REI excursion

During the event we will be camping each night. Tents will be provided but we have to provide everything else. When I did the walk before, I used a cheap sleeping bag. This ended up being a bad decision because it was really cold at night and my sleeping bag did little to keep me warm. Plus my cheap sleeping bag was big and bulky and you want your sleeping bag to be as compact and light as possible since you have to lug it with the rest of your overnight gear from the truck to your camp site each night and back to the truck each morning. So I headed to REI to do a little research on sleeping bags and pads. And since REI is only 2.5 miles away and I needed to do a training walk about 5 miles long, I walked there and back. I decided it was time to start using my lumbar pack to carry my water and supplies. The lumbar pack is a must have for the event to carry you water bottles, sunscreen, chap stick, poncho, phone, ID, money, etc. It's important that you train with your pack because you need to get use to the feel and weight of it. Don't underestimate the weight of all that stuff and 2 full water bottles. It was a beautiful evening so I set off to do my research at REI, get a little dinner and then head back home. It was a quick walk to REI. The terrain was mainly flat and I had sidewalks most of the way there. REI had a lot of wonderful gear but it was a little expensive to buy for infrequent use. I decided rentals might be the way to go. REI has an excellent rental deal which gets me a compact sleeping bag and pad for 5 days for only $26. Since I figured out my gear situation, I headed next door for a break and sustenance. On the way back I took a different route which included a little hill work and no sidewalks part of the way. While I was working my way up a hill thinking about all of the different terrains and landmarks you experience while training, I looked over to see this gorgeous field and horse. You just never know what you will come across when you walk. It ended up being a good research and training evening.