Just moments ago I glanced outside and saw a package on our doorstep. It's the tent! I am super excited about trying it out, but I think it will have to wait for next month. Maybe I'll be able to set it up once, but I will be leaving for California in two days. I will be away for annual training with the Marine Corps Reserve for two and a half weeks. We will be at 29 Palms, notorious for being extremely hot and providing very tough training. Although I am not looking forward to the time away from my wife (the longest we'll be apart since we were married last July) and all the hard training, it is nice to know this is the last annual training I will have to finish. I will complete six years of contracted time of service in December, and between the annual training and December I only have two home drills, a family day, a Marine Corps ball, and one field drill left to serve. So, in a lot of ways, this two and a half period of annual training is the last big thing I have to do for the Marines. It will be really nice to have it over with. I will be super ecstatic when I come back home at the end of the month. Until then though, it will be a lot of tough physical training that will help me out in the long run. My physical training has always been lacking, and I hope to establish some routine when I get back to keep up good fitness.
We have already planned our first multi-day backpacking trip which will be a modest 42-mile hike along the beautiful Northern Coast of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We will hike this after a friend's wedding in mid-July, the first time we will properly break in our tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pads. Expect a review of each piece of gear, as well as how the hike went, soon thereafter.
Speaking of sleeping pads, I just ordered them yesterday. We used outdoorgearlab.com yet again to aid us in choosing the best fit for us. We ended up choosing the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite for Women for both of us. Men's sleeping bags are a lot bigger than I would need since I am 5'6'' and are more expensive. This sleeping pad is really warm for being so light, but the most expensive. I, however, did find them for 40% off at CampMor due to "color imperfections." They still have a lifetime warranty, though nothing is supposed to be wrong with them except the coloring. The pads are supposed to be really noisy when you toss and turn on them and the edges can collapse when weighted, but I don't think these cons will be too bad. I will write more about the pads and how they work when I write the review. See you in two and a half weeks!
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