Shopping Addict - Field Gear edition

Soooo...I've been scouring the internet for the best gear for my upcoming year+ of research. I see this as an investment, so I don't mind spending a little bit of $$ on gear that is going to make my life easier for the next couple of years.

I found the most perfect backpack ever at the Columbia outlet over the weekend... its huge, has tons of pockets for all of my tools and stuff, is water-resistant, and has topographic maps in the liner! haha!

Columbia ROC Walkabout backpack

And then I definitely caved and splurged on the Tevas I've been drooling over...

Teva Gnarkosi water shoe

I am sooo excited about those shoes!! I'm all about shoes that are pretty and functional, so these have me doing a little jig of joy. ;-D

I received my O'Neill 24/7 Tech gear... I ordered the pants and top with the intention of trying them on and seeing if the material really seemed worth the rather hefty investment ($50 each piece)... and upon opening the package, I was in love. The material is kind of hard to describe - it feels like a cross between a bathing suit and a wetsuit...but casual enough to wear as normal lounge-pants and a lightweight sweatshirt...if that makes any sense. The material is moisture-wicking, UV protection, and is supposed to keep you cool and safe from overheating in the summer time. Sounds good to me! Since I'm fair-skinned, and will be spending lots of time out in the sun, I don't want to take any chances...skin cancer = NO.

(Except my hoodie is light blue)

I a seriously in love, especially with the pants - they're the perfect length, which I was a little concerned about (usually pants are like 6 inches too long for me hehe) - and the top is way cuter than what the pictures on Amazon made them look like. I ordered a size down (XS) just in case it was too baggy because it was described as "loose-fitting"...and that seems to be perfect. Hooray! Can't wait to test out my gear in the field - April 1st!!