Good evening friends. I apologize for the delay in posting but again, life gets in the way. This is just a quick note before I go on a trip this weekend to the Cranberry Wilderness in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. I'm planning to hike for four days and I cannot be more excited.
I was reflecting upon all of the gear I have acquired in the past two years and I have come to realize that I am married to a wonderful woman. She has patiently walked around backpacking and outdoor stores from Cleveland, Ohio to Wheeling, West Virginia while I spent our money on my hobby. It's hard to find a good understanding woman and I feel blessed to have her.
So, gear. Yes, I have updated nearly all of the gear I had before I returned to backpacking in 2009. My sleeping bag and tent are the only items I have not replaced.
There's something about 'going lighter' that is sort of infectious. I suppose it is similar to buying a new television. You think about getting a new, bigger television, you don't really need one, but you start looking. You find an advertisement at some electronics store for a really good price that you could afford, say $800. Hey, that's not bad, you can afford that. So you buy the new Hi-Def 3D Super View television get it home and realize that your old DVD player and DVD collection just doesn't do the new screen justice. So you go out and upgrade to a BlueRay or whatever is newest. Then, of course you need new movies. So you start watching your new movies in your new player on your new television and you realize that the old stereo receiver isn't Dolby compatible and all of your movies feature surround sound, so you upgrade the receiver... and on and on.
This is how an $800 deal on a new television ends up costing you $10,000. Deciding to go lighter with your equipment is very similar.
So I'll soon set out on a backpacking trip with a new backpack, a hydration bladder, GPS, new sleeping pad, new boots... the list keeps going.
The loop I'm taking is similar to the loop found on MidAtlanticHikes.com for the Cranberry. I modified it a bit and depending upon trail and weather conditions when we get there, I may modify it some more. Of course I'll be taking along the old digital camera and I will try to take as many pictures as possible to incorporate into a trail report when I get back.
I hope you all have a good Memorial Day weekend, I know I plan on it! Talk to you soon.
~Occasional Hyker
