1 Month, 29 days till Australia.
1 Month, 16 days till Ontario.
I'm thrilled to announce, that after several weeks of hard work, late nights and extra early mornings, that the sponsorship hunt has begun to prove successful!
Calgary based, Ranger Tactical (http://rangertactical.com/) have begun setting me up with some of their great new survival gear to test in the Outback! These guys specialize in Tactical/Survival/Rescue gear, so needles to say, I think I am in good hands.
Stay tuned for more details, as this is only the beginning. I will be revealing what gear they are sending with me in the weeks to come. Full reviews of each piece of gear will follow from the field, once I begin the trek.
Things have come a long way in the last week, and with two months to go yet, a lot more is in store before I even board the plane. My travel pack and sleeping bag are on order... Finally. I have chosen Osprey's Atmos 50 as my main pack, and Marmot's Hydrogen as my sleeping bag.
I still have a good chunk of gear to pull together - but considering how much I am taking in whole, it is very little.
I've paid my last full months rent check. Soon my phone contract will end. I begin to pack away the last near four years into storage. Still so much to do in what feels like so little time.
Lastly, I want to give a quick shout out to Roger Brunt, of Salt Spring Island, BC. Roger is the founder of the North American School of Outdoor Writing - quite an accomplished outdoor writer. He's been a tremendous help in getting this whole project moving. Thanks Roger.
I highly recommend anyone considering an interest in writing as a hobby or a career check his school out. www.nasow.com
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
2 Months, 5 Days
2 Months, 5 days.
With only a few minor set backs I have begun collecting and organizing my gear - most of it on order currently.
The biggest of the set backs has been a complete reconsideration to half my kit. As it turns out, the pack I had based all previous planning on will not be available before departure - fantastic.
So here we are, back to square one. One month, 23 days before departure of Calgary to Ottawa. I have cut my storage capacity by almost 25 liters. Turns out 25L is a lot of space, but it's also a lot of weight. Next, minus; one pair of shoes, one 3L water bladder, an entire change of clothes and one external HDD. And that's only the beginning!
The next big change is my day pack. I am downsizing from an Ospray Talon 33, to a North Face Verto 26. Less storage, but far less weight. And though it is not specifically hydration compatible it still leaves me with plenty of options. After all, since the beginning the plan was to travel minimalist. Cut, cut ,cut.
Over the next two or so weeks I hope to acquire the majority of my kit - the bulk at least. Then, its off to the mountains, saddle up and hit a few trails to break my back... I mean, break my pack in.
2 Months, 5 Days, 7 hours...
With only a few minor set backs I have begun collecting and organizing my gear - most of it on order currently.
The biggest of the set backs has been a complete reconsideration to half my kit. As it turns out, the pack I had based all previous planning on will not be available before departure - fantastic.
So here we are, back to square one. One month, 23 days before departure of Calgary to Ottawa. I have cut my storage capacity by almost 25 liters. Turns out 25L is a lot of space, but it's also a lot of weight. Next, minus; one pair of shoes, one 3L water bladder, an entire change of clothes and one external HDD. And that's only the beginning!
The next big change is my day pack. I am downsizing from an Ospray Talon 33, to a North Face Verto 26. Less storage, but far less weight. And though it is not specifically hydration compatible it still leaves me with plenty of options. After all, since the beginning the plan was to travel minimalist. Cut, cut ,cut.
Over the next two or so weeks I hope to acquire the majority of my kit - the bulk at least. Then, its off to the mountains, saddle up and hit a few trails to break my back... I mean, break my pack in.
2 Months, 5 Days, 7 hours...
Saturday, March 12, 2011
2 Months, 13 days
2 Months, 13 days till departure from Toronto.
2 Months, 1 day till departure from Calgary to Ottawa.
The real crunch is on. Two months to wrap up and tuck away three and a half years of my life into a storage room - Can't wait!
I have decided over the past week to revisit a previous notion to attempt to raise the bar on my trip another notch and acquire sponsorship to help off-set a few costs. It is my hope that this will allow me to expand my possibilities while away, including; the activities I will be able to take part in (surf lessons, diving on the Great Barrier Reef, or my original thought of touring Western Australia via dual-sport motorcycle), and how I will be able to deliver coverage of my adventure (fingers crossed for an Outback video journal!).
