Post-TGO Challenge Random Thoughts

Thank You!

Firstly a thank you for all of the comments left whilst we were away. I’m not yet sufficiently technologically advanced that I can access comments on the hoof (so please don’t think that I was being ignorant in not replying to them), but it’s always very nice indeed to catch up with the comments when we get back.

The Blogging Device

Despite having a very annoying fault and being limited compared to other solutions, my new phone did the job for sending the blog posts. I even got a signal far more often than expected (and on no occasion did I have a signal on o2 or vodafone but not on T-mobile, so I needn’t have gone to the trouble and expense of getting the phone unlocked).

It was a few days through the trip when it dawned on me that I should be able to send photos, and it was good to finally see the results on a proper sized screen. In fact, at the time that I sent each of those photos the daylight on the screen meant that I couldn’t see what I was sending, so it was particularly pleasing to see that my ‘point, click and hope’ method worked just fine (even if the Edinburgh photo does look like it’s been tampered with).

Coming up - Kit

After a few people asked me, as we progressed east, what was in my pack, I thought I would put together a kit list of what I carried on this trip (although it’s not much different from what I carried on our LEJOG last year). This time, I even sat and weighed every single item. I ran out of time at the weekend to put the spreadsheet into a sensible order, but I’ll do that this weekend and post it.

I’ll also try to pull together a few thoughts as to various bits and pieces.

Also Coming Up – Another Angle

On the first night of our trip, as we sat there amidst the slug-fest, I typed my blog entry and I gave the notebook to Mick – and without complaint (even though it was girly pink) he wrote an account of our day. He then continued to write up the journal each night.

Now, I may be biased, but I thought it was rather good. So, if you can bear a second account of the same walk, once Mick has typed it up (it would be faster if I typed it, but I can’t read the writing!) I will post it here, probably in ‘seven episodes’.

Also Coming Up – Photies

We took a lot of photos! On the ‘to do’ list is the job of culling them and putting them somewhere suitable so that others can view them.

Comfortable Sleeping

Before the Challenge, when lots of people were getting excited at the Thermarest NeoAir and I was looking at other comfy looking mats, I managed to convince myself that I was trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. As nice as the thought of having a thicker mat was, I don’t have trouble sleeping on my thin Prolite 3 (mine isn’t actually the one shown in that link; it’s the old, heavier, pink one).

Once again, I had no problem getting a good night’s sleep, but with my mind now concentrated on the alternative mats that are out there, I did notice my stiff shoulders in the morning, which felt (unsurprisingly) like I’d been lying on a hard surface.

Mick now has a NeoAir on order, and I’m contemplating an Exped Downmat or a POE Thermo Thingy Whatsit.

And so…

…that really was a random selection of thoughts wasn’t it?