Absolutely Necessary!

 Back in 1980 we had been married for two years and money was tight! We both worked, were fairly frugal but were making a car payment and one on our trailer and land. I decided that I just HAD TO have a 4x5 view camera for my photography! And my sweet young bride agreed to me getting a loan to buy a used one! ( Keep in mind we were living in a nearly 25 year old trailer with avocado kitchen appliances and a violet toilet!) We both were also well into a life long love affair with the Big Bend! We would take our vacation time and go backpacking up in the Chisos Mountains. Our camping gear was a mish-mash of real equipment and make do items, like milk jugs for water and pieces of old furniture foam to sleep on! A worn out kitchen pot with the handle cut off for cooking and I had my steel toed work boots to hike in! My wife's boots were new from Sears-Roebuck, but no steel toes! There were a few flowing springs you could count on to find water but we still carried over four gallons of water, the packs & equipment, and our food! We couldnt afford freeze dried so food was mostly canned items! We never weighed our packs but I would guess my load was over 60# and Renee's 40 #. Oh!! then there was that metal monorail view camera, lens, film holders and and metal gitzo tripod. Figure about 25# give or take on that kit!

I** staggered along ( actually I was so young and fit there was no staggering!) with the camera attached to the tripod, legs extended and resting on the top of my pack like a bundle on a hobos stick!

I doubt I ever made more than a dozen exposures in the three years the view camera journeyed with us. And not a single one I remember or know where the negative is! And I have many hundreds of images from the Big Bend I'm proud of.

The camera is still in my collection, resting in a wooden case I made for it. The loan got paid off and most amazing after this and many other trying situations brought on by my "dreams" my wife is still with me!

Oh, and we live in a house with stainless steel appliances and NO violet toilets!

** No I was not so STUPID as to ever suggest Renee' carry the camera!

I am not sure whether we've spent more money over our years together on shoes for my darling wife or camera equipment for me! But neither one of us is keeping count either!