I'll post you mine Fluppy…. when are you leaving? I don't get a mail truck till the weekend though. I got it from my optometrist.

I took the fog off with me and it worked well. Another tip is to take your hat off in the jungle/shade…. it reduces fogging and is also much cooler. Bifocals didn't prove a problem, I just made sure I stopped before taking my eyes off where I was stepping to look around.

I've been browsing through some of my old 'pre trek' posts, and thought I'd just update on a couple. We left our boots on for all creek crossings. Walking with wet feet wasn't an uncomfortable experience, just par for the course really. I wore shin length gaiters ( a must in my view) which kept the water out for all crossing bar those that were…[Read more]

Hi there Kim,Our group stayed at the Ela Beach Hotel pre and post trek, and then I had a few nights at Loloata Island scuba diving before I flew home. Ela beach Hotel was fantastic, brilliant service, nice rooms, great pool and a beaut bistro and bar…. with a fantastic band. ( we partied very late on the night of our return from the track, after…[Read more]

I'd do it now Fluppy – one more thing to tick of the 'to do' list. I carried my medications in my carry on luggage ( and wore my hiking boots… just in case my booked gear went astray), but nobody even checked. Your bag is scanned and that is that.

After finishing the track I headed to Loloata Island, (15 minutes off the coast from PT Moresby in Bootless Bay) for a few days scuba diving. Absolutely brilliant, highly recommended. The kids from the island were just heading off on the track that day. One younster I met was 7 and doing the track for the 3rd time!! They carried their own pack and…[Read more]

Lou, once you arrive at your Port Moresby Hotel don't head for your air-co room, or the air-co'd bar/restaurant/lounge. It's very tempting as the humidity is horrid…. but it's far better to sit out by the pool or on your balcony and acclimatise as much as possible.I hate humididy too but actually didn't find it too daunting on the track. Sure,…[Read more]

Our group stayed at the Ela Beach Hotel pre and post trek. I really liked this option, as opposed to the Gateway or other 'airport hotels', as we had the opportunity to travel through downtown Pt Moresby, past the harbour and yatch club ( some VERY fancy houses and boats here!!) and just generally have a bit more of a look at PT Moresby.The Ela…[Read more]

I also just used regular soap and shampoo… and everybody ribbed me big time about sitting in the icy creeks, shaving my legs! It certainly got the circulation going that's for sure!

As Eve said, the amount of water you drink isn't important Fluppy … just keep drinking. Even with 8-10 litres I only needed to pee a few times for the whole day. Which makes me think your device to pee while standing won't be necessary Fluppy. Believe me, you'll sweat so much you won't be peeing that often. My feelings are it would just be…[Read more]

Just a couple of comments and an observation from my trek in June. We had 15 trekkers in our group and all but 3 of us used a personal porter. We didn't have a ratio of 2 porters ( i.e food and personal) per trekker. Each day I carried all my food, other than the night meal, in my daypack. My porter carried the rest of my day rations plus his own.…[Read more]

Hi girls,Toileting wasn't an issue for me. I drank about 8-10 litres of water each day on the track, but due to the heat and sweating only needed to 'use the bathroom' a few times each day. On all days but one I was fine from when we left camp in the moring till arriving at our morning tea stop, then our lunch stop and then our camp that night.…[Read more]

Well said Brian.

Hi Natalieae,I've been back from Kokda now for about 6 weeks. It was a fabulous experience, one that I hope to repeat with my kids some day. Having recently been there I feel absolutely devastated with the events of this week and feel so much for the families and loved ones of the 13 killed.Just wanted to tell you I flew into Popondetta and then…[Read more]

Definitely go on your own Jan. I did, and have been home almost a month now. It was absolultely awsome….. I had a ball. An incredible challenge but my training, up and down the Darling River bank ( which most people scoffed at… but was the closest I had to a hill) with about 12kg in my pack, was adequate to ensure I had no aching muscles at…[Read more]

The poncho is great for around camp, particularly to get to the loo and back dry in the middle of the night. My night clothes were my only dry set, and I wanted to keep them that way. My poncho would have been a complete hindrance to walk in – too long.

I borrowed a pair of my son's skins and wore them for the first 5 or 6 days, not really sure if they helped or not. For the last couple of days I went without…. and it was definitely more comfortable with them on. Whilst always wet when I got back into them in the mornings it didn't matter, you get used to it.

The GoGoGear blow up mattress, mentioned in earlier posts with this thread was excellent. I slept soundly for 10 hours every night during my trek….. well, this could have had something to do with the amount of physical exertion during the day, but still, it was extremely comfortable, easy to blow up, light weight and packed away well. Also a…[Read more]

The GoGoGear blow up mattress, mentioned in earlier posts with this thread was excellent. I slept soundly for 10 hours every night during my trek….. well, this could have had something to do with the amount of physical exertion during the day, but still, it was extremely comfortable, easy to blow up, light weight and packed away well. Also a…[Read more]

Brian, going off on a tangent here…. We have a farmstay here on our Darling River property and last week I had a tour group from Brisbane. We'd gotten onto the subject of Kokoda (my lack of hills and struggle to fit in the amount of training I'd like to do with the myriad of other daily chores on the station). Anyway – one of the ladies in the…[Read more]