Wow. 1 more night.
Spent the day driving up to Atlanta to stay in a hotel. Had some Pappadeaux and went through my equipment.
How could I forget a spork?!
Had to run to REI and bought a new one…
Finished packing. Backpack feels heavier than I thought. Not sure final weight with food and water. The pack also filled so much more than I thought it would.
Surprises already.
I am sure it might feel very similar to soldiers before heading onto the field. We had days of “layouts” to ensure everyone had everything on the packing list but even the list was the bare minimum. NCOs had extra items that made life much more bearable if conditions worsened. You have done enough of these hikes to know the adverse conditions you will be facing. Trust yourself in what you know and improvise when needed. I have not even come close to what you are about to undertake but I have been on marches or spent a considerable amount of time living outdoors in the Southestern part of The States as well as Oklahoma, The Rockies, and Death Valley. In all of these places the top priorities were to make sure you are pushing lots of water through your body, taking care of your feet, and layering clothes appropriately. Obviously nothing new to you, but they are the simple things that can get you into trouble. The other tidbits I know may/may not be of use to you: The best way to anchor the M-16 or M-249 into your web gear to prevent your hands and arms from cramping? No? Okay. Lol! The only other one is probably elementary to you as well but finding an average rhythm early allowed me to make it on longer days. Starting fast and burning out early or taking it slow and having to rush later on can ruin a day. (This was the late-90s so I could not bring my Discman or Walkman for music to keep time so I had to recall beats or songs from memory to do this! Lol!) Music also has a HUGE motivation factor. Think of the Silent Disco on our cruise for motivation. Great songs can pass 3-5 minutes of distance instantly!
Okay, I will let you get to it. I look forward to your posts and hope to encourage you when I can. I was pretty shocked to hear the news that you were doing this but I hope to do what little I can for you from Denton! Be safe and keep going!
Good Luck. Thanks for your picture at the base camp. We look forward to your updates. Our prayers are with you.
I tried to post this yesterday. Good luck on your hike. We cant wait to hear your reports on the blog. Our prayers are with you. Love ya…Mom and Dad
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