Backpacking. . . Promises. . Promises

I promised myself I would go on a backpacking trip this year (the short one's me). The year is passing quickly and I'm still rather out of shape, but I still want it to happen. I do.
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I have such fond, fond memories of previous backpacking trips. Like this one here from around 1992 maybe? We went to the Smokeys and it was a downpour the entire time with occasional bolts of lightning to remind us that God is God and we are not, as the song goes.
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The well-maintained trail had become a little creek and you'll notice we didn't have good backpacking gear. This was back in the day before good gear became affordable or fashionable, or, geez, invented. Our packs didn't have interior frames, our raingear was limited to Hefty Bags, and our shoes were designed for running, possibly walking, definitely not hiking.

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The guy in the red, by the way, is Cousin David, reminding us even then, he'll do anything to get in a blogpost.

So this was also back in the day before gourmet, dehydrated or ultralite backpacking food was invented. We were eating Hamburger Helper without the hamburger and stuff like that, although my husband did manage to cook us up steaks the first night when we were in a cage and secure from bears. (who knew bears like steak??) But my biggest complaint was the lack of coffee. My dear brother tried to appease me by heating the strawberry koolaid, which he later described as "a mite aggressive." Coffee's an issue for backpackers. I might try this Java Juice.

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The slow drips of rain on my face during the night felt like Chinese Water Torture and I suppose that could be why I haven't backpacked much since. I had a couple of good, easy backpacking trips when the kids were small and would go with us. Since then: zilch, nada, nothing.

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The chances of rain on a backpacking trip are higher than those for an average camping trip. Take my brother and your chances triple.

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Here's my daughter and husband at Cumberland Island a few years ago. They were slowed down by a huge gator on the trail, awesome sunsets and photography moments, but the rain? No, it didn't slow them down. You have to expect it and you can't let it slow you down.

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Yep, I really think I'm gonna do it this year. . . Or Spring next year at the latest.

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However, I suspect the real reason for my backpacking apathy is summed up nicely in this Peanuts cartoon I clipped after my first trip: