Packing
Always a fun subject... The act of stuffing as much shit as humanly possible into a defined space. Now you might think that physics plays no part in this endeavor. You would be wrong. In fact, breaking the laws of physics is actually the key tenet with any packer worth his salt. Now, I pride myself on being a "light" traveler, forsaking multiple shoes and dressy outfits I'll never wear. But when packing for 100 days, where does one start? Well, I'll tell you: Underwear! Let's face it, you go wrong here and you're gonna be one angry road warrior. Too tight, too loose, too many, not enough... all important and consequential decisions. I put my fist on my chin and become the "thinker." After much contemplation, I decide on the perfect quantity (6) and an array of materials. Once that riddle is solved, I move on to socks. After much study, I learn Merino wool is the ticket. And oh what a game-changer it is, so comfy.
And so it goes: study and purchase, study and purchase. My Amazon deliveries start picking up. Soon receiving up to 3 deliveries a day. Seems like somebody should fix that. But whatever, I'm focused. Like an auctioneer with a gavel. Sold, sold... Sold! I've got an itchy trigger finger. Come to papa. Suddenly, a problem arises. I need to take a sleeping bag as I'll be sleeping in a tent for the entire safari. Back to Google I go, studying every facet of sleeping bags known to man. I must find one that is not too hot and not too cold. Not too fluffy, and not too thin. I morph into the Goldilocks of sleeping bags, choosing between synthetic versus down. My first bag takes up the majority of my backpack. Return. The next: too small for a man with actual legs. I settle on a decent mummy bag (I am going to Egypt after all) that is small enough to pack away, lightweight, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Well, maybe just an arm. But now I realize I only have 2/3 of a backpack to pack away all my stuff, including those 6 pairs of underwear. Wait, what?
Such are the trivial dilemmas of a kid about to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Yeah, I hear you whispering "Ah, go fuck yourself!" over there. Hey, language please. I'll spare you my other crisis: choosing between hiking shoes and trail runners. (Spoiler alert: I went with the trail runners...)
In the end, I managed to shove all my shit into two backpacks... underwear included! D-day is rapidly approaching. I feel like an astronaut sitting on the launch pad. T minus ten and counting...
-Kevin
