A year in the life of...

Little did I know, exactly one year ago, that my backpacking (and social media networking) style would have changed so much in the course of one year.

A year ago I signed up to Twitter (16th May 2010) and then a couple of weeks later, started this blog (31st). In this time my backpacking journey has been explored, analysed, experienced and relished. I've made some good friends, met some new people both in real life and many more online. It's lead to a richer experience all around and my kit has changed enormously, mostly down to the generosity of one or two key people but also through selling a lot of old / outdated / heavy equipment and replacing it with lighter versions.

Just selling and replacing with lighter gear isn't really in the true spirit of lightweight backpacking; I'm learning it's more of an attitude thing, considering multi use items, simplifying and making your own gear. Lately, thanks in part to being beneficiary of my late Aunt's sewing machine, I've started to dabble in making my own things; the pooh stick, a fair number of stuff sacks and a prototype hip belt in some cannibalised fabric and oddments have helped sate my need to be connected with the outdoors when I haven't been able to get 'out there'. And that is what it's all about really.

That experience of being in and of the land, the air and sky, how it lives and breathes. It's not necessarily a sense of adventure, although that is reasonably plentiful for me, any time I venture somewhere unknown (and sometimes known too). I have found that I enjoy England. That England of rolling hills and Hawthorn hedgerows. That John Betjeman, quintessential green and pleasant land. I like the hills too, and the coast, and even the flat lands; they all have something to offer if you keep your eyes and ears open!

The journey to light weight means for me the ability to continue to wander, to be at least adequately kitted out and not carrying more weight than I need. Instead of a pack weighing upwards of 12Kg (I think the record for me was something like 45lbs when I was in my early 20s, about 2 years before the photo above was taken of me in Austria), now it is more likely to weigh about 8Kg, including water and food. I can add odds and ends as I want and within reason but while I am strong, as I approach my 40th birthday in August I don't want to carry more weight than I need. And frankly I'm not fit enough to do that either at present. (Losing 'that' weight is also on the cards...)

Who knows what the next year will hold? I'd like to get fitter again and cover a bit more distance than I currently do. I'd like to improve my basic map and compass work and to do more walking in the dark! I'd like to do more sketching on my wandering. I'd like to do more local wandering, uncovering more flora and fauna and sharing that through my local communities and surrounding villages perhaps. I expect the learning / weight curves will continue but I expect them to flatten off somewhat. Generally I think I'll carry on going to places less conventional in the hill walking world; that may mean I don't walk so many hills...but if I retain the level of solitude but with pleasant, limited interaction with people rather than being annoyed by their overwhelming presence in more populous destinations, then I am sure I shall continue to grow on my lighter weight wondering wandering journey and be happy.