Date: 2008-02-09
To: Packing list, version 1
Miles today: 0.0

What a pump! Jan (V8) and I had just finshed a three mile road walk with a few tenths of a mile of elevation, and were headed back to my house when we ran into some neighbors. Billy was sitting on his big John Deere front end loader in David's yard, when he hollered out over the idling motor, "You two getting ready for the trail?!" We stopped to talk and I was amazed at how supportive and encouraging they were. "So you're really gonna do it, huh?" and "Well, you LOOK like you're in good shape." I hardly ever see either of these fellows closer than to wave to from the car, so had no idea they even knew about the planned expedition. I also tend to think that our friends are probably pretty much played out with AT tales, since Tom got back so recently. So it felt really good to see their big smiles and feel their clear enthusiasm. We bantered a bit and went on our way, back to my house and the scattered collection of gear with which we had been playing. This time Jan brought her loaded pack over and I laid out the items I felt would probably go for the first leg of the trip. She showed me how she grouped things and some clever ways of packing . Then she helped me sort through my kitchen gear to put together the most compact version of stove, Caldera cone, pot, fuel and pot holder. I have a little Vargo titanium stove and a Snowpeak Ti set, which might go, but the Caldera is a nice unit, despite its kind of awkward shape and bulkiness. We did the same thing with my tool kit, personal care kit, clothing and sleeping gear. At this point, with over two weeks to go til take-off, this is most of the list of stuff, subject to further editing.WEAR: Thin soft shell-type pants, zip neck capilene 4 top, wool sox, Montrail stratos ankle boot.ON HAND: Columbia Fast and Light rain jacket, fleece gloves, hand made hat.(thank-you, Isabel!)CLOTHING BAG: powerstretch top and bottom for camp and sleep, extra socks, undies, thin wool t- shirt (thank-you, Tom!), thin stretch microfiber long johns, short stretch hiking skirt.RAINGEAR: ballcap, (Golite poncho-tarp, if I can justify the weight), light rain/wind pants, gaitors (maybe).KITCHEN: Vargo Titanium stove, 6 oz fuel bottle, measuring cup.Snowpeak Ti 3 piece set minus smaller pot. Spoon, lighter, two or three half sheets of paper towel. Maybe a cup for hot drinks.SLEEP: Big Agnes insul. air core 66", Mtn. Hrdwr. Phantom 15 bag,(Way marked down at Bean's outlet) a pillow pump combo. Maybe a thin tyvek sheet for a shelter ground cloth under the mat.JACKET: EMS Luna zip front hooded primaloft jacket. (Unless I can get the kit sewn up before we leave)TOOLKIT: Sunscreen, tiny envelope of laundry soap, nylon rope; thin, light safety whistle; penknife with tiny scissors and a blade; photon microlite, patch kit for air mat and pump, knee band. Needle to use with dental floss; short piece of duct tape, aqua mira solution.PERSONAL CARE: Lens case, extra contacts, tiny vial contact solution; half a washcloth; foot powder, alcohol prep pads, tooth brush, nail brush, toothpaste, floss. Comb, tiny mirror. Lip balm. Rx and vitamins; small deodorant, Aleve, a few caffeine tabs, a few Benadryl. Dropper bottle liquid soap. Maybe sunglasses, cheap as possible.HOUSING; Double Rainbow tent, freestanding when set up with hiking poles.FIRST AID; Most things can be dealt with with alcohol, bandana, duct tape and a few mini-pads in lieu of bandage. Those things travel in other sacks.PACK; either the Mountainsmith Boundary or the Granite Gear Vapor Ki. Some hiking poles.TECH GEAR: Phone, iPod shuffle, Fuji Finepix camera, Pocketmail, with a few chargers and batteries.FOOD BAG: staples: olive oil, cold cereal, Nido dry whole milk powder, ice tea mix, trail bars. Varieties of lunch and dinner foods. WATER: 2 liter platy, two 1 liter platys. 1 or 2 20 oz soda bottles.Jan and I discussed eventually sharing gear like phone and pocketmail, stove and tent. That will get worked out as we go along. At this point we can't tell how much autonomy we will need. So when we got into the driveway, some dear friends, Cathy and Hank, drove up to return our aging VW diesel Jetta, which they used when their van suddenly needed repair. They cheerfully came in to see the mayhem of gear in the living room, and they, too offered us such warm hearted encouragement and support. When this quite personal journey that requires quite a bit of focused preparation actually brings pleasure to others, well, that's a bonus all around. Our friends and Jan have gone now, and I just started the woodstove as the air has grown cold again. I will tidy up my scattered belongings and perhaps begin to pack a few of the boxes that we plan to send to areas lacking in resupply options. Hope all who are checking in on this voyage are able to be warm this evening and to have some rest and enjoyment during the weekend. We all need some restoration after a week of work.;