Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.
Much like how Hunter Thompson tried to develop a strain of cold-hardy peacocks, a friend of mine is attempting to grow a plumeria here in western Montana. He was out of town for a week and asked mt to mind his stuff while he was gone. One of the instructions that was made quite clear was that if there was even a suggestion that the temperature might get down towards freezing, bring the plant indoors. Well, I like to err on the side of caution and brought it in the other day…..good thing, too. It’s been right at freezing or a few degrees above these last few mornings. So, in addition to playing conservator to a plant that really has no business being in this part of the country, it is also time to break out the winter gear…especially the cold weather module for the backpack.
Since I made that original post about 6 years ago I’ve changed a few things. I added an extra set of mitts, an extra neck gaiter and an extra hat (because someone always forgets theirs). Otherwise, its the same stuff. Theres just barely enough room left for an UnderArmor undershirt which comes in handy when you really underestimate the weather.
As I was repacking things I noticed that, dammit, I’m having trouble finding the surplus wool mitts I purchased about a year or so ago. I bought enough that I vacuum sealed several individual pairs and tucked them away fro long term storage, but I also left at least a half dozen pairs loose for casual use. No big deal. A quick trip to Sportsmans Guide turned up these well-reviewed wool mitts. $19.97 for twenty pair. But, if youre a member of their buyers club you can shave off another $2/pair. So far so good. A quick Google of “sportsman’s guide discount code” brought me to coupon code #SN323 which shaved off another $10. So, what woulda been around $46 with shipping came out to $36. And I’ll have forty pairs of wool mitts to work with. As is SOP, half will go into deep storage and the remaining half will be left out for immediate use, although I might send a few pairs to some LMI as thoughtful gifts.
