Tomorrow I’m heading to one in every of my favourite locations within the US: Acadia Nationwide Park on Mount Desert Island in Maine. This would be the third yr in a row that my girlfriend and I’ve taken a fall journey there, and I’m feeling like a seasoned professional at this level—I believe I’ve a reasonably robust deal with on what it takes to thrive each within the park and when tooling across the tiny, pretty city of Bar Harbor, the place we keep.
I wish to be clear: I’m not an Outdoor Individual. I’m not seeking to camp and I choose a smart stroll in nature to a hardcore hike, and I don’t assume anybody, by any stretch of the creativeness, would describe me as “crunchy.” That stated, a number of years in the past I noticed that being exterior frequently is extraordinarily good for my psychological well being, and this—coupled with the work of Ken Burns—is how visiting a nationwide park ended up on my bucket checklist. Acadia is inside driving distance of New York Metropolis, and I had heard from a good friend that it was “bougie” (maybe as a result of it was financed, partially, by a literal Rockefeller!), so it was a simple promote. Now? I’m a full-on Acadia stan.
In case you, too, are planning a fall jaunt to Acadia (or some other park or outside vacation spot within the Northern US) and are questioning what to convey with you, enable me to share a number of highlights from my annual packing checklist. These are the objects I return to yearly, and which have served me effectively each in Maine and as an off-the-cuff nature-appreciator at dwelling in Brooklyn.
1. Carhartt Rugged Flex Free Match Canvas Bib Overalls
Although I’ve but to grasp the artwork of packing mild, I’ve gotten fairly good at determining “path to city” seems for this journey—which suggests I find yourself packing a bit lower than I might if I had been bringing wildly totally different outfits for going to the park and tooling round city. My Carhartt overalls type the idea of this method and are a wardrobe staple after I’m in Maine. (The precise pair I’ve is generally bought out now, however the newer model above could be very, very comparable.) Overalls are extremely comfortable and low-fuss—I actually like not having to fret about my pants slipping round after I’m out and about.
By the way in which, these are available in a number of different colours, together with black, brown, and a rusty purple, however don’t be afraid of the cream! I’ve gotten mine very moist and muddy, and have had no downside getting them clear once more through a traditional laundry cycle.
2. Columbia Hikebound Rain Jacket
Earlier than our first Acadia journey, I put all my anxious vitality into discovering the right rain jacket: One thing that wouldn’t be too heavy or too mild, as a result of I wasn’t certain how chilly it might be; that was roomy sufficient to layer over a sweatshirt; that had a hood to guard my hair; and that may very well be folded down and stuffed into my backpack if I didn’t want it in a given second. I additionally needed to keep away from something that was reduce the way in which most ladies’s outerwear is true now—you understand, very nipped-in on the waist, however with voluptuous “female” hips? After roughly 10,000 hours of analysis, I lastly discovered what I used to be in search of in a males’s jacket from Columbia. (Mine is the now-discontinued Cabot Path jacket, however the Hikebound is an identical and has all the identical options.) I love this jacket: The hood is large enough to maintain my (reasonably sizable!) dome dry, and the small is completely outsized on me. It’s unlined however surprisingly cozy, and I can layer it over the thickest sweater or put on it with a T-shirt on hotter days.
I’ve really gotten tons of use out of this jacket within the three years since I purchased it. It additionally occurs to be nice for operating errands or taking my canine out when it’s raining, and I wore it to work right now as a result of it was dumping buckets in NYC.
3. Columbia Newton Ridge Plus Waterproof Amped
I wasn’t certain if I actually wanted mountaineering boots for my first journey—so usually, good sneakers work simply positive for spending time exterior—however I’m actually glad I went forward and received these boots. They’re snug, supportive, and waterproof in a approach that the majority sneakers will not be, which I’ve been grateful for each time we’ve encountered rain throughout our journeys. (At the very least as soon as per go to, if no more.)
