I wish I could have taken a short trip before riding across the country, especially because I had never camped before. Alas, I was too busy with things like moving out of my apartment, and I didn’t get my racks and bags until about 3 weeks before my train ride out west. I did manage to take one 62 mile ride fully loaded, during which I missed being killed by maybe 100’ when some kid veered off the road, hit a telephone pole and flipped his car onto its roof in the lane I was riding in. Another motorist punched a hole in a side window with a Club (Remember those?) to vent the smoke that was building up inside. The kid seemed okay, but I couldn’t help thinking it was a bad omen.