Procrastination…

Well, I am roughly 2.5 months away from my start day and it still seems forever away. I mean, it’s still about a quarter of a year away, right? Then I realize all of the things I need to do before I leave (i.e. buy every piece of gear).

I know you are all probably thinking ‘what? no gear purchases yet?!’ but it’s been a busy couple of months. I’ve started a new job – a completely different job at that, moved to a whole different part of the state (I don’t want to see a single packing box for a very, long time), hosted Thanksgiving, and traveled to spend time with friends and family.

The fast-approaching Christmas holiday will bring lots of traveling and craziness but it will also bring some time to spend with the family and my pup.

I did, however, have a very productive day at REI, yesterday. I purchased a pair of Altra Lone Peaks which I am very excited to try out. I decided on a jacket, sleeping pad, and pillow. Yes, I’m bringing a pillow because I’m a brat and can’t sleep without one.

Side Note: I also purchased my tent a few weeks ago – Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2. Love it!

Yesterday’s trip consisted of a fair amount of time spent trying on packs and being that this REI store was on the smaller side they didn’t have the biggest selection of packs. I tried on what I believe to be the most popular women’s pack, the Osprey Aura. I was not sold. I tried on the Deuter ACT Lite and nope still not sold. The only Gregory pack they had was the Deva 70 which is too big for what I want, but I absolutely loved it! That being said, next weekend I will be taking a trip to a bigger REI up in north Jersey to try on more of a selection of the Gregory packs and hopefully that’ll be something I can check off my list.


Gear that I’m still unsure about:
Water purification and storage
Midlayer
Gloves
*So please offer any suggestions!

Check back for a gear update!

T-minus 77 days! Fingers crossed for a light winter in the snow department.


Fun Fact: I rented a pack from my university’s outdoor recreation center and it turned out to be an 80L pack! Insane..

 

Affiliate Disclosure

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!

To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.

Comments 2

  • Ruth Nasrullah : Nov 28th

    I’m kind of the opposite – I’ve gotten every piece of gear imaginable but have yet to use it all in the real world.

    I just got the same tent and it looks great in my guest room!

    Which REI are you going to in NJ? A couple months ago I went to the one in East Hanover. They had kajillions of jackets, so I’m sure you won’t have trouble finding something in that department.

    Reply
  • Bosch : Nov 29th

    You may want to try Campmor as well in Paramus. Not open on Sundays.

    Reply

What Do You Think?