Going the distance in gear

Got out for another training hike yesterday in a majority of my gear.. I want to make sure that I'm comfortable with everything that I need to take and that I have little or no issues with everything.

This time out I was wearing most of my gear and carrying a full backpack.. not sure how much it weighed in the end, but the advice for the trek is not much more than 15kgs.. especially if you are carrying your whole pack like I am.

Gear checklist: (This was just for this hike, there's a lot more on the checklist to take)

• Pants - thin breathable material that won't get heavy when wet and will dry easily
• Technical trek marino socks - although these have padding in the feet (where needed) these are thinner socks that will dry better
• Boots - My waterproof Scarpa boots, any time in these is great to help break them in
• 2 x 1 litre water bottles - I need to carry water bottles for drinking too, but these are especially for purifying water. I brought some Aquatabs the other day for purifying water and they take up to 30mins in 1 litre of water to work.
• 1 full back pack - Packed fully with random stuff.. just to get the weight. What it did contain that I'll be taking is a sleeping back, travel mat, and a bug bunch of other gear like dry bags and bag covers.
• 1 x Trekking pole - I wasn't going to get one of these, but April is part of the wet season in PNG and I think it's going to help
• Gaiters - I also wasn't going to take these, but given the season, I suspect they'll be extra handy keeping the shoes as protected and dry as possible. Not to mention that I like the idea of them keeping leeches from dropping in my boots.

Next week is going to be the big hike down and Wanda Sand dunes in Cronulla. I'll definitely have all my gear sorted by then and pack like it's the real thing. 3hrs on the sand dunes is definitely going to be a work out.

In the meantime, yesterdays hike was a great training too! Pretty much did the 7 bridges walk around Sydney (not the exact route, but all of the bridges). It ended up being about a 23km/5hr hike and I must say, but the end of it my feet where definitely starting to feel it a bit.

A big thank you to Dawn and Pete for being my training buddies and sticking it out with me on such a long training session. It means a lot to have your support!

Here's the route we took and a few pics - I had a GPS malfunction part way along where I forgot to turn it back on after getting a slurpee.. so missed some of the distance from Gladesville Bridge to Hunters Hill.. None the less the route is complete.

Strava - 7 Bridges Training Hike