4, 3, 2, Oh wait. Still 4.

Exactly Four months now until I start what I’m sure will be the greatest adventure of my life thus far!

Some of you may be thinking that’s still a ways away, what am I going to do until then? Probably just annoy my friends, family and social media with my daily countdown. (Kidding) 😉 Luckily I’ve got the Holiday season to keep me busy! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, & my Birthday!! It always seems to fly by so fast, and this year I have the extra bonus of graduating in December with my Associates degree! (Pats myself on the back)

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But along with all of these events, I still have ALL of my gear to purchase!

….Wait, you mean like you haven’t even gotten a pack yet? Nope. Sleeping bag? Nope. What about-Nope. Nothing, nada, zip, zero, zilch.

This is when four months doesn’t seem so far away.

But have no fear! I’ve completed my research on what gear I will be purchasing and will hopefully have time to test it all out before I begin my hike. If not, well then i’m sure it’ll make for an interesting day…or week depending on how long it takes me to figure out the piece of equipment. But I’m a smart gal and have total faith that everything will work out just fine, so no worries here!

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Speaking of gear, I know every Hiker has his and her personal preferences when it comes to this, but in the hopes of helping fellow hikers on their search for gear (I know I can’t be the only one who still lacks some gear), here are a few of the “major” items I’ve stored on my wishlist.

*Take note, these may not be the cheapest or even the lightest options you find, but they are what I have found that I’ve tried and liked.*

• Osprey Aura 65 AG pack- Women’s
• Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Tent
• Salomon Speedcross 4 Trail Running shoes
• Jetboil MiniMo system Cooking system
• Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking poles
• Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter System
• Sleeping Quilt- Revelation from Enlightened Equipment

So these are a few of the most important contents that i’ll be carrying with me! Again, not the cheapest items out there but i’ve been working & saving and i’m hoping Santa will be good to me this year 😉 I check Amazon & Whiteblaze.net frequently in hopes of saving a buck, but nothing’s caught my eye just yet.

There are so many exciting events to look forward to, and while I plan on enjoying each one, February 13, 2017 cannot come fast enough!

Photo curtesy of #ThrowbackThursday to last year adventuring in the Smoky Mountains