The planning is done and the only thing that’s left is packing. We packed up our room a mere 2 hours before the Epic Thanksgiving celebration. This year a pig bigger than my nephew was roasted and the 30 pound turkey and piles of crab made their appearance. We celebrated our last meal with so many friends and family. It was an amazing send off.
The packing started in earnest today. All items were gathered on the bed and we checked each and every item off our list. Surprisingly we were missing nothing (that’s what half a dozen camping trip prepares you for). The hardest part was packing up the resupply boxes. But Mike is proving quite resourceful (I ask for nothing less in a travel partner). See picture for the solution. Everything fits.
Without food or water our packs will weigh about 10 pounds each. We have 1 sleeping quilt for the two of us, carbon fiber walking poles, titanium stakes, a tarp that weighs less than a pound, two half toothbrushes, 3 socks a piece (yes, 3 socks, not 3 pairs of socks).
Notable items not included:
Deodorant, shampoo, a towel, a fourth sock, a pillow.
Two luxury items that we couldn’t do this trip without:
– My journal pages and a pen. I plan to write everyday.
– Mike’s phone. How else are we gonna send everyone pictures.
The farewells were hard. The flight leaves in 14 hours. 25 hours of plane later we’ll be in Auckland, meeting new friends and starting the adventure. Stay tuned!