In Which There Is New Outdoor Gear

It's my birthday week, and I've picked up a few new things, so I thought I might share a picture of some of my brand new gear. I have received gifts of money for birthday and Christmas from several family members, and since I didn't need a new camera this year (thank goodness! though I did order yet another tiny little 3 TB hard drive for the ever-growing photo library), I decided to invest in some new outdoor gear.

Here's the list, L - R:

JanSport Equinox 50 Pack
Columbia Women's Bugaboot Snow Boot
Kelty Lowdown Chair (and that's its bag just to the right)

As you have probably guessed if you have read even a single page of my blip journal, I am a lover of the outdoors. This means I am outdoors every single day of the year if at all possible, no matter what the weather.

I am a Sagittarius - the archer - optimistic, rugged, outdoorsy, honest, enthusiastic, adventurous (or so they say). And this Sagittarius believes in taking her party with her wherever she goes. But to go outside and have FUN, you have to have the right gear!

The above three items are my most recent investments. When you are a backpacker, your gear is your safety net, your lifeline. You can end up in extreme conditions where having the right gear can be the difference between life and death. (Or at the very least, between having an awesome and amazing adventure and a truly sucky and uncomfortable time.)

The gear I count among the most important for my outdoor experiences includes my backpack and tent, groundsheet, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, daysacks, chairs, coolers, and boots.

Within the past year or so, I made a really big step. I switched from an older tent that had been my mainstay to a newer, airier one with a much larger stargazer panel, for viewing the night sky. The newer one is also quite a bit bigger inside, as it is a 3-person tent rather than a 2-person one, and it is much easier to set up. It's also fully waterproof, which the older tent (unfortunately) no longer is.

I'm about to try to make another switch that I know is going to be hard for me. I'd like to migrate from the old, classic, boxy Kelty Ridgeway women's backpack I've used since 1987 (yes, it's been my one and only! and is still in PERFECT condition!) to the newer, lighter pack that you see to the left on this photo.

I must admit I am scared to death to do it, though, as I'm simply "used to" the pack I already have, and have figured out how to strap all my gear onto it using the existing gear ties I already have. How will I ever figure out where to put everything in and on the new one? What will I strap things to? I'll have to practice packing it up indoors before I ever go anywhere with it for real.

The new snow boot, on the other hand, well, that's a no-brainer, as my prior main winter snow boot (the Rocky Snowstalker) bit the dust early last winter. I went to put it on for the first time that season, only to discover that the sole had cracked and split. Oh, the heartache!

I made due all last winter with another, dressier, girlier type boot (a pretty little black Sorel boot), but deep down, I wasn't happy; it just wasn't tough enough for all conditions. And so my feelings about the new Columbia Bugaboot are pretty clean and clear: I can't wait until the first snow to try them out!

Then there's the chair. When I'm backpacking, I don't always take an official real chair. Sometimes I take one of those little folding ones without much support (you can see a little green fold-up chair in the foreground of the one link I posted above). You can sit in such a little chair inside your tent if you want, which is pretty cool, but getting in and out of it means getting up and down from the ground, and that isn't always easy.

Now, a full-size bag chair like the deluxe blue one above can be much more comfortable, but it might not be something you would always carry, because of the weight. This chair - weighing in at 6 pounds 6 ounces - will probably not be used for long backpacks, but I know I'll use it all the time for short backpacks and also for car camping and day hikes.

It would depend on how far you might be backpacking. For short backpacks, I have been known to take anything I want (including stuffed animals and the ultra-fat fall fashion issue of Vogue). For longer backpacks, I admit that while it doesn't come easy to me, I'm trying to lighten up on how much weight I carry.

I've owned (and used until they snapped) a bunch of bag chairs over the years, but this is the toughest one I've ever seen. It holds up to 350 pounds, and it has a built-in beverage holder for drinks, and an attached bottle opener. How very civilized!

So . . . welcome, welcome to the new gear. Some of which I sort of . . . fear (such as the backpack), and some of which I can't wait to use (such as the boots). But hey, at least I'm being honest; as a Sagittarius, I have no other choice now, do I? I have mixed feelings about all kinds of things in life; even, it turns out, about new gear. . . .

Sometimes (for better or for worse) new gear can make it feel like you are starting over. And so the tune to accompany this image is John Lennon, with (Just Like) Starting Over. The tune was released in October of 1980 and hit number one just after his passing in December of that same year.  We still miss you, John.

P.S. Added after reading this story to my husband: I neglected to point out that my husband is the resident expert on outdoor gear at our house, and I hardly ever purchase any new outdoor gear unless I really need it, it is at deep discount, and my husband has issued an explicit "buy" order. He also says the new backpack is a birthday gift from him. (My b-day is the second.) So I add to this story a big thanks to my husband!