Date for the three days on the Loyalsock – Link Loop trails is set for June 11 to 13. My hiking companion is loaning me a hammock which can support my weight and weighs all of two pounds. He will carry the water filter and cookstove; I’m responsible for my food, clothes, borrowed hammock, water, cookset, and whatever personal items I take.
I’ll post my full gear list in the next day, but my preliminary estimates, including water and food, is at about ten pounds, not including the pack.
Speaking of the backpack, I still don’t have one. While I’ve met with the store manager of Eastern Mountain Sports and accepted their apology, the pack I was shown and fitted with, the Gregory Baltoro 75, is far too much pack for my needs. It fits well, but I should try on other, lighter packs, and see what other manufactures and retailers offer.
A reader suggested I simply use my daypack if my loads are going to be so small and light. There are two problems with this idea – my daypack, which I purchased in 2010 when I only dreamed about doing something like this, is too small in capacity and too small in fit. I have a 21 inch torso and a 48 inch waist. As for why I purchased a bag too small, being a formerly sedentary man rediscovering the outdoors means you make mistakes. I simply didn’t know backpacks came in sizes, and I purchased it from a discount retailer. Its an Outdoor Products Skyline, and a nice bag, but too small for backpacking.