Among pilgrims and long-distance walkers there is a lore - a regular competition - to reduce the weight one carries on one's back. The advice to saw off the handles of toothbrushes is widespread; people calculate the weight:value equation of each T-shirt and each sock. We met a couple once who rotated three socks (socks, not pairs) so as to have one on for a first day, one on for a second day and the third washed and drying. These were the same people who read in turn each page of their single book before throwing it away as they went.
There are things that no self-respecting walker would ever give pack-space to. Therefore I must be a walker with no self-respect. For anyone who feels a similar pull towards the Grand Tour style of pilgrimage, here are my secret treasures you might want to consider taking with you:
* Ankle-length bootees with fleece outers and fake-fur inners. Mum saw them on a market stall and bought them for me. They're lime-green with big pink and orange flowers, and I love them. They keep my feet warm while padding around on bathroom tiles and bare floorboards, but are a relief in the evenings after the stiffness of boots. Any they're better ventilated than walking socks.
* The violent-pink looped-cotton bedsocks that Helen sent for Christmas - such a good combination of warmth and ventilation that I've worn holes in them and have sent for another pair.
* A little, lightweight plastic tub from Muji that I fill with Marmite as and when I can. How people can stomach jam at breakfast time, I know not!
* Badger foot balm (or Body Shop as a substitute). A bonding and healing experience.
* Another Christmas present, this one from Sarah. Two Onya bags from, apparently, Newport Pagnal. Super-lightweight but super-strong, they're made of parachute silk. They pack away to nothing but mean we can leave our rucksacks behind while we do the tourist thing.
* And another: the smart mohair beanie hat from Ann that gives me a stab at looking stylish in towns.
* My mirror and tweezers - already lauded elsewhere, but it seems I can excuse the tweezers as medical - for pulling out ticks in the summer.
* Some neoprene toe-covers designed for ski-ing. They slip on over my socks for extra warmth if the temperatures plummet.
* Another suggestion from Sarah: a one-litre Sigg bottle that can be filled with boiling water for warmth, but is of aluminium so weighs almost nothing when empty.
* This is one for the girls at Tate: my muff. My HAND muff. An old friend I bought from a stall in Leeds years ago, it is a tube of fake fur inside and out that I slip my hands into until they're toasty warm. For use on slow winter days, in emergencies and in the inside of French cathedrals.
* The crowning folly: a small travel kettle with two plastic beakers that fit inside. Yes, I know. But honestly, it's worth the weight! With sachets of fruit teas we can recover and rehydrate in the evenings, and make cup-a-soup when food is scarce. It give boiling water for the Sigg bottle and guarantees to reactivate my hand warmers if need be. I may relinquish the kettle in summer. But for now I cherish it and pack it away carefully each day.
18 February 2008
There are things that no self-respecting walker would ever give pack-space to. Therefore I must be a walker with no self-respect. For anyone who feels a similar pull towards the Grand Tour style of pilgrimage, here are my secret treasures you might want to consider taking with you:
* Ankle-length bootees with fleece outers and fake-fur inners. Mum saw them on a market stall and bought them for me. They're lime-green with big pink and orange flowers, and I love them. They keep my feet warm while padding around on bathroom tiles and bare floorboards, but are a relief in the evenings after the stiffness of boots. Any they're better ventilated than walking socks.
* The violent-pink looped-cotton bedsocks that Helen sent for Christmas - such a good combination of warmth and ventilation that I've worn holes in them and have sent for another pair.
* A little, lightweight plastic tub from Muji that I fill with Marmite as and when I can. How people can stomach jam at breakfast time, I know not!
* Badger foot balm (or Body Shop as a substitute). A bonding and healing experience.
* Another Christmas present, this one from Sarah. Two Onya bags from, apparently, Newport Pagnal. Super-lightweight but super-strong, they're made of parachute silk. They pack away to nothing but mean we can leave our rucksacks behind while we do the tourist thing.
* And another: the smart mohair beanie hat from Ann that gives me a stab at looking stylish in towns.
* My mirror and tweezers - already lauded elsewhere, but it seems I can excuse the tweezers as medical - for pulling out ticks in the summer.
* Some neoprene toe-covers designed for ski-ing. They slip on over my socks for extra warmth if the temperatures plummet.
* Another suggestion from Sarah: a one-litre Sigg bottle that can be filled with boiling water for warmth, but is of aluminium so weighs almost nothing when empty.
* This is one for the girls at Tate: my muff. My HAND muff. An old friend I bought from a stall in Leeds years ago, it is a tube of fake fur inside and out that I slip my hands into until they're toasty warm. For use on slow winter days, in emergencies and in the inside of French cathedrals.
* The crowning folly: a small travel kettle with two plastic beakers that fit inside. Yes, I know. But honestly, it's worth the weight! With sachets of fruit teas we can recover and rehydrate in the evenings, and make cup-a-soup when food is scarce. It give boiling water for the Sigg bottle and guarantees to reactivate my hand warmers if need be. I may relinquish the kettle in summer. But for now I cherish it and pack it away carefully each day.18 February 2008
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