I had an unusual experience in the store today. Usually our customers spend a couple of hundred dollars; a pair of boots, a tent, a good-quality backpack, that kind of thing. Today we had a couple come in who ended up spending over $6,000. They are heading for Botswana next month and they planned to travel around for the next year in southern Africa. I guess they’re starting in Botswana, partly because of that series of books, The Number One Ladies Detective Agency, which was based there.
They are certainly going well-equipped… they bought a whole bunch of lightweight equipment and clothes that should carry them through both hot weather and cool nights. I don’t know very much about that part of the world, but I must admit, I would be a bit iffy about camping there. However, they seemed very confident, and have obviously done a lot of research.
My wife and I traveled some before we had kids, but we never managed that kind of trip. Most of our travel at this point, is one or two day trips within a pretty tight radius of where we live. Perhaps as the kids get a little older we’ll become more adventurous.