Just Get It Done

As I pack for my 7th Iditarod I always end up in the same scenario: What gear should I bring, and what if it breaks. This ultimately leads to me chasing my tail as I pack, unpack, pack again, ditch some gear, add some gear, unpack and repack some more. The constant fear of having a piece of equipment fail, forgetting something crucial, or wishing I would have left something behind nags at me for weeks and it becomes a maddening cycle.

I know this cycle drives my wife crazy as I am constantly spreading my gear out across multiple rooms, running to a store to buy more equipment, then ultimately leaving that new piece of tech behind. I am repeatedly falling victim to the need for everything run smoothly, and all scenarios planned for.

When I get to this point (if I become suddenly self aware), I like to remind myself of a very simple truth: Not everything can be planned for, and sometimes the best results come when you just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I reached that point yesterday, and am now leaving my packing up to the gear gods. If I forget it, I forget it. I know I can get the job done with what I have, and that will just have to be enough. As I reached this ever so elusive pivotal moment in packing, it reminded me of a great story from a little while ago involving an elite group of climbers, a mission to document it with a RED, and everything going wrong (with the gear). Here is a great video about the process that evolved when a camera package is barely functioning.