Gear: Backpack

So, while I had the scale and camera out in the Garage yesterday, I thought I'd take the opportunity to weigh some of my gear that I'll be taking along.  Of course, the starting item will be the Backpack. 

When I first had visions of life without kids, I thought it would be a good idea to get a backpack.  So Gail and I went down to REI, tried on a number of different packs, and I found one that fit me well, didn't cost too much, and was brown (i.e., the color of dirt).  I finally picked out an REI 65 backpack that has two main compartments and a number of different compartments for stuff.  (Gotta have places to put your stuff.) 

My first experience with this backpack was while I was traveling with my daughter in Europe.  We spent February wandering around the Mediterranean a couple of years ago, hauling our possessions on our backs.  She used Gail's pack and I hauled around mine.  It worked fairly well, and it was comfortable.  So far, I am pleased with this particular pack. 

Although you don't get a good view of the pack, you can see with my highly accurate scale that this piece of gear weighs 5 lbs.  (It's probably closer to 3 but what do you expect from the Borg?)