29 Days To Go

This past week I’ve been taking my new pack out for test runs. Thursday I did a 4 mile hike fully loaded, on dirt trails, some very steep. Today I did a six plus mile test run fully loaded on streets with hills. Where I live it is hard to walk around the block without going up and down hills. Anyway, I’m working out the kinks with the fit, the straps etc. 

My pack last year was a Deuter 45 +10. It was a great pack, but too large. I think when, like me, you don’t know what you are doing, you you go to REI, say you are doing a 500 mile hike across Northern Spain, some of the REI folks think backpacking, like with tent, food etc. And I didn’t know enough to correct the misconception. So, I had a large pack. I’m not complaining, it served me well. But this year I decided to at least check out some smaller ones and I found one I like. It’s an Osprey Kyte 36.

I also packed too much last year. I think my pack was 15 to 17 lbs without water. This year it is 10 lbs without water. The rule of thumb of the experienced people is it is wise to keep your pack weight with water to ten per cent of your body weight. So even if I carry 3 liters of water, which is a lot, I will be over the 10 percent for half of the walk, until I drink half the water, and under the ten percent for the second half of the walk, when I am more tired. I’m good with this.

Last year's pack

This year's pack