A slightly different post with a few more details of the reality of doing a thru hike.
Bugs:
Ticks were our first nightmare when it came to bugs, these blood sucking creatures are so small you could probably get 50 on your thumb nail. We have had a couple of bad evenings when it felt like they were everywhere and we were constantly checking that they had not latched on especially before going to sleep. We spray a bit of insect repellant to try and put them off but at the end of the day there is not much you can do about them.
Midges were always the talk of the trail when we met people and we had got really lucky until about day 20 when we camped by a river. It was quite humid and as soon as the wind died down they were all over the tent, thousands of them. It just made your skin feel a bit crawly and was not ideal in the morning when we needed to pack the tent away. From then on we have encountered a few and they have gone for our wrists and ankles. We brought some Smidge in Fort William as we were intrigued if it was any good and the plus side is that it smells OK and therefore disguises the smell of us.
Equipment:
We have done pretty well in terms of the core equipment that we need. Our tent is doing a fabulous job which is the most important thing and always feels like our cosy, safe place to end the day. Tom snapped a pole quite early on in the bog but it seems to have held together well with good old Gorilla tape so decided not to replace it in Fort William. We left a tent peg at a camp site as we were chatting to a fellow camper, so learnt our lesson and brought a new pack so we could have a spare and posted the rest home. My sleeping mat was starting to deflate quite a bit during the night meaning I would wake most days on the floor. It was impossible to easily find where the hole(s) were until one night when there was quite a lot of condensation about, I finally heard the bubbles and marked them up with pen. I now have 2 patches and hope that these stay strong for the rest of trip as they are not a cheap piece of kit to replace.
Feet:
Our feet were sore to start with which was expected and after a few days we both used Mole Skin Blister Prevention pads on the hot spots, this ultimately was due to the time we were spending on our feet but my shoes didn’t properly dry for the whole time so I don’t think that would have helped.
We both picked up new shoes in Fort William and were cruising for the first couple of days, but I seem to have picked up a couple of blisters, so the Compeed plasters are out! We have been taking special care of our feet as we know that if they are good, we have a fab chance of getting to the end.
Hunger:
About 10 days into the trail we started to get the Hikers Hunger feeling and have definitely been snacking more in-between breakfast, lunch & dinner, especially in the mornings as we get going for the day. For the more remote sections we carried out favourite Firepot meals for the evenings which were stress free and super yummy but they are not cheap. Post Fort William we are going for the DIY approach picking up noodles, couscous & veggies to go with them. Snacks wise go to at the moment are Tunnocks Caramel, Banana Soreen Lunch Bites, both as a result of trail magic donations, Twix for dessert after noodles and dried mango for sweet snacking on trail.
Laundry:
We both have just a hiking day outfit and nightwear along with a waterproof jacket and trousers to keep things as light as possible. At the start of the trail it was quite cold and wet meaning we didn’t sweat much so luckily didn’t smell, however as the sun started to shine things do start to smell. We have done 2 loads of laundry since starting the trail, one in Kinlochewe at the campsite and again at the Campsite in Fort William, the process involves putting everything in the machine and wearing waterproofs whilst it drys much to the amusement of the cosy caravan owners at the sites. We have also washed socks and t-shirts in the sinks when we have booked accommodation.
Showers:
We have had approximately 7 showers in the last 3 weeks at the campsites and accomodation that we have stayed at which have been an absolute luxury every time. You may have noticed that Tom lopped most of my hair off (sorry Angela) before we started which means it’s been very easy. You may or may not have noticed Tom has not shaved since we started, he has not produced the manly beard he wished for but will be interesting to see what it looks like by the end of the trip. When we are in the tent the baby wipes are out to keep us hygienic. Feet and removing sun cream at the end of the day take priority. It’s not until you enter a pub toilet or hotel bathroom that you realise you have not seen your own face in many days, one of the most liberating things about being on the trail is that you don’t waste any headspace on what you look like and as a result it does not cross your mind to worry about what others think of you.
Tech:
Evenings are spent writing up notes of the day for the blog and backing up photos as well as reading the e-guide book and looking at the maps for the next day. We have had many evenings of no signal which has been lovely but it has also been nice to sit in the tent after dinner and catch up on F1 highlights even if it’s a few days late. When we are low on charge we each have a battery pack and we do our best to take advantage of any opportunity, pub, café etc to charge the essentials such as the Garmin Outreach and phones.
Water:
We have been primarily getting our water straight off the mountain, using the same one bottle to collect it and then using our Sawyer filter to fill our other bottles. We are using 1 litre ActiPH bottles from the supermarket as the thread matches that of the filter and you can easily squish them, to force the water through. They are durable, and we are yet to replace one.
The People:
It’s fair to say we didn’t meet many people in the first 3 weeks but those that we did were just wonderful. So kind, enthusiastic and as passionate as us about being in the outdoors and relative wilderness. We have received such kindness from complete strangers, shared and listened to some wonderful stories and have always said good bye and safe trails with a smile on our faces.
As we hit the West Highland Way there are a different kind of people, and there will be many more to come but the people of our Highlands adventure have certainly been a highlight.
Leave a Reply