Akron Life June 2022

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F R O M T H E P U B L I S H E R

[ Publisher | Colin Baker | cbaker@bakermediagroup.com ]

Trip Planner

Camping is about more than gear.

I’m an avid backpacker, and I have fallen down the high-tech camping gear rabbit hole. It all started when they introduced the breathable, waterproof Gore-Tex fabric for ski ing and camping. I was sold on the idea, but the jacket cost more than $200 in the ’80s and ’90s. The price never really dropped either. My first time backpacking I thought I needed all this stuff to have the best expe rience. I had to have the special stove and sleeping bag and all the options for the weather. It never failed that Backpacker Magazine would come out with a must have device that I would want to get. I thought gear would make it easier. I wish they made a gadget to carry me up the mountain — that I would buy. Now don’t get me wrong, I have been in snow storms in August and that down jacket and sleeping bag made a huge difference. And having a fresh cup of coffee in the morning from a coffee press is nice. But there comes a point when Mother Nature gets the best of you. I have been on trips where it rained for a week, and there isn’t anything that is going to keep you dry. Today I buy very little gear for camping. Every now and then something breaks or wears out and I buy replacements, but at this point I have two plastic tubs full of stuff in my basement, and none of it caused me to have that much better of a time than if I didn’t have it.

The reality is that you don’t need all this stuff to have a great time camping. My best moments camping were never me thinking, Thank God I have Gore-Tex or a solar panel to keep my phone charged . It’s usually the views and the people you are with that you remember most, like when you leave your tent in the middle of the night to see an explosion of stars in the sky. Without the city light pollution, you can see the Milky Way of stars, which brightens the sky and the mountains in the background. Another favorite camp activity is throwing a small Nerf football around, which provides hours of enter tainment that seems to never get old.

So, whether you want to spend big dol lars on a Yeti cooler or use the cheap Styrofoam one, don’t let gear stop you from getting out this year to enjoy some of the camping spots highlighted on pg. 22. By the way, if you want to borrow some Gore-Tex pants, I have a few pairs.

[ Publisher Colin Baker is a retired racing driver and gearhead. ] Comments? Email them to Kelly Petryszyn [kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com].

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