Gday Gail….and all the KTL team!Thanks for your note and best wishes.Yes – Michelle and I are now over 6mths into our Big Lap around Australia and enjoying Perth at the moment. It's such a great country and we know that we're very lucky to be doing what we're doing.I do drop in on your web site from time to time and always enjoy reading the…[Read more]

Ask AgainWould the gentleman who recently requested a copy of my DVD please re-contact me at dan@towler.com? I'm terribly sorry for the delay in getting the DVD to you. I was caught up in the Brisbane floods and managed to corrupt my Outlook PST file – hence lost your email and postal details. Please feel welcome to contact me again and I'll…[Read more]

QUOTE(blanno @ 25 Jun 2010, 09:36 PM) [snapback]11877[/snapback]Thanks for putting the time in to putting these tips up, does anyone have any recomdations on packs ??I'm no expert but happy to share what I know. I personally found and saw others with packs like BlackWolf, which fell apart on The Track. Maybe just a bad lot but they certainly…[Read more]

Hi Dibblego.Sorry for the delay in my reply.Yes – I continue to send copies of the DVD. The DVD is home-grown and nothing too flash but it serves to mark our experience and gratitude for same – gratitude to our Diggers and also to KTL (Gail) who made it an amazing life experience.Just email me at: dan@towler.com with your Name and address.…[Read more]

Gday Efrat & Pedler.I'm delighted that my prep' notes provided some assistance. Having originally written these notes for my eldest brother, who was to join me on my 2nd trek of the Kokoda Track, they are a very candid account of what needs to be done to prepare well.I remain in debt to Gail and her KTL crew for the wonderful job they did and…[Read more]

Good point Nettie. We've trained Conwel Barai in basic First Aid (which of course does not include the administering of any medicines). I agree and I advocate that only the most basic of medicines be left there. Eg. pain killers, baby panadol etc, dressing, tape, iodine etc. If not with boxed instructions, then I always write instructions for…[Read more]

All good advice in replies above. I use the bi-carb solution to clean mildew and scum from my "Unbottle". But if I could offer one other point for your consideration….If you are experiencing any funny taste (especially plastic or rubber) then it's a given that these contaminants are detaching from the container itself and are being consumed by…[Read more]

You're very welcome Chloe. I've had countless emails from people who found these "Average Joe" prep' notes very useful on their trek. As always, you do what's best for you – but a few tips can make a huge difference. If these tips can save someone getting air-lifted out or convert a miserable trek into a manageable one, then all the more Aussies…[Read more]

Hi Gail.I'd be delighted to send you several copies – for you and your champions in POM and Kokoda. Just email me the best address to post them too and I'll take care of it.Kind RegardsDan

Hi.Posting updated version of these prep' notes. New version includes useful PNG (pidgin) words, how to pronounce village names and how you can help our PNG friends (pre and post) your trip. Kind RegardsDan

Hi AllI've sent out a few copies to those who have emailed me directly. Others requesting a copy above have been emailed by me for postal details.Bye for now.d.

GPS PointsBy the way – if anyone is interested, I captured the Kokoda Track on GPS in Apr07 and have converted that into Google Earth format – so you can now traverse the track on Goodle Earth – even do a fly over of the waypoints. I can email these routes if anyone wants them. The Google Earth resolution of the track is not flash so it's not…[Read more]

Hello All – Thanks for your positive feedback on my contribution. Delighted and humbled to hear that it's helped many prepare. These initial notes were published after my first trek of the track – mainly to assist my eldest brother who was to join me on my send trek in Apr07. Having completed the second trek in Apr07 (again with Gail's wonderful…[Read more]

Thanks for the info. I'm having serious trouble getting my pack weight down to just 16Kg, but would love to! I've held to the equipment list provided on this site and reviewed it several times to ensure no extras. With 3kg of water, my pack is 25Kg. It would be brilliant if you could provide a rough weight breakdown of items in a pack of just…[Read more]

…more the point to my question I suppose is: For those of us carrying our own packs, what do you think our target pack weight should be? Ie. ideally not exceeding what Kg?Thanks

Hi Aussie.For guys who carry their own packs – did you mean to say that they "more often than not carry 15-16Kg"? ThanksDan

Hello.Would you please explain something confusing me – a grossly inexperienced trekker! My boots are water-proof (leather) so long as they're not completely submerged, in which case they do fill with water over the boot's top rim. So when you say some boots are water-proof, do they also stop water entry via "over-the-rim"? I ask this because I'd…[Read more]