"Peace, peace, peace - and only peace!"

Practice setting up/taking down camp before you go

Before going cross-countrying, take a day or weekend trip to try out your gear.

Not only will this build your confidence in the gear, it also gives you the opportunity to practice setting up and taking down camp. This type of practice is important because often you will often have to do these tasks in sub-optimal conditions (ex. pouring rain, extreme cold, bug infestation). And, in these types of conditions, the longer you are outside fuddling around with tent pieces and the like, the greater your discomfort.

If you can't get away on a pre-trip trip, practice in your backyard a couple evenings after work. Don't set out on a long trip "cold."

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Don't let yourself get hungry or thirsty

If you are cross-countrying, leave your "good" eating habits at home. In other words, forget about calorie-counting, limiting carbs, sticking to three squares a day or whatever your normal, day-to-day regiment is.

A successful cross-country trek requires you to always be eating and drinking. This doesn't mean that you should always be gluttonously scarfing down burgers. Rather, it means that you should snack on a variety of food - nuts, fruit, veggies, energy bars etc, - whenever you can. Even more important is the need to keep yourself hydrated.

You DON'T want to let yourself get hungry or thirsty. If you let yourself get to that point, you could end up in big trouble (ex. You have 20km. of tough climbing to the next camp and you realize, "Man, I didn't eat enough...I don't have it in me." Not good.

In addition, nourishment is essential for staying healthy, keeping warm/cool and avoiding injury.

Always Be Consuming.

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STAY DRY

By far, this is the most important tip for anybody going cross-countrying. YOU (AND YOUR GEAR) HAVE TO STAY DRY!

As a general rule, I regularly ask myself, "If I had to, can I spend a night outside with my gear in the condition it is?" If the answer is no, I stop and dry out enough of my gear until the answer is yes.

More than animals, more than people, more than traffic, more than anything, I am most afraid of getting stuck in a situation where I am very cold and very wet. It seems to me that this is the most likely scenario in which a person on a long trek would find themselves in serious trouble.

Some things I do to keep myself dry include:

• Keep EVERYTHING you are carrying in garbage bags or Ziploc bags
• Never leave a warm, dry location unless you have at least one complete change of clothes that is dry
• On breaks, pull out your sleeping bag and make sure it is dry (you may have packed it dry, but the warm air trapped in your bag will often condense while you are moving and leave your bag wet)
• Always check the soles of your shoes to make sure you haven't developed holes where water can seep through
• Wear shorts (or, better yet, nothing) under your rain pants. Often rain pants don't "breath" well and the hot air trapped inside will condense and leave your clothes wet (thus, completely nullifying the benefit of rain gear); I find this happens less if I wear shorts (and if it does happen, shorts usually dry more quickly)
• Waterproof gloves/mitts are nice when it is both wet and cold.
• Attach wet clothes to the outside of your pack so that they can dry as you walk

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Dress in layers

This one is obvious, but bears repeating.

Weather changes quickly in the Great White North and you need to be able to change with it.

Use lots and lots of layers so that you can maximize comfort.

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Footwear: boots over shoes

During my trip, I used various types of footwear - everything from winter boots to high-end walking shoes.

In the end, I found that footwear closer to the "boot" end of the spectrum best served my needs.

Generally, boots don't wear out as quickly, provide protection from the rain and have thick soles which shield your feet from rocks, glass or whatever else you may be trudging across. While it's true that you may sacrifice quite a bit of weight and some comfort by tending towards a boot, this was a trade-off I was more than willing to make to keep my feet dry and protected.

One other thing: I don't suggest wearing 3/4 or high-cut footwear. Such styles will cause great discomfort as the rub (and, thus, irritate) your ankles and restrict range of motion.

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Take care of your body - stretch often, ice when possible

You have to look after your body on long treks. High intensity work day after day weakens the body and makes it far more likely that you will tweak this or pull that.

Keep your body in as good of shape as possible by stretching often - I suggest stretching in the morning, as soon as you stop for a break and before going to bed. In addition, treat your body to a full ice down every time you take a day off. Your body will thank you.

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Be patient

If there is one thing that I can guarantee you about your cross-country experience it's that you will have good days AND bad days.

It is very important that you realize this reality before you set out (and remind yourself of it while you are on the road) to avoid becoming discouraged.

