Finally!! I am finally ready to go on the Race!! Well, at least a little more ready than I was a couple weeks ago. Last week I went back to Indiana for a few days. My mom and my dad both took off work for the day to pick me up from the airport. Straight from there we went to REI. That store is awesome.
I spent a looooot of money that day. But it was so worth it and now I’m even more pumped about this trip.
I got a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, sleeping liner (like a sheet to go inside the sleeping bag), footprint (put under the tent to keep it from wearing out), pillow, day pack, Chacos, and a water bottle.
I have talked to a few people who have been on the Race and they all swear by Chacos. So of course I had to get some. One lady working there said she climbed Mt. Vesuvius in the style that I got. I figured if she could climb volcano in Italy in them, then I should be good to go! I walked around for awhile in the store with them on and loved them. Super comfortable.
The tent is really easy to put together and only weighs about 4 pounds, which is great since I need everything to be as light as possible considering I will be carrying everything I will need for 11 months.
The sleeping bag is also really light. It’s made for 35 degrees and three seasons so I will be good to go in all the countries. The pillow is pretty big but rolls up into a little pouch. It will be awesome to have on all of the long flights. The sleeping pad is inflatable and will be a back saver! Sleeping on the hard ground with nothing but a sleeping bag might be a little uncomfortable after awhile. The sleeping liner will be great if it’s hot out so I can leave the sleeping bag unzipped and just use the sheet.
I have to give another shout out to my cousin Mary Leigh again for letting me use her backpack. First the shirts, now the backpack. Thanks ML!! Huge money saver there.
REI is an awesome store. A guy that worked there who was a “camping expert” walked around with me for probably an hour helping me find everything I need. Everyone was really helpful. Not to mention really cool. One lady gives guided kayak tours in Antarctica! I know what my next trip will be.
I set up my tent and all my gear in my living room in my apartment when I got back to Florida. And yes, it is still set up. My dog has claimed it as his new bed. Seeing it all out gets me really excited. It’s hard to believe that a tent will be my home, a sleeping bag will be my bed, and a backpack will be my closet for 11 months. This is going to be an amazing adventure!
Now if only I could find a way to make Brantley fit in my backpack….
