I bought a sewing machine! I bought it from an estate sale for $35. I also got a little table and all the bobbins and other things that go with it. It is a Pfaff from probably the 1950s.
This little sewing machine actually tells a small piece of the story of the woman's life. It is clear she had been using it up until the end. It was last serviced one year ago. How quickly a life can end. It is quite sad.
It's also clear from the sewing machine that this was a thrifty woman who took good care of things. The sewing machine came with many of the original items, including the original measuring tape. This was not a woman who threw things away or misplaced things and bought new ones to replace them. How different people are nowadays.
The machine is built like a tank and weighs a ton. There is very little plastic. No plastic gears, only plastic knobs. This machine was built to make clothing for the family and last forever. It works, too. I fixed The Man's backpack and I sewed some belt loops onto some thrift store pants I bought. It seems the latest fashion for women is to build pants with big bellies and skinny legs, so, because I have big thighs and have to buy pants with huge clown waists, I have to either pin the waist, put elastic in the waist or use a belt to keep people from having easy viewing of my underwear.
I may try to make some backpacking gear with it. I'm very happy it is mine now.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Boring update about my new shoes
So my new Feelmax shoes which seemed fairly wide and possibly too big are actually too narrow. And my new NB MT100s which looked too narrow actually fit perfectly. I went running in them today and they seemed to be exactly what I want from a trail shoe. They don't get in the way, they are flexible and I can feel the ground under me. They would be terrible for someone wanting stability and support, which I do not want. I really liked them. I like the Feelmax, too, but wish they made them wider. They are okay with thin socks but not toe socks. I wear them a lot for walking. It's clear I don't know how to walk right. Too much pounding on my knees. It also feels like I'm getting stronger both in my feet and in my ability to run up hills. But I'm very sore, too.
Going light doesn't have to be expensive
My tent and quilt were the most expensive things. The next most expensive were my two jackets and my titanium pot. Everything else was pretty cheap.
My clothing was either old stuff I've had for years or stuff I bought at the thrift store. I made a fleece balaclava out of an old fleece sweater from the thrift store. I also cut the sleeves off and used them as arm/leg warmers. These turned out to be really useful and light, serving also as a pillow and a pot cozy. I probably could have found jackets to use at the thrift store. I still have a down jacket that I used to always use that I bought at a thrift store for $10, but my new one is warmer and lighter.
My pack on the PCT was only $80 new. The pack I use now was only $40 from the PCT Kick-off ULA bargain bin.
For sleeping, I used half a z-lite which was a costly $35 but I also used half a blue foam pad from K-mart which was less than $10 new.
I used a few tiny containers that once held other things like medicine for my pet bird or visine. I refill my little travel-sized toothpaste over and over. I even refill a sample-sized foil pouch of anti-biotic ointment. It's tricky but can be done. All my hygiene and first-aid stuff is tiny and there isn't much of it.
I only brought one stuff sack (that's another place people waste a lot of weight), which was a pocket shower. Basically a dry bag with a shower nozzle. I put my sleeping bag in it when I thought it might rain and used it for a shower once. It was kind of wasted weight, except that it did work for my sleeping bag. For other stuff sacks, I just used ones that other things came in. I only had one other stuff sack anyway, which held all my hygiene items. Otherwise I used trash compactor bags for food and clothing. Compactor bags last a long time and if they get a little hole, just patch with duct tape. I used a trashbag for a pack cover. I paid the lady at White Pass a quarter for it.
Containers for drinking once held Gatorade or Naked Juice. I did have a few Platypus containers but they are relatively inexpensive and last a long time. I got the Naked Juice container in Stehekin for free because the juice inside was expired by a day. I still use it.
As a backpacker, I feel like the queen of trash, the dumpster-diver of backpacking. Going light can be way cheaper than going heavy because you need less gear overall and much of it can best be found by scavenging.
My clothing was either old stuff I've had for years or stuff I bought at the thrift store. I made a fleece balaclava out of an old fleece sweater from the thrift store. I also cut the sleeves off and used them as arm/leg warmers. These turned out to be really useful and light, serving also as a pillow and a pot cozy. I probably could have found jackets to use at the thrift store. I still have a down jacket that I used to always use that I bought at a thrift store for $10, but my new one is warmer and lighter.
My pack on the PCT was only $80 new. The pack I use now was only $40 from the PCT Kick-off ULA bargain bin.
For sleeping, I used half a z-lite which was a costly $35 but I also used half a blue foam pad from K-mart which was less than $10 new.
I used a few tiny containers that once held other things like medicine for my pet bird or visine. I refill my little travel-sized toothpaste over and over. I even refill a sample-sized foil pouch of anti-biotic ointment. It's tricky but can be done. All my hygiene and first-aid stuff is tiny and there isn't much of it.
I only brought one stuff sack (that's another place people waste a lot of weight), which was a pocket shower. Basically a dry bag with a shower nozzle. I put my sleeping bag in it when I thought it might rain and used it for a shower once. It was kind of wasted weight, except that it did work for my sleeping bag. For other stuff sacks, I just used ones that other things came in. I only had one other stuff sack anyway, which held all my hygiene items. Otherwise I used trash compactor bags for food and clothing. Compactor bags last a long time and if they get a little hole, just patch with duct tape. I used a trashbag for a pack cover. I paid the lady at White Pass a quarter for it.
Containers for drinking once held Gatorade or Naked Juice. I did have a few Platypus containers but they are relatively inexpensive and last a long time. I got the Naked Juice container in Stehekin for free because the juice inside was expired by a day. I still use it.
As a backpacker, I feel like the queen of trash, the dumpster-diver of backpacking. Going light can be way cheaper than going heavy because you need less gear overall and much of it can best be found by scavenging.
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