When you are having a bad day (i.e. you aren't moving as well as you had on other days, you are feeling particularly sore, your mental game is shot), just recognize it as such and accept that everybody has them. Sure you may fall a few km behind, but on your next "great" day, you will make up those same km.

Success in cross-countrying comes from learning to take what the day will give you. If it's a bad day, relax and do what you can. And if it's a good day, drop the hammer and squeeze out a few extra km. If every day was exactly the same, the trip would be unbearably monotonous.

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Always carry two days' worth of food and water

You never know what is going to happen.

For example, I once set out from a town with only one days' food because I knew I was going to make it to another town by that evening. It ended up that a crazy rain storm came through and forced me to hold up in a farmer's field for the rest of that day and the entire next day. Needless to say, it was a pretty uncomfortable second day. And that is when I made this rule :)

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Get off the road early

This is just a personal preference because I usually travel alone.

I like to be off the road by no later than 4:30pm during early spring and late fall (when dusk comes earlier) and 5:30pm during the summer.

My reasons for this rule include:

• As the sun starts going down, it gets harder and harder for cars to see you
• It gives me lots of time to setup camp (this is especially beneficial in the case where I choose a spot and then find out it doesn't work for some reason and need to go hunting for another site) and relax
• It helps me avoid looking "stranded". Let's face it: if you are walking (or on a bike), in the middle of nowhere and it is almost dark, you look vulnerable. I prefer to avoid looking vulnerable for safety's sake.

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Don't pick your blisters...SERIOUS

This may sound grosse, but it will save you A LOT of pain.

My mom was right: unless you literally cannot walk without popping a blister, leave it alone. They ALWAYS hurt more after popping and the pain sticks around for days.

If you are thinking of popping despite my suggestion to the contrary, keep this rule in mind: the thicker the wall around the blister, the more it's going to hurt.

Ouch! I cringe just thinking about it.

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Keep your feet dry and clean

First, keep your feet dry. Wet skin blisters more easily so it takes less time to develop blisters when walking in wet socks/shoes. Also, wet skin will easily peel off the bottom of your feet leaving newer, more tender skin exposed and that will hurt. I suggest changing your socks every time you take a break (you can affix the wet socks to your pack to let them dry during the next leg).

Second, keep your feet clean. Infected blisters, athlete's feet and the like only serve to make walking more uncomfortable. Wash your feet and socks as often as you can using lakes, rivers, motel sinks or whatever else will get the job done.

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Be patient/careful with your gear

Over the course of a long trip you will inevitably get sick and tired of setting up your tent, drying out your sleeping bag or any regular and tedious tasks involving your gear.

But, no matter how annoying the task my become, always be patient, careful and methodical because with your gear. That's because the one time that you aren't is when you will do something you regret.

For example, early in my walk I had ever-changing weather. This meant I was forever taking off and putting on my rain gear. One morning I got fed up and instead of taking my boots off before removing my rain pants - as was my usual method -I just pulled the pants over my boots. This laziness cost me: one of shoelace hooks on my boot dug into the rear of my pants and tore a hole. Not only did I have a wet butt for the rest of the day, I had a duct taped butt for the next two months. So, don't be lazy.

Also, be careful where you put your gear. For example, one morning I stopped at a rest stop along the road to take a break. At that time, I pulled out my sleeping bag to dry it out. Not watching what I was doing, I almost laid the bag right on top of a number of ground thorn bushes. Had I laid my bag on those bushes, and then torn it when attempting to pack it up, I would have been in BIG trouble.

Similarly, see that you don't lay your bag on a seemingly nice piece of grass only to later discover a hidden anthill under your bag...Always be watchful!

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Learn to distinguish between soreness and pain

Endurance trips like walking/biking Canada, require you to learn to distinguish between soreness and pain.

Soreness is almost always going to be present. The fact is: walking 40 km/day just isn't normal. Your body constantly reminds you that fact by making your feet, ankles, knees, back or any other overused body parts ache; this is your body's way of encouraging you to chill out.

You must find a way to deal with the soreness - it's not going away. Personally, I just keep saying to myself, "Yup, it hurts. But, there is no point dwelling on it because that just makes it hurt more." I find soreness seems to lessen when you acknowledge its presence, but then "turn your back on it" so to speak.

