Visions of sugar-plums...

I don't have any gear on my wish-list this year, but I suspect I'll be getting a little something for my outdoor fun time.

But there were quite a few past Christmas Eve's that I did have a wish for gear, and I did find some great stuff under the tree when I woke up.

The first piece of gear I ever wanted for Christmas was a sleeping bag. I must have been around ten or twelve years old and that's all I wanted. My mom thought it was an odd request because we lived in the middle of a big city and there was no place to go camping even close to us. She got me a bag anyway and I slept in it the first few nights I had it, and used it for a blanket the rest of the time I lived with her. Every night I went to sleep thinking of the day when I'd get to go camping.

I was fourteen the first time I got to use it on a real camping trip. By then I live with my father in California and he had a friend that took me with on his annual camping trip to the Sequoia NF that summer. It may sound weird, but I swear, it looked just like what I saw in my dreams...

I hope you all find something special, whatever that may be, under a tree this year...

Merry Christmas!

BTW, if you passed by the Bell Ringers with the Red Kettles you can still make a donation here:

Salvation Army

Got a early present, not gear related, mom bought me a new front loading washer and a new dryer too.:) For myself, I found a NOS MSR Firefly stove, just picked it up at the samll Post Office where I live. May take it snow camping New Year's weekend with some other guys in the Lake Tahoe area.

Have been waiting for the kettle to show up, dropped some cash in while at the grocery store. Funny, the local, retired banker from Bank of America was pulling his usual gig, manning the kettle.

That's is really cool to hear.

My grandmother used to give me money each year to put in the kettles when I was young.

When I got older she told me that when she was a young girl growing up in an orphanage in Iowa the only gifts she got for Christmas were those that the Salvation Army would bring. That was true for almost all the children there. She talked about that until she died at 96 years old.

I passed two up this year while shopping. The first one, I didn't have any cash on me, the second I was driving by in a crowded parking lot. I felt my grandmother leaning on me and decided to check online to see if I could donate.

Whew! Grannie must've been okay with that `cause the pressure's gone and I got out of driving into town this afternoon

I *totally* did not have you pegged for growing up in the city bill..

Now me I did, but still in semi-northern canada and I got my share of running around the bush with my dad.

There's no telling what's going to be under the tree for me.

I just pray that my daughter has a safe trip driving in from Dallas (it's raining here).

I don't recall much of my childhood unfortunately. Don't know why. I don't know if I got some of these things for Christmas or birthday or what but my folks did encourage my love of the outdoors. Growing up in the panhandle of Texas, the closest mountains were in New Mexico. We went to Colorado every year for summer vacation and I learned to hike and backpack there. Spent most of my camping time in Palo Duro Canyon and other surrounding canyons.

Over Christmas's I received:
a Coleman Peak 1 external frame backpack (polymer frame).
a Coleman Peak 1 stove (white gas, light weight at the time)
a Sigg Tourist cook kit.
a mummy bag from EMS.

I still have all these items.

Tango61:

I, too, have a Coleman Peak 1 pack, covered in patches and all scuffed up. I could NEVER part with that, I don't care what it weighs (and it really isn't that bad.) I still get the lowest visitor on the totem pole to wear it when they visit and want to go hike, just so I can stroll behind them and look at those patches.

On an aside, those sound like some good times in the Palo Duro Canyon and Colorado -- those are the times to remember from your youth.

This is hysterical - I am using the Coleman 1 Peak pack with external polymer frame for summer hiking. It was my husbands when he was a kid and it fits me perfectly - though the shoulder harness is wearing out and I'm thinking of having someone make me new ones.

I'll see if I can dig up a photo of it =)

[edit]Found some!





Heather

That's the same pack I have. I think mine has a metal frame, but I could be wrong.

They had those on sale at the Camp Coleman Outlet Store here for $49.00 last week. The pack is made with different material that is says in waterproof, and it has load adjuster straps on the top of the shoulder harness now.

Mine has a lifetime guarantee, and my first one had a zipper go bad and they replaced it with the newer model with a smile. I like that new one, but my zippers are still working perfectly

My Xmas xtra-special gift this year was a Montbell EX Light down "jacket".

It is called a "jacket" because it has sleeves, meaning it isn't a vest. Any rational person would call it a down sweater. Leaving aside the name, it weighs 5.75 oz in size Large and has an absolutely crazy warmth-to-weight ratio. I never plan to wear it without a windbreaker over it, at the very least.

Anyway, color me happy!

Nice!

I have a down coat, but it's not a real high quality item. I'm jealous of all you warm fuzzy types

I did get a couple nice "Xmas xtra-special" gifts this year too. I got a new pair of Merrell hiking boots and a Columbia "Titanium" lightweight jacket that will make a great layer in cold weather and should be perfect for cool weather.

I too am a very happy camper