The Legend of the Hiking Skirt

I just realized that I leave for New Zealand in less than 4 days. I'll probably pack on Wednesday night. I have been keeping myself on a tight budget for this trip, but I felt it prudent today to indulge in one useful and practical treat in preparation for some mid-winter summer:

A Hiking Skirt.

A hiking skirt, you ask? What, pray tell, is that? Well you may ask. A hiking skirt is, in fact, a skirt to hike in. Mine is orange. It is fast-drying, has a rugged-outdoorsy-chick look, and cinches up at the sides to allow maximum stride while on the trail. You may see a picture of me in it at some point (it becomes ultra-sexy when you wear it over long underwear with hiking boots, just for reference). Thanks, Carol, for introducing me to this ingenious item.