Hi guys. You're gonna love this! Really interesting development in my life. Without going into it too much, I was seeing someone, we tried living together, didn't quite work. I'd lined up another place, but prior to signing a contract I pulled out of it because it was when I made my decision to take 4 months off and hike the TAT.
We (her and I) still get along, and so figured that it would be beneficial to us both if I just stayed as a housemate in the spare room for the four months before I left for the TAT.
However, as these things go, it's not going to work. She's starting to look at dating again, and I'm trying to focus on training, so it's just not quite working. Don't get me wrong, we're still good friends.
Anyway, my boss offered for me to live at work, free of charge, until I go. How can I pass up such a generous offer like that?!
So, as we speak, I'm in the process of packing and moving.
I'm going to be living in a loft area, out the back and away from view. However, it's a high, vertical ladder (6m or even more), to get up there. No way am I dragging a bed or even my sofa bed up there!
So what I've just decided is that I'm going to start preparing for the mental aspect of camping for 4 months straight away.
It's very cold up there - no insulation whatsoever.
I'm going to pitch my tent, and use my time to really nut-out my sleeping system, which to me, is the most important system in the whole ensemble.
I'm going to pitch my free-standing Kathmandu tent, for two reasons: one, it's free standing. No guy lines required. And whilst the roof leaks and it'll be pretty drafty, of course, I don't have to deal with the real vagaries of the weather. And two, why would I want to wear out the actual tent I'm taking before I leave? Of course, once I have decided on the shelter I'm taking, and purchase it, I'll be taking it out tramping in the hills to test the whole system in the weather. The badder the better.
What's the saying? Something along the lines of: hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
I'm VERY excited about having the opportunity to test out my gear, and condition myself to sleeping on hard ground (did I mention it's bare concrete?). :D Not to mention I get to save a few more dollars between now and August when I go.
And I've booked my flight from Christchurch to Auckland for the 1st of August, so it's all systems go!
Stand by over the next few days to find out how my Klymit Insulated Static V performs.....