[at-l] Update

[m_factor@hotmail.com (Mara Factor)]

Caryn,

If at all possible, wait to buy your backpack until you've bought your other 
gear.  Only then will you know how much volume you will need in your 
backpack and how much support you will need to carry the weight you expect 
to put in your pack.  In the meantime, join a club, do some day hikes, when 
you start backpacking, borrow or rent some different packs so you get an 
idea of the types of things you like and don't like about packs.

Alternatively, maybe buy a cheap used backpack to get started.  Just make 
sure it fits properly and is relatively comfortable.  Then when you've got a 
better idea about your needs on the trail, buy the pack that best suits your 
needs.

Until you get that experience under your belt, at best you're taking a 
guess.  Do you want to make a $200 guess and get it wrong and need to spend 
another $200 or would you rather make a $50 guess and then make a more 
informed decision about a $200 backpack later on...

Of course, you might get lucky and find the first pack you buy is your dream 
pack forevermore...  :-)

When you are ready to buy your backpack, take all of the gear you expect to 
put in it to the store and fill the pack as if you're going for a hike.  
Include representative food and water.  Walk around the store for 20 minutes 
or so.  While this can't tell you if the pack is going to feel great after a 
few hours of walking on a trail, if it feel horrible after 5 minutes in the 
store, then you'll know it won't work ion the trail.

That being said, if something doesn't feel right in the store, make sure to 
ask about it.  Chances are there might be adjustments that can be made to 
make the pack fit better.

As for northwest CT, I think there's an outfitter in Kent that sees plenty 
of thruhikers come through each year.  I don't know what they have in the 
way of lightweight gear, but at least one of the people there seemed 
competant as I talked with him while he switched out a Leki pole tip for me.

Mara
Stitches, GAME99


>From: Carfell@aol.com
>Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 19:49:50 EDT
>
...Next
>week (after my next paycheck) perhaps I will make a "major purchase".  I'm
>thinking about a Gregory pack...

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