The new paraglider is beautiful, a cheerful mix of orange, lime and white. Yes, that matters.

With a wingspan of forty-one feet, the glider only weighs a bit over eleven pounds. Even when packed along with a reserve parachute in my new reversible harness which doubles as a backpack, the whole kit will weigh a mere twenty-five pounds and suddenly, serious hiking is an option.

Of course I have not even had a chance to go kiting and I am awaiting the arrival of a new reserve to actually go fly. But the unmistakably crisp sound of a hand brushed against the fabric of a new wing induces tachycardia. I. Cannot. Wait.

The Iota 2 out of its bag