Hiking used to be easy. Boots, pants, t-shirts, hot sweater and some waterproof jacket. Some cherry vodka helped too. Now it is a much different affair judging by hiking crowd... Let's starts with socks - they need to have silver nanoparticles so they do not stink after. Underwear for hiking is different than normal one everyone knows:-) but it is also different from the one for skiing - at least so producers say. Then fleece... Polartec with Power Stretch with antibacterial treatment is a must. Pants and jacket is easy - you just need to decide whether Soft Shell with Dryskin material and Keprotech reinforsements and Durable Water Repellency is good enough or you go for Gore-tex and then only decide if two- or three-layer... The boots need to be fitted for crampons, take ice axe and you are ready to go! You can now feel like a world class hiker!
All of this for three days hiking, when you do not even leave the valleys... Patagonia's weather is capricious but do you really need all this? Here in El Chalten many are true hikers and climbers, but still most are just professionally equipped occasional ones. I know I am one of them... It feels odd to overspend but I guess this is how our world works now and how progress is attained. You pay more and get more, but only just... We consume more than we need and all big multinationals make sure we do not stop - now we do not spend any more, we belong (!) even though it is just for three days. I hope it just does not take away the fun. But about this tomorrow...
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