Bags of Stuff...........

Not long now!

I was going to weigh all my kit for the Challenge and produce a neat list (as others have done) but........it's a little too scary!

Instead I'll just tell you that I've put everything in stuff bags - colour coded as far as possible. If I pluck up the courage I'll weigh each bag and make a total. That may not happen.

The bus leaves here just after 8 am on Wednesday morning and I'll have to be ready by then.....it'll limit the re-packing impulse a bit. From Aberdeen I'll catch the bus to Forres where Louise and I will meet up. On Thursday we'll travel from Inverness to Shiel Bridge where we'll start our Challenge on Friday morning. It's really not possible to travel by public transport from one side of Scotland to the other comfortably in only one day hence the Wednesday start.

I had intended to post some of my pre-Challenge training walks but sadly I didn't get round to doing that. Mostly I'm depending on two weeks recent walking in Provence and some regular day walking to give me enough fitness for the route we've planned.  That fortnight was almost all sunshine and I wore my shorts every day.

{TGOC training in Provence....}

In previous years I've had trouble with my feet on the Challenge so this year I'm going to try the Inov-8 solution. Much lighter weight and cooler than boots I've got a newish pair of Ladies Terroc 308 (now discontinued!).

There's also a new rucksack to try out. The Granite Gear that I used last year and the year before remains on top of my wardrobe - I haven't taken the decision completely to replace it yet. Last Autumn I bought a Lowe Alpine Nanon 50 + 10 - it has more pockets and should be easier for packing and accessing stuff on the hoof than the Granite Gear.

{New rucksack waiting to be filled up....}

Stuff Bags - Ready to Go

Blue Tent Bag - MSR Hubba with footprint, extra guys, j-cloth.

Long Red Bag - MSR tent pole, tent pegs.

Blue Bag - Vango short self-inflating sleep mat, Poundland blow-up pillow

Exped Grey Bag -  Tundra Warmth Unlimited -5 down sleeping bag.

Exped Blue Bag - clothes: fleece, Ron Hill tracksters, 1 spare Icebreaker undies, long sleeved zip top,
SS Smartwool t-shirt, Smartwool longjohns, silk LS top, I pair thick walking socks (sleeping),
3 pairs merino wool socks, spare Buff.

Exped Yellow Bag - repair/emergency kit: fleece hat, wool Buff, head-torch, shoo-goo, Tenacious tape,
Montane Primaloft gloves, emergency foil bivvy bag.

Exped Orange Bag - waterproofs: Goretex socks, Goretex over-mitts, lightweight gaiters.

Black Bag - stove/cooking: Coleman F1 stove, Alpkit titanium mug, collapsible food bowl with lid, 2 Lexan foons, 1 spatula, tiny frying pan, windshield, tiny bottle of oil, tiny bottle of Dr. Bronner's Peppermint liquid soap, Wind-proof lighter, small folding bowl, piece of w/u sponge, TGOC mug, 100g gas canister,
canister stabilising feet.

Mesh Bag - Mountain Equipment Primaloft jacket with hood.

Exped Red Bag - food: dried vegetables (cherry tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, mushrooms), spicy couscous, dried mashed potatoes, soya protein mince, falafel mix, angel hair pasta, whole egg powder, rolled oats, dried milk powder, tea-bags, coffee sticks, oat crunchy bars, mixed nuts, mixed dried fruit, packet of small Tortilla wraps, 2 small single serving packets of humous, 4 cuppa soups, squeezy mini-juice, 2 x Pour & Store bags.

Light Green Bag - small micro-fibre towel, wash kit: Dr. Bronner's Lavender liquid soap, Faith in Nature rosemary shampoo, tiny tub of toothpaste, tiny tub of foot cream, tiny tin of vaseline, half a toothbrush, baby talc, small hairbrush, moisturiser, deodorant wipes.

Green First Aid Bag - Compeed plasters, tape, antiseptic cream, moleskin, Engo blue anti-friction plasters.

Red Pill Bag - daily Thyroxine tablets, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, hayfever eye drops, anti-histamine nasal spray, Kwells (for the boat trip).

Orange Toilet Bag - digging stick, wipes, toilet paper.

Various Other Stuff - compass, whistle, Montane wind-shirt, head-net and anti-midge gel, camera, smart phone in Aquapac case, spare batteries, mobile charger, note book and pencil, tissues, tiny pen knife, spare lighter, lip-salve, handkerchief, full length foil mat, piece of foam sit map, spare glasses, suntan cream, sun hat, money and credit card in purse, bus-pass, TGOC card, waterproof hip pouch, Water-to-Go filter bottle in Lifeventure carry case, 2 x 1 litre flexible water bottles, water treatment drops, ranger beads.

Map Bag - 4 maps, A5 Ortlieb case with route print outs, TGOC route sheets.

Wearing - Paramo jacket, Paramo trousers, Inov-8 trainers, Bridgedale socks, Icebreaker undies, wicking t-shirt, Anatom walking poles.

I expect I've forgotten to mention something important! When it's written down it looks very daunting and not very lightweight so there may be some weeding to do before I catch that bus............

{Some of the bags!}