Gearing up

It happens every April. I think I've got everything I need, and then something happens to suggest otherwise. this time it was the ill fated Peebes to Moffat walk , and the experience of sleeping on compacted snow. Frankly, the 11 year old 3/4 Thermarest was a tad inadequate for my old bones - cold tootsies and an achy hip by morning that even whisky induced anaethesia couldn't entirely hold at bay.

So on a shopping expedition yesterday afternoon in search of Miss W's "summer shoes", I strayed into Cotswold and enquired if they stocked the Thermarest Neoair. A young chap produced one (ready inflated) and invited me to try it out ... bliss ... sold... my credit card floated out of my wallet.

I guiltily drifted out onto the street where Miss W strolled up and said, "I've got my shoes, but they were a bit over budget".

Phew - I might get away with this after all!

"Don't worry about it", said I magnaminously.

She spotted the bag.

"What's that?"

"Er ... it's a mattress"

"I see, I've been skimping on shoes and you've just spent - well?"

"You just said that you hadn't skimped on the shoes!" (Touchez!) " Tell you what, I won't ask about the shoes, and you don't ask about the mattress."

"Alright - deal"

Arriving home, Miss W tried out the Neoair. "What do you think?" (silence) "I said, what do you think?"

"ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."

Nuff said Lovely piece of kit - and 90 odd grammes saved too!