2020 rundown

What a year, right? Somehow I thought being in various states of lockdown would urge me to write some of my feelings. But I think I was too busy being stressed and playing video games to even go there. 

Work is the same as ever. We stopped transfers for a couple of months early on in the pandemic until we were able to open back up for surgeries and adoptions. When my job was moot, I helped out in admissions. There were as many animals as ever coming into the shelter. People losing homes or income. Strays. Same story. 

Last month I got rotator cuff repair surgery. That's put a huge damper on what I can actually do at work. Which is nothing. I can do some data entry and emailing and the like. No driving until the sling is off (6 weeks total). No animal handling. It's not a lot of fun. Especially since I'm also training a new co-worker and it's hard to tell her things I cannot show her. 

Oddly the silver lining of both the pandemic and the surgery is that my boyfriend didn't go to Thanksgiving with his family and I didn't work. We've just celebrated ten years together (mostly). And now we've just spent our very first Thanksgiving together. It was lovely. We roasted a whole turkey for the first time and it turned out well. Of course the best part is all the leftovers we're still enjoying. 

Due to pandemic restrictions on travel, we didn't leave the state this year, but we did go backpacking sever times. Saw some bears and other woodland creatures. Perfected packing for 3 nights. Ate food that only tastes good after hiking for hours with 30+ lbs on your back. 

So yeah, the year has been full of uncertainty, chaos and sadness, but there have been a few bright spots and that's what keeps us going. 

Many minimal things...

So I strive to be minimal. Yet I love things. Minimal things. It's an odd paradox.

I/we now have 2 tents. One for car camping and one for backpacking. I'm rather proud of the fact that I found a really good backpacking tent for about 30% of the retail cost, by the way.

I have a bulky gore-tex jacket that I've had since high school (more than 10 years now.), but because I'm outfitting for backpacking this summer, I decided I needed a lightweight rain jacket. So now I have 2.

Similarly, I have several pairs of shoes. They all have one thing in common: their minimalness. I have a pair for work, a pair for parkour, a pair for winter/wet hikes, a casual pair, a road running pair, some sandals. But was I've been lacking is the trail-running/hiking pair. I finally went out and tried some on for size at the (exorbitantly priced) local shoe store. Then I came home and promptly bought a pair online for half the price. When they arrive, I'll review them in comparison with my other current shoes and the past ones. If anyone is interested.

So there's my stuff update.

Oh, and if anyone want's to know the way to my heart, it's Kuhl brand clothing. So comfortable and so unaffordable...

Looking forward to adventure.

This week I've been researching backpacking gear. With all the hiking and camping I do, I've never really put the two together. Generally, I'm a minimal hiker so the thought of carrying more than a few pounds has always turned me off the idea. But I actually do like the idea, so I'm putting aside my trepedation and looking into minimal backpacking gear. The lightest (and least expensive) mummy bag. Light and small sleeping pad. And yes, a larger pack to carry these things.

As for the sleeping bag, I've been leaning toward the Kelty Cosmic Down 20 (or 21 depending on...something) It's one of the least expensive down bags for that temperature rating. And it's under 3 lbs. So that's cool. I just have to commit to the price I guess.

The pad I just purchased used on eBay. It's called the Klymit Inertia X frame. And it's as minimal as back pads get. It's got cut outs to reduce weight. I sure hope it's supportive enough. But since I got it used it was about half price. So theoretically, bag and pad should only run me about $200.

The pack is proving more difficult. I use a very small one. It fits a small hydration pack and has room for a few things inside and an elastic strap on the outside for my coat or whatever else. It's definitely not enough. My other pack is a Kelty I've had since high school and it only has one pouch. It's got the ability to have numerous things strapped to it, but I don't think it's meant for much weight as the bottom is soft and the shoulder and lumbar straps are thin. So I need to get a new pack for a decent price. Good luck, haha. Once again, it doesn't have to be big. Just have enough room for necessities and straps for a sleeping bag. It's my wallet I'm worried about. I guess I don't have to buy all these things in one week though.

So perhaps I'll put either the sleeping bag or the backpack on hold for a bit. Yes.