Today I felt fit enough to walk with my pack on again. In the first few days of the adventure I had a problem with my back, brought on no doubt by years of basically doing nothing sitting at a desk getting fat and lazy. I weighed the pack and all my gear at 27 kilos so, on Jeremy's advice I took stuff out and removed external items until I had a weight of fifteen kilos in all. It was ok on my back and we walked eighteen kilometres although I do admit to being as tired as when we walked thirty six in the same day.
The terrain has shifted from flat alluvial plains to hills in the space of twenty kilometres or so and so the going was made doubly tough by the climbs and descents which seem to be as difficult with the wheelbarrow as pushing up is.
Still, I made most of the day with the pack on, only giving up and loading it back on the barrow an hour before we stopped.
Our lodging tonight is in hammocks strung between rows of trees in a little acacia grove that we found. Acacias are fast growing but produce wicked thorns as protection against giraffes that like to browse the tops. I'm not expecting to see one tonight. (The giraffe, not the acacia)
My camp is set up but unfortunately the hammock has an uncomfortable lop-sidedness to it that I fear will cause problems with entry and egress.
Post-script: the hammock broke in the night and precipitated me unceremoniously to the ground. As I was already in my outdoor waterproof bag As well as a sleeping bag I just stayed there. This morning we had a cracker of a thunder storm but the tarp kept me dry.
Can see you have list weight that will help you walk better
ReplyDeleteWe just has a big rainstorm here a much needed watering
Janet