My daughter and I walked in September last year, each with a high quality boot. The sole fell off hers on the first day! She walked the entire trip with the soles taped on!The best advise for boots is to make sure you water proof them several times before you go. They get waterlogged from constantly wet clay, and water will eventually seep in.…[Read more]

Personally, I recommend a pack cover! I took a "one planet" backpack, also fully lined and water proof, but the rain is torrential at times. I borrowed a pack cover and it made all the difference. The best part was that when I took my pack off at the end of the day, it didn't drip a big wet puddle into my tent the way it had when I had no cover. I…[Read more]

If you have access to a "step " class at a local gym, make full use of it, even if once a week. "pump" or weight classes are also good. You will find as the strength of you legs improve. the jitters will reduce. If you can't get to a class, then working on squats at home with your back pack on will help – 10 minutes a day – as though you are…[Read more]

Your guides will tell you when to take boots off and when to leave them on. On our September trek, we had flooding, and so walked about 3 km with multiple crossings in bare feet or sandles. I too had crocs, and they saved my feet big time. Sometimes crossings are easier in bare feet, sometimes, crocs – your guide will tell you. Most creeks had…[Read more]

Dani – I heard you survived your toilet experience in Kokoda! Congratulations. In fact, I heard you did so well, toilets no longer faze you!I just wanted to let others know about a product recommended by another female trekker. Called a "whizbiz" http://www.whizbiz.com.au/, it allows a female to pee standing up! No more embarrassing "exposures" at…[Read more]

I would have carried 4-5 litres of water on my first trek too, but it was unnecessary most of the time. Second time round I again carried 5 litres of containers, but not water – 3 litre camel pack and 2 bottles, but walked with the pack half empty (most of time) and one bottle empty, the other full with half strength endura. This worked well for…[Read more]

having walked twice in 2008 and battled rain most days both ways, the best protection your socks can have is to waterproof your boots PROPERLY and MULTIPLE TIMES prior to trekking. This will keep your socks drier and enable you to wear them for two or three days in a row before changing. Wash them and then hang them on the back of your pack to dry…[Read more]

I echo Danielle's thoughts with a big thank you to the boys from KTL, and a big congratulations to all the kids (and adults!) who trekked. We had some tough days, but most of the kids knuckled down and achieved something amazing. Well done to all. My favourite moment would have had to have been the day the creek flooded and we had to swim the…[Read more]

Go for a decent set of poles, one with two sets of adjustments so as they reduce to a smaller size and you won't have a problem. I too debated heavily before deciding to take my two poles to Kokoda. I'd been training with them for 8 months, and decided to take them just in case. I have bad knees, and there were some days I was using them like a…[Read more]

I've just gotten back from Kokoda and it rained! When we got to Mt Bellamy it was cold, wet, and miserable – most of us only had ponchos, and thay were grossly inadequate. Prior to this we hadn't worried about covering up in the rain, but it was dismall this day and we were all soon freezing and wishing we had proper rain jackets. I'm going…[Read more]