I've just registered and thought I'd introduce myself. My screen name, 4evrplan, reflects my personality. I have many interests and I tend to want to do a lot of things and for whatever reason (time, money, fear, loss of interest) rarely get around to it. So, 'forever planning' is an admission of this weakness and a personal challenge to myself to overcome it.

I camped in state parks with my family all the time as a kid and still occasionally go "backyard camping" with my eight year old. But, one thing I haven't done and have always wanted to do is backpacking. I feel I'm really close to this goal and am going to start building up gear as cheaply as possible (i.e. I'll probably build a tarp tent out of plastic drop cloth or trash bags). I have a very slight build, so going ultralight is a big concern.

I live in East Texas, which according to Google is in a "humid subtropical" climate. It rains fairly often, typically gets to triple digit temperatures several times each summer (Fahrenheit), and does sometimes get cold in winter, though not really by northern state standards. It snows very rarely and "sticks" far less, maybe once every couple years on average. The geography here is low rolling hills and lots of pine forests, though I read somewhere most of these were planted back in the 20s, as opposed to native. There's very little rock in this area, but lots of sand and red dirt, and lots of small bodies of water like ditches, creeks, and the like, mostly all still, hot, festering, and muddy.

I'm afraid I'll have very little to offer on this forum at first, except maybe by asking question other newbies also want to know. With this communities' helpful advice and encouragement, I hope to be on the trails by late spring.
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The journey is more important than the destination.