I woke yesterday morning as the sky outside was just starting to become lighter than the shoulder of Mt. Tamalpais that we can see from our bed. I had slept through my alarm pretty much every day this week, but today I was up well before its chime and my mind started works my over things. One of my first thoughts was that I wasn't totally sure about doing this hike. My mind ran through all the factors that have blocked me from taking this trip on over the last 10+ years. Do I really want to do the same thing every day for the next 5 months? Would I rather spend this time and money on a long surf trip somewhere? Do I really want to be away from my family and friends for so long?
I mulled over these thoughts for a while then got up, fed the dog, made coffee, and got started on a couple last minute gear-making projects. As dawn turned to day outside and I became engrossed in sewing, my mind wandered to all the things I'm looking forward to on this hike. I wasn't even thinking about anything major or specific, just picturing and imagining the simple lifestyle I will soon be living. I got really excited, and the doubts melted away. I came to the conclusion that its fine to have these doubts, and that maybe one of the ways we grow as people is by setting out and trying things, even if we're not 100% positive it's what we should be doing. Its really easy for me to make the decision to go on a surf trip, and it's much more of a sure thing for me to stay home with the people and animals I love. But it will probably lead to a more meaningful life to try these things that I'm pretty sure I want do do, but not certain. If I never try this, I'll always wonder about it.
Anyway, about those gear-making projects. I have a couple waist belt pockets from a great lightweight gear company called Gossamer Gear. I've used these for several years and it's really nice to have these small pockets right on the backpack waist belt to keep snacks, headlamp, sunscreen, and other small stuff handy. But the zipper closure is a bit overkill, and I wanted to try making something with just a stretchy elastic top to keep things from falling out. I had an old pair of rain pants that weren't very waterproof anymore, and I realized that I could just cut off the bottom 4 or so inches of the legs, sew up the hole, and in short order have some pockets that stay closed with the shock cord and cord lock that made the cuff of he pants. I also hade some pieces of old wetsuit, and cut some thin strips of this to make stretchy bands that go around the waste belt of my pack.
I also wanted to make a separate little sleeve of neoprene to hold my phone. This would give the phone a bit more padding, and I used some shock cord (poached from inside some old broken tent poles) to attach it to the shoulder strap of my pack. Since I'm planning to use the phone as my only camera, this will keep it handy and sort of protected.
The 2 waist belt pockets seem to be slightly lighter than the GG ones they replaced, and together the 3 pockets add a bit under 3 ounces to my pack weight. Not too bad for the added convenience they'll provide.
Oh yeah. This post was also written and posted entirely on the phone. It went pretty well so I'm optimistic about keeping up this blog on the trail.
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