I just ordered from REI their Rainier waterproof jacket and pants. They weren’t too expensive, at $100 each, and I am going to need them. I didn’t have anything waterproof to wear, so I needed to make the purchase because I will be birding in the rain as soon as this weekend. I’m planning on going to the Shreve Migration Sensation on Saturday, down in Shreve and featuring birding at several hotspots there. Who knows, maybe I’ll get the Bewick’s Tundra Swan… who knows. I got expedited shipping, so I should have them on Friday.

I also need the waterproof kit for birding the Biggest Week in May. I’ll be there for four days and don’t want to waste any time not birding and more than likely it will rain a day or so. I already have my Merrell gore-tex hikers, so I should be nice and dry going forward.

Yesterday, I also ordered a birding vest. Made by Big Pockets, the vest is designed with birders in mind and with their input. The model I bought is the Equatorial Bog Pockets Vest, which has 12 pockets, one large enough to hold an iPad Mini. I been playing around with various bag solutions, some of which work for relatively short trips into the field, i.e. under two hours and parked in an easily accessible lot. I got a lumbar pack from Mountainsmith, but I grudgingly admit it’s too small for my “large” frame, i.e. belly. Le sigh… Anyway, the vest will work well for me for the longer excursions of the Big Week, or other forays into the wild. I needed something that could hold all my personal stuff and some birding stuff as well. I’ll probably look real geeky, but it cannot be helped. I’m expecting to be traveling with: regular and sun glasses, car keys, rescue inhaler, cellphone, two water bottles, energy bars and maybe gels, maybe a field guide, notebook and pens, and other unforeseen or forgotten items. The Vest will hold everything and then some. I’m planning on all-day birding during the Biggest Week, so I will need mostly everything I have at all times.

I would really like to review the gear that I get, once I figure out how to write interesting reviews! There’s just so much out there and there is no one way to bird or to outfit yourself, and it’s my hope that these posts will aid someone trying to make the decisions as I had. Please please give me some feedback about my posts, and I’ll try to address your thoughts and questions.