Gear Anxiety: The Journey

It never fails…

I am satisfied with my equipment list. I have investigated. I have budgeted. I have asked for opinions and considered options.

I made purchases. I tried them. I’ve been on test hikes.

But there is still that little voice.

Are sure Is this the correct team?

There may be lighter, less expensive, warmer, cooler, and more efficient products.

What if I’m missing something?

More importantly: what happens if I choose wrong? And what if that wrong choice means my walk won’t be successful? What if I picked the wrong gear and I can’t carry the weight and go for miles and up the hills and down again and…?

And so it goes.

Sometimes it’s hard to breathe. when are you so committed to getting it right, to finding the answer, to developing the secret sauce. When jerk walks show you that your conditioning isn’t where it needs to be.

I don’t want to be a failure.

Can’t. I simply refuse. There are enough failures for one lifetime, I can’t add anything more. Especially not when I worry so much. When backpacking has saved my life twice.

And then I sit down. And get obsessed. And dream.

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