Gear List

Hiking boots
Backpack (4000 cc)
Raincover for back pack
Daypack
Sleeping bag
Sleeping Pad
Hiking poles
Water bottle
Platypus
Drinking Tube

First Aid
Mole skin
Band-aid
Diamox
Anti-Malarial pills
Tylenol
Imodium
Zantac
Motrin
Bug Protection
Splints
Bandage
Prescription mendicine

Kitchen stuff
Plates/ bowls (light washable)
Water mug (reusable)

Clothes (avoid cotton)
Inner Garments
Inner Layers
Lightweight Microfleece
Midweight fleece
Outer Layer Windstopper fleece
Down Jacket with waterproof stuff sack
Lightweight tights
Midweight tights
Fleece Pants
Convertible Pants
Shorts
Rain Jacket
Rain Pants
Balaclava
Windstopper cap
Inner Glove Layer
Outer Glove layer
Socks
Gaiters
Bandana/ Towel
Hat/ Cap

Personal Hygiene
Tooth brush
Tooth paste - travel size
bio-degradable soap
Moisturiser/ Vasalene - travel size
Lip Balm
Deo - travel size
Toilet paper/ Wet Ones
Comb- travel size
Sunscreen

Safety/ navigation
Headlamp with batteries
Extra batteries for flashlight
Altimeter/GPS Unit

Misc.
Electrolytes
Water proof stuff sacs
Garbage bags
Zip-loc bags
Nylon cord/ Rope
Sun Glasses/Glasses
Camera
Sewing kit
Duct tape

Extra
Lighter Hiking Boots
Mittens
Camp shoes/sandals
Water Proof Socks
Space Blanket
Hand warmers/ Foot Warmers
Reading material
kitchen towels
Binoculars
Case for glasses
Cards
__________________________________________

We got all the gear shopping done this weekend. Since we do a lot of backpacking, we already had most of this list. We helped Nai (who drove from Philly) get his shopping done from scratch and I guess Pi and I ended up buying a lot of unnecessary things for ourselves. Outdoor stuff is expensive and rightfully so. The amount of research that goes into making sure you are comfortable in the harshest conditions needs to be considered. We have been accumulating gear ever since we were students and hence have had to upgrade from time to time. We have realized the importance of good gear in the unpredictable outdoors and hence would not recommend skimping. I remember, we had to think a lot before we dished out 100 dollars for a shoe. That was six years ago.

Today Nai just walks into REI, looks at a shoe he likes, asks us if it would work, tries it on and dumps it in his already loaded cart. All this without even looking at the price tag. He loads thousand dollars worth of gear in the trunk of his car and never looks back. The power of being able to afford made this weekend's shopping a breeze. In the past, I remember agonizing over every little purchase, going home and double checking if it was worth the buy, wearing it and parading in front of the mirror, getting a sense of excitement to be actually using it in backcountry, convincing myself it was OK to indulge and feeling a sense of achievement when it works during the final test. Though I can afford things now, I can't pay a price for that feeling.