Rarin’ for the outdoors

For some years now I’ve been following a rather sedentary lifestyle, due mostly to my blogging and Internet-based involvements. I do get to go out and meet people a lot — and I’ve been busy with a couple of major events — but I’ve not been engaging in truly active stuff lately. It’s a wonder my midsection hasn’t flared out on me yet…

Since a couple of weeks ago, however, I’ve been itching to go out and stretch my limbs, limber up and flex some muscles. I’m not talking about exercise, though (although that, too, is climbing up my list of priorities). The outdoors! The beaches that are less than an hour away from where I live, the mountains that are accessible to me anytime I wished to be there.

So that’s why I found myself acquiring a backpacker’s tent recently, and a mountaineer’s ruck sack as well. When I was in Makati last week, I saw some cool tents at a Coleman shop, and they were on sale! The one I got is a solo tent that’s aerodynamic and lightweight, and promises to be watertight. Can’t wait to field test it!

Then this afternoon, back in Davao, I walked into a Habagat shop at Matina Town Square to get myself my first Habagat bag. I was part of a mountaineering club back in the ’90s, but the packs I had then weren’t made by this Proudly-Filipino manufacturer. You gotta love their tagline: “Built by Hand. Tested by Nature.”

Now that I have the gear and the will to get down and dirty again after all these years, I’m going to head out to Samal Island for a trek and an overnight on the beach. Then maybe a hop to the mountainside to commune with the trees. This weekend, most probably.

That is, after I get some work done first…