I'm new to BPL, and more or less new to lightweight backpacking in general. Although it had been a couple years since my last backpacking trip, and one every few years is par for me, early this summer I suddenly became obsessed with solo UL backpacking – I'd never backpacked on my own before. I started spending all my free time optimizing a new gear list, and then assembling gear.
My second child was due later in the summer. Could that have been an factor in my sudden urge to hit the trail? Very likely. Hopefully a single wall tent and down bag are heathier midlife crisis purchases than a vintage Corvette.
My wife wasn't wild about be hitting the lonesome trail so close to her due date, but I managed to negotiate a one-nighter, and my soul was fed. Since then, though, I've managed to shave off 6 lbs on paper from my gear and I'm eager to put it into practice. Also since then, my 2nd son was born; he's two weeks old.
Today my two-year-old couldn't nap, and though I don't usually do this, I put him in the car to try to lull him to sleep. Only 15 minutes East from Seattle we were in forested mountains, and the urge to disappear for a while was strong. Even Spokane sounded mysterious and exciting. The boy never fell asleep, but I kept heading up for almost an hour until the kid got antsy and I turned off at a forest road and drove on dirt to a trailhead.
My boy and I kicked a beach ball around the parking area for a while, and then we headed back home.
