I now have hiking boots and socks!

It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything here, and this is the most interesting thing I have to write about at the moment. Indiana is apparently not an adventurous enough state for REI to open up a store here, so this afternoon I went to Gander Mountain with the goal of buying hiking boats, socks, and a rain poncho/suit.

I had done some research online, and surveyed friends who hike, but the best advice anyone gave me was that you simply have to go to a store and try some boots on, and go with what feels comfortable. When I got to the store, I struck up a conversation with a very knowledgeable sales rep who told me a few key things to look for in a boot, and then recommended a couple of brands as well. After trying some on, I ultimately went with these:

Keen Siskiyou mid-tops. The boots felt very sturdy, and the sales rep, who seemed to be quite the hiker himself, said that going with a mid-top would give me the necessary ankle-support to help prevent spraining an ankle on the hike.

He also recommended wool hiking socks, and in particular, the smartwool brand, because they were currently on a 20% discount. He said that wool socks breathe easy, can keep you both warm and cool when necessary, and if they get wet, can dry out in 10 minutes, unlike cotton socks.

Unfortunately, when I got home, I discovered that the socks didn't ring up at the sale price. Driving 25 minutes each way to the store a second time would probably burn enough gas to to nullify the money I'd save going there to get them to correct the price. However, I called the store, and was told they could do a price-adjustment over the phone. I'll be checking my credit card to see if they actually do it or not.

I did not have the luck I hoped with the rain poncho/suit. I talked to another sales rep there who pointed me towards a couple of different options, but unfortunately the option I liked the most was dependent on having a water-proof backpack cover, which they did not have any of in stock. I'll be looking into those in the next few days, and see if it makes sense to get one or not (I'm guessing it will).

I still need to go to Passport Health and see what vaccinations I need, if any. I've been so busy, I haven't had the time to these past couple of weeks. I think I'll hold off one more week. Some good friends of mine are getting married next weekend, and I've heard some vaccinations I might need to get can make you sick for a while. I don't want to be sick for the wedding, so it will wait one more week.

I'm hungry, and honestly don't have much more to say at the moment. Six weeks to go until the trip. I'm getting more excited by the day!

Until next time,

Ryan