Gadgets – The walk

We have been sucked into the KMS vortex. We decided to take a zero second to continue organizing, rest a little more and wait for the perfect weather window to reach Mount Whitney. Yesterday I rushed through my tasks, so I gave myself a list of little things to occupy my time.

Rascal and Jug challenged me to create a device out of hiker box material. I found some paracord, a carabiner, and webbing to make a retractable leash for my Kula Cloth. I need to find the best way to tie the end of the tail so it doesn’t rub against my leg. I’ll do this while hiking for the next few days.

I laid out all my food and realized I might need a little more food to get to Kearsarge Pass. I added a little more to my resupply and tried to improve my pack organization. Working with somewhat limited resources, I wasn’t as creative with meals this week. I’m trying a backpacker’s pantry meal with mushroom stroganoff, new to me, and a smoked chipotle rice and bean mix. I also bought another portion of chicken tikka masala.

In the afternoon, Rascal and I were on haircut duty. Scratch & Sniff and Refill wanted mullets, so we got out the community scissors and did the best we could. They looked good, but I think we’ll just stick with our day jobs… Calamity Jane, however, was on duty and did an amazing job dying Bird and Rascal’s hair. He made Bird’s bleached blonde hair look like Snow White’s apple with red and green dye. And Rascal now sports a red and green split hairstyle.

Jug, Straight Up and I spent the night drinking beers with Lennon and Grazer, who are a hiking couple on the last hike, the last of their triple crown. It was fun to hear some of their hiking stories and talk about gear.

Instead of having the cowboys camp out on the porch, I decided to pitch my tent. It seems a little quieter in the tent area and I won’t have to get up at 5 in the morning. I need to try to sleep well so I can go out tomorrow.

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.