Gear on the brain

I've been remodeling a house lately. Tearing out old nasty carpet, a full refinishing of 900 sq. ft. of hardwood floors, wallpaper stripping, wall priming, ripping out 3 layers of kitchen linoleum and replacing with VCT. I still have lots to do: replace a bathroom subfloor, install a cabinet/counter and dishwasher, weatherize our drafty windows.

But despite all that filling my head, or probably because I feel I need a vacation, I've had a long walk on the brain. And as such, I've been remodeling my backpack contents, and obsessing over every ounce (on paper) in that pack.

Concomitantly, I took a trip to Denver a couple weeks ago, and knocked around a few Denver thrift stores in search of a down jacket (I didn't find one).

But I had a funny idea: it would be fun, sometime, to spend one day attempting to fully outfit yourself for a multi-night walk in the woods just by visiting thrift stores.

I have seen all of the following at thrift stores over the years:

-name brand wool socks, hiking boots, fleece jackets, and fast-drying, lightweight clothing
-down jackets
-recently trendy (and recently discarded) aluminum water bottles - good for alcohol fuel or water (but not both!)
-old bamboo, aluminum or carbon ski poles - great as trekking poles
-old school external frame packs
-Batman-decorated backpacks (c'mon, that'd be sweet)
-lightweight nylon fanny packs (make great belt pockets) and camera cases
-ultra-cheap "emergency" rain ponchos
-umbrellas
-small, lightweight cookpots
-sombreros - you know it would be funny
-silverware - often lightweight plastic (c-store plastic-ware works great, too)
-CCF sleeping mats - a rare find, but possible
-puffy comforter of some kind - share with a tentmate, and it's probably as light or lighter than your sleeping bag
-tarps and pup tents - also rare, but possible
-insulated plastic mugs and thermoses

I think the only thing you'd really need to get Retail is water treatment. Walmart has options. I've heard of using regular old chlorine bleach as water treatment, but I have no idea how that's done so you shouldn't do it. You might also need to buy a cookstove, although if you can get a small fire going, you might not need a stove. Maybe root through the thrift store shelves for something that can be used as a pot stand or grill. Or you could look for a small sheet of flexible metal and make yourself a small twig-burning stove (something like this or this).

Anyway, it'd be fun to start with nothing but $50 in your pocket and see how far you can outfit yourself at some thrift stores. Then, when you're done, find a hobo and give him the whole kit. He'll be stoked.