New toys...

Part of the fun the of the shake down trip last week was that we took a few new things to try as well. And all in all, we're pretty happy with them.

The biggest success was our new Platypus water (and wine!) bottles. These are simple bladders that roll up very small when they are empty, but also hold a full liter of water. We like that they weigh even less than a soda bottle, and that they slip into our side pockets much easier than the soda bottles do. Are they worth the extra money, compared to the soda bottles? eh...who knows. These were a gift, and we like them a lot!

We also tried another one of our re-hydrated meals. M had cooked uyp some sausage, eggs, diced potatoes, and onions...and the dehydrated them last fall. We tried them on the trail on this trip--and even though she was sure she had over-dried them, they worked pretty well. We managed to add too much water, so it was more like a stew than anything else, but it was yummy, warm, and just the thing in the middle of our sleet/snowstorm.

And we certainly tried out our new alpaca hats from Peru. Warm, light, and ever so soft. What's not to like? That's M at right, modeling the latest in Peruvian haute couture in the snow.

She's also using her hiking poles and loving them--another trick she learned on the Inca trail in the Andes...