So, you want to take that first big backpacking trip. You’ve gotten your body into decent shape, you’ve saved up your vacation days, and maybe you’ve even used some of our strategies to book your travel for free. Way to go! You’re ready! Except, you just need a backpack…and maybe some trekking poles….and most of the other items on our packing list. If you’re like us, you enjoy spending your hard-earned money on experiences, not stuff. Before we embarked on the Tour of Mont Blanc, I didn’t have much gear to my name. As a Chicago native, I had acquired hiking boots at some point during my decade of living in Colorado, and I had running clothes, but little else. I’d previously gotten by borrowing Ian’s way-too-big, broken-frame backpack for shorter trips, but I knew that wouldn’t cut it for an 11-day trek. Believe it or not, I was able to procure all of the high-quality gear I needed for the trip without stretching my uber-tight budget even a little bit. Here’s how I did it:
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