FAWET

[BigV]

I love camping.

I go camping about once a month, sometimes more often. I usually go camping with our Boy Scout troop, but sometimes not. I’ve been a camper all my life and I really enjoy it. I like being outdoors and I like being away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. I like the company of a few friends and I like the solitude. I like the gear and I like using it. I like the physical effort and I like being self sufficient.

I don’t like packing.

I have plenty of gear (not *too much*, you can always use more gear) and I’m not afraid of modifying it. I regard a lot of what I get from the store as a kit anyway. I used to think that packing was a problem—I hated it. I regularly took *all* the time available to me right up until the night before getting my gear ready. I’m a notorious overpacker. I am a pack rat by nature, I have a really big backpack, and I feel compelled to “Be Prepared” for whatever might happen, and that leads naturally to: Too. Much. Stuff.

But on a recent trip to Vancouver Island, I learned that there’s an actual name for my dallying about trying to perfectly fill my backpack. We were finishing up breakfast one day and getting ready to hit the trail for the next leg of the hike. Naturally, someone’s got to be the last to be ready. But surprise, surprise, it’s not me (anymore). Actually, once I’m out of the house and all my belongings are in the pack I can get ready very quickly. Getting under my pack and on my feet can take a little longer sometimes. Anyhow, while everyone was finishing their meal and getting ready to go, I complained that it was taking a really long time to get ready today. Then I learned this term: FAWET. M, who was already ready, said, “Ah, yes. FAWET.” Huh? F-A-W-E-T, Fucking Around With Equipment Time.

Perfect!

I don’t hate packing, I just love FAWET.

I’ll include in later posts some of the equipment mods I’ve found useful. Tips and tricks of the trail. I’d love to hear about your camping experiences and gear stories. Success and failures alike (failure, when not fatal, can be instructive). What kind of camping do you like? What kind of gear do you use? How do you pack, how do you prepare? How do you eat and sleep? What do you like to do in the woods (besides that)? Let’s hear about your camping trips.