Date: 2014-06-22
To: THE OUTFITTER
Miles today: 0.0

Still counting 278 days to go ¢THE OUTFITTER¢ Well, today was the day that I went to ¢THE OUTFITTER¢ for what is going to be my first of many visits and countless purchases. My daughter, my credit cards, and I got into the car for our 45 minute ride to the local Outfitters. We immediately turned off the car, ran back into the house, telling my wife as I ran by ¢ ¢It was just a practice run to see if we could actually make it to the car¢¦¢ I had forgotten my list (spreadsheet) of equipment I had diligently researched over the past many, many months. As we arrived at the Outfitters I was thinking to myself it had been about 43 years since my last outfitting. I was a young 21/22 year old draftee going through CIF or the Army¢s Central Issue Facility at Fort Polk, Louisiana only this time no Drill Sergeants were yelling at me to ¢MOVE-IT, MOVE-IT, MOVE-IT.¢ And, ¢NO! I could not try to size the equipment¢ ¢ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLDIERS, PRIVATE!¢ ¢NOW MOVE-IT!¢ Nope, instead I walked into a clean well stocked store went up-stairs where the backpacks and sleeping-bags were located only to find a customer in a sleeping-bag rolling around on the floor on and off what appeared to be an air-mattress. ¢My things have changed. ¢ I said under the breath to my daughter. ¢Can I help you?¢ Came from a friendly voice. ¢Hi, my name is Nicole.¢ ¢How can I help you?¢ she said as I was moving towards her trying desperately to avoid stepping on the fellow still rolling about. ¢Yes, yes, you can. I am looking to purchase an Osprey EXOS 58.¢ ¢We don¢t have that one but we have the 48.¢ ¢ Have you been fitted for backpack yet?¢ ¢No, not yet.¢ ¢Well then, come over here and we will take care of that right away.¢ As I was observing the young fellow exchanging one sleeping-bag for another and rolling about again. ¢Well you will need a medium pack.¢ ¢Let me see if we have one.¢   She returned several minutes later. ¢I¢m sorry we are out of stock on that one.¢   The first bullet is now down range and the plan is about to change! ¢Well, sell me on another one.¢ As we made our way over to the display of various packs. ¢When I did my Thru-hike¢¦¢ BINGO! A sales person who REALLY DOES know what she is talking about! ¢I used this type¢ as she handed me the pack. ¢Only the female version, you would need a small/medium, would you like to try it?¢   ¢Yes.¢ Off she went to get one. ¢Here, try this.¢ ¢I put 20 pounds in it for you.¢ ¢Just walk around the store, see how it feels.¢ Thinking to myself: ¢Oh God, NOT 20 lbs, it¢s been years since I was a 128 lb infantryman walking about with a ruck, a weapon and a full combat load on my back, not to mention body armor.¢ Well, it wasn¢t so bad; in fact, it felt kind of refreshing. It brought back some fond memories of the good times and the hard times I had while serving 39 years in the Army.   We truly were ¢A Band of Brothers.¢ This is not to take away from the brave men from Easy Company of the US Army 101st Airborne division in WWII.   It¢s just a different time, different wars, and different actions, but still, a group of soldiers, bonded together, heart and soul for each other¢s survival.   After roaming about the store for a while with 20 lbs on my back she asked: ¢So, how does it feel?¢ ¢Not bad.¢ ¢Now show me the features.¢   ¢Well you have this pocket here, then this pocket for your rain gear, the pouch is for your sleeping-bag, but, I put my tent in it, then there are pockets on both sides of the belt, and in the back you have the pouch for your hydration system.¢ And, YES, Bill Bryson, it came with straps, a pack cover and a bottom!¢ Things have changed over the last 20 years. I think the manufactures heard you and now I get to benefit from it¢¦Thanks Bill¢¦I purchased an Osprey, Kestrel 48 /Kyte Series Small/Medium 3 lb 5 oz, 2,807 cu. in., I also purchased a pair of convertible pants and a short sleeve shirt, all for under $300.00! Lesson learned: No matter how much research you do on-line there is no substitute for actually touching, feeling, poking and trying out the actual gear. I am really pleased with my backpack purchase and I feel I got a sturdier pack, a pack with more functionality and usefulness and what I was giving up was a pack that was about 1 lb lighter, not as material tough, a pack that was held away from the back via a trampoline type of system. This system would not allow the pack to be snug up against my back, it had fewer pockets, straps, and no pack cover, Bill¢¦¢I believe it had a bottom.¢ And in the end it would cost more than the pack I purchased. In closing: I can¢t wait for my next trip to the Outfitters where I get to spend more money and most of all I get to roll around on the floor, over and off an air-mattress in a sleeping-bag with a pillow in toe¢¦Boy, that will be an awesome adventure!