I rode most of the day today and thought about alot
of things, one of them was as follows: I am, in general, a minimalist--I
do admit to having a really cool vet cart with lots of things in it, but to tell
you the truth, I am certain that all I need is some wear left on the horseshoes
and a saddle that fits--everything else is gravy. If the cart gets to the
check, great, if not, I will be ok. Heck, I have even done a point to
point multiday alone with no crew at all. I never train with a HRM and
rarely wear a watch, I don't carry water or food or bandaids or solar blankets.
I don't have sunglasses, gloves or a fanny pack--I have been know to stick my
vet card in my bra. The bottom line is: I just wanna
ride.
WELLLLL, I am going to do the big XP ride this year
(5 weeks, 1250 miles) and have been told over and over about all the things
I will need, so today I was adding it up.....
I have a Rino 130 GPS so I don't get lost. I
had to buy one for my crew as well, so they don't get lost---total here
$297.
There is now a hydration pack hanging off me - the
desert is wicked, I hear: $32
I have on a special sunscreen shirt that
LLBean was kind enough to send me so I don't die of heat stroke: $46 +
shipping
The easy boots that I HAVE to have, were bought
barely used on ebay for $60, but of course there is the foam...
I am trying to get used to wearing sunglasses with
my helmet, but the cheap ones aren't comfortable: $49
The leased LQ trailer (I don't have a fancy one,
and I have to keep my crew happy...) $1000
A BBQ grill that sports a cooler
underneath: $140
A new water tank plus the two 30 gallons that have
always served me well: $68
The new corral panels (ok, these I would have
bought anyway): $500
Cases of bottled water, easy to prepare foods,
paper plates and stuff and aspirin: at least $300
I am sure there is much more, but I think I am
blocking that all out right now. This is going to be the adventure of a
lifetime and I can hardly wait, but REALLY, all I need is some wear left on the
horseshoes and a saddle that fits, honest. Watch the classifieds around
mid August and I'll bet you can pick up some neat stuff cheap---
