Tonight I have been sitting in front of the 'fire' and as a result of the imbibing of some red wine, I have gotten around to some reminiscing. About a rucksack. At the end of the 70's (afore most of you youngsters was born) I had a bad accident and was told I would never walk again. Suffice it to say, I was determined to prove them wrong, and after a painful year of physiotherapy not only was I walking , but I was walking all day !!!. I entered a period of self employment which meant that, at the end of a contract, I was free to take some time off if I wished. I used to save up some money and go walkabout in Europe & North Africa for about three months every year over a period of about 5-6 years. On those long walks, my faithful companion was a relatively cheap Camp Trails externally framed rucksack. It had two compartments in the main body and four side pockets and a top pocket. The frame had a space under the bag for attaching a tent & sleeping bag. When you live out of a rucksack for months, you get to be very good at packing a rucksack and carrying JUST what you need. That sack meant a lot to me.
Page forward a couple of decades and the marriage that stopped me walking (career, mortgage, kids, cars etc. became important) also came to an end. So in 2010, I arrived at my house with a small van to take my stuff away. I spent two days packing the van. It was packed floor to ceiling and I could just about get the doors closed. Just as I pulled away, I notice 'someone' had put all my camping gear outside round the side of the house. It was all soaked, and mildew has set in with a vengeance. Atop the lot was my Camp Trails rucksack, looking very sorry. The van was full, chock-a-block to the point where I had the drivers seat pushed as far forward as I could. I decided to keep driving, telling myself 'I'll get another one'. But I've never found that exact one. I have other rucksacks, all with internal frames, but if I ever come across that Camp Trails rucksack again, I will definitely buy it, just for old times sake. Please excuse the ramblings of an old man
Page forward a couple of decades and the marriage that stopped me walking (career, mortgage, kids, cars etc. became important) also came to an end. So in 2010, I arrived at my house with a small van to take my stuff away. I spent two days packing the van. It was packed floor to ceiling and I could just about get the doors closed. Just as I pulled away, I notice 'someone' had put all my camping gear outside round the side of the house. It was all soaked, and mildew has set in with a vengeance. Atop the lot was my Camp Trails rucksack, looking very sorry. The van was full, chock-a-block to the point where I had the drivers seat pushed as far forward as I could. I decided to keep driving, telling myself 'I'll get another one'. But I've never found that exact one. I have other rucksacks, all with internal frames, but if I ever come across that Camp Trails rucksack again, I will definitely buy it, just for old times sake. Please excuse the ramblings of an old man
