PADDLER 97
l I guess being patient and expecting the unexpected , especially with the weather , and being prepared to be flexible with the route are key . l Have a dry bag for ‘ extras ’ in the morning . When packing , if you realise you forgot something that should go in a dry bag that ’ s already closed , instead of opening it again and losing some time , it goes into the ‘ extra ’ dry bag , which is the last one you close for the day . l Making communal meals – spending time with others saves gas , organisation , and cooking time . l Communal coffee in a big pot . l Making extra space by having the tent in a good dry bag behind the foot pegs l When we got the chance to buy stuff , adding fresh fruit like berries to drinking water kept the berries fresh , made the water taste nice , and the berries were a great addition to breakfast ( generally rehydrated porridge type meals )
l
l
l
l
I went with rehydrated meals for both breakfast and lunch . Before the trip , I tried quite a few to make sure I would like them . I was surprised at how good they were . I wish I ’ d had one of the sun cream sticks rather than bottles of liquid ; I would have been much better on the water . Having a well organised group nurse who had all the medication we forgot / ran out of . Thank you , Louise . Being open to ‘ expedition time ,’ we didn ’ t have day and night times or regular meal times , so there was a slight feeling of disorientation . Once I got my head around this , everything was an opportunity !
PADDLER 97