Day 5- Over Hills and Dales

Echo

The snapping twigs and light puff of my breath echo;
The endless trees and silver sky encapsulate me and me alone
In a tiny world, with only myself
And myself echoing back.

Journal Entry 5

Today we talked about Cheryl Strayed, famous for taking a 94 day hike, alone, on the Pacific Crest Trail. Taking inspiration from her and her 70 pound backpack, we made a list of items we would bring on a hike and determined how much it would weigh. Using weights in a backpack, we tried to see if we can lift how much we thought we needed. I planned a 46 day hike from Paris, France to Venice, Italy, with a pass through Bern, Switzerland. This trip would take place during the mild spring to eliminate the need for hot or cold temperature specific gear.

My list is as follows:

• 107 piece first aid kit (1)
• The Mariner Dry Bag Backpack (1)
• Victorinox Swiss Champ Pocketknife (1)
• Aluminum Mess Kit (1)
• Freeze dried food kit (2)
• Holster pepper spray (1)
• Eos 1 person tent (1)
• Liquid-filled compass (1)
• Road map of Europe (1)
• Dri-Fit running tights (1)
• Dri-Fit capris (2)
• Dri-Fit long-sleeve shirt (1)
• Hanes Cool Dri t-shirt (2)
• Arm & Hammer deodorant (1)
• All-purpose travel soap (2)
• Folding travel toothbrush (1)
• Marvis travel toothpaste (2)
• Britta squeezable water bottle w/ filter (1)
• 6 liter Dromlite dromodery bag (1)

Looking back, I know this is nowhere near complete. I also wasn't able to figure out how much I would be carrying. Certainly not 70 pounds, I hope! I had to think about what was absolutely necessary and what wasn't. My first concern was first aid; I'm clumsy and paranoid so I wanted to be prepared. I also wanted to make sure I had plenty of food and water. Cheryl Strayed brought a saw, a shovel, and books- things I thought were totally unnecessary (which probably weighed her down a lot!).

My Route