Hall of Fame Inductee #1
Dear Forever-Trekkers in the Field,
Several years ago, one of our best friends gave me this Eagle Creek Travel Gear backpack, which has been a loyal Friend in the Field ever since. She wasn't using it anymore, and I really needed one after I returned to graduate school full-time and stayed in Lexington during the week and went home on the weekends. I commuted to campus by bike, so my otherwise awesome single-strap leather mailbag was just not practical and resulted in too many unfortunate mishaps.
Even for a hand-me-down, this is the fanciest day-pack I've ever had, plus it's green, one of my favorite colors.+ It has many, many useful and well-placed pockets, including a really roomy front pocket and two water bottle pockets on either side. The main large pocket includes a zipper flap in the middle to create a separate sleeping bag compartment on the bottom. The compartment is also accessible through a separate zipper flap behind the detachable fanny pack so I don't have to remove everything out of the top to get to it. The shoulder straps include a waist strap for extra stability, all of which make this an incredible backpack for daily use and travel.
When I was commuting to campus, this backpack became my saving grace. I could organize an enormous range of books, notebooks, various electronic technologies, writing implements, water bottle, Emergen-C, and other daily life necessities, and I could safely secure it to my body with the waist strap when I was in transit. I also used it for all of my school-related necessities when I came home on the weekends.
When I did exploratory field research in South America in Summer 2013, I knew my green friend would be an important ally and asset for both my long-distance flight marathons to and fro, as well as my daily travel, which was mostly on foot. Backpacks can be friends in the field. However, be warned that their benefits can also come with unanticipated costs. For example, I learned both during two overnights in the Miami airport and one in the La Paz airport in Bolivia. Such horrific tales were both exacerbated and ameliorated by my dear green backpack. I intentionally chose to sleep overnight in Miami airport on the first leg, but unfortunately had to repeat this sad situation when I missed my flight returning from South America. However, I was better prepared the second time and had a much better night's sleep than the first night I did it.
En route, I tried to sleep in one of the immovable chairs in a waiting area with my suitcase as an ottoman and my entire backpack as a pillow. This was very uncomfortable, and the foot traffic of the few other passengers and custodial staff was not restful. During my return overnight in the Miami airport, I flipped the fanny pack down to reveal the soft surface of the lower sleeping bag compartment, which I was able to use as a very comfortable makeshift pillow. I camped out on the floor with my back against the wall in a remote corner in one of the gate waiting areas and used my winter coat as a blanket and visual screen for the fluorescent lights.
My airport overnight in La Paz, Bolivia was also intentional, but far more miserable than my two nights in Miami combined. It was a long and harrowing night precisely because of the amount of baggage I was carrying while I experientially learned about altitude sickness, or soroche. I'll let my field notes tell this tale...
I have since used my green friend again as a day-pack doing fieldwork in Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. It is especially handy and appreciated during participant observation, volunteering, and working as staff at Camp Steele, one of two two-week summer camps at High Rocks Educational Corporation. Backpacks are a must-have to keep up with camp schedules, class materials, and sources of sustenance (i.e., water, snacks, aspirin). Also, those who have ever camped or worked there know that any excuse is welcome to minimize the number of unnecessary trips up the Zen Trail that connects the main administrative and teaching buildings to the campground above. All that is to say that I was able to pack and organize most everything I needed for the day without having to return to the cabin or tent where I slept.
In general, I take my backpack everywhere I go as my centralized mobile headquarters, and it's becoming more weathered and faded with heavy-duty use, reminding me that nothing lasts forever. I plan to share a more complete list of my essential go-to in-the-field tools that it typically transports (in the spirit of other student anthropologists' contributions to the "What's In Your Fieldwork Bag?" genre. For now, let us celebrate the first Friend in the Field Hall-of-Famer that helps carry my load.
Be Kind, Be Kin,
*AnthroBone
p.s. One of my favorite comedic routines, George Carlin's "A Place for My Stuff," is relevant to both the subjects of backpacks and fieldwork. Being mobile and prepared while traveling away from home can be a challenge, but can also become a familiar practice of making a "place for my stuff" whenever and wherever I go. George Carlin says it a lot better (and funnier) while critiquing consumerism in this Bonus Track from his 1981 album by the same name.
