Well, another important milestone has been passed. Saturday I went over to Marmot Mountain in Berkeley. I had been there a couple of weeks ago and checked out a few of their backpacks. The one I was most interested in was from Mystery Ranch. But I wasn’t sure if my CD-ROM player would fit in the top detachable part. I brought it with me, and it wasn’t even close. I could fit 10 players in there. So, after some trials and tribulations getting the pack to fit, I bought it. I got the floor model at a 5% dicount because it was the only one they had and they said they might not get a special order delivered before I was planning on leaving. I gotta say, this pack is way cool. First, it is super-adjustable. Second, the design is well thought out - it has good access to the main compartment from the top (of course), from the bottom (less common, but not unheard of) and from the middle (which is both super-convenient and also unusual because of the shape of the outside pockets on most other packs). Third, it is made with two-layer fabric, with the outer layer specifically designed to prevent tears and punctures while the other provides the structural strength. I’m a big fan of composites like this (fiberglass, steel-n-concrete, etc).

As a side note, the packing is make slow and steady progress. I’ve got enough boxes packed now that it makes sense to open up a storage unit and start shuttling stuff over there. Next week I’ll list a lot of my furniture on Craig’s List. Anyone want some bookcases? How about a nice desk, a couch or a loveseat with a hideaway bed? Let me know…