I grew up in VA exploring and camping the woods around my house. As a teen in the 80’s I learned how to backpack by reading books. Back then my pack weight was a respectable 27 lbs and I hit the woods every chance I got. Once adult life took over it was rare to take an overnighter. I faced several challenges during my middle age life and turned to the outdoors to restore me. As my knowledge and skills advanced, my base weight dropped to below 5 lbs. With this came a freedom that I had never experienced before.