Gear I’ve bought so far…
I got really excited last Friday when my first internet trip purchases came in. I’m a little weary of buying any clothes items online simply because women’s clothes especially are all cut differently and the sizing is completely ridiculous (in my humble opinion). But, I found one site–Ex Officio–that I really like.
I found out about this brand from one of my housemates who just bought a pair of their pants from REI. So, I went online and checked things out. After a lot of debating and a little bit of nervousness about whether or not things would fit, I ended up purchasing the Women’s Stretch Explorer Convertible Pants in khaki which were on sale for $29, the Women’s Microclime Zip Hoody (in the pretty blue) that was on sale for $23, and 2 bandanas (one for Steve and one for me) that are impregnated with bug repellent to keep those nasty mosquitoes away from our faces. Everything fit amazingly well, so I’m really pleased. And the convertible pants were much more attractive than I would have thought. It’s a good cut, I think. I’m excited about how light weight everything is as my final pack weight is a concern for me. Even the rain jacket was soft and lightweight. I’m going to put it on in the shower and see just how waterproof it is! But I think it’ll fit my purposes. And I like the blue color. It’ll add a little color to what I fear will be a very khaki-colored wardrobe.
I think I’m most excited about this site’s handy icons that show the important information about each product–like lightweight, wicking, quick drying, etc…. These really helped me compare the different items. I also love their line of bug repellent clothes. I’m going to keep checking back and try to buy some socks, a pair of pants, and a long-sleeve shirt on sale that have this feature. I think it’ll really give me some peace of mind when we’re in malaria territory.
(Side story: Steve and I went camping this weekend with some friends. Everyone got really bit up–we forgot to bring bug spray or our handy new bandanas–except for me! I thought I’d completely avoided any bites until I found one little one on my knee the next afternoon. This makes me happy because maybe mosquitoes don’t like me so much. But sad that they like Steve so much! He’s much sweeter than me, I suppose.)
I also bought 2 waterproof LED headlamps from Campmore and some extra batteries. These haven’t come in yet, but I like that the flashlight part comes off of the headband part and you can clip it onto your shirt or gear or whatever. This way I can have my hands free without the nerdy headband all of the time.
I’m trying to buy all of my gear before I try to buy a backpack. I would like to have the smallest, lightest load possible since I’ve never really carried all my wares on my back before. The nice salesman at REI suggested I get my stuff first since I was a little weary about the giant bags. So, I made a list of what I think I need. I’m going to buy stuff, take it to REI, and start packing bags and trying them out. Then if it’s still more weight then I want, I’ll cut stuff. I’m trying to be realistic about what I take and the fact that I’ll pick up things along the way. But I’m also very conscious of the instinct to take more instead of less. I’ll post my “what I think I’ll take” list later on. Then I can see how it compares to what I really end up taking.
Tags: exofficio, Gear, mosquito
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