The Best
It’s funny how there are some pieces of gear that are used a few times, then lost, discarded or otherwise disposed of. I can remember tents that I used to have, packs, even kayaks – all long gone now. Each had its own reasons for its obsolescence, but the end was the same for all.
And then there are the simple things that last and last. That mug that went around Newfoundland with me, around the Brooks Peninsula. That made the climb up Rainier and the hike over the Press Route in the Olympics. I still have it and I’m still enjoying every cup of coffee. And the spoon? Truthfully, there were a few other spoons, but they all looked like this one, all pilfered en masse from the same Thai restaurant. (I don’t want to give too much away; I don’t know what the statute of limitations on spoon-kiping are in this State.) Suffice to say, I’ve been back to the place on many occasions and I’ve always tipped generously… I feel I’ve paid for that spoon a thousand times over.
There’s something about good gear, well used. It’s comforting. It’s familiar, even when the surroundings in which it’s used are anything but.
About Ken Campbell
New Release
A story of sea kayaking and science on the rugged coast of Alaska. Coming – Spring 2014.
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