It’s Dreaming Season
Written By: Emma Slaughter
I have long since left the mindset of a normal human being and now only think of things in terms of weight, necessity, and functionality. As the thru-hiking season draws near, my excitement grows. The need to indulge in ramen noodle bombs, mud-soaked socks, and pop tart challenges takes my focus from my daily life and I doze through “normal” conversations in a gear induced coma. I find myself at a crossroads between saving money to have a comfortable cushion to come home to or splurging, again, and buying that shiny new Hyperlite Mountain Gear pack. The pack wins.
Working in the outdoor gear industry, the language of backpacking is pretty much the only one I’m fluent in. The words “hiking” and “The Appalachian Trail” slip off my lips a dozen times a day. Rest assured that if you are in my general vicinity I will bore you to death with degrees of merino warmth and unsolicited hiking trivia that will leave you wondering how I worked it into conversation.
Packing for this trip, I find myself wanting to pass up the comfort of an inflatable sleeping pad for the ease of a roll-out Switchback. All the better for more accessible midday napping! What we bring on our trips is ever-changing and growing with our experiences. Here is where I am at so far.
Chunguza Maudhui Zaidi
Kutoka kwa kikosi
Mazungumzo ya Campfire na jamii yetu, kutoka kwa Wanachama wa Squad na Mabalozi kwa Washirika wa Brand na timu ya Sawyer.