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Brian,
One of the best pieces of advice i got before i went was to put my clothes back on after i washed them. because they are technical garments made from quick drying/wicking materials your own body heat will acutally dry them out, whereas hanging them out they wont. I tested this out by way of experiment/research and it was so true. within about a half hour or so my clothes were back to dry if i kept them on. If you ever head over again…test it out!
love anth.
As an alternative to wool- try out the Ex-officio knickers. comfie as anything and you only need two pairs of them for the rest of your life. (this is coming from a girl who does her lingere shopping at woollies- i thought i'd hit the jackpot when i discovered merino boxers- underwear that i only had to wash once a month= AWESOME.) jokes aside- the Ex-officios are pretty impressive and ideal for kokoda. lots of army buddies are swearing by them too.
I second crowies post. You'd want your socks to be as breathable as possible- otherwise you'll wet out from the moisture of your own sweat and defeat the purpose of having a waterproof sock in the first place and life will be pretty unpleasant..
Your clothes for Kokoda will be made from a fast drying/wicking fabric and the same applies, if not more importantly to your feet. 2 pairs of liners containing coolmax and one pair of socks is all you need to pack. bridgedale sell their liners in sets of 2 for around $40, then a light pair of socks such as the bridgedale light hiker will be around the $30 mark. if its a good hiking store, they should be able to mail to you as well..Thank you so much for posting news about Fluppy, Gail! We had our 492 6mth reunion up here in sydney this weekend. (can you believe it! 6 months gone already!) and it got me thinking about Fluppy- she's certainly a bit of an icon and i cant wait to have her fill us all in on how it went for her.
Fluppy,
I HATE drinking water- but easily got through 15L odd per day. i honestly didnt notice it and the water up there is BEAUTIFUL! a sip of cool water straight from the stream is no hardship at all!! i had a couple of 1l Nalgene bottle that i mixed up staminade in for a bit of flavour, and then had my bladder in my daypack. my suggestion is everytime the porters ask if you want to fill up your water.. do so.Merino undies are worth their weight in gold. One pair will be all you need for the whole trip. as an alternative 2 pairs of Ex-officio's will be great as well. wash and alternate as you would your liner socks.
take a thrush tablet with you just in case- i didnt need mine thankfully, but i sure as hell wasnt going to not pack it.
You are doing the right thing cutting your hair. i shaved mine and it was the best thing i did- though i can understand if not everyone wants to rush off and do that. (very empowering though!) but definately having shorter hair is a sensible move.
also, you mention sea to summit soap sheets, but do you know they have a liquid wash as well?? called wilderness wash i think- they do a whole range anyway of shampoos, body wash everything.
Cant wait to hear how your trip goes!
Hi MTV,
Head down to Trek & Travel, 447 Kent st in the city. I work there most weekends and would love to have a kokoda chat with you. Several of the staff there guide kokoda treks regularly and they were an invaluable information resource when i was planning my kokoda trip…
Raincovers: I would focus on waterproofing the contents of your pack using drybags/ziplock bags and a pack liner, rather than just the rain cover.. (i used a large dog body bag that i picked up for about $4 as my pack liner, either from T&T or your local vet-IMHO thats 110x better than paying for a commercial one that will do the same thing). you can use the raincover as well- but definately dont just rely on that to keep things dry.
Gaiters: again, my opinion, but full gaiters are too expensive, overkill, and far far too hot for the climate up there (for kokoda- they are definately worthwile elsewhere). Instead check out sock savers. They do a line specifically designed for kokoda conditions called the Kokoda Oilskins and they retail for about $15. (they look like the overs that lawnmower men wear…) again- if your in at T&T you can pick these up there.
Walking poles: You'll definately want a walking pole and although I originally planned on investing in manufactured ones, ran out of dosh to do this and ended up being glad. The one from KTL was perfect- and particularly with your height- i suggest the cut/carved pole will be your best option.
Anyway- I really hope i get to meet you if you pop in to Trek & Travel one weekend. I'll be the one with the namebadge that says "Anthea" but the other namebadges are worth talking to too…
Anthea
I'm with KT 100% on this. Merino boxers are a must have for Kokoda. Icebreaker are ok, but i personally prefer Earth Sea Sky. ESS make awesome merino boxer/boyleg undies with 5% lycra which helps retain the shape and fit. I swear by them and find the boxer style best cos you can still wear it down to the river and feel covered. if you are in sydney, trek and travel at 447 kent st always have them in stock along with icebreaker briefs if thats more your style.
14 Sleeps to go!! 🙂 i Fly out on 15th but have a couple of days in POM before trek starts on 17th.
Hi Geoff and Brian,
Thanks for your input. I am looking forward experiencing kokoda
Naturally the factors that lead to someone making an informed choice as a consumer are wide and varied. For someone who was potentially planning on spending about $100 on neoprene reef boots, as well as then foot wear for camp, (lets face it-who wants to spend any more time than they need to in hot soggy booties) i was simply hoping to provide a suitable alternative for consideration. I appreciate this may not be an appropriate choice for everyone and the factors that lead to my personal decision as a consumer may be poles apart from the choices another person may make. Thats something each person has to weigh up themselves. Similarly, for shock absorber walking poles, and carved poles.After speaking to several of my colleagues who guide kokoda treks (not with KTL) I was on the understanding that there was at least one day where it is useless to put boots on at all due to river crossings. However, I look forward to finding out personally in a few weeks! 🙂
I wouldnt recommend a shock absorbing walking pole(s). Fairly unnessesary expense in such muddy terrain- the mud will achieve the same effect. I would however suggest if you are taking telescopic poles to ensure you get the little mud guards with it so that your pole just doesnt sink forever into the mud. I'm taking 2 poles, if i find i need just the one- i can easily collapse the other down and 140g's isnt much to worry about strapping to your pack. its the whole 4 points of contacts as opposed to 2 thing. The carved wooden ones weigh about 760-800gms but make a nice momento.
Hi Colin,
I got a pair of Chaco's to serve as both river crossing foot wear and to wear around camp at night (something you would still need if you used reef boots for crossings). Chaco's retail about $150 for a pair, obviously there are similar products around for varying prices. As sandals, they allow your feet to air and dry out between crossings. I imagine neoprene would keep your feet pretty soggy. Also a point to think about is making sure whatever river crossing footwear you invest in is quite secure on your foot, toe loops, ankle straps etc etc. last thing you want is your footwear to go floating off down the river without you….
