Preparing for a multi-day hike (Thorsborne Trail edition)
What to pack, what to eat and what to read on the trail.
Sometimes I wonder if hiking is really that much of an enjoyable pursuit. You’re occasionally rewarded with good views, or the achievement of feats you didn’t know your body was capable of. And that’s pretty neat.
A lot of the time, you’re largely trudging along, every muscle in your body aching and maybe your bones too. Thinking why, exactly, am I doing this. Is this fun? Do I consider it fun? I don’t know. I don’t know what fun is anymore.
My most recently completed trek in North Queensland was a bit like that. It was a challenging hike to begin with, intended for very experienced hikers only (cue a crisis of faith and ability, upon reading that). Throw in some upsetting weather, major gear failures and health issues, and… well, at least now I have a great story.
It wasn’t all bad, I can assure you of that. Next week, I'll be sending through my field notes from the Thorsborne Trail, describing the hike itself. This post will be somewhat diarised and so, for paid subscribers only. You can upgrade your subscription, in great anticipation I’m sure, below.
For now, here's a round-up of what I packed, ate and read during my time in Hinchinbrook Island National Park (Munamudanamy).
Packing for the trail
My packing list hasn't changed all too much from when I hiked the Jatbula Trail last year. What I have to update on is a few new additions to my hiking gear, and a couple of setbacks.
Rain was a very real threat on this trip to tropical North Queensland and we did end up having two very wet days. I had originally packed the tarp I used during a solo camp out a few months ago, but removed it last minute, being concerned about overall baggage weight (and knowing my hiking buddy was bringing one).
I ended up buying a ultra-sil poncho, which I did end up wearing for one rainy afternoon (not while hiking, more on that later). I also invested in a ultra-sil daypack on sale. It folds up small and is lightweight. I used it for my carry-on for the flight, then for short side trips on the hike, when I didn't want to lug my entire backpack up and down unnecessary off-the-path hills. A reasonable decision, I feel.
My favourite recent addition to my hiking gear has been a pee rag. Does what it says on the box, basically. These bush cloths look cute, are sturdy and can be attached to your backpack when not in use. You can sanitise it at the end of the day by throwing boiled water over it, and it can go into the wash once you’re home.
Borrowed some hiking poles from a friend and I have to say, I'm now a convert. They saved my butt and bacon on creek crossings (of which there were MANY on this hike), and on wet and slippery paths. I'll be looking to purchase my own at some point in the future. They're not ideal for rock scrambling, where you need your hands, but can be easily attached to a backpack with a carabiner. Another necessity I want to load up on (litter the backpack with them!) as I only had one heavy duty one on hand for the trip.
Now, onto the many gear failures! There were a few on this hike.
First, I unrolled my sleeping mat on day zero at a caravan park, only to realise it had a puncture. Doom! Of course, I didn't have a puncture kit in my bag. Tried to repair it with anything I could find out of my first aid kit, but no luck. Fortunately, the owner of the boat transfer company who'd dropped us off was able to get a yoga mat to me to sleep on from day two onwards, but this was at first, a crushing realisation.
Similarly, my water bladder spent a lot of time merrily leaking away and the mouthpiece ended up being crushed at some point. I reckon I'll save the bladder for day or overnight hikes and just look to get a collapsible bottle I can use to store water, to then pour into my filtered water bottle.
And lastly, on the last day, I noticed a hole in my hiking tent, possibly caused by an inquisitive native rat. Rats indeed. So, not a good run at all. All stuff that can hopefully be fixed.
Eating on the trail
My favourite part of any hiking trip – planning out the meals.
For breakfast, I stuck to porridge. Oats, coconut flakes, almond flakes, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, dried apricots, dried strawberries and chia seeds made up the mix, with peanut butter added for a bit of extra flavour. Sealed in ziplock bags. We missed brekky the first day, so I mixed that portion into all the others. The result was a giant bowl of porridge to get through, most mornings. Took me ages to eat, but at least kept me full and nourished on the trail.
Lunch was Safcol tuna packets with wraps, an old favourite. Very tasty, except for the fact that on day one, a most evil wind blew sand into my wrap packet, ensuring that every lunch from then on came with a bit of extra crunch.
Dinner was a range of dehydrated meals. See my thoughts on each below.
Day one: On Track Meals Lamb and Barley. I started with this one as it wasn’t dehydrated and so, was by the far the heaviest at 250g. On account of it being real food, it was also delicious. So far 3/3 for On Track Meals, for me.
Day two: Back Country Cuisine Spicy Beef Nachos. Not as good as the chicken nachos and not really that ‘spicy’, but I was okay with that.
Day three: Back Country Cuisine Tasty Chicken Mash. This was pretty nice, mostly due to the mash. Although by this stage, I started finding Back Country’s ‘regular’ portion sizes a bit tough to handle, feeling much too generous.
Day four: I’d packed two meals too many, so I had Back Country Cuisine Nasi Goreng for lunch and Campers Pantry Chicken Pilaf for dinner. This was a ‘rest’ day with not very much walking and I found the Nasi Goreng filled me right up, so that I didn’t really want dinner. I did eat in the end and the pilaf was nice, but I probably would have enjoyed it more if I were hungrier at the time. Also, it was possibly a bad idea to schedule two rice dishes on the same day.
Day five: Back Country Cuisine Veggie Cottage Pie. The cottage pie is pretty good, after all! I found the sauce a little sweet, but it was fine after being mixed through with the mash.
Now that I have two multi-day hikes under my belt, I’d like to get a bit more creative with my food options… especially as my next chunky hike will be here in Victoria. We’ll see.
And of course, had to have tea options on the trail. I brought along my favourite green and rose petal tea for the morning, with mint tea for the afternoon. Another handy addition to my hiking gear were these reusable tea bags. Could easily dump the tea leaves in my rubbish bag after use, wash the tea bag and use again the next day.
Reading on the trail
Didn’t bring a hard copy book this time – instead it was all on my trusted Kindle.
Unhinged stories about millennial workplace experiences is a favourite genre of mine. Rytual by Chloe Elizabeth Wilson scratched that itch, well. Marnie is drifting through life, unmoored and unambitious, when she lands a job at exclusive beauty label rytual. Led by enigmatic founder Luna Peters, the brand only employs women, has a cult-like vibe and is one for strange rituals, including their mysterious Friday Night Drinks. Beneath the notes of sandalwood, something sinister lurks.
The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey sees Detective Inspector George Lennox land with her partner DI Richard Stewart on a remote island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, to investigate a suspicious suicide, where an eighteen-year-old was found at the foot of a lighthouse. The island is heavy in tradition and superstition, some of the residents are downright aggressive, and a strange howling can be heard from the woods at night…
In The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot, Robert McFarlane interweaves history, geology, folk tale and literature, as he follows ancient trails throughout the British Isles and beyond. Using the work and life of poet and biographer Edward Thomas as his guiding star, he examines how the very act of walking can create a bond with the land, that can last throughout generations.
For more walking inspo, read:
And that's it! I'll be back next week with the field notes from the trail.
'Til then, stay well and well-fed.
-Celine
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See other posts on hiking:
Looks incredible! What a place to be hiking and camping!