I just came back from Calgary after a surprise Mother’s Day visit for my mom. We had a great time. While I was there, I thought I’d Check out some outdoor equipment and sporting stores. My in-laws gave me a $150 gift certificate for Mountain equipment coop, so I brought it along.
I ended up going with the Osprey Ariel. We decided 70L max given that I’ll be using bounce boxes and re-supplying roughly every week. The pack weighs 4lbs, so that leaves another 26lbs approx. for food and gear. Here’s a pic of my new pack:
I’m pretty stoked. Of course buying the pack made the trip feel real.
I got a smoking deal. Regular $369.00 paid $230….and I bought it at Atmosphere. Which means I still have a $150 to spend at MEC….it’ll likely go towards an ultralight tent, sleeping pad or sleeping bag.
I decided against buying ouch food in favour of my own dehydration method. I figure if I get started now, it’ll give me plenty of time to screw up and learn, as well as keep my costs down in the end.