Details on sponsorship will come out as things progress.
It is tough figuring out where to begin. Planning my budget, re-planning, revising, adding more and more - The list never seeming to shrink. Creating a pitch, my hook. My mind is bursting with ideas for the adventure -- My wallet cries more with each new thought.
It is at this point that many people quietly tuck their tail between their legs and sink into the shadows. I find the challenge thrilling. Despite my outcome I can be left no worse off than I currently am. From here, things can only grow and get more exciting!
On a final note, I though it worth mentioning about a book I am currently reading. "The Power Of Passion", by Jamie Clarke and Alan Hobson. Its a great book for anyone looking for a little inspiration. Its a great read, full of real-life adventure - true accounts from Clarke and Hobson. It has definitely inspired me. So check it out!
2 Months, 1 day till departure from Calgary to Ottawa.
The real crunch is on. Two months to wrap up and tuck away three and a half years of my life into a storage room - Can't wait!
I have decided over the past week to revisit a previous notion to attempt to raise the bar on my trip another notch and acquire sponsorship to help off-set a few costs. It is my hope that this will allow me to expand my possibilities while away, including; the activities I will be able to take part in (surf lessons, diving on the Great Barrier Reef, or my original thought of touring Western Australia via dual-sport motorcycle), and how I will be able to deliver coverage of my adventure (fingers crossed for an Outback video journal!).
Details on sponsorship will come out as things progress.
It is tough figuring out where to begin. Planning my budget, re-planning, revising, adding more and more - The list never seeming to shrink. Creating a pitch, my hook. My mind is bursting with ideas for the adventure -- My wallet cries more with each new thought.
It is at this point that many people quietly tuck their tail between their legs and sink into the shadows. I find the challenge thrilling. Despite my outcome I can be left no worse off than I currently am. From here, things can only grow and get more exciting!
On a final note, I though it worth mentioning about a book I am currently reading. "The Power Of Passion", by Jamie Clarke and Alan Hobson. Its a great book for anyone looking for a little inspiration. Its a great read, full of real-life adventure - true accounts from Clarke and Hobson. It has definitely inspired me. So check it out!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
2 Months, 21 days - Update on Planning and Progress
2 months, 21 days.
As the days count down, everything I do is becoming relevant to my departure. It's an exciting yet nerve-racking time - some preparations small, and some very big.
As I am sure you can imagine, a trip like this does not come inexpensively. Even the most minimalist adventure comes with its fair share of expenses. It is because of this that you will notice two things on this blog. 1) The presence of Google Ads - I host these ads, managed by Google. For every click made on these ads I earn a small percentage, VERY small (fractions of cents). As time progresses these ads will reveal more relevant content to my own. So feel free to click away if something sparks your interest. 2) From time to time you will find product links directed to Amazon.com. These links will appear from my recommendations alone. This is called Amazon Associates - An Affiliate Marketing technique that allows me to, again, earn a small percentage (almost like a commission) on purchases made from my recommendations. So long story short, if I post, say a survival guide book found on Amazon.com and someone buys it, I will earn a small percentage. Again, VERY small.
It's an experiment, any and all help/contribution would be greatly appreciated.
Now that we have that out of the way, it's on to more eventful times!
As the days count down, everything I do is becoming relevant to my departure. It's an exciting yet nerve-racking time - some preparations small, and some very big.
As I am sure you can imagine, a trip like this does not come inexpensively. Even the most minimalist adventure comes with its fair share of expenses. It is because of this that you will notice two things on this blog. 1) The presence of Google Ads - I host these ads, managed by Google. For every click made on these ads I earn a small percentage, VERY small (fractions of cents). As time progresses these ads will reveal more relevant content to my own. So feel free to click away if something sparks your interest. 2) From time to time you will find product links directed to Amazon.com. These links will appear from my recommendations alone. This is called Amazon Associates - An Affiliate Marketing technique that allows me to, again, earn a small percentage (almost like a commission) on purchases made from my recommendations. So long story short, if I post, say a survival guide book found on Amazon.com and someone buys it, I will earn a small percentage. Again, VERY small.
It's an experiment, any and all help/contribution would be greatly appreciated.
Now that we have that out of the way, it's on to more eventful times!
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