Pain, on the other hand, is abnormal: it must be addressed immediately. You know it's pain because it will usually make you say something out loud like, "Ouch" or "Yup, that hurt!" Pain indicates injury or the imminence of injury. When you experience pain, you have to stop and attend to it until it's gone (even if that means a day or two). If you try to "play through the pain" you will regret it 9 out of 10 times.

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Protect yourself from the sun

Cross-country trips require you to be exposed to the elements 7 or more hours per day. When it is sunny out, this puts you a serious risk for heat exhaustion and sun stroke.

I have only had heat exhaustion or sun stroke (not necessarily sure which one I had because the latter is a more severe form of the former) once and, let me tell you, it's not something you want to experience. In fact, it was one of the scariest experiences of my life. That's why I am overly cautious in this regard.

One of the reasons heat exhaustion/sun stroke is so scary is because it comes on so quickly: you could be feeling dandy one minute and the next you can't breathe, are totally weak and can't think clearly.

My tip in this regard is simple: don't be dumb. Forget about getting a tan or wanting to look cool. It's not important! What is important is staying out of the sun and keeping your body temperature down.

Here are my suggestions:

• Cover up. Ideally, you will always wear long pants, long shirts and hoods. Yes, it will be hot, but it's the best protection.
• If you don't like the idea of keeping yourself covered with clothing, than make sure you use sunscreen with the highest SPF you can find. And apply it thick and often!
• At least cover your head! An exposed head will literally get fried by the sun...not good for your brain. Wear a hood or toque or bandana. Soak your head gear in cool water whenever you can.
• Make sure you are in the shade as much as possible (even if it means walking on the other side of the road).
• Cool down. Whenever possible, take a plunge in a nearby lake or river and stay in for at least 5 minutes. If you can't soak your entire body, at least soak your shirt and wear it dripping wet.
• Drink lots and lots and lots of water.

One other thing: just because it is cool or cloudy out doesn't mean you aren't at risk. We have all had those days ALWAYS protect yourself from the sun.

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Protect yourself from the bugs

If you are going to be walking/cycling through Northern Ontario any time during the summer, you absolutely must bring bug spray, a bandana and sunglasses.

The purpose of the bug spray is obvious.

The purpose of the bandana is to cover your ears (wear it like normal, but pull down the sides a little and tuck your ears up underneath). If you don't do this, you will go crazy from black flies getting in your ears.

The sunglasses are to keep the bugs from flying into your eyes - also obvious.

Now that I think about it: after the bug attacks I suffered this summer, if I had to do it again, I would actually bring along one of those bug-mesh hats. They look funny, but that's nothing compared to the beating those little buggas will put on you.

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Avoid knots

This may sound silly, but it's actual quite practical.

Avoiding tying knots in things: cold hands in the morning aren't able to untie knots made by warm hands in the evening.

For example, when I put food up a tree, I place it in my tent bag. This bag has a loop at the one end that I can run my rope through to pull it up the tree. At the bottom end of the bag is a drawstring. I worry that the drawstring will open under the weight of the food. Therefore, I usually tie a knot in the actual string so that the clasp can't slide downwards, thus, opening the bag and pouring out my food.

The problem is: on cold mornings, my hands get so numb that I don't have the dexterity to untie the knot in my tent bag. This leaves me without access to my food until my hands warm up. It's not a huge deal, but it is annoying.

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Watch the wind

When you have a cross-wind, always walk on the side of the road from which the wind comes (i.e. if the wind is blowing from left to right, walk on the left side of the road and vice versa).

If you don't, you will find that when cars/trucks pass by, they will temporarily block the wind, but once they are gone, a very strong gust will knock you off balance, kick up debris or both.

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Watch the noise (err something)

If you are going to spend a lot of time on the Trans Canada, prepare for the constant, and often unbearable, noise. The sound of fast passing cars (and worse, transport trucks) over and over and over and over and over again, drove me crazy.

I strongly suggest wearing earplugs or a music player.

I have to admit, though, I must be a sucker for punishment because I never followed my own advice on this one.

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Watch where you step

Any time you leave the main road, be mindful of the ground you are walking on.

For example, today, I had to go into the forest to pee. I wasn't paying attention to where I was standing and, the next thing I know, a hundred or more ants are running up my calve and upper leg (I was standing on a HUGE ant hill). This situation could have been avoided if I had been paying attention.

You can get all sorts of creepy crawlies on you, walk through thorn bushes or step in beehives if you aren't careful. So, be careful.

