Linda's First Adventure Without Gear

Linda went backpacking in the Cascades in September. She used a North Face jacket she has owned since 2018, Merrell boots purchased in 2020, a borrowed tent from her sister that I estimated to be approximately 20 years old based on its construction and zipper style, and a pack that she described as "the grey one." The grey one is an old Osprey that she bought used in 2019.

She was gone for three days. She came back.

She came back fine. She came back with stories about the route, the weather, the campsite. She did not come back with stories about gear failure, insufficient protection from the weather, or any experience that her equipment was inadequate to her needs.

What This Means

Linda went backpacking with equipment I would not have selected for her in any of the categories. The jacket is not a technical layer by current standards. The boots are three years old and not waterproof. The tent has unknown waterproofing status and outdated pole construction. The pack is used and has unknown wear on the frame sheet.

She had a good trip. She said the weather was clear for two of three days and light rain on the third, which the old borrowed tent handled fine. The boots were comfortable. The jacket was sufficient for the temperatures encountered. The pack carried what she needed.

My Response

I pulled her route from her description and researched the historical weather patterns for that area in September. The conditions she encountered were within a standard range for the season. The borrowed tent's construction, while dated, was adequate for those conditions. The jacket she wore has reasonable water resistance for light precipitation.

My assessment: Linda was lucky with the weather. Also: her gear was adequate for what she actually encountered. Also: adequate and optimal are different standards. Also: she went. She came back. Her gear performed.

I have seventeen pieces of gear that would have served her better in those conditions. I also did not go.