Bushwalk Australia

Prompted to start this thread after a couple of exchanges with Chris
I have a lot of what my beloved Cecile calls "junk" in the shed and while most of it is way past its working life some of the items have such strong associations with some very good times I am loath to part with them; I'd give them to a good home or sell them but not take them to the tip
The old kids pack full of hole where the rats chewed though it to get to the chockolate my daughter left in there and my old PaddyMade japara tent for instance
Some things simply take me back to times when I was happiest or remind me of when my kids were still just kids
Also some gear deserves a second life as car camping gear or safety equipment in the boot

I'm waaay too attached to my backpacks and hiking shoes. Much to my wife's dismay I'm pretty determined to never throw them out.

Finally threw out my old Hi-Tec boots recently.... My feet have widened over the years and there's no way I could wear them now, but they got me through my early years of bushwalking. Lugging them along through two interstate moves probably wasn't necessary, but I just couldn't bear to part with them.

That said, it's always such a liberating and cleansing experience when you offload "stuff".

I have my first pair of hiking boots their from Aldi I always hiked in joggers before I got them i have had them for years always did the job but they were not water proof so i got some new ones I think I am on my third pair now but i still have those first Aldi pair

I have all my motorbike riding gear from when I was a little tacker, so I have 8 helmets, goggles and gloves.

But as far as bushwalking gear goes I generally hang onto stuff because I think some is better for warmer weather and some obviously better for wet or cold weather etc. I didn't get attached to it like I have my motorbike gear.

But the more experienced I get the more my bushwalking gear as evolved. And no doubt thats always going to happen, although its now slowing as I am possibly as light as I am prepared to push it and when I buy new stuff I need to sell old stuff to finance the new stuff.....or keep the wife happy

My first time ever walking was when I booked a tour to do the Classic Trail to Machu Picchu (you can read about it in an old issue of Great Walks). I bought a 2nd hand pack off Gumtree and I have never been able to part with it since. I still use the same detachable pack for daily commutes to work and the gym.