The Stealth Scooter

[Mortblanc]

Much of my back packing gear I have discovered to be in a sad state of decay.

Much if it has been scattered about among the many small emergency kits I have in the vehicles and such.

I did have a lightweight tent which I picked up for a song a while back and have never used.

I already have a good light weight sleeping bag, but my lightweight air mattress/sleeping pad was dissolving from the UV pollution. There are now better ones on the market, and cheaper, so I ordered one and it arrived this week.

So did the replacement "Jet Boil" stove I decided to go for. That little goodie was only $7 US at Wallmart. I was amazed.

The tent was 3 pounds
sleeping bag 3 pounds
mattress 2 pounds
stove w/fuel 1 pound

That is less than my old pack base weight of 20 pounds due to elimination of the weight of the pack. Back then I was toting some heavy LBE. One of my packs was 8 pounds empty.

If I am generous with food for the weekend at 10 pounds and a change of clothes at another 4-5 pounds and some fishing tackle at 3-4 pounds, I am still under my old pack weight of 35 pounds and well under the capabilities and ratings of the scooter.

Now I must wait until they take this metal from my back. Staples as wound closure are a horrid form of torture.