España 2019 Getting Ready

Essentials

Do not be misled.  The brand is not also the destination: 

 Rojita, as I am calling her—because what if she does not roll right on over when I need her?— won out over an alluring, flat, long, neon green bag, whose name, Big Agnes (for real), was proudly splashed on the top in orange.  Color was key—and both were terrific—fifty taxis will be transporting this heavier-than-it looks suitcase to fifty different bed and breakfasts in northern Spain, not your everyday occurrence in those parts.  Considering the circumstances, something bold and hopefully unforgettable seemed a smart idea.  See the zipper?  Inside that pocket will be a tracker por si acaso mi Rojita goes astray.

Inside are hardly any clothes.  But there is a lot of food: peanut butter, crackers, dried peaches and raisins, nuts, instant lattes and instant Starbucks, couscous that cooks in five minutes and some condiments, candy, an immersion heater coil and a back up immersion heater coil, utensils, and even dishes, such as a plate, cup, cutlery, and a can opener, stuff like that.  Why?  Because stores there will not be for several days and when there are, their hours are, shall we say, limited.  

Then there are the chargers for:  phone, watch, Macbook, Iridium Go—the Satellite Hot Spot that will deliver a wi-fi signal to the phone in case of emergency—tracker, camera, adaptors for both C and E/F electrical outlets, power strip, and adaptors for Macbook, which has only a USBC port, and back-up battery for phone, and of course a GPS cable in case I need to transfer any tracks that didn't make it like they were supposed to.

The amount of electronic support is in inverse proportion to the remoteness of the walk.

Next, the backpack:

Much less jazzy than the suitcase, and not my favourite.  But it won out over my preferred Arcteryx because it is extremely light and  it has an adjustable arc that allows it to ride surprisingly comfortably, which, at the end of the day, literally and figuratively, is what counts. Loaded, it will weigh about 12 pounds, maybe more if the weather is hot and the day is long.  Water weighs 2.2 pounds a litre.

Boots! 

 I love these boots!  I have been wearing Zamberlan boots for years and tried getting an earlier model resoled, only to discover that that was a useless effort, and not so cheap, besides. So here is a new pair of quite lightweight, just over the ankle boots that will be a joy to wear if I can figure out the sock situation.  Besides, aren't they a great colour?

Poles:

 Love them!  They set your stride, help push you up hills, stabilize you on steep downhills, act as balancers when you are navigating a stream or jumping over ditch or something.  They fold up and stow away very nicely when not needed.  Sadly, only one has an extra rubber tip, pero bueno.  No importa.

Of course, there are many other essentials, but this is enough to talk about for now, and maybe forever.