The result is, inevitably, a work in progress. I’m still nowhere near the Zen purity of Peace Pilgrim’s journeys (she walked for thousands and thousand of miles carrying nothing more than a comb and perhaps a toothpaste), but I have eliminated an incredible amount. Every time I unpack, I try to peel off a little […]

The first day of a trip is always a slightly exhausting leap into a new world. Jumping from the security of home (even borrowed homes, as I’ve been aggressively couch-surfing for three weeks) into another life of bags and gear and rope and bicycles and buses and ferries - it’s an exhausting prospect.
Luckily, some happy […]

 
First, I have to apologize, because I illicitly stole this cool photo from someone’s Flickr site (it came up on Google search, and I couldn’t resist!) - so let’s thank Dig this Photography for this great shot of a local bike commuter using Vancouver’s transit.
Today was my first attempt loading the Bike Friday on the […]

It’s past midnight, and I’m still up, trying to learn how to re-size photographs on my camera and digging up American dollars in old wallets. I haven’t slept in my own bed in over a month, and won’t be back in my apartment until February. So why am I insisting on rattling my own cage […]

 
In the midst of packing, my life currently seems to be all about gear. What to bring (and what not to bring) is a constant debate, as I struggle to bring my weight load down to a manageable level. I scrapped the trailer, the packing case, the panniers, even the laptop (my beloved laptop) is […]

An equation: Take one week with grey whale researchers, multiply by eight hours per day in a 22′ aluminium skiff, add 3′ swells on the open Pacific, and you have one seasick traveller. On the first day, I puked once over the side of the boat. Every day following began with my breakfast of Gravol, […]

I’m finally back from the west coast of Vancouver Island, and am currently enjoying the delightful highs (mostly) and lows (very occasionally) of couch-surfing with my nearest and dearest. My internet access is limited to the times when I can find wi-fi and happen to have my laptop, so I’m a bit late in updating […]

Ah, the transformation is complete - I’ve slowly turned into an obsessive outdoor gear junkie, when I carefully weigh every item before packing my bags, jealously recording every ounce in an effort to carry a lighter load.
And the perfect tool to help me? My dear mum’s cooking scale, bought in Wales in 1972 and brought […]

Oh, that warm feeling of accomplishment…what could be better than proudly showing off my new (homemade) backpack and sleeping bag?
It’s true: after one week of sweat (and a few tears), I’ve finished my ultralight, ultra-fabulous, ultra-functional backpacking gear, ready to be tested on the West Coast Trail. Using kits from Ray Jardine, I saved a […]

I had no idea I was such a do-it-yourself fiend, although the passing urge may never hit me again after such a chaotic week of sewing. It was “Construct My Own Sleeping Bag, Tent, and Backpack Week”, an event not for the faint of heart. My apartment is a battlezone strewn with pieces of silicon-nylon, […]