Dear Forever-Trekkers in the Field,
Several years ago, one of our best friends gave me this Eagle Creek Travel Gear backpack, which has been a loyal Friend in the Field ever since. She wasn't using it anymore, and I really needed one after I returned to graduate school full-time and stayed in Lexington during the week and went home on the weekends. I commuted to campus by bike, so my otherwise awesome single-strap leather mailbag was just not practical and resulted in too many unfortunate mishaps.
Even for a hand-me-down, this is the fanciest day-pack I've ever had, plus it's green, one of my favorite colors.+ It has many, many useful and well-placed pockets, including a really roomy front pocket and two water bottle pockets on either side. The main large pocket includes a zipper flap in the middle to create a separate sleeping bag compartment on the bottom. The compartment is also accessible through a separate zipper flap behind the detachable fanny pack so I don't have to remove everything out of the top to get to it. The shoulder straps include a waist strap for extra stability, all of which make this an incredible backpack for daily use and travel.
When I was commuting to campus, this backpack became my saving grace. I could organize an enormous range of books, notebooks, various electronic technologies, writing implements, water bottle, Emergen-C, and other daily life necessities, and I could safely secure it to my body with the waist strap when I was in transit. I also used it for all of my school-related necessities when I came home on the weekends.
When I did exploratory field research in South America in Summer 2013, I knew my green friend would be an important ally and asset for both my long-distance flight marathons to and fro, as well as my daily travel, which was mostly on foot. Backpacks can be friends in the field. However, be warned that their benefits can also come with unanticipated costs. For example, I learned both during two overnights in the Miami airport and one in the La Paz airport in Bolivia. Such horrific tales were both exacerbated and ameliorated by my dear green backpack. I intentionally chose to sleep overnight in Miami airport on the first leg, but unfortunately had to repeat this sad situation when I missed my flight returning from South America. However, I was better prepared the second time and had a much better night's sleep than the first night I did it.
 |
| Peachy recognizes the inherent value of a good backpack as a makeshift pallet for napping. |
My airport overnight in La Paz, Bolivia was also intentional, but far more miserable than my two nights in Miami combined. It was a long and harrowing night precisely because of the amount of baggage I was carrying while I experientially learned about altitude sickness, or soroche. I'll let my field notes tell this tale...
 |
| Field Notes excerpt July 15, 2013 |
Aside from this unpleasant experience, my overall trip there was amazing and inspiring, and I hope to return someday. Even after I adapted to the high altitude in Bolivia, I mostly opted for a small shoulder bag for my wallet, notebook, and film festival information. As a standalone day-pack, my green friend was otherwise perfect for pedestrian purposes when I walked to class every day in Peru or when I didn't have anything else significant to carry. (Additional "lessons learned" from my South America trip are available on the "TravelTips" page.)
 |
| AnthroBone (and her green Friend) in the Field heading out on Hike Day at High Rocks Summer 2017 |
In general, I take my backpack everywhere I go as my centralized mobile headquarters, and it's becoming more weathered and faded with heavy-duty use, reminding me that nothing lasts forever. I plan to share a more complete list of my essential go-to in-the-field tools that it typically transports (in the spirit of other student anthropologists' contributions to the "What's In Your Fieldwork Bag?" genre. For now, let us celebrate the first Friend in the Field Hall-of-Famer that helps carry my load.
Be Kind, Be Kin,
*AnthroBone
p.s. One of my favorite comedic routines, George Carlin's "A Place for My Stuff," is relevant to both the subjects of backpacks and fieldwork. Being mobile and prepared while traveling away from home can be a challenge, but can also become a familiar practice of making a "place for my stuff" whenever and wherever I go. George Carlin says it a lot better (and funnier) while critiquing consumerism in this Bonus Track from his 1981 album by the same name.
+ The long-lived, long-loved backpack my dear friend gave me is green, one of my most favorite colors. This is also evident in many other favorite items that may someday grace the Friends in the Field Hall of Fame but will have to wait for now.
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UPDATE 08.10.18:
Check out this cameo appearance of Friend in the Field #1 in Anthropology News!
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