Eight square feet, or maybe a little less......

While working on the walking cart, my son-in-law Russ had the following observation: "we build houses with thousands of square feet to store our stuff, and here you're going to carry most everything you'll need for 7 months in less than 8 square feet." And, except for consumables such as food and water, he's right. I guess it shows just how little we need for the bare necessities.

When seeking advice about what to take from the folks at the local outdoor store, in most instances there was too much stuff on my list. After cutting back, and eliminating non-essentials, this is pretty much what I'll carry on the trip:

GEAR: tent and ground cloth, 20 degree sleeping bag & pad, backpack.

CLOTHING: 2 pair long pants, 2 pair short pants, 2 long sleeve shirts, 2 short sleeve shirts, fleece jacket, 2 pc. long johns, underwear, hat, waterproof gloves, rain suit, stocking cap, sweatshirt, socks, 1 cotton shirt and shorts for sleeping, and bathing suit

ELECTRONICS: cell phone and charger, camera and charger, SPOT gps locator. Instr books for camers and gps device.

MISC.: flashlight and another light, Swiss Army knife, first aid kit, heavy string, garden trowel, compass, journal & ink pens, xtra shoes, Rand Mcnally Atlas (large print!), soap, wash cloth and towel, personal grooming stuff, 2 water bottles, matches, toliet paper, trash bags, and a few tools.

FOOD: most will be bought along the way. I will carry some snacks to keep the energy level up. (How many Snicker's bars will fit in a backpack?)

There's probably a few more things that I'll think of between now and the time I leave, but not much else. Anything else can be bought along the route. If you think of something, leave a comment.

The Limey

It now appears that I will have a companion on the walk. Alan Bouquet, of Ilford, East London, has just been approved for an extended visa, and will be joining the walk.



I first met Alan thru a posting he placed on the Internet, expressing his desire to walk across America. With only limited knowledge of the USA, he was hesitant to do it alone, and was having problems finding someone to walk with him. I sent him an email several months back telling him of my plans, we've been talking since, and things have just worked out. In June, my daughter Susan and her family, who currently live in London, had an opportunity to meet Alan, learn more about him, and answer any questions he had about me and the states.



Alan is a 24 yr old graduate student in Environmental Science with a Master's in Climate Change......which he will see plenty of before this walk is over! Interestly enuf, one of Alan's professors is one of the people in the recent "climategate" controvery around global warming. (he was later cleared of any mis-doings.) With the job market in London being somewhat as it is in the states, and no job prospects in sight, Alan decided to have an adventure before resuming his search......hoping the job market would be improved by the time he returned home.

Alan's favorite sport is cricket, and he likes American baseball. His version of football is played without pads and with a round ball......which can't be touched by the hands. He has some experience with hiking/camping, but nothing of this magnitude. He likes American folk music. His travels to date have been limited, but he lives in a very diverse part of London, so is exposed almost daily to people from many countries and cultures.

Answering some of Alan's questions and concerns about the trip has been interesting......he can't understand about Americans love affair with guns, the wide range of climate changes we will face on the walk, and some other perceptions created by all the communication we have nowadays.

I don't expect this walk to have a profound impact on the remainder of my life......it'll create some memories for my family and me, give me something to tell "fish tales" about for years to come, possibly make me a little healthier, and occupy 6-8 months of my retired life.

But for a young guy like Alan, it can be a life changing event. It could provide him the confidence and courage to face anything that confronts him in the future. And, what a talking point to put on a resume cover letter. I think it will catch some employer's eye.

Welcome aboard, Alan, maybe we can do your country next time.

Why don't you just drive your car......

or fly in a plane? I have 8 grandchildren, ages 5 - 20. The older ones sorta understand what I'm doing and think it's "cool", and the younger ones really don't have time for this sort of thing. But there's one in the middle, who asks these pretty simple and logical questions. Abby can't quite figure out why someone would want to walk somewhere when they could ride......she just doesn't "get" it.

Abby, I wish I had an answer for you. Because at times, I ask myself the same questions. But as maybe you've already learned in your young life, sometimes we do things and we really don't understand why.

Maybe I just want to give you and the "cousins" a memory to carry throughout your life. Or maybe I want to show you just how far I will walk to go to the beach with you next year. Or maybe I want to show you that you can do most anything, no matter how crazy or hard it seems.

There must be answers to your questions, maybe someday you and I will figure it all out. But for now, these are the best answers I have. Anyhow, Grandma and me can ride in a car or train when we get old.

Cotton Kills........

who would have thought? The material we have loved all our lives is really a killer. Or, at least that's what the "real" hikers/campers seem to think. I went recently to the local outdoor store to get some supplies, and the conversation turned to clothing. When I beamed proudly, and told them I planned to be outfitted head-to-toe in that greatest of all natural fibers, the first words out of their mouth was, "cotton kills."

Seems cotton retains moisture and won't keep you warm when wet. (Plus when it's washed it takes too long to dry.) Much the same as "down" sleeping bags, it doesn't work well when wet. And when we hike we sweat, and then it won't dry, and then the weather turns cold, and you know what comes next. For some reason wool seems to still keep us warm when wet.

But, just so happened they had some nice synthetic clothing in the store (and wool socks), so it worked out ok. I'll stay warm, they'll stay in business. The cotton will have to stay home this time.

Walking Stroller

For several reasons it is important for me to have some type of cart to help carry the load during the walk: 1) I'm not sure I am physically strong enuf to walk 15 miles daily with 30-50 extra lbs on my back; 2) there are long distances between towns in the western states where extra water, food, and other supplies might be needed.

After research and discussions with other people doing the walk, I decided on a jogging stroller made by Runabout Strollers, in Aloha, Or. The strollers are lightweight, strong, and have "airless" tires, a very important feature. The owner of the company, Roger Berg, will sell just the frames without the child seats, so that's what I bought.

With help from my son-in-law Russ, who once was an engineer and hasn't lost all his skills, and my grandson Kevin, who is a great assistant, we added a plywood platform to the frame, and will be able to attach containers, backpacks, and whatever else is needed. Maybe there will be a little room for a luxury or two.