We're becoming real hikers.
Not to say that people who stroll up Pikes Peak aren't real hikers.
Heck, WE went on that stroll ourselves and can attest to exactly how intense it can be. (Especially via the Crags)
No, not bashing others at all. We're just starting to plan for some new hiking adventures that more closely resemble what I thought "hiker" meant as a small child.
Being raised mostly in Germany, I've been familiar with Volksmarch for pretty much my whole life. So when my husband and I decided to start hiking here in America, I just saw it as the same thing I'd always done.
You grab your trusty hiking stick.
Load up a pack with water, snacks, and emergency items.
Head out on a five, ten, or twenty kilometer hike over varying terrain.
When you're done, you reward yourself with a nice meal and maybe a medallion for your stick.
But REAL hikers... those are the stuff of my imagination and the reality of National Geographic Magazine. I now know that the "real" hikers of my childhood have many names. Thru-hikers, backpackers, trekkers, multi-day hikers, bushwhacking, and other terms are all what I'm thinking.
In my childhood, I dreamed about putting my whole life into a pack upon my back, heading out into the hills/prairies/mountains/valleys/jungles/deserts/whatever and not coming back until I found God. Not in the literal sense of course. Living off the land while being but a ghost through the terrain as I leave no trace of my passing.
I am to become my dream.
Baby steps of course, but a wonderful start.
My husband and I have begun amassing gear for our new adventure.
Most importantly, yes. Yes, that is a tent in my living room.
A girl's gotta test things out before she uses them. Gee guys!
We've got a lightweight backpacking tent that while not ideal (a tad heavy) it'll do until we can afford something a bit more portable. It's not heavy at about seven and a half pounds but heavier than I'd like. But who am I to argue with a deal? Scored it for only $25. I'll make it work.
Other than that, we've gotten a pack, eating utensils, and sleeping bag for the husband, some cooking gear, new carabiners (I'm addicted to anything that clips), some dehydrated prepackaged meals to try, a SteriPen (bought on an amazing Costco deal), a Buff headband, and mosquito nets.
I'm trying my darndest to not spend a billion dollars (since heaven knows we don't have even close) but I'd hate to go out with less than we need to comfortably survive.
Do you ever over-prepare or is it just me?
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