gear i used to think was goofy

“three items immediately come to mind....

1. msr dromedary bag with hydration system....how did i ever get along without this?? it makes hydration so simple and with the 4 liter bag i don't worry so much about finding water sources en route...

2. rei ultralight trekking poles....i resisted and resisted laying out the $$ for trekking poles and now i know that i should have bought some long ago....it made ascending and descending the steep yosemite trails so much easier for these aging legs and knees!!

3. pekka headlamp.... absolutely essential now....i remember last november on the tt trip to west virginia (to watch the meteor showers) when i was struggling to set up my tent in the dark, but buddha bear and skullcap were wearing headlamps and getting the job done with no problems.....that sold me and now i use mine all the time (and not just for backpacking!!)....”

“The pekka is a must I love mine!

8)”

“I've graduated to the Aurora. I haven't had a chance to use it on the trail yet but it sure is fun to play with at home.

I felt the same way about a hydration system but now that I have one I can't believe I ever got by without it. I also must have a dromlite. I've got a 2 litre bag now but the 4 litre seems like such a good idea.

I also always thought a potlifter was superfluous since I usually have gloves with me. Now that I've been doing some summer hiking I see the value in the little aluminum bugger.”

“Pekka?”

“PEtzl tiKKA”

“tikka”

“good list gonzo”

“1. taking the garbage out
2. 2 words- power outage
3. my dad now uses one for his construction business when in crawl spaces, attics, etc.
4. car repairs at night
5. ok help me out people, im drawing a blank, i know i've got more though, jsut can't think of em”

“taking the dog out at night. i forgot the most frequent one”

“Tormenting your husband and son by "accidentally" shining it in their eyes when they least expect it?”

“skully, the strobe on that aurora can piss ANYONE off.

trust me.”

“sonja was about to knock me out on the may canoe trip because of that same reason.”

“Thanks Raddy! I'll have to try that next. I'm thinking...in the car.”

“ok. maybe not a good idea.”

“Pepsi Can StoveI used to think those soda pop stoves were goofy. I got one and it hotter than I thought, but it looks like a major fire hazard. I mean if it gets knocked over FLAME ON .

Trekking Poles The jury is still out on this one too. I have used a stick for years, but the trekking poles are so nerdy. When it cools off I will take them on a suitable test hike.”

“I use my heavy old Petzl headlamp when I am at an outdoors event at night and no one thinks to put a light in the Port-a-potty...

really nice if you are a gal

Probably not so important if you are a guy but then again maybe sometimes you want to choose another box if someone went all over the place...”

“sorry. that would be me.

it was DARK in there. geez!”

“I was just thinking if it was really called a Pekka light, the guy should get a royalty check, <G>.”

“1)skeeter head net.

2)gaiters (ok, the tall ones still look goofy)”

“I at first thought they were goofy. Resisted them for years. Then I got to thinking, I use a walking stick on steep hikes anyway, and poles would be lighter, plus there'd be two of them. Now I got them and love them (Komperdell)!”

“Hmmm...

I've not used trekking poles yet, but I am now very tempted.

I used to think that camel-backs looked goofy.”

“Trekking poles. I used to think they were extremely goofy,,,,,,until I bought a pair. Now I can't hardly imagine how I made it without them.”

“Its just a little thing, about 6 x 18 inches, some sort of synthetic stuff. It doesn't feel as soft as terry cloth or whatever. When you use it on your skin, it feels like it is just moving water around and I wasn't really impressed with it. That is, until last Saturday night.

After finding the Trail Mojo Talisman and getting back to my camp spot, I had to set up my tent in drenching rain. From the puddles forming, I figured it was a raining at least an inch or two and hour.

I decided to lay out my tent, toss the fly over, toss in my sleeping bag and pad, trying to keep them dry. I managed to get the tent up underneath the fly. It was kind of like putting on underwear with your clothes on, not nearly as quick as normal.

When I had it up, I was dismayed to find that there were huge puddles, many, the size of my hand in the tent. I didn't know what else to do, but start sopping it up with the backpacking towel. Wow!
That thing is super absorbent, even though it always feels damp In no time at all I had all the water out. The tent floor was just a little damp. I estimate it was a half gallon of water!

I will always have that little towel with me now.”

“i never will. after you wash it a few times it will soften up.”

“I love my u-dig it!

8D”

“Try a small 'real hydra'(sponge).”

“Yeah, those towels always work better when they're wet. Wouldn't leave home without mine. Nifty little bugger.”

“Hiking kilt!! They are wonderful!!”

“Now all we need is set of hiking bagpipes...”

“Yeah Bit, they could replace bear bells. LOL”