Spend enough time camping and hiking in the outdoors and, sooner or later, you're going to run out of daylight before your ready. Maybe you need to get an early start on a long hike, or you arrive at your campsite later than anticipated. Whatever the reason or situation, a good source of light will help you hike safely, set-up camp, find firewood, cook your meal, or even just relax and read a book in your sleeping bag before calling it a night.

Moving on to number 3 of 10, today we'll be covering insulation. This doesn't mean packing on a few extra pounds this winter while you transition from watching the bowl games on through March Madness. It does mean having the appropriate outdoor clothing for the range of weather you might encounter during your trip. Most recreational outdoor enthusiasts probably head out during spring, summer, and fall, so that's what I'll focus on here.

On January 2nd, I went to the local REI Garage Sale again this year. Not quite the madhouse that it was last time, but still a bit overwhelming.

What is it with it being so cold!? The temperature outside was about 20°F, but we were more prepared this time. I think we spent about fifteen minutes outside. Again, I didn't have anything in particular that I needed, although a pair of boots would have been nice. The problem was that I broke my own guidelines from last time:

1. Leave the boy at home. Sounds like a good plan except that now he's really into camping and we're at the tail end of a two-week vacation where we've spent tons of time together. To ask him to stay home while Dad goes to get camping stuff is like asking my dog not to take a crap when I take him for a walk. Nigh impossible.
2. Dress appropriately. We did better on this one. Full winter garb, including double-mittens and knit hats. This made the frigid temperatures much more bearable.
3. Get there early. Not so well on this one. We got there about two hours after the sale "opened" and things were extraordinarily picked over. I looked at some boots for The Boy, but there was nothing in his size. By then, his nose was starting to get pretty pink and he was complaining of being cold. See number one if looking for a little more "shopping" time.
4. Don't plan on getting boots. I have to admit, my attitude has changed a bit on this one. For a five-year-old who is outgrowing shoes faster than pants, this is a great bargain, if you can find the right size. For myself, I saw mostly low-cut trail walking/running shoes. I'm more in the market for some ankle-high boots to replace my venerable Timberlands. Seems that a mouse found them in the garage and decided to build a little nest in the toe. Didn't eat the insulation, just looking for someplace warm and out of the cold, I guess. If I can get over that, I can wear a pair of boots that someone else wore for a weekend.
5. Have a mental list, but be flexible. I kind of dropped the ball on this one. I didn't even have a rough mental list. Sure, there are a few things I could use - a micro-stove for my motorcycle trips, or some waterproof stuff sacks, but overall, there's nothing that I'm really craving in the equipment area.

So, many of my goals for attending the garage sales will remain the same. Better planning and a mental list are tops among the priorities. As always, thanks to REI for holding the sale. Perhaps next time I will actually spend some money!