Puerto Ordaz & Gear Break

I spent a day and change in Puerto Ordaz, where, among other things, I had to deal with gear failure. The Granite Gear Latitude Vapor Backpack that I spent weeks researching and had shipped to me from Michigan back in October lasted about 6 days on the road before a small tear appeared where the shoulder strap attached to the back padding. The Roraima hike made quick work of this tear, which morphed into a massive gash in a matter of hours.


The first casualty of my trip.

I was lucky in two ways: (1) since the Roraima group was lousy with hardcore Alpinists, one of my fellow hikers had a couple of adjustable straps she loaned me to keep my pack together, and (2) there are basically no “loose” items in my pack, because everything is sorted and carefully packed into adorable little stuffsacks. But alas, the straps had to be returned to my new friend from Munich, and obviously I couldn’t be flashing my stuffsacks all over South America for the next three months. I decided my only option was get in touch with my Long Island roots and head to the mall.

I arrived at the Orinochia Mall in Puerto Ordaz around 10:00AM. I stumbled out of the mall nearly 10 hours later, radiant with shopper’s high and a little dazed from consumerist culture shock after spending a week without so much as electricity. I also squeezed in a viewing of “Casino Royale” at the mall, paying a premium to see the movie in the VIP theater because I didn’t want to wait for the plebeian screening 2 hours later. It was lovely: my own commodious club chair, my own footrest, my own side table, waitress service, etc., etc. Too bad I was dressed in stinky, crusty hiking clothes still smeared with tepuy dirt. Hopefully, I’ll find a lavanderia when I get to Caracas.

Anyway, I bought the best backpack I could find at the mall, but it’s obviously crap. The straps, buckles and seams have all the hallmarks of crappy materials and crappy workmanship. I can only hope the bag will last a bit longer than my last one. Most disappointing is the fact that I had hoped to do a week-long hike of Ciudad Perdida in Colombia at the end of December. Not only is the new bag not up to snuff quality-wise, it’s also much less comfortable to wear than my Granite Gear bag was; accordingly, I’m very hesitant to commit to 6 days of hiking up and down a mountain in a rain forest with about 35 pounds crammed into an uncomfortable and cheap pack. I guess I will wait until I get to Santa Marta, Colombia to decide what the do about this. Any thoughts from you guys? (You do realize that you can post comments on this blog, right??? But please only do so if your comments are particularly witty and wildly entertaining and/or really flattering – thanks!)


The new pack

Let me also take this opportunity to make a few belated shout-outs. Erin & Christine and Rachel & Tom both gave me gift certificates to Campmor for my birthday, to help equip me for my travels. How much do they rock?!?! These guys facilitated my comfort and safety, respectively.

First, Erin & Christine gave me an extraordinarily comfy—yet super-lightweight and compact—insulated camp mattress. At this point in my trip, I have slept on the Therm-a-Rest ProLite 3 Sleeping Pad more often than not, and it has been totally awesome in a variety of temperatures and surface conditions. (I was particularly jazzed about it on the summit of Roraima when all those hardcore Alpinists were complaining about not being able to sleep because of how cold the ground was.)

Thanks, Erin & Christine! Look how small it gets! (The soda can is there for scale, obviously.)

Second, Rachel & Tom gave me what is perhaps the niftiest gadget I’ve got with me on this trip: the SteriPEN. In less than 2 minutes, this little baby can render 32 ounces of the most parasite-laden surface water totally potable. Just activate the ultraviolet light, insert and stir. I’ve been using it constantly, without so much as a stomach gurgle; I don’t think Beaver Fever stands a chance!


Thanks, Rachel & Tom!

And lastly, at my going-away shindig, Stacy gave me what might be the smallest item I have with me: a SanDisk 4GB Cruzer thumbdrive. This has enabled me to upload photos and text to my blog from a bunch of different internet cafés. The blog wouldn’t be possible without it. Also, it gives off a nice, warm glow – sometimes, I just plug it in and stare at it, utterly transfixed.


Thanks, Stacy!

Clearly, my ride has been pimped. If only I had a decent friggin’ pack to carry all my kick-ass equipment in, I’d be all set!

Next up, Caracas!