PCT Preparation 1

Yo!

Well, here we are in Seattle preparing for our trip. We have been lucky enough to stay with friends, Megan and Ali and now Beth and Mary. Not only have they given us their support and a place to stay, they have allowed us to set up little food prep factories in their basements.

We spent the first few days frantically researching gear and down sleeping bags in particular. We became obsessed by fill power, loft, European Norm (EN 13537) temperature ratings, and water-repellent nano technology until we were so overwhelmed we based our purchase primarily on color. Then we realized we needed to put gear buying on hold and deal with planning and ordering food. 

Once we begin the hike we will mostly be in wilderness and, on average, will have to hike from 5 to 7 days between trail towns carrying our food. In order to make our packs lighter we are preparing boxes of mostly dehydrated/freeze dried meals that we will have friends and family (thank you!) send to us at post offices along the trail. Some of the trail towns are near the trail and others we'll have to hitch to. 

So, we are preparing 150 days of delicious dehydrated evening meals, muesli breakfasts and snacks. The first step was coming up with a range of gag-free meals that can be made by simply adding hot water and letting sit for 10-20 mins. This way we can use less cooking fuel and save on weight. We are using a tiny stove that requires denatured alcohol. If the meals are that bad, we may end up just drinking the fuel.

Anyway, I came up with 10 different recipes using the tubs of dehydrated meats and veggies we ordered online and from bulk food sections at various supermarkets. We will be eating the kind of food you'd eat on the moon, without actually being on the moon. I remember when I was about 5 years old I used to make 'soup' with bits of grass, mud and puddle water. It's exactly like that. It was a bit of a chore, but I'm hoping they will be edible. 

Tracy meanwhile has been "working" on throwing our muesli together. Tough job. Like what are we talking about, tossing in some oats, seeds and a handful of nuts. She has also commandeered our exciting new purchase: the Seal a Meal™ machine. She has been practising to get her seals perfect and if you leave something lying around and vulnerable, it will be suddenly vacuum packed 'for protection'. Apart from being fun and making a loud noise, this machine will scrunch our meals into less space for packing and keep em' fresh while they sit in our friends' basements waiting to be shipped. 

To be fair, Tracy has also taken lead on box logistics. This involves a scary looking excel sheet she created with all sorts of formulas for calculating where to send the boxes, and how many days' food should be in each one. Yesterday I split all the printed topo maps into sections according to which box they'll go in, ziplocked them and labelled them. That was one of the more fun jobs. 

Food packing is not my forte. I have already sustained 3 injuries. Injury No. 1: splinter from wiping table with hand. Injury No. 2: scratch from dipping my hand in to large can of dehydrated chicken and catching on bit of metal. Injury No. 3: Almost choked to death. I was bagging dried egg powder when I came up with this genius idea: "I'll suck out the excess air with my mouth and quickly seal the bag". Milliseconds later I was covered in a yellow mask, simultaneously choking, gagging and gasping for air. I must have inhaled at least 3 eggs. Fortunately, Mary and Beth's basement bathroom was nearby and I was able to sprint to it and throw up. Unfortunately, Beth heard me coughing from upstairs and it wasn't long after my eyes had stopped watering that Beth started with her comments.. "Hey, wanna cough me up a little scramble egg?"

xxx