I’m kinda doing a “pimp my pack” this spring, and i think it is going rather well. I updated the solar to be bigger and better, modded the frame, revamped the hydration, made a hanging alcohol stove, got new lighting and charger. I laid out the whole packing structure of when and how i pack my bag.
After laying the internals of the pack out i walked around for an entire day, setting up and breaking down at every single spot that looked good, it ended up being 8 times. How else would i improve my set-up and take down? I only hike to camp 3-5 times a month, and this an entire new kit. Its hard to do in actual practice. I learned some stuff that would have been hard to learn if i was 15 miles from home base. I made more modifications than i have since i went to hammock. And fresh off of a hike where i resent a piece of gear, it is REALLY easy to tear it up and fix it. For instance, i hated how my pack carried, i didnt like my potstand, i didnt like my hydration system, i thought my hammock suspension was tricky. I brooded, took a nap in my hammock, went home and fixed it immediately with really rudimental gear.
I did some fancy inventive stuff (by my standards), but my favorite by far was just accepting that i hated how my ultralight pack carries, and fixing it. So simple and easy. And im sure that 1oz chunk of CCF is MUG.
I did buy a fair amount of new stuff this spring (clothing and a tiny custom hammock), but for the most part it was just a fun hardware store project.
I am a little bit crippled this year, and i doubt i can do 30 mile days anymore. It’s hard to wrap my head around physical limitations, but the kit keeps me entertained. I’m trying to twist this into a blessing and maybe, for once, realize that i am allowed to stop from time to time. So now, at almost 30, i am forced to alter my hike; from now on it must be a destination rather than a mission. I am ok with that, and so is my kit.
