We're OK.

I used to do that BIG TIME for a lot of years starting just after new years. Loved every minute of it too but these days, like Snow_Dog, I've accumulated similar obstacles and I always think it interesting that this site is one of those obstacles yet the big advantage of planning and reworking/thinking things is it keeps those synapses open and functioning. Visiting QJ everyday is a lot neater, gear clutter wise. It serves a similar pre-visualization type purpose. It's like studying a blueprint before you build to catch all the mistakes and what-ifs you can.

Now days I enter serious packing mode two days before leaving. There's a day-and-a-half eaten by seeking out and packing the exact brand and volume of whatever food items and this is another one of those things where whether it's a solo or group a solo or a group trip, it sucks the same amount of time as does leaving a marked up map for my emergency contact.

My biggest hurdle is still, as always, that I use a large portion of my trip stuff in everyday life so I'm always a highly motivated hunter gatherer before I leave.

For example, at the moment, my knee pads are currently under my elbows and the hanging ropes are in the garage loft. I wrapped and left them up there after taking the snow blower down last fall and they will find their way back into the food pack when that sucker finally goes back in the loft for paddling season.