First Aid

 My First Aid Kit:

My first aid consists mainly for stopping the blood flow and or snake venom. I have a snake bandage and the one I have has little squares on it that let you know when it has been stretched to the correct tension.

There is Fixomull that covers the red spots on the feet and then used to sick anything else down. Also I have alcohol swabs and some non stick dressings to clean up any open cuts.

I carry some pain killers, anti inflamatories, throat spray and antihistamines.

There is a needle that is wrapped and some dental floss that used to floss and repair. I would like to say I could do a rambo and stitch a few open wounds but the repairs are more likely to be clothes or packs. Dental floss is strong and is good for those applications.

There is a Space/Emergency Blanket for whenever. I have always carried one, never used it though. Also a mirror. It is a signalling mirror but I use it to look at those hard to see places.

I carry spare laces for boots and the toothpaste are those liitle tabs from Lush. My gay pride toothbrush is getting worn out and I also have some Ethique Shampoo Bar that is an effective soap. I have also shaved it into washing machines when I washed my clothes.

And of course the scissors.

Pack set up

 

I have spent a while looking at my weight and I have reduced as much as I can. However due to the nature of this walk, the length of time I will be away and my age there are things that I will not do without. So my current pack (the one on the right) does get a little uncomfortable when loaded past 15kg.

My current plan and equipment means that about a third of the time I would be at 15kg or above. So I have bought a pack that may help me carry a heavier weight. Its classed as lightweight pack but the harness system apparently carries a heavier weight. I haven't tested it over a long distance but the waist belt set-up certainly sits better.

The weight of the pack set-up for a 5 day walk and 3 litres of water is 17.2 kg. It drops by about 800 grams per day overall as I use up the consumables food and of course as I drink the weight go es dowwn during the day. water weighs 1kg per litre.

Food Preparation

The food equation is one of the most time consuming. I am working with other walkers who are also planning on doing the track. They are walking as well but with a trailer of sorts (Check out a monowalker if curious) This comes with some advantages as they can carry much more therefore having a longer period before a resupply. Some of the disadvantages can be found when encountering locked gates and off track walking with obstacles like fallen trees .

The National trail is designed as a horse trail so most of it would be ok.

My plans always revolve around weight. About 5 days is around the average. Although it could be up to 9 days. The photo shows 5 days worth. This amount comes in around 4.5 kilograms.

Breakfast is cereal and milk. Lunch is the bread and peanut butter/vegemite or tuna. Dinner is based on lentils with either rice, mince or noodles. The flavour comes from either a curry powder or cup a soups. dehydrated vegetables can also be added. I have some chocolates for snacks. Tea and hot chocolate powder are for drinks.

With 4 weeks to go before I start the drive its time to make sure the body has at least a little preparation.

The actual walk involves walking 20 -25 kilometres a day with a loaded pack, day after day and its very hard to train for that and do the normal home stuff.

All I can do is make sure some of the kinks are ironed out so every day I walk for about 2 hours covering 8 - 13 kilometres. I wear my walking boots and have been trialling orthotic inserts. This should help those feet and back problems I was experiencing on the last walk.

I plan to change the orthotics regularly as one of the problems with long distance walking is wearing shoes and boots well past their best supporting capacity.

This time I have a herniated disc in my neck at the C7 vertebrae to add to my woes and whilst I have backpacked with it in the last year I don't know how it will hold up on a multi week/month walk.

 The preparations are now ramping up in earnest.

We have contacted many people in Qld to organise the first section. This involved working out where I may need to drop a resupply box and ringing people to see if they were willing to hold onto them. Some were cattle properties others local store people. So far no one has refused to help.

The trail goes through many cattle properties and we will also have to contact them closer to the date I will cross their properties. This is mainly so I don't interfere with things like mustering.

My plan for the first 800 or so kilometres to Mingela is now fairly settled. The initial e-mails and phone calls for he next section has begun. Belinda will do some of the final preparations.