New STUFF!

I'm a sucker for camping gear.  But, I am venturing out into the world of light backpacking.  I can't say ultra-light just yet as I am not counting every gram on a scale yet, but I am close.  New Osprey Talon 44 backpack, new MontBell sleeping bag (stuffs so small but WARM!), new rain gear by MontBell, and I am giving up my heavy hiking boots for a rugged trail running shoe.  I have an ultralight inflatable sleep pad coming as well.  I have most of the clothing I need already.

Next up is disciplining myself to not bring too many of the same types of clothing.  Let's face it.  In the woods, you're going to be dirty, smelly and  recycling clothes should be the least of my concerns.  Having the right clothing, particularly for layering is important given the unpredictable nature of New England weather.

Food is the next challenge.  The pre-made freeze dried stuff is easy and light, but loaded with lots of sodium, and most meals are two servings.  One I looked at recently was 1220 mg of sodium!  I saw this before I realized it was two servings in the bag which, of course doubles that amount!  Let's face it, I would eat both servings.  So, I'm working on converting some of the instant soups I have into more calorie and protein dense meals with the addition of things like couscous and textured vegetable protein (TVP).

I hope I like camping as much as I did 25 years ago!  More to follow.