Originally Posted By BigBill
I've backpacked off and on since the early 80's. After reading a couple of Colin Fletcher's books I realized there really is no age limit so I'm off again in a couple of days for a few days of solo packing.

I started during college, around '71 or '72 and yes, like many it was Colin that got me going and speeded my learning curve.
I have been out of it for years, despite my retaining my older (and heavier than I like) gear. My late wife's illness and subsequent death had me out of things for more than 2 decades.
Now at 65 I am back into it. The real challenge has been to find time in weather that I would care to go out in. I am still in practice at EMS, despite most services wanting nothing to do with someone as gray as I. I mostly work at summer camps dealing with cuts, some serious, some traumatic brain injuries (all serious), hypoglycemia and more.
This past year I got out once, for a shake down overnight. and I did indeed find that a lot of my newer gear was not ideal for what I want to do. I have invested carefully in newer, lighter gear and have found that much of the new wisdom is, well, not so wise. My canister butane stove proved not much lighter in reality than my old MSR liquid fuel. My ultralight tent proved, well, deficient. (Fortunately the weather was dry.) One of my new internal frames was good, the other, carried by a friend was excellent if a tad small for my big sleeping bag.
Yes, this year I am planning four trips, four days on the AT from southern Berkshire county to my home in Williamstown, two nights on the Tongue Mountain range in NYS, one or two nights on the Glastonbury loop part of both the AT and LT.
Now to find the money for the right stove and a lighter sleeping bag. Damned poverty.


Edited by EMT Dave (12/02/17 05:55 PM)