Welcome to episode 135 of the first 40 miles.

If you're new to backpacking, or if you're hopelessly in love with someone who wants you to love

backpacking, then this podcast is for you.

We'll talk about the essentials, how to lighten your load,

and how to make the most of your time on the trail.

I'm your host, Heather Legler.

And I'm Josh Legler.

And this is the first 40 miles.

Today on the first 40 miles, if you're planning your first backpacking trip, you may have some

visions in your head about what it will be like.

We'll help you prep for your dream trip.

Then we'll share five things every backpacker should have in their car.

For today's summit gear review, a battery that can charge your cell phone and start your car.

And we'll wrap up with a story from one of our listeners.

All this and that's about it.

Today on the first 40 miles.

Well, today's episode is inspired by a song that got stuck in my head from Rogers and

Hammerstein's musical, South Pacific. It's a song called Happy Talk, and the woman singing it says you've got to have a dream if you don't have a dream how you gonna have a dream come true and as I as I kind of pondered these lyrics, I thought, wow, you know, if you're just kind of going

directionless throughout life, how are you going to have any of these things that you don't even know

that you want happen in your life and with backpacking if you don't even have a vision of those things that you want to experience on the trail,

is it possible that you could go for years backpacking, never even knowing that you could be having these experiences.

If you just think about it for a little while, what are those things that you're dreaming

...