What I'm Taking

 Here's my gear list:   Backpack, tent, sleeping pad, headlamp, trekking poles, lantern, inflatable pillow, compass, change of clothes, hiking boots, liner socks, outer socks, poncho, slides (for camp), Jetboil stove, extra fuel can, collapsable bowl, spork, camp soap, water bottles, bear sack, tp, wipes, toothbrush/toothpaste, hat, sunscreen, lip balm, extra moleskin, knife, small axe, first aid kit, lighter and matches, emergency fuel/fire starter, small chess set, leather cribbage board, pack of cards, water purification filter, Life Straw, water purification tabs, sports powders, food for five days, garbage bag, 20' of twine, 25' nylon rope, cook pots, duct tape, tablet, solar phone charger. I'm sitting at just over 35 pounds.

So that's everything all laid out. Here's what it looks like packed up:

I think I'm going to swap out the self inflating sleeping pad for an accordion style one. Its a bit lighter and can be strapped to the outside. The self inflating one takes up too much pack space, in my opinion. I was trying to stay under 35 pounds, but the pack rides comfortably when I wore it around the neighborhood. Of course, things will get lighter as I eat my way through some of the food! The adventure begins in 19 days!

Feed Me!

 Working on assembling meals for the trail!  Dehydrating some broccoli to incorporate into trail fuel!

New Gear, and an Odd Odor

 I received some gear from REI today.  Nothing wrong with the stuff, its exactly what I ordered.   Some hiking shorts, a couple of water bottles, some socks. However, when I opened the box, I detected the unmistakable scent of the Devil's Weed. 

Gear Test

I think its important to test your equipment.  So this morning I decided to make scrambled eggs using my cooking gear, and having the food packed in the manner its packed on the trail.  Video is at the link.      https://www.facebook.com/JohnTadler/videos/1092282625334208 

Lessons learned:

1:  Matches can be unreliable.  Buy a lighter.

2:  Make sure I'm turning the fuel knob in the correct direction.

3: OvaEasy eggs are pretty tasty!  

The March (St. Patrick's Day Parade)

 Today was the annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Pittsburgh, and as usual, I marched with my reenactment unit, the 116th PA.  The 116th was part of the famous Irish Brigade of the Army of the Potomac, and Company "I" of the 116th was the only Irish Brigade company raised in Allegheny County.  In addition to my wool uniform, I carried a cartridge box, waist belt with bayonet and scabbard, haversack, and canteen, topped off with my model 1842 Springfield .69 caliber smoothbore musket.  

All in all, I was probably toting about 15 pounds of gear (the bulk of the weight being the musket), which is probably about half the weight I'll be lugging on the trail, so it's something of a warm-up.  I only covered about 3.5 miles in total during the parade and the walk back to my vehicle.  That typed, I was able to do the route with ease, so I find that encouraging!

To Bear Arms (Or is it Two Bear Arms?)

 I found this interesting blog post via a hiking site about carrying firearms while hiking.  I spent nearly 27 years as a LEO, and I only once had to pull my sidearm and point it at another human being.  Thankfully, the situation didn't force me to pull the trigger.  I'll be travelling in Maryland and D.C., both of which have pretty strict laws on firearms carry.  I carried concealed for many years, and never once had to deploy my weapon.  Once my first born became ambulatory, I decided that having a handgun in the house wasn't worth the risk, and got rid of my SW .38 snubby.  If I had to bring my duty weapon home, I kept it locked up, unloaded in a safe.  I think I'm more likely to be struck by lightning while hiking than to be accosted by a criminal, and besides, firearms are prohibited on the C&O.  

How Am I Getting Ready??

 It's a long walk.  I'm averaging 14 miles a day.  Luckily, it's all flat terrain, and while I'll never say it's impossible to get lost, it's pretty hard to get lost on the towpath.  If I veer left, I wind up in the canal ditch.  If I veer right, I wind up in the Potomac river.  

That noted, I've been doing quite a bit of walking.  I generally am walking five miles a day.  I also do anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes on a stationary bike every other day.  I've also been doing strengthening exercises.  Starting next month, I'll start taking short walks with my pack, gradually adding more gear and lengthening each walk as I build up for the big day.