Here’s my new shell for the next week –

Granite Gear’s Nimbus Meridian Ki. Made especially to fit women’s curves and hip movements, and this model is designed especially to fit a smaller than average torso. Its a great option for the ultra-light purist who needs to carry a lot of gear for extended trips. This one looks small but packs a lot! Its got a great zipper right down the belly so I can get into any part of the backpack without having to unpack the whole thing. The lid extends up to pack more, it has straps for sleeping equipment and it comes with zippers where I’ll keep all my rain gear, water and emergency stuff. It comes with custom width shoulder straps, custom back height and custom hip belt right down to the exact proportions of the body, and BearRidgeOutfitters.com provides all the options.

The pictures dont really do it justice on the site. The blue is far more saturated and the brown is lighter and warmer. I have it almost fully packed and it felt totally different to the backpack I used for Hadrians Wall – this one puts pretty much all the weight on the hips so my shoulders don’t die on me.

I’m very grateful to uberpest for all her advice which helped me to finally make the right choice. I only hope to one day catch up to her amount of trekking experience.

Check out the route map!

Whenever the wind permits me to charge my phone and if my cellphone picks up any signals I’ll try to blog each day so you don’t miss anything interesting.

I’m pretty out of shape at the moment and I’m daunted at the thought we’ll be carrying 7 days worth of food with us in high volume backpacks, sleeping bags and mats as well as the usual camping paraphernalia. But I learnt from the Hadrian’s Wall walk a few years back, so this year I’m going for ultra-light backpacking. The shelters offer rustic basic sleeping areas, a firepit stocked with wood, a toilet of some kind (I don’t have high expectations) and a water source. The water sources at the beginning, the end and at a difficult part near the end of the trail are contaminated so we’re bringing a water purifier and crossing our fingers. I believe there are no showering facilities along the entire trail… so that will be a first for me. I’m keen to find out how I handle that. It’s also bear country and there are a few poisonous snakes in the area like rattlesnakes, though I haven’t found any evidence of any attacks in my online searches so I’m really not worried about it. Hmm… what else can I tell you?

Oh if you want to find out more about the trail here’s the official website. And here’s a great photo gallery I found to give you a taste of what’s to come. They even came across a rattlesnake! Tomorrow, if there’s time, I’ll post a bit more about the preparation process.

Later! :@D

They have done an astoundingly good job with this site. It shows all the walking trails in the UK, each has its own own microsite, with zoomable route maps (showing accommodation, shops etc), route photos, FAQs, upcoming walking events along the route and most importantly – a trip planner. Hadrian’s wall is of course in there with stunning photos.

Although I really can’t afford to take another holiday, I’m itching to do the South Downs Way in September. It’s the last chance I’ll have to walk England in the summer. Most people take 8 or 9 days to walk the whole 100 miles (160km) at 12 – 15 miles (25km) a day. Plus its a good idea to allow for additional miles each day to get to your accommodation and back on the route the next day. The trail can be done by cyclists and on horseback. I love that it’s safe enough to do this trail on my own. All I need is a good map and accommodation organised for each day.