Thursday 16 August 2007

Excess weight

Yesterