One of the perks of working in the WT office is being surrounded by fellow adventurers. So if you find yourself short some type of adventure equipment, there’s usually someone who can reach in their closet to lend you whatever you need. This is where the story of the Blue Backpack begins.
Brian:
“As far as I know it’s been me, Seth, Nicole, and Brendt who have taken the backpack on trips. But it’s possible this backpack has gone on other trips with other people we don’t even know about. This pack likes adventure and frankly, it plays by its own rules.
“I have a lot of fond memories of this pack. One of the best is carrying it up Kilimanjaro. At 18,000 feet, this pack felt light as a feather on my back.
“Here’s a photo of me with the pack—I’ve just pulled out a bottle of some Gatorade, which the pack held nicely in its side pocket (a pocket that was later mysteriously destroyed by Nicole). The pack has some scars from its adventures, but that only makes it better.”
Seth:
“I took this backpack on our Everest Lodge to Lodge trip. Here are some highlights of the backpack’s awesomeness:
- It provided the perfect amount of room for water, my R1, camera, and snacks, with poles clipped to the outside.
- Together we made it up to Ama Dablam Base Camp.
- On the way up to Namche Bazaar (the toughest day on the trip), I strapped one of the other hiker’s backpacks to my backpack and the backpack was a champ, hiking and carrying the wounded soldier like nobody’s business.
- It worked perfectly as a pillow to lie down and enjoy the view of Everest from Ama Dablam Base Camp.
- The backpack also made me dance.”
Nicole:
“The backpack has been with me to the mountains and the sea. Earlier this year I brought it to Ecuador and the Galápagos, where it carried my swim gear and doubled as a pillow I’d use to relax on deck in the warm evenings. Last year, the backpack and I hiked the Haute Route, through the French and Swiss Alps. On the nights we stayed in mountain huts and carried our overnight necessities on the trails with us, I was able to fit everything I needed perfectly in the blue backpack. (Well not exactly perfectly, or the pocket would still be intact!)”
Brendt:
“I had the backpack with me in Wales. What wild, wet times we had, hiking through rain, and drizzle, and downpours, mist, and even a bit of ocean spray. This backpack handled the wettest Wales had to offer with real water-resistant gusto.
“On sunny days, we would bask together under blue skies, among the blooming heather and smile.
“You could say we fit together like bangers and mash. I’d travel with the backpack again any day.”
Thanks Blue Backpack!
Love,
The WT Office Team
-Photos and text by WT team members Brian Allen (Climb Kilimanjaro), Nicole Duke (Classic Haute Route), and Brendt Uebel (Adventures in Wales) and gone-from-the-office-but-irreplaceable, honorary WT team member Seth Masarik (Everest Lodge to Lodge)
