Black Friday

I have to say that I don’t like shopping.  The idea of buying everything I need for the trail drives me a little crazy.  In addition to not enjoying shopping I am a bargain shopper.  I love Goodwill and yard sales. 

That being said I’ve been reading emails from L.L. Bean, EMS, and REI for months now, checking sales to see where I can get the most for my money.

How does this translate to getting gear for my hike?

Today I went out for Black Friday.  Did I get up super early and stand in line?  Nope!  I figured that most people wouldn’t be going after camping gear and I would be able to enjoy myself at EMS.  Much to my delight there was no traffic around the mall.  In fact it seemed like there were fewer cars than usual.  I didn’t have to fight for a parking spot either; the one closest to the door seemed to be waiting for me.

After wandering around for a while and checking to see what deals there were I bought one thing- a new down coat at 40% off!  I now have a coat and boots for the trail.  Hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll have a pack too.