BERNDOG ABCs : Me and My Gear

Altras - My trekking shoe of choice. Features lots of room for the toes to spread out. I'm in the Superior 3.5 right now

Bernie Journey - Term first coined by Rob Schatz, a Bernie Journey entails a walk between locations that most other Americans would only dare to drive

Cowboy Shower - This is a quick, shirtless maneuver undertaken while standing at the sink of a public bathroom. A quick cleanup with soap, hands and a paper towel

Diagonal Cross - A walker's dream; anywhere you can get away with walking a direct path rather than boring right angles. Often involves beelines thru large parking lots

ExOfficio - My fancy underwear brand of choice. These things have proven indestructible and almost never stink. Perfect for living out of a backpack

FieldNotes - My pocket notebook of choice. Great for quick notes when out in nature, waiting at a bus station or chilling on the train

Golden Hour - Best time of day to be outside. Everywhere looks magical during this stretch of golden tinged light late in the day

Hiking Apple - A cored apple filled with peanut butter, ends capped with chocolate chips. Packed carefully with paper towel and foil for later consumption

Inhaler - Best friend of every asthma sufferer. Car exhaust, changing towns frequently and cat dander all get to me at times on the road

Jabberwocky - Dance studio in Columbia, Missouri where I practice breakdancing. Located behind Popeye's on Business Loop 70 in Columbia, Missouri

Klean Kanteen - My reusable water bottle brand of choice. I get bright colors so I can easily spot my bottle out in the wild

Leather Prevent - This is sunscreen, hats, clothing. Anything that shields skin from the sun to prevent it from becoming leathery

Merino Wool - Wearing as much of it as humanly possible at all times. I like it in my socks and in lightweight undershirts especially

Nature High - What happens when weather is warm but not hot, air is crisp and few if any cars are around. Makes me feel like walking from sunrise to sunset

Office - This is a coffeeshop in Columbia, Missouri called Lakota. Seating is at the counter, preferably close to the electrical outlet

Porch Envy - The longing to sit and drink a beverage on a nice, covered front porch that I walk past featuring comfy furniture ( and possibly a pet too)

Question Time - The sometimes cringeworthy, always interesting period of time when first meeting people while traveling and possibly even sharing their home

Random Gold - A spontaneous moment on the street when a person driving past slows down to tell you a joke, offer french fries or shout encouragement

Secret Sandwich - A foil wrapped peanut butter sandwich (preferably on sourdough bread) tucked deep in my backpack for hunger emergencies

Trucker Hat - Simple, stylish and lightweight glare reducer. Essential for long walks, great cover for scraggly trekker hair

Updog - The common yoga pose often totally missing from classes I teach. It's a hard pose to nail and so many interesting alternatives exist

Video Store - A charming local business that's a cultural relic; found in small towns frozen in time, some cities. Similar examples include TV repair shops, lamp repair stores

Walking Jersey - A thrift store long sleeve button down shirt ideal for long distance walking. You want a 50/50 cotton poly ratio at minimum to keep it lightweight

X70 - Fuji camera model I use. Compact enough to fit hip pocket of my backpack and great for street photography

Yoga - My magic elixir of youth, my stress reliever, my confidence restorer

Zen - State I achieve while walking, doing yoga, or sitting near water