have been in everything from pure sewage (the stuff that leaves your house through any drain in your house) to pure stormwater (similar to the stuff on the side of the road during rain), from coast to coast. I love them all.

Our meet & greet is Friday and with the weather permitting, anyone who wants to go draining is welcome to join me after eating. This is not a mandatory thing by any means and if you would like to explore something else, someone else might also want to explore something else. Drains are not everyone's cup of tea and I respect that. These meet & greets are designed to allow explorers to meet each other and make connections. Exploring isn't an overall must-be-done at these.

Anyways, I've read that a few of you are new to drains and I thought if you planned on going I would kind of write a little bit of information about them.

1. Will I have to crawl through tunnels and holes?

No. We live in Bayou City. It's a world of massive drains. You might have to duck for a while in some of them and some open up, some do not. The only time crawling through anything would be necessary is manhole access. I have no plans to do this anytime soon, so if you wanna know more. Ask me.

2. Will there be poop in these drains?

No. We live in Bayou City. Everything makes its way back to the main ship channel and into the ocean, eventually. Sewage drains generally have anything you put down the drain in them, including but not limited to poop, harmful chemicals, soaps, foods, etc. If these all went into the bayous here then Houston would literally be toxic to live in and everything would pretty much be dead.

3. Will I get wet/Is there water in the drain?

Yes. Drains almost always have water of some level in them and it's pretty much always moving (with the exception of serious drought). The water level tends to stay about 1-2 ft. But usually closer to 1 ft, from what I've seen.

4. What do I need to bring?

This is an important question and pretty much the entire reason I am writing this before Friday arrives.
Mandatory:
Flashlight
Water

You must have both of those. I suggest at least two flashlights, if not more. Batteries aren't a bad idea, either. A lot of people are big fans of headlamps. These are useful for handsfree everything. You can't just set your bag down on the floor for a photo and putting your flashlight in your mouth gets old after a while.

Water is an absolute must. One of the worst thing in the world is being thirsty when surrounded by water. It's like being at the beach without water. All you hear and see and smell is water that YOU CANNOT DRINK. (Cue The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner). Bring something to drink, and more than you think you might need. Always better to have too much than too little (this helps others, too).

Clothing

I live my life under the assumption that less clothing is better. So when I go draining (especially in Houston) I wear a pair of boots/sneakers and shorts&Tshirt/dress. This is not everyone's favorite attire for drains. Let's talk about other options.

Waders:

Some people wear these very fashionable chest waders


Others like more subtle hip waders



Boots:

Rain boots are ever popular, and cheap as all hell ($20 gets you a decent pair)


There are also galoshes...Johnny Mnemonic is a fan of these and I am unsure as to what exactly he means by them. They are traditionally boots to go over your shoes. In today's world they are interchangeable with "rain boots". I am unsure of this one.

I am sure there are other options as well.

I, personally, don't mind getting storm water on me, as I am not drinking it and I don't typically have giant open wounds on my legs that could be infected or anything.

For some idea of what Houston drains are like, overall, here are a couple photos. (I am in the first one, for scale. I am all of about 5'6")

DSC_4349 by astroberkman17, on Flickr

DSC_4328 by astroberkman17, on Flickr

On this particular day, the water didn't even go over the top of my foot, nevermind the boots.

Let me know if you have any question, I would be happy to answer these. I would hate for someone to jump into something they're unsure about. The drain near where we're eating is not very long, and I just want to check out like one part of it. If people want to do more drains, then we can jump in the car and head to some that will likely take a lot longer. This will be truly exploring at it's finest, as I have not seen them all yet.

If it rains for the meet&greet, I am sure we will take another trip to Joystix and arcade all night (never a bad idea in my opinion)




[last edit 3/26/2015 3:12 PM by Astro - edited 3 times]

[02:33:56] <Valkyre> Astro your whole life is ruled by the sentence ' life is better without clothes on'
[22:16:00] <DSomms> it was normal until astro got here
Astro: Patron Saint of Drains
DJ Craig 

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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 1 on 3/23/2015 2:55 AM >
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This is a great guide! Thanks for writing this! Mostly applies to draining anywhere.



[last edit 3/23/2015 2:56 AM by DJ Craig - edited 1 times]

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..." -Dr. Suess
Astro 

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Location: The Delta Quadrant
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Resistance is Futile

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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 2 on 3/23/2015 3:24 AM >
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I would agree it applies for everywhere, but specifically Houston, since we don't have CSO drains here. I would be more than happy to do a longer one with more indepth stuff. I just thought this would be helpful for all the noobs we've got right now. So no one comes entirely unprepared for what might be happening.




[02:33:56] <Valkyre> Astro your whole life is ruled by the sentence ' life is better without clothes on'
[22:16:00] <DSomms> it was normal until astro got here
Astro: Patron Saint of Drains
Ghostofthelens 


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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 3 on 3/23/2015 3:34 AM >
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I've got to get a new headlamp, to go in them again. Used to go in the drains in Tulsa, and if I can, will go with you all friday. Sounds like fun!




