Fat Sage on the Trail

I love food.  No, actually I am addicted to food in the most literal sense.  Mainstream science is just now catching up with what has anecdotally been know for generations and what certain fast "food" companies that serve what vaguely passes as food have probably known for decades.  In essence, fats, sugars, and salt are like cocaine and heroine to the human brain.

What's in a [trail] name...

Before the cease and desist order comes from some overpaid lawyer hired by some anal retentive media agent trying to justify their job by "protecting" the copyrights of a creative talent they probably have never met from someone who has no interest in stealing from them, let me explain the nature and reason for the trail moniker I have selected.


For those who do not know, I am an avid viewer of what most folks would call cartoons.  I grew up on them, and it is one of the last refuges I have when I feel the need to regress during an escapist mental vacation.  From Warner Bros. classic shorts like What's Opera, Doc featuring the infamous duo of Bugs and Elmer, to the feature films of Walt Disney (the person not the company) and current king of big picture classic animation Hayao Miyazaki who has

Art of the Gear - Part 1

The gear I will be examining in this part pertains to the first assumption on my list.

1. I will need to drink

This is the more simplistic aspect one will have to plan for on the trail.  It thus lends itself to the most variability of all aspects.  Every hiker will think they have the better mousetrap, and will be happy to tell you as much (like I am going to do).


First off it is the number one subject for any person anywhere on the planet to worry about,

Assume I will do stupid things...

Holding true to my assumption that I will do stupid things, I've updated my list of assumptions with a very basic principle one would make when going on a hike.  Essentially, I will be hiking/walking.  Another no brainer, but the trees got in my eyes for a moment.

And so it goes...

Art of the Gear - Preface

Gear, gadgets, gizmos, hardware, tech, cheaters, it is what makes a trip hard or easy, but not in the way most would think.  Having the latest and greatest, the most expensive or complex pieces of gear will not guarantee success or comfort on the trail.  A complicated item that was intended to be a boon to one's trip may turn into a lead brick that does nothing but take up space and break one's back.  Those items will quickly be pitched from the edge of a ravine in frustration.


This series will cover my personal gear selection methodology as it applies to my own needs, philosophy, and budget.  If some or all of it applies to you, great.  Be sure to apply your own criteria and judgement in gear selection though, because not all of you are fat, balding, middle aged, nearsighted, arthritic, middle income, stubborn, intellectual geeks with sleep apnea.