Packing - man style.

I can think back to the days of being single, when the only excuse you needed for a two day road trip was enough money to fill the tank. Packing for the trip? It went something like this.
Find sleeping bag and unroll.
Remove dirty and somewhat stiff socks and empty beer can from sleeping bag.
Grab the cleanest t-shirt from your dresser or cardboard bank box, and one long sleeve shirt that can pass for a dress shirt if need be.
Find a pair of clean 501s and a change of socks and underwear.
If you have time, grab your toothbrush and deodorant.
All this goes into one end of the sleeping bag and gets rolled up.

Packing done.
Time; 2:30 seconds. Snag a handful of CDs for the trip and head out the door to pick up your buddy who is packing less than you have.

Those days are long past. I am now old. Old and almost domesticated. I find in my rapidly advancing age that I am fond of comfort. I also enjoy convenience and hygiene more than I did in my teens and twenties. I used to scoff at the cupcakes who had to shower after three days of deer hunting. Today I bring my liquid soap/shampoo and a full toiletry kit to take my shower every evening when I camp.

Have I turned into a Sissy?
Darn straight.

My three friends and I have been drawn for a limited tag deer hunt this year in the North East corner of our State.
I will be gone ten days or so. I am a week away from our departure and I have started packing this evening. I am taking my Jeep, tent, camp kitchen, cot, bed-roll, two rifles, three knives, back pack, fanny pack, two pair of binoculars, and enough food and clothing to outfit the Corp of Discovery.

I believe there is one other factor that has enabled my fall from the true manly man I once was to the soft creature of comfort I am today; Money.

When I was in school, I had just enough folding money to put gas in the tank and buy a lift ticket in the winter and a hunting license in the summer. The reason I didn't pack my LL Bean three season goretex jacket and self inflating air mattress is simply because I didn't own anything like that. I had an army surplus parka, and a GI issue mummy bag with all the goose down bunched up in the end. I was however, painfully unaware of how miserable I should have been. I had many great times out in the wilderness despite the inadequacies of my gear and bank ballance.

Today I scoff at the fifty and sixty year olds who pass me on the way to their hunting trips in 40 foot 5th wheel travel trailers and I say 'what a bunch of cupcakes, why not just stay at a hotel'. I am sure this too will come back to haunt me. In a few short years I will pass by a couple of college age kids in a Toyota pickup with only back packs and rifle cases in the bed. They will be giving me the 'cupcake' look as I pass them in my 40 foot motor home on my way to deer camp.

I just hope I still as much fun as they do.