Gear Needs

...or Lack Thereof

I recently received the latest edition of Backpacker Magazine, which is their annual buyer's guide - pages upon pages of shiny new expensive gear of every variety. I looked through it with interest, but there wasn't one thing that made me say, "Wow, I gotta have that!"

There wasn't even a, "Hmmm, maybe I should look at that."

I can see Darling Wife's skeptical look on reading this, but it's true - I can't think of anything I want or need, at least for the outings we have planned (or even discussed speculatively.) I love my dayhiking gear (my hiking shoes, day-pack, and a whole bunch of $5 polypro wicking shirts from Walmart.) I love my car-camping gear (tent, sleeping back and pad), and my backpacking gear (big pack and lightweight solo tent) served me admirably for three days in the Grand Canyon.

I look at the multi-hundred dollar windbreakers, tents, and sleeping bags and just shake my head. Walmart, eBay, and the markdowns at Campmor have served me well - and I don't feel any need to make any big cash outlays just to have something newer/shinier, or to upgrade a piece of gear to one that weighs a few less ounces.

Okay, if pressed, I could probably use another pair of long hiking pants for the upcoming Adirondacks trip , but that's because I only have one pair now - never having replaced the last pair I wore out. But I'll be a big disappointment to Backpacker's sponsors, as I have no need for any major gear purchases.

Virtual Hiking

I recently saw an article online entitled "Hike a national park without leaving home." Reading the article, Nature Valley (the granola bar company) has created a website called Trail View that lets you virtually hike over 300 miles of trails in Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, and Yellowstone National Parks.

Of course I went straight to the virtual version of the hiking highlight of my life, the Grand Canyon's Hermit Trail. It's impressive technology, and it brought back a lot of memories from October '09 - but I was disappointed that only the first 1.3 miles of the trail are currently online. This was the least interesting portion of the hike - the steep descent off the rim. The spectacular views into the inner canyon didn't open up until mile 2 or 3.

Still, this is very impressive, and I'll spend some time looking at other trails they've virtualized.