Packing for a City Walk
By Daniel Brockman

I've always enjoyed taking a walk in San Francisco. I like to take off early to mid morning and walk out to the Palace of the Legion of Honor, or to the summit of Twin Peaks, or along Mission Street to Daly City, or down the beach to the Zoo, or along any of a dozen other itineraries.

Once upon a time, I would just put on comfortable shoes, grab a jacket and a good book, and go. However, I've learned that a few small additional items, carried in a backpack, can significantly improve the pleasure and comfort of a long walk.

Preparing to write this article, I couldn't remember quite what I had in the backpack, so I dumped it out this morning and took a look. Aside from 3 rubber bands, a paper clip and a two-dollar Canadian coin, here's what I found:

The pack. It's a small pack, zippered along the sides and top, nylon, with a single front pocket. I bought it at Eddie Bauer on Post Street in 1986. I don't know whether they sell backpacks any more.

Bandaids in a paper envelope. I seem to scratch a finger or elbow on something or other nearly every time. I like the 3M Nexcare stretchy waterproof foam bandaids. They are comfortable and durable, and they stay on. The envelope is compact and protects the individual bandaid package from wear.

Socks. Every once in a while something goes wrong with the socks I'm wearing, and I reach in the pack for a spare pair. Both Ultramax and Thorlo make very comfortable socks.

Dental floss. Very handy for dislodging an annoying chunk of apple peel.

Bandana. One of those things with 1001 uses.

Small Flashlight. Good for seeing in the dark.

Piece of string. Another one of those things with 1001 uses.

Sunblock. I like Bullfrog Sunblock. It doesn't sting my skin, and it's waterproof. Merrill's used to sell it, but they've disappeared. Rite-Aid has it sometimes, and I've found it in Walgreen's on rare occasions. You can get it on the net from Drugstore.com.

Ballpoint pen. In case I want to write something.

Painkiller in a little bottle. I hardly ever use this stuff, but when I do, I like aspirin. I worry about what ibuprofen and acetaminophen do to my internal organs, but some people say ibuprofen is good for the knees on a long walk.

Comb. Keeps me looking gorgeous on a windy day.

Chapstick. In a cold wind, the lips feel better with it.

Good Book.

Camera. If there's no companion or tourist around to photograph you, then you hold it at arm's length and take a picture of yourself with, say, Alcatraz in the background. I tend to lose or break any camera that's worth more than $25.00, so I use a one-time camera from Photoworks. They charge me six or seven bucks for the camera, plus about the same for development. For this, I get a set of prints, and they put my pictures on the web as jpg's.

Reading glasses. When you hit 40, your eyes begin to change. Walgreen's sells (sometimes) a very compact pair that folds into a little case about the size of a cigar.

Additionally, I usually take a half-liter of water, a jacket or sweater and a pair of gloves. When doing a day hike on Mt. Tam, I take the same stuff, plus another half-liter of water, some snacks (apple, cheese, crackers), and maybe a pocket knife (which I've never used). When my girlfriend comes with me, sometimes she will put 'female items' or makeup in the pack along with a jacket, etc. She's very nice. She lets me carry all her stuff in my pack.

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