i’ve been using vibrams for over two years now, and actually suffer when i wear regular shoes for more than an hour or so. i wear vibrams or go barefoot as much as possible, whether hiking, walking doen the street in my neighborhood, or at work.

it’s a lifestyle, not just a different pair of shoes. everything changes, your feet, lower legs, hips, lower back, the entire chain…

i’ll never go back.

as for hankster – kayaking alone can be dangerous but not necessarily. just think beyond your own situation.

From tony

Really enjoy reading your stuff. Thanks for the site.

Rod.

I committed to keeping the Internet out of my hermitage but will probably get anther laptop. It’s hard to get by without a computer to load a GPS, research hikes, learn stuff, and order things.

For what it’s worth, your words project a lot of peace and stability – I appreciate them! Have a peaceful journey.

Right, you just stick your feet in the foot pocket and pull the bag over you like a blanket. If it gets really cold you tuck the edges around you. It’s the way I sleep most nights in a mummy bag anyway.

Ha! I didn’t do a professional job at all. It was the first thing I sewed since that apron in 7th grade home ec. All you have to do is fold the two pieces of fabric inward, pin, and sew. Anyone could do it.

It feels great to build the gear I want instead of the frustration I feel trying to make do with what’s out there. So now I’m all gung ho for gear making.

If you do pull your down out of an old bag, I would recommend not washing it first. Dirty down is a lot easier to work with than freshly clean down.

That’s a good idea. I don’t carry a ground cloth anymore but I’m kicking around the idea of carrying a tyvex blanket to throw over me to keep the wet from soaking my bag. I guess I could make it into a tyvex sarong.