The work on Green Tea continues
The clock is ticking, and I wrote a list of everything I must do before leaving. I'm in good shape, although as much as I'm trying to be ahead of the game, I'm sure I'll be running around on the last day like an idiot!
I still haven't bought all my clothes! And certainly haven't packed - I mean, what's to pack? Someone asked about my backpack's weight and where I came up with the 10 lbs limit.
So here's the theory -- I'm NOT doing what they call a thru-hike, so there is no need to carry a tent and other camping necessities. I'm walking through a very populated area of Spain, and the villages are often only several KMs apart. The longest stretch with no villages is 17 KM.
While thru-hikes carry heavier packs (god bless them!), day hikers like myself carry about 10% of your body weight. Now, I weigh more than 100 lbs, of course. But I'm taking 10 lbs of gear, including the weight of my backpack, leaving several pounds for food and water. But again, except for that 17 KM stretch, there's no need to stock up on tons of water because there are many fountains along the way or shops to buy something if you need it.
I'm not big on first-aid stuff, so I'll take the basics. A bandaid or two, some moleskin, but I don't use that stuff at home when I get a blister (which has been rare), and I don't expect to carry or use that while I'm on the road. Toiletries will be sparse - bar of soap, toothbrush, and toothpaste, and that's about it!
The one thing I want to take and am not sure it'll fit in the weight limit is something to do! I might sneak in a book (GASP!) or a crossword puzzle book (tiny) if I need something to do in the afternoon once I arrive. Although this is my first time day-hiking, it's not my first time doing this sort of thing. I've made numerous cycling trips (the longest was ten weeks), and once you arrive at camp, there's nothing to do, so a book to read was handy. But I wasn't carrying my stuff on my bike, so the weight didn't matter. I'll see how it goes once all the gear is assembled. You'll be the first to know how heavy that pack is!
The one thing that comes up in many discussions is how many sets of clothes to take. Most people take two, and sometimes people take three - the third being what to wear once you arrive. I thought of a sarong and happened to have one, so I dug it out, and I'll be weighing the options. Oh my god -- can you see me wearing a sarong in the evening? Someone who never wears a dress? Like all trips, modesty will go out the window -- I'm going for weight and comfort! Plus the sarong can double as a blanket, a coverup for shorts in a church, and I'm sure there are several other uses for it.
My sarong |
Poor Mani is naked as she has been wearing the sarong for a long time.
Mani (the mannequin) wearing the sarong |
Anyway -- I'll be going through all that on the blog, but first, I need to get out and get the rest of the gear I'm missing. I should make that a priority instead of sewing!
Someone asked if I'm taking a flat Elaine with me. Nope -- nothing that does not have a purpose is going in the backpack. NOTHING! Flat Elaine gets to stay home in Studio B and keep things under control!
Flat Elaine stays home |
OK -- so instead of working on the new homework for Green Tea, I'm still playing catch-up. That has to stop today because the new class is tomorrow. But look at that invisible applique. WOW!!! Looks awesome.
Invisible applique |
Three blocks of invisible machine applique |
Extra blocks for the orphan block box |
Raw edge applique block |
Second raw edge applique block |
Customer quilt - DONE |
A book of winning quilts |
Oopsy! |