I just realized I had to share something.

Backpacking gear-wise, I'm finally to the point where I could go out. Sure, I don't have a stove or "special" clothes, but I have the important stuff. My last purchase was a Therm-a-Lite Prolite 4 self-inflatable pad.

At any rate, I wanted to try it all out, so I invited my 4-year-old to camp in the living room with me. Of course he was more than happy to!

The other day, I had found a gear loft from our monster 8-man family tent that my wife's mother bought for us. The tent is WAY too big, the thing weighs about 40 pounds packed. Anyway, the gear loft...

I hung it inside the backpacking tent, and while it was loose, it was useable. I went to the bathroom, and when I came back, my son said, "Daddy, daddy! I made it better!" He managed to loop it on some wider loops to not only tighten the loft, but it's not loose anymore. Gotta love it!

12 hours to go...



I don't have time for this!