So I just got back from the overnight training. 24 hours of maps, GPS and searching for a "suicidal" victim found hanging from a pine tree (someone's stuffed animal) and a couple of relatives who went out looking for "her" and got lost themselves. We also got to play with everyone's gear and learned basic firebuilding with about a zillion different starters. All the "career" SAR guys were terribly impressed... by the guy with the poncho tarp. Yep, we have an ultralight backpacker in our midst and he brought his alcohol stove and poncho tarp, and all the SAR dudes totally raved about it. Oh, they liked my basic tarp setup like a flying diamond all right, but the poncho got the attention.

The rest of the newbies are folks who think a five pound tent is light. I mentioned that I had five pounds of hammock, tarp and quilts that would be lots more comfortable than a five pound tent, two pound pad and two pound sleeping bag - that brought out the anti-hammock mockery. Next training I'm taking the hammock and keeping them awake with my snoring instead of sitting in the grass under a tarp while the dew collects on my face.