I have been bad about updating this blog… I have been so busy… but here is the route for the big trek this summer! 😀 There will be a few changes here and there… but I think this is pretty much it! It’s about 550 KMs, but there is a spot where I need to take the train for 65 kms, because there is literally nothing there… no hotels to sleep in, so it is what it is. One has to take these things into account. I am going from Pont Au Mousson to the sea. I am told that finishing your trek at the ocean has a really nice finality to it.

I picked up a pack in February-

Vaude Cimone 45 + 10 Sangria:

Womens favorite. Includes everything that a trekking backpack needs and fits women perfectly. Extra soft shoulder straps and the adjustable back length to lighten the load. Features a super practical, removable wash bag in the lid compartment and a rain cover for the pack.

The whole, how big should you go has given me a lot of grief. My friend who did the Camino drilled into me not to overpack. She had a 60L and felt overloaded. Most people on the Camino sites say not to go over 35-40 if you are not needing camping gear. I think I have the best of both worlds here. Sangria wouldn’t have been my first choice of colour, but it was the one I could get on sale, and at 45% off, that was worth it being pink and not ‘Lagoon’ which was no longer available.

I also grabbed some Salewa Hike Trainer Insulate Goretex Hiking boots. Wow! Ok. I was going to Croc this all out… but… serious shoes make a serious difference. I also got these in an amazing sale… and completely worth it. Nary a blister yet… and I did a big hike recently and not a blister to be found. Even bigger hike planned! Woot!

Both the shoes and the pack have come from Trekk Inn, and so far, despite the bad comments on their Facebook page, I have found them to be awesome. Not a crass advertisement, but they have good prices for Europe and haven’t let me down!

Now I need to ponder the wonderful world of trekking poles and figure out exactly what I need to take with me. Trekking poles seem stupidly $$$ but Camino friend said her Leki’s saved her life. So I think I will invest in some. I am back in canada this summer, so I will probably get them there.

I also want to get a case for my iPad that I can have handy for gps and pics. I am really torn. I want to take my DSLR… but some people say that the big camera is a heavy item, taking up a lot of space. But photography is my hobby, and this is my big warsplosion. I waffle. Geeky as it is, pad pics aren’t bad.

Everyone still thinks I am crazy, but some friends are thinking of joining me for a week here and there. I will see what happens. 😉 People keep asking me why I don’t just take a car… why take a month off and walk it… I think it is the enormity of it. Just doing it… 🙂 It makes me happy just to think about it. Now… to get fit enough to do it!