A collection of backpaking/hiking kilt blogs/site etc. and "rain kilts"

[Alan H]

Andrew, I'd love to get my pack down to 30 pounds! Now that I'm getting older, and I can afford some new kit, it's becoming more worth it to trade $$ for weight.

Joans ultimate favorite thing to do whilst backpacking is at polar opposites to your day! She likes to sleep until maybe 8-8:30 AM, get up and wash her face, and make a leisurely breakfast. Once the cereal is eaten, she takes her coffee up on the nearest big rock and settles in for 30-40 minutes to just enjoy the view of the lake. I have learned to just shush up and let her have her time. If she has that, then Joan is a happy camper. If I interrupt it, I might as well go home! LOL

Once we get going though...probably about 10:30-11:00 AM, we go more or less nonstop until we get back to camp about 5:00 or 6:00 PM. So that's a solid 7 hours of being actively on our feet.... though we do like to stop and look at every flower and every butterfly, and take pictures of the view! This approach pays off every now and then, though. This past summer we were stopped for a brief lunch by a stream and a pine martin approached us as we sat there, and got to within about 8 feet before he realized that we were there. If we'd been going full-speed we never would have seen the little fellow.

[Dughlas mor]

A wise old Northwest mountaineer by the name of Harvey Manning once said "To make the wilderness bigger, walk slower." The older I get the more sense it makes.