I remember when I was 8. I was thinking that old seems to be quite relative, but I knew my grampa was old, and he was 65. He was a 65 year old farmer and he was broken at 65. I know lots of folks never get to see 65, but for me it mostly means that I hire a youg'n to shovel the roof or dig a new pond. I love to ski and kayak.

For those who do not know me, I have a collection specialized [un-obtanium] camping gear with some pieces 30 years old. I jave not replaced this gear because either there is nothing better, or everything available is lesser, or what is better costs $500 per ounce savings over what I already have that has woked for decades. I just plain don't care about the new widgets - my titanium fork is over 20 years old now and serves me just fine, but so would a stainless steel fork...

A lot of people think there has been a "camping revolution" but the biggest change in my opinion is in the old days we didn't care what we took; an old sleeping bag and a boyscout cook pot was fine. Now it seems that virtual packs and the consuming attempt to save a few ounces has become more important than the experience.

So I am going to write more in this column for the older hiker camper.
Jim
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These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.