How I walk/hike/tramp.

My very comfortable, but not that durable, Keen hiking boots.

This post is to show how I prepare for, and walk, any long distance walks.  All of my long distance walks have been in the U.K.  I love walking there, especially 20 to 40km a day over many days.  I like the variety of the scenery in the walks, as well as for other reasons (see 'where I eat' below, or the why I walk post I put up recently).  I have seen a number of YouTubers showing videos of wild camping, exulting the advantages of doing so to keep accommodation costs down and the distance walked each day high, however I like my walking with a little bit of luxury, so this post is to talk about how I like to walk and the things I like to take with me.

Baggage Transfers - the first thing I like to do is ensure there is a reasonably priced (max £10/day) baggage transfer company to take my larger pack each day from one place that I'm staying to the next, while I do the work of getting those kilometres under my boots while wearing the day pack.  An added advantage (that I have never had need of using) is that sometimes those transfer companies will allow you to ride along on any days that you are unable to walk because of injury.

Accommodation - next, I like to organise B&B's for each night's stay, if the price is reasonable.  I have paid as little as £25 for a night's B&B accommodation, and as much as £55 (although that's only in extreme circumstances if I find nothing more reasonable).  If I can't find anything within that price range (or no B&B near the end of a day's walk) I will opt for a hostel, bunk house, or bunk barn.  Or I will either shorten or lengthen the distance I will walk that day to ensure I overnight at a place that has reasonable, and reasonably priced, accommodation.  Walking solo, unfortunately, often means I pay more per person than a couple for accommodation.  Interestingly, I have found that B&B's that charge me £30-35 offer the best value for money; ones that are less expensive have something a bit undesirable about them, and those that cost more only do so to offer luxury type things that are unnecessary or unwanted.  Hostels, and the like, are a bit problematic with regard to noise issues (snoring and sleep apnea machines spring to mind) but they are mostly cheaper than B&B's and often have laundry facilities (as well as provide meals).  Usually it is a balance between the distance I want to (or can) walk in a day with finding reasonably affordable and appropriate accommodation.

Feet - correct footwear and socks are very important.  For me that means waterproof Keen hiking boots (which are extremely comfortable right out of the box but, unfortunately, not very durable - a pair lasts me one walking holiday of 1-3 months, plus the training period for the next holiday before they fall apart).  My go-to socks are merino wool hikers socks, reinforced at the heel and toe - a little pricey, and a bit warm if the temperature is over 20 degrees, but they don't cause blisters and they have a wicking capacity.

Packing - I have 2 packs - one larger one to carry multiple days' clothing, extra trail guides (for the other walks I will be doing during that particular holiday), items I purchase along the way that I don't want to lug in my day pack, and other extra fluff (see list below); as previously mentioned, this pack is carried by a baggage transfer company each day when I am doing the actual Long Distance Walks themselves.  The smaller day pack contains the stuff I might need while I am walking from one location to the next - I'll itemise the typical contents of those below.  When I am taking a train between walks, or arriving to, or leaving, the U.K, I will put the empty day pack inside the larger pack - which means that everything that I have for the holiday I ensure fits into the larger pack (minus the clothing I am wearing on the plane).

What I take - here are the items I usually have in my packs:

Day pack:

• optionally, a spare pair of socks
• waterproofs (pants and jacket)
  
• fingerless gloves
• optionally regular gloves depending on the season, which could be in the larger pack
• optionally a warm hat/toque depending on the season, which could be in the larger pack
• trail guide for the current walk
• journal and pen
  
• Kobo e-reader
• phone (now a smartphone, but used to be a non-smart phone plus a small tablet)
  
• optionally, my DSLR camera with 2 lenses plus extra battery and spare SD card
  
• combination pocket knife
• compass (sometimes 2 or 3)
• whistle
• electronic recording device (used to be known as a dictophone)
• first aid kit (collection of tensor bandage, ibuprofen (pills and gel), paracetamol, band-aids, eye-drops, lip balm)
• water bladder usually with 2 litres of water in (max capacity 3 litres)
• trowel
• small pack of paper tissues
  
• fleece, unless I am wearing it, which is unlikely
• packed lunch for the day
• Tilley hat (which I'd be wearing)
• sunglasses (which I'd likely be wearing)
• belt (which I'd be wearing)
  
• reading glasses
• torch (rechargeable - sometimes in larger pack)
• optionally, trekking poles, possibly attached to day pack, possibly in larger pack
  

Larger pack:

• 5-7 pairs of underwear
• 5-7 pairs of merino hiking socks
• 4-6 shirts (1 or 2 cotton, the rest synthetic wicking hiking shirts)
• 4-6 pairs of cargo shorts/hiking pants
• handkerchiefs 
• boxers (or something to sleep in)
  
• a pair of alternate footwear (jandals, sneakers, or back-up hiking boots)
• trail guides for the other trails on this holiday, but not the current one
• charging plugs/cables for e-reader/phone/camera, UK-Canadian/NZ adapter plug
  
• SD cards for camera
• toiletries (razor, witch hazel, soap, shampoo, anti-perspirant, toothpaste/brush, aspirin, laundry soap, bug repellent, sunblock)
• travel towel
• earphones
• optionally, an mp3 player (or similar)
  
• earplugs (a new addition based upon the excessive hostel snoring)
• printed copies of itinerary, accommodation, ticket collection references, etc)

Itinerary - another thing I like to do is to try and organise the walks so that I can finish one walk at a place where I start the next walk, thereby reducing the need to travel between walks (and the number of times I have to carry everything I have) - not always possible, but desirable. 

Where I eat - I enjoy the packed lunches I get from the BnB's, as well as the very British types of food available from the local Co-op or pub, and the pint or two of cider I consume at day's end.

Rest days - I don't usually plan rest days.  The days I find I can take it easier and not do any significant distance are either the days I travel by train from the end of one walk to the start of another, or when I spend multiple nights at one place and plan on doing day walks each day - I have been guilty of not doing many, or any, day walks on occasion if I feel like I just want a day off, although those are rare.