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Sleep on problems

One thing this trip has taught me (see "Journal - June 30" to read about when, exactly, I learnt this): when possible sleep on big problems.

When a problem first develops, it always, always, ALWAYS seems bigger than it really is. I don't know why, but sleeping on a problem reduces it to its real size and puts it back into perspective.

Any time you are able to sleep on a problem and start coming up with a solution the next day, I highly recommend doing just that.

Problems I rush to solve are always solved sub-optimally.

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Setup your tent facing away from the sun

On more than one occasion, I have dove into my tent, so excited to finally relax for the remainder of the night, only to realize that the sun is blazing right in my face.

This is a problem because: first, I will sweat longer; second, the sun can still burn in the evening; and third, you will be squinting until the sun sets.

If you think of it, setup your tent so that the sun isn't beating on you.

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Put some thought into how you pack your backpack

Most people will discover this one on their own, eventually. But, I thought I'd save you a few days' worth of frustration.

Pack your backpack intelligently. A few considerations include:

• Place your sleeping bag and extra clothes at the very bottom (they get pulled out less often and this gives you a place to sit).
• Place the rest of your gear on top of your bag in order of how often you are going to use it that day (ex. if it is raining, make sure you have easy access to your rain gear, but if it is sunny, send the rain gear to the bottom).
• Keep your food on top (you usually grab for it the most), but keep it double-bagged (you don't want something - like honey - to break open and mess everything below it).
• Smaller items like map, camera, pen and paper, etc. should be kept in the top compartment of your bag so that you don't have to go digging around for them.

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A few ideas on picking a campsite

Here are a few things about picking a campsite that I would have liked to know before I left:

• Try to find as large of a clearing as possible; the more "in" the forest you are, the worse the bugs will be. I usually looked for a gravel pit or a logging site or a truck turnaround of some kind - any place where the vegetation had been cut down or thinned out.
• If you ARE camping at a gravel pit or logging site or truck turnaround - any place large vehicles travel often - check for tire tracks to make somebody isn't going to back over your tent in the dark.
• DON'T camp at the bottom of a hill: if it rains you'll be in big trouble.
• Always do a quick search around for wildlife activity - fur, droppings, tracks.
• Always pick a site that allows you to setup your tent properly. For example, a couple times I chose sites that were too rocky; this meant I was unable to peg down my tent entirely. The tent looked solid enough, but when the night windstorms came it quickly fell apart. Better to avoid this type of thing.
• In many small towns, there are municipal buildings (like city halls) that close at 5pm. I found camping behind these to be a good option.
• Through Quebec and New Brunswick, farmer's fields became favourite camping spots of mine. By this time the crops had been harvested. Just make sure you are out of the way in case the farmer comes driving along in the evening or at night.

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Tent pegs...metal or plastic or what?

I can't even tell you how many tent peg issues I have had on this trip.

Here's what I have learned:

• Metal pegs bend. I haven't found any that don't. Unless you have a hammer (which I didn't) and are pegging into nice, campground quality turf (which I wasn't), metal pegs just don't last.
• Plastic pegs break...but not as much as metal pegs bend. For this reason, I go with plastic - they last longer.
• If you are cross-countrying (which means a lot of the ground you peg into will probably be rocky or filled with roots or both), use shorter pegs (i.e. 6 in.). Otherwise, you will never get your pegs into the ground.
• Still haven't found a use for glow-in-the-dark pegs.
• Canadian Tire almost always carries the best tent pegs.
• Carry at least 2 extra pegs.

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Tents...bivy sac, single-walled, double-walled or what?

I went through almost as many tents as I did tent pegs.

Here's what I learned:

• Don't use a bivy sac. They were made for survival (i.e. to be used for a night or two in case of emergencies). To use them on a long trek is really quite annoying. You can't get dressed inside them (even if you are lying down). You basically have tent in your face while you are sleeping. You can't bring your gear inside of them. I just wouldn't recommend it.
• Double-walled tents aren't bad, but they are a little bit more of a pain to setup, they usually weigh a little more and (my primary beef with them) they let cold air in . For trips spanning late spring to early fall, they work. For trips that span longer, they aren't very warm.
• Single walled tents are my preference. The are light AND warm.
• One more thing: get a freestanding tent so that if you get into a situation where you can't peg out (ex. there isn't enough room or the ground is too rocky), you can still get through the night.

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