He Lightened the Load

Upon reading the obituary of Asher Kelty (Jan. 15), many fond memories came to mind. As a Boy Scout in the early 1960s, we had old Army-surplus backpacks to use, and the hard wooden frames were really rough on us. Everyone in our troop dreamed of owning a Kelty pack. I worked summer jobs mowing lawns to save my money for my own Kelty pack. The day I received my pack, I felt a sense of accomplishment in being able to purchase one.

On my first hike after that, I never knew hiking could be that comfortable. Ever since, I have enjoyed hiking and remembered that prized pack. We even used it in the U.S. Forest Service to carry heavy cement bags into the backcountry to improve trails.

Jeff Grover

Alta Loma