The new pack basket arrived on Monday. This was timely. I had used the old one Sunday to pack a chili and cornbread lunch out to a friend's cabin. It literally came apart, though I managed to make it back to the trail head without spilling the contents. I salvaged the sternum strap that I had fabricated for the old pack and put it on the new pack. This is more than an attempt at continuity between the replacement and the one being replaced. There is also something to be said for making a personal modification to any new piece of equipment. I think it is what campers and backpackers are compelled to do. Mainly, I find that a sternum strap steadies the pack so that it doesn't move as freely side to side. A shifting pack makes me very unsteady on my feet. Couple that with an uneven surface, and it can look like I am about to fail a field sobriety test.

I haven't yet brought myself to put the new pack basket with the other camping equipment under the stairwell in the basement. It is sitting in my home office. I like looking at it. Its presence may well incentivize me to make appropriate use of it in the near future. I certainly hope so. I will resist any urge to use it as a newspaper or magazine rack--even an outdoor magazine and camping catalog rack.