When Jason and I found out we got into the High Sierra Camps, I laid out a plan to help us get ready over the course of the following months:
- December & January – Conditioning
- February & March – Learning
- April & May – Shopping
- June & July – Practicing
While no step would be completely restricted to this timeframe, I wanted to have some direction as I prepared. Conditioning is an ongoing process and my fitness plan continues to evolve. I haven’t spent a lot of time “Learning,” because, honestly, there’s not really a ton for me to learn. Since Jason and I are engaging in backpacking-lite, I just need to know how to hike and what to pack.
Today, I officially skipped a step and worked from my strengths: Shopping! Jason and I burned through our REI dividend and 20% off coupons very fast 
The most essential pieces of gear that Jason and I needed to purchase were our backpacks…and that’s exactly what we picked out today!
I cannot stress the importance of going to a outdoor outfitter, being properly “fitted,” and trying different packs. I went in with a specific pack in mind and left with something very different. We each tried on three different packs, but we went with the men’s/women’s comparable packs from Gregory: the Deva 70 for me (appropriate name, huh 
) and the Palisade 80 for Jason.
Jason is super excited to match with me and loves red…NOT.
I LOVE my new bag! I hung out in the store with it on for quite a bit and found it to be the most comfortable of those I tried on. The pretty blue color and lots of pockets didn’t hurt either 
For reference, here’s our full suggested shopping list for the High Sierra Camps:
- Backpack
- Sleep-sack
- Quick-dry towel
- Hiking boots
- Hiking shoes (for backup)
- Light shoes (for around camp)
- Water bottles or hydration system
- Toiletries
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Mosquito repellent
- Small flashlight
- Chapstick
- Mini first-aid kit
- Moleskin
- Clothing:
- Brimmed hat
- Wool cap (for chilly nights)
- Bandana
- Sweats (for sleepwear)
- Wool socks and sock liners
- Hiking shorts
- Long pants
- Zippered turtleneck
- Flannel or wool shirt
- Sweater, medium-weight
- Wool gloves or mittens
- Light jacket
- Waterproof poncho or rain jacket with hood
- Camera *
- Binoculars *
* Optional
We picked up a couple of the other items on the list today, too. We both got sleep-sacks and headlamps. Jason swore he would never get a headlamp, but both I and the employee helping us at the store recommended them.
I really wanted a pink one, but apparently those are designed for children 
Let’s just say that one of the hooks to getting me into camping/hiking was the opportunity to shop . But that simple hook has definitely led me to some amazing experiences. So if loving to shop is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
