Hi All,
I've been lurking for a while and just had to say how nice it is to see a section devoted to "seasoned" if you will, backpacker's. I'll turn 58 in a few months (just a pup compared to some of the great posts I've read here.) I've been day hiking since I was a girl scout (many moons ago),canoe and kayak, but I have some spine issues and never dreamed of backpacking. Thanks to UL gear I started backpacking a couple of years ago and it's become my passion. I'm trying to do everything I can to stay in good shape so that I can continue to enjoy it as long as possible. I've had some knee issues (mostly due to arthritis,but meniscus,patellar too) off and on since I started, and I've really struggled with the right shoes. I have long skinny feet with a moderate arch and I continue to try different shoes hoping to hit on the right ones....it's a work in progress.
Well that's enough rambling, just wanted to say thanks for the encouragement this and some of the other posts have given me.

Leigh