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AdventureDan 


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I'm here to make wavy eyebrows and climb on stuff

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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 4 on 3/23/2015 1:56 PM >
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Those Chest Waders are ever so Fashionable. If I had a pair of those I'm sure i'd go into whatsoever drain you drag me too. Hell, I may even go willingly




AAAAAAAAAAAADVENTURE TIME!!!!
Astro 

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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 5 on 3/23/2015 1:58 PM >
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Posted by AdventureDan
Those Chest Waders are ever so Fashionable. If I had a pair of those I'm sure i'd go into whatsoever drain you drag me too. Hell, I may even go willingly


You can even bedazzle the straps, too!! And you'd look absolutely fabulous!




[02:33:56] <Valkyre> Astro your whole life is ruled by the sentence ' life is better without clothes on'
[22:16:00] <DSomms> it was normal until astro got here
Astro: Patron Saint of Drains
IndoAnomaly 


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Nothing to see here.

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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 6 on 3/23/2015 2:16 PM >
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Knowing what CSO stands for is helpful in other states.




Every time you read this, I become more powerful.

https://www.flickr...tos/115873398@N03/
Astro 

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Location: The Delta Quadrant
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Resistance is Futile

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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 7 on 3/23/2015 2:25 PM >
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Posted by IndoAnomaly
Knowing what CSO stands for is helpful in other states.


PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:

CSO stands for "Combined Sewer Overflow".

The Poop Potential is higher in these areas.





[02:33:56] <Valkyre> Astro your whole life is ruled by the sentence ' life is better without clothes on'
[22:16:00] <DSomms> it was normal until astro got here
Astro: Patron Saint of Drains
IndoAnomaly 


Location: Austin, TX
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Nothing to see here.

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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 8 on 3/23/2015 3:40 PM >
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Posted by Astro


PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:

CSO stands for "Combined Sewer Overflow".

The Poop Potential is higher in these areas.




Can confirm.




Every time you read this, I become more powerful.

https://www.flickr...tos/115873398@N03/
AtticAddict 


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Lie rather still because this is the first time I've used this equipment.

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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 9 on 3/24/2015 7:33 PM >
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Very nice tutorial, Astro. Draining was already on my explorer bucket list, but this helpful guide makes it seem a lot less daunting then I imagined.

P.S. I'm super-jelly of how awesome the Houston M&G's have suddenly become. Keep up the good work, my friends.




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DJ Craig 

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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 10 on 3/25/2015 11:28 PM >
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Posted by AtticAddict
Very nice tutorial, Astro. Draining was already on my explorer bucket list, but this helpful guide makes it seem a lot less daunting then I imagined.


It is, indeed, much less scary/intense than I think a lot of people assume it is. Draining, to me, is actually one of the most incredibly relaxing, mellow exploring experiences. You don't have to worry about cops and security, and it's generally pretty comfortable overall, and not too physically demanding. Go try it!




"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..." -Dr. Suess
Astro 

Usually naked


Location: The Delta Quadrant
Gender: Male
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Resistance is Futile

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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 11 on 3/26/2015 3:05 PM >
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Posted by AtticAddict
Very nice tutorial, Astro. Draining was already on my explorer bucket list, but this helpful guide makes it seem a lot less daunting then I imagined.



Thank you. It's really a very basic comprehension of drains in Houston (and a lot of Dallas) and really just a starting point. There are a lot of questions people have but these are the "where to start" kind of things.

They're a lot of fun and I love drains dearly. I could point you in the direction of some pretty sweet ones in the Dallas area, if you were interested. Drains are so beginner friendly and Dallas had some of the first drains in Texas I went into.

Also people say it's boring in drains because if the lack of stuff or something. Last night we found about half a dozen credit cards, a few frying pans, a bullet, more silverware and knifes than my kitchen has, a wallet, some signs, and a whole lot of other cool things. So when people complain about how boring drains are, I tend to believe it's because they walked in with the expectation of boring. It's amazing what ends up in the drains and we don't even think about it.

Posted by DJ Craig
It is, indeed, much less scary/intense than I think a lot of people assume it is. Draining, to me, is actually one of the most incredibly relaxing, mellow exploring experiences. You don't have to worry about cops and security, and it's generally pretty comfortable overall, and not too physically demanding. Go try it!


It's true! Even though it's not super physically demanding, it's still a good workout, too! We got in one section last night that was basically solid silt. It was horribly hard to walk through BUT THAT WORKOUT! haha.




[02:33:56] <Valkyre> Astro your whole life is ruled by the sentence ' life is better without clothes on'
[22:16:00] <DSomms> it was normal until astro got here
Astro: Patron Saint of Drains
Jeffers Gregly 


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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 12 on 3/26/2015 7:12 PM >
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i like to wear neck high waders




SirVival 


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Sup' dude!

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Re: A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style
< Reply # 13 on 5/10/2017 11:25 PM >
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i like to wear neck high waders


same dude, they are the best.




Daniel, Boston MA.
UER Forum > US: South > A Guide to Houston & the Drains: FAQ Style (Viewed 4306 times)


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