“What else do you need me to fit in your backpack?”

Yesterday I helped my friend Catherine pack for a hiking trip across the Overland Track in Tasmania, Australia. She came over with her car full of knickknacks, unsure of what to bring and what to leave behind. Fire starters, sleeping bag liners, headlamps, a shovel for bathroom breaks and lacy panties just in case romance strikes in the wilderness.

I created piles: the must-brings, the if-we-can-fit-its and the leave-behinds. Catherine looked at me with concern, peering at her 65-liter backpack.