I received a High Sierra Standard backpacking backpack and a Dick's Sporting Goods store brand sleeping bag that is 40 degrees farenheit resistant for Christmas this year, along Columbia brand hiking shoes to use on my adventure.
As I laid out my three gifts, and while i'm very grateful for what I received, I stared hesitantly at the long list I had come up with for my trip that still needed checked off.
Hiking socks, tent, water purifier, backpack bladder, firestarters, compass, stove, food to make on the stove...the list is seemingly endless, and as I perused online stores, I quicky realized that the fifty dollar gift card to REI that my girlfriend's mom gave me for Christmas wouldn't put a dent into what I needed.
From this I offer a piece of advice. Borrow. Borrow anything you can. For me, this hiking trip isn't going to be something that I plan on doing every weekend, so I took it upon myself to ask around for supplies. I received a tent and water purifier from my friend back in Pennsylvania, dishes, a sleeping pad, bladder and compass from my girlfriend's brother, and poncho, along with other water protection gear from an interested professor.
That knocked literally four hundred dollars worth of supplies off of my list in just a couple of hours of phone calls.
I will still need a lot more thank I have attained, but the monetary value of what i've saved is very worth the effort.
In Athens I have visited Rocky Mountain Boots Outlet, which yielded no purchases. Unless you are looking for hunting, or shoeware, the backpacker will not be happy with the selection in Nelsonville.
On the other hand, The Pedaler and the Packer, on Richland Avenue is a great store to shop at for the backpacker's needs. Be warned, shoppers need to know their stuff before entering! The amateur shopper such as myself won't necessarily get the best treatment.
All in all, if you are in Athens, the most recommended stores (from my point of view), would either be Dunham's Sports on East State, or The Pedaler and the Packer on Richland Avenue. Good luck with your prepping folks!
Best Travels,
Matthew
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You never realize how much is needed to do something like this or even camping and it can get very expensive. I am happy for you that you were able to borrow some supplies from your friends to cut down on some of your expenses!
ReplyDeleteThis trip sounds like it is going to be very fun and adventurous and I wish you lots of luck in the preparation for it!
I'm not a very outdoorsy person, so I never thought about how much stuff you need to take on an adventure like this. It sounds like your new backpack is going to be extremely heavy. Do you have to train specifically to be able to carry a certain amount of weight?
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