I made a winter trip to Hokkaido - Japan's most northerly main island. Before I left I was warned by the group that invited me to be prepared for chilly temperatures. They obviously don't live in Calgary where chilly takes on quite a different meaning. Still I needed to put some thought into what to pack for Japan. Hokkaido, which is at the same latitude as Toronto, is famous for its spectacular mountain scenery, volcanoes,…
I went with my husband and friends to trek in Patagonia - with the goal to hike both the "O" Circuit in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park and to do a few day hikes in Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina. I spent in excess of 30 hours researching, planning and preparing for this trek in Patagonia. From experience, here's what to pack and how to prepare for a trek in Patagonia. This post…
Here's what you need to pack for a two to three week mountain trek where you'll be at altitude. This is what I took for a three week mountain trek in the Zanskar region of the Indian Himalayas. Temperatures ranged from 20 - 25°C during the day and got to -10°C at night. There were multiple stream and river crossings, plenty of dust and numerous high altitude passes to deal with. A lot of thought…
If you're heading out self -supported on a multi-day cycling trip then you need to consider a few things. Are you planning to camp or stay in B&B's and hotels? How much weight do you want to carry? This packing list for a multi-day cycling trip is geared towards people who don't want to carry a lot and who are staying in accommodation other than tents. Adding camping equipment and a tent/sleeping bag likely means…
I visited Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island's Cumberland Peninsula at the end of June one year. Auyuittuq is an Inuktitut word meaning land that never melts. Normally I don't do adventure tours anymore figuring I have enough experience to do it on my own. But when a trip is remote and logistics are tough I am happy to leave the planning - especially meal planning to an outfit. But still packing was an issue.…