Getting prepared

When first planning our trip, I had in mind that I would lose between 12-15 kilos so that by the time I put on my 12-15 kilo backpack my body would be used to carrying the excess weight albeit on a different part of my body i.e. on my back rather than around my waist. Well with less than two weeks to go I have only lost 3kg. On that basis I will only be travelling around Wales with a day pack!

Speaking of packs, Greg is already onto his third generation of pack in as many weeks. He saw our impending journey as an excuse to upgrade to a more modern pack. The first pack off the shelf looked and felt good however at only 65 litres it wasn’t big enough to hold all the gear that we would need. So, then it was back to his old pack, that is until after we went for a training hike with all our camping gear. During this trip he realised that his old pack just wasn’t comfortable enough with the weight he was carrying, particularly given that we are planning on hiking 1600km. So, onto version three which seems to be the business.

His latest iteration is a New Zealand designed Aarn Bodypack. This is effectively a pack which wraps around your body so that the weight is balanced in front and behind so that your posture and balance are unaltered by the load. It comes with extras such as pockets that tie onto the front of your pack. While this might be great for carrying a load effectively, every time I look at Greg with his gear on, I crack up laughing as he reminds of an Autobot (from the movie Transformers) that is about to transform into an Oshkosh Missile Military Truck!  

  

Not only that, he seems to find an excuse to pack and unpack his bag at least once or twice a day (and we haven’t even left the country yet). You’d think that having spent 12 years of his life in the army he would know how to pack his gear! Should I be worried that I am starting to get jealous of his relationship with his pack?