Hawaii Class

My term three outdoor adventure class is unlike anything I have experienced in my life.  We have one camping pack and one day pack that we can bring, which seemed reasonable at first, but since we received our packs, we have accumulated more and more items every class that must go on the trip.  Recently we received our sleeping bags, tents, poles, tent flies, stuff sacks, canned food, pack covers, and waist bags that all must come on the trip in addition to the 30+ meals and clothes that have to fit in our packs.  We are all starting to wonder how we will fit everything in our bags, and how we are going to be able to carry everything for the duration of the trip, but our coaches keep reassuring us that it will happen.  A few classes ago we were assigned tent mates and tents, and were told to distribute the elements of the tent, including the tent, poles, and fly equally among ourselves.  I will be tenting with two other people, whom I have not met until this class, and I was assigned the actual tent to carry for the duration of the trip.  The last assignment we completed was a complete, thorough list of every breakfast and lunch we plan on eating while we are in Hawaii.  The challenge with planning meals is that we have to find food that does not crush under weight, melt in heat, spoil or go bad within 10 days, does not need refrigeration, does not need cooking, is compact and able to fit in small space, is not too heavy to carry, and has the nutrition we need to sustain ourselves.  This trip is much more complex than I originally expected, but it is teaching us to appreciate the small luxuries in everyday life that we often overlook, and I look forward to learning how little people can live with and how values change when shelter, food, plumbing, and hygiene are reduced to the basics.