Kathi has been after me for a while to contribute to the writing department. So here goes.
I have been involved in some equipment acquisitions and jointly we have talked with the travel agent. I have had to return some calls to get to the bottom of some of the questions we have both had.
I started on the equipment front by buying myself a new digital camera for Christmas. It’s really for the family but I bought it a few weeks before Christmas on a great sale and put it away in the closet. I enjoyed it as a gift even though I knew what was coming.
It’s a brand new
Canon Powershot SX10 IS that was just announced this past fall. It went on sale in late November. I wanted something small and have been pleased with our older Powershot A85. The grip is a nice feature and the new camera is loaded with lots of new features, e.g. 10x optical zoom, image stabilization in the lens and 10 megapixal density to the image. All the while being intuitively similar to the older model that we have. I’ve been playing with it, and took some Christmas photos and hockey pictures since.
In addition, I went looking for and buying bags (backpacks). I had my eye on various models for a while and have done some preliminary research on-line and with equipment sellers. There are many features in bags and pros and cons to each. It’s a very sophisticated market as well like much of everything these days. I came to the conclusion from most of the various sales staff I talked with that Osprey is a highly regarded brand with built in quality and lots of features.
I settled on the Osprey line of back packs for all four us with two different models, one for the kids and one for Kathi and myself. The kids’ bags were a little easier. Although they may not be loaded down with lots of gear and weight it was important that they fit well for comfort when they are wearing them (they need to carry some of the load) but that they have some adjustability for future use. And these do. I ended up buying the
Osprey Sprint Jib 35 in red for Jackson and the
Osprey Sprint Ace 48 in blue for Mitchell. These bags have some fine features found in some adult bags but there were a couple of things, in particular, that sold me on these. The back harness can adjust up and down to suit their torso length for appropriate fit and can be adjusted as they grow - now until we leave and in the year that we are away. In addition, the fit is a narrow one for their little bodies. They also have a bladder pocket and hole for a drinking straw to hold a water reservoir. These bags will do well for them.
The bags I settled on for Kathi and me are the
Osprey Meridian 22, in burgundy for Kathi and in black for me. These come highly regarded from what I’ve read and by the store manager at the
Expedition Shoppe where I bought them. (He has and travels with the similar model, the Sojourn, with wheels but without detachable day pack.) They are both 60-litre bags with wheels and detachable day packs. They are considered to be of a size that they can be carried on a plane for maximum efficiency, for us. If we can avoid ever having to check baggage, so much the better.
One of the questions for us was whether or not we needed or wanted the wheels. They add some weight but where they can be used, e.g. in an airport they add some convenience. We were told that they weren’t very useful in the Kabul airport. Strike Afghanistan from our list of places to visit with the kids. Anyway, we arrived at the inclusion of wheels because we may need to assist with carrying some little packs and it may be useful to pull the larger ones.
The inclusion of a detachable day pack is a nice option that is included in a variety of packs. It allows for separating a certain portion of the stuff to make the main bag a little smaller and certainly of the right size for stowing above. It will give us some flexibility when don’t have to lug the larger bags, and it will hold a laptop in its pocket as well. It also is a more appropriate size for adults to carry. One consideration we had was to use the kid’s packs as day packs. But their width really is designed for the smaller body.
I have a list of a few more items we may need. I will track these down and buy them as we get closer to leaving. They include the bladder option for the packs, a possible mosquito net, bed sheet and pillow covers, and a power converter for electronics that we may want to plug in.
As for the travel arrangements, we are getting closer to finalizing them. We will get it right soon, get our pricing and hope the calculations of various taxes works out in our favour. In the window of opportunity that we will be given we will close the deal. This makes things a little more exciting as the gap in time from now to departure narrows and we make commitments. It also heightens some of our mutual apprehensions and insecurities as well. There are still some loose ends to take care of, namely renting our house. Until next time.
