Tore's Travels - Report 1

Report 1

I am in Atlanta getting the final preparations done.  We went to REI to get a sleeping bag and stove.  This was followed by a reconesance trip to the local Walmart to check for food. Rick, my guide, has been camping in the southern mountains for last 30 years and is my mentor to help me get properly prepared.  The last backpacking trip that I took was probably 30 years ago.  Alright, I want everyone out there to quit laughing.

REI had a sale on sleeping bags and sales are always good.  I learned that a woman's sleeping bag is rated differently than a man's.  Woman are colder than men, as if you didn't already know, so the bag for the woman are rated higher than a man’s. I bought a bag rated for 40 degrees. That is the same as a 35 degree bag for a man.  The problem is that the temperature can vary dramatically in the Appalachian mountains in the spring from snow to rain to sleet to warm sunshine. What rated bag should I buy so that I am warm enough but don't freeze or overheat in the summer.  15 people with 20 opinions offered their advice!  I also bought a silk liner for the bag.  This gives me 5 more degrees that the temperature can drop and still be warm.  Beyond that I will need to wear additional clothes to bed.  Another advantage with the silk liner is that I can wash the liner and keep the bag clean.  A dirty bag does not hold the heat as well.

There are numerous stove choices at REI.  Do I go with something simple that screws to a canister?  The stove is light but the canister is heavy.  What happens if I can't find a canister?  The other possibility is to buy a gas stove but the same problem can happen if I can only find kerosene or canisters.  With the unknowns of the trail I decided to splurge and get the MSR whisper-lite universal.  It is a couple of ounces heavier but will burn anything except wood.  The downside is that it has small parts that must be exchanged and could get lost.

The second part was Walmart.  I don't shop often in Walmart and was amazed at the food selection and the low prices.  Rick walked me through the grocery section of the  store and showed me numerous light weight food combinations that I can use for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.   Mix dry fruit with the oatmeal, add dry bacon bits to the spaghetti sauce.  As I become a seasoned trail cook I will share my culinary discoveries.  You will also have to remember to add some dirt and leaves to get the proper trail flavor.

Thursday we will drive up to Springer mountain for an early start on Friday!  The next post I will be discus the pack and how it is packed.

Tore