Our bags are packed!

     Tomorrow is the big day, and Zoe and I have been packing away!  We have your basic jeans, sweatshirts, tennis shoes, etc.  But we also have some more unique items that we'll be bringing along.

1.  Bear Spray.  As I mentioned in the previous post, this is a special spray designed to prevent bear attacks.   We had quite the time buying it.  After wandering around REI, we found a sign instructing those wanting Bear Spray to ask an employee for assistance.  Zoe and I found a lady and politely said, "We need some bear spray."  She hesitated for a moment before responding, "Are you using it for bears?"  I was thinking, Duh, lady! Why the heck else would we be spending $50 bucks on a can of spray.  But I answered, "Yes we are. We're going to Glacier National Park."  She responded, "Just the two of you?"  After a few more minutes of questioning, she reluctantly went to the back to retrieve it.  Upon her return, Zoe asked, "Can this can be used more than once, or is it only good for one use?"  I thought this was a totally legitimate question, but I guess the worker thought otherwise.  She sort of snickered and said, "I don't think your going to be worried about refills if you have to use this stuff."  I guess she was insinuating that either we would be dead or, at the very least, too scared to return to the woods. Whatever, we got what we needed.

2.  A big ol' cooler.  This will be filled with Diet Cokes, lunch meat, fruits, and vegetables.  We have decided that for our own well-being, McDonalds can only happen once (maybe twice) on this trip.  This means we'll be eating lots of sandwiches.  We also decided not to plan any meals requiring a fire.  Although we are both skilled fire-makers, we won't be arriving at most campsites until later in the day, and we don't want the added pressure of building a fire before it gets dark.

3.  A super cool new water bottle with a built-in water filter.  We found this CamelBak while browsing through REI. I was afraid it was going to be outrageously priced, but I was pleasantly surprised by its $22.99 price tag.  We'll let you know how it works.

4.  Our swimming suits.  Despite the cold temperatures (once we get to Glacier, we'll be lucky if it gets to 55), we will have an opportunity for swimming at Chico Hot Springs.  I'm looking pretty forward to this.

5.  Unscented soap, bug spray, deodorant, etc.  We don't want to smell good and attract bears.  Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find any unscented shampoo or conditioner.  Zoe suggested not washing our hair, so don't be surprised if we come home with dreads.