Hiking Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail for five days... and the things I forget to pack.

Carrying everything (except for the stuff I forgot) I need on my back for five days. Couldn't do it without the hiking poles - or my knees couldn't.

The track on day one. Nice. 

Presuming most people would check their equipment before going on a five-day hike? Yep, not me. I end up packing the morning I leave for Kangaroo Island. I'm pulling things from that room, a bit from over here, and remember as I'm packing something else that I haven't packed my hiking boots yet. Tell you now... probably not the best idea I've ever had. Not that it was an idea, it's just the way it has turned out.

So, did I forget anything? You bet. 
1. One of my boots has a hole in the side. I discover this after feeling my foot feeling quite wet after hiking in the rain for over an hour. 

2. No clock/watch. Not a biggie, but it's nice to know when I'm tossing and turning, waiting for it to be morning so I can get up.

Of course, everyone packs a tripod and DSLR for a hike, right?

3. No pegs for my tent. Oops. When the wind picks up, it's nice to know my tent isn't going to fly away. Especially since I don't have much weighty stuff to keep it on the ground. Only once did it have a little bit of lift off. Rocks and hiking poles came to good use in keeping the door fly off the inside of the tent. 

4. No pocket knife. Admittedly, this trip, I only needed one a few times. I managed to make do with the flint for my Trangia. 

5. No dishwashing liquid. Oh well. Not dead yet. 

6. No book to read. When I wake up before dawn and only hike until early afternoon... it leaves a lot of time to sit and reflect. A book for some of these hours, or a deck of cards, would be very handy. This is the one item I missed the most. 

Pegs could have been helpful when not on the tent platforms. Oops. 

7. Hat and sunscreen. Oops. Don't tell my Dad.

8. Thongs. It's really nice to get out of wet boots at the end of the day. But when I have nothing else... 

9. Mini Towel. What can I do? Shake 'em dry. 

10. Dehydrated wine. This should exist by now!

Ok, so that is a long list. Oops. Would I have remembered all of this had I packed earlier? Probably not. I always forget something. But next time I will try to pack earlier, and not forget so much. At least I kept the weight down that I had to carry!
 

And then you have to remember to pick things up after you put them down. Left my glasses here after they fell off trying to get the boat untangled from the tree. Enlisted my Jane of the Jungle skills to get that sucker unstuck. 

Overland Track hardships...

I've just finished walking the Overland Track with my Dad. A beautiful walk, with a good share of mud and tree roots. But that's not the hard part. The hardest part of the Overland Track for me. Getting used to sleeping on one bunk with four other people. Only having a self inflating mat and sleeping bag for comfort. Thanks though to Scout Outdoor Centre in Rundle Street for the cosy One Planet bag I got!