The Trekking Pard: Last night I was lying in bed around midnight, wide awake after drinking too much iced tea while doing the dreaded income taxes thinking about my next article topic and it dawned on me what to write about, the trekking pard!
I have done treks alone and while a nice break from society,
I cannot lie, they are boring! I would rather watch grass grow than trek alone.
First off, the safety of having someone with you makes good common sense since
you never know when an injury will happen. We all read lots of stories about
people out alone and having to do drastic things to survive. Most of the time
these things can be prevented with the application of common sense and having a
trekking pard.
My great friend Bryan Knapp and I have racked up some time
in the woods together having fun and being miserable at times. The pictures in
this article are on a particularly cold 5-day winter camp in December. Our only
game acquired was a huge raccoon that we ate down to the bone.
Having a trail pard makes miserable not so miserable and fun
more enjoyable and memorable. It just so happens that Bryan is a gourmet cook and
that makes all the difference. He made that raccoon taste like roast beef, no
joke!
Having a trail pard helps split up camp chores and each
person brings a different skill set to the woods. Bryan and I can go to town
setting up camp and have it done in no time since we think alike and have
camped a time or two together. One starts a fire while one gathers wood and then
after that we each set up our bedroll, but not until after the team chores are
done.
When finding a trekking pard you don’t always have to find
someone that is period correct like you are and that’s ok. We all come into
this hobby from different angles, and we all start somewhere.
It helps if you live close to each other to make logistics
easier. If they are modern, let them come modern. After they see how you do
with period clothing, they may want to take the next step, and it makes the
time around a fire more enjoyable and the trek safer.
Remember, for us this is a hobby and not our way of life. We must be smart about things, safe and return home to our loved ones and for those still working, to your job and means of making a living. See you in the woods!
Written by Gerry "Lucky" Messmer. Reprinted with permission from the author.
Code: trk01 glm01