My Campmor gear catalog for Fall 2005 arrived the other day. All 240 pages of it!

It's printed in black and white on what feels like cheap newspaper, so it isn't fancy.

But if you need it, it's in there. And if you didn't need it, well, you will now.

So I cracked a cold one and sat down to enjoy. And thumb.

Page after glorious page.

Backpacks. Tents. Sleeping bags. Ditty bags. Candle lanterns. Carabiners.

I dog-eared pages. I made notes. I dreamed of bigger and better and newer stuff.

Ahhh.

Exhibiting tremendous restraint, I settled on ordering some new synthetic underwear for the winter and a pair of Yaktrax, a traction device for hiking on icy trails.

For now.

But I'll be back to my trusty Campmor catalog soon enough, no doubt.

In the meantime, I'll just wait patiently and happily for the UPS guy to show up at my door.

I just love that!