The result is, inevitably, a work in progress. I’m still nowhere near the Zen purity of Peace Pilgrim’s journeys (she walked for thousands and thousand of miles carrying nothing more than a comb and perhaps a toothpaste), but I have eliminated an incredible amount. Every time I unpack, I try to peel off a little […]

 
In the midst of packing, my life currently seems to be all about gear. What to bring (and what not to bring) is a constant debate, as I struggle to bring my weight load down to a manageable level. I scrapped the trailer, the packing case, the panniers, even the laptop (my beloved laptop) is […]

Ah, the transformation is complete - I’ve slowly turned into an obsessive outdoor gear junkie, when I carefully weigh every item before packing my bags, jealously recording every ounce in an effort to carry a lighter load.
And the perfect tool to help me? My dear mum’s cooking scale, bought in Wales in 1972 and brought […]

Oh, that warm feeling of accomplishment…what could be better than proudly showing off my new (homemade) backpack and sleeping bag?
It’s true: after one week of sweat (and a few tears), I’ve finished my ultralight, ultra-fabulous, ultra-functional backpacking gear, ready to be tested on the West Coast Trail. Using kits from Ray Jardine, I saved a […]

I had no idea I was such a do-it-yourself fiend, although the passing urge may never hit me again after such a chaotic week of sewing. It was “Construct My Own Sleeping Bag, Tent, and Backpack Week”, an event not for the faint of heart. My apartment is a battlezone strewn with pieces of silicon-nylon, […]

Yet another day of slight mayhem (with a bit of bicycle grease thrown in for good measure). I spent the afternoon cursing mildly as I methodically assembled my new car / RV / camel / quarterhorse (otherwise known as a travel bicycle), learning the finer points of V-brakes and seat stems.
Sporting a fire-engine red paint […]

If I could grow up to be as cool as Grandma Gatewood, I would consider my life well-lived. Long before the days of “low-impact tourism” and “sustainable travel”, this woman was knocking back one of the toughest trails in North America without a scrap of fancy gear or high-tech equipment.
Emma Gatewood (known as “Grandma”) […]

Baggage. If I could reduce my life to perhaps one or two thematic elements, the image of a suitcase (or a backpack) would predominate. I’ve spent years attempting to shed burdens, from the psychological (what a waste of time - those weights are stapled on for good) to the mundanely physical (anyone want to buy […]