Thanks for the tag, Jen! @DwightET , it sucks that you're stuck over there and can't get back home!  Because that's where I'd suggest getting your skills back. There are trails just about anywhere you are.  But since you are stuck, why not start where you are?  Some of the local folks should know where there's some good hiking, and might even like to act as a guide and show you where they keep the good stuff.  If you don't have your hiking stuff, maybe you can beg, borrow or rent some.  If you have to buy it, think minimalist and used so you don't spend too much or have to ship it back here. As an aside, and I can say this because we're of an age, how's your gear?  I started hiking again back in the 80's, after a longish hiatus for "professional development", and found by comparing my stuff with that of other hikers that I was carrying WAY too much weight!  Some of it was new advances in lightweight material, some of it was that I didn't have much money when I first outfitted myself, and the cheap and/or homemade stuff I used was heavy.  I was also packing a lot of stuff I never used, which took a few trips to realize.  I'm in good shape too, with lots of daily cardiac exercise (I run three miles as hard as I can to get it over with! 😁 ), but I too am retired, was forced on Medicare (which made me feel old) and last month reached Social Security age (which helps $$-wise, but not with feeling younger!).  And my grandfather is now staring out of the mirror at me!  Granted, it's good to see him, and he's a great mime-copier, but it's also just a little creepy.  All that, just to say if you're still using your old gear, you might want to consider retiring it for lighter stuff.  Doing so has made a big difference for me. ... View more

I grew up in central Illinois.  I agree wholeheartedly!  😀 ... View more

Late to the party, sorry, and it looks like it's all been said.  Mostly geography;  mountain ranges and rivers run north-ish and south-ish, for the most part.  ... View more

Marmot is a good brand, and it'd suit you just fine.  In fact, pretty much all the major brands are pretty good.  There are also some cottage brands out there that can be both warmer and lighter (at the same time!), as well as pricier.  Honestly, with comparable bags, it's mostly going to boil down to personal preferences.  It may even jut boil down to color!  It's kind of like beds;  it's a big choice, and in the case of a good bag, it's probably going to be a lifelong choice.  They build them to last.  In an obscure way, that's actually a downside.  Gear shopping is fun, and if you're cheap like me, you won't give a good piece of equipment until it's no longer serviceable, and maybe not even then.  😄 ... View more

Regarding the bubbles, I've never had a liquid filled compass that didn't have or get bubbles over time.  They don't affect the accuracy of the instrument in any way. Usually formed by elevation and temperature changes. At the worst, they're might be aesthetically displeasing, but they don't hurt a thing.  https://www.backpacker.com/gear/compass-bubbles ... View more

OK, John J, if you're gonna pin me down like that!  😀   (Honestly, thanks for asking!  I'm honored!) I'm going to make this all up as I type it.  Some of it is AT related, some deals with other trails, and some is completely unrelated. Start with the AT.  I distinctly remember when I first stepped foot on it.  Back in the early '60's, when my family took our first trip to the Smokeys.   Mom and Dad, my younger sister and brother, and me.  Camped in a 26 foot Shasta (think Airstream, just cheaper), pulled behind the family sedan.  We stopped at Newfound Gap, which is where I first saw the trail.  I think the same sign is still there (or maybe a reasonable facsimile of it).  Georgia, hundreds of miles that way.  Maine, more hundreds of miles the other way.  One continuous footpath.  Wow!  I was pretty amazed, and mentioned how wonderful it might be to hike the whole thing.  "Look over here", said Dad, and took my picture.  "Now you've hiked the Appalachian Trail!". *sigh*  Dad isn't as funny as he thinks he is.  Yeah, present tense.  I'm 66. and Dad's still with us.  So is Mom.  96 and 89, respectively. I'm amazingly blessed.  They both give me great hope! So, how have things changed?  Ever been to Gatlinburg?  Seriously crowded, isn't it?  During that trip, we parked on Main Street, car, trailer and everything.  No issues finding a place.  There's a pancake house there on Main, to this day.  We parked right in front of that, where we had breakfast! Equipment has changed a lot.  Not AT related, but when we hiked in to camp (that was backpacking way back then), it was borrowed WWII vintage sleeping bags (one with real feathers for insulation!), loaned by the next door neighbors.  Borrowed heavy cotton canvas tarp for a tent.  Cooking kit was assembled from a few No. 10 cans the school cafeteria thoughtfully gave me.  Stove?  Another No. 10 can, a hobo stove. Campfire for the rest. Weighed a ton, but we had a great time.  Eventually, my patents got me a bunch of good Boy Scout camping stuff;  the old cook kit, which I still have and sometimes use out of nostalgia, real packs instead of tying everything together with the tarp ridge line and hoisting it up on our backs.  Real tents, instead of the huge canvas tarp.  Dad always has believed "the bigger, the better".  We sometimes had eight or ten kids under that thing!  Had to have that many to get all our junk to the camp site. Back to the AT.  Did my first hike on it back in the late 80's.  Had an industrial accident that did a lot of damage to my right hand.  Of course, I'm right handed.  After 18 months of surgery and therapy, I determined I would prove myself fully recovered, and planned a hike on the AT (for some reason).  Solo.  I'd make it on my own, or not at all.  Had a great two day hike, from the southern terminus to Woody Gap.  My wife wasn't quite as thrilled as I was about it.  And yes, fully recovered!  😊 Didn't get back on the Trail for another ten years, and did so at the insistence of, once again, my darling wife.  Georgia is only about six hours or so from where we currently live, and she arranged a number of solo hikes for me, where I could drive up, park and start walking until we could meet at an agreed-upon road crossing a few days later.  My equipment went from old and heavy to new and much, much lighter.  Pack weight went from 45 or so pounds to my current 18 (dry) pounds.  I could go lighter, but I do like my comforts. The trail has also changed a lot, as mentioned several times above.  Less road walking, which I really like.  Switchbacks instead of straight up and down the mountains.  The scars from those old sections are going to take decades to heal, and in some cases may never be fully erased in our lifetimes. It's longer, in some ways easier to hike, and resupply is almost never a problem now.  Sadly, we can't get on it for the time being, and I do wonder what it's going to be like when we can once again safely access it.  The great volunteers that keep up the trail can't get on it, either. so it's going to be overgrown, with blowdowns.  It'll be a tougher trail for a while.  I recall reading Earl Shaffer's book, "Hiking With Spring".  During WWII, the trail got little, if any, maintenance, and Mr. Shaffer had some issues hiking it.  Hopefully it won't be that bad for us!  We'll see. Hope to see you all out there soon! Hikes in Rain     ... View more

Felt like my whole back caught fire and someone tried to put it out with itching powder!  Fortunately, they remove the ink with an antihistamine cream.  Went away almost immediately. ... View more

Not for me, but then I'm generally going more for distance than time spent in camp.  Instead, I bring a little sit "ground cloth" I can use to keep the seat of my pants clean and dry.  At least relatively.  😁   It often doubles as an entry mat to my tent. ... View more

A certain small amount is normal, and the ones that do really aren't doing as much for insulation as the "real" down.  That said, my heart skips a beat with every one I lose! ... View more

      Forgive me for bringing this back up, but I finally found the picture of my back during the scratch test! ... View more

I had no idea you could be allergic to cold! But glancing through some literature, you sure can.  Or at least it can be treated as such.  Wow, that's gotta suck up there!  And I thought I had problems! My allergist recommended the shots as well, but changed his mind when he found out we're moving.  Good chance I might be less allergic in the areas we're considering. Please tell your wife best of luck with from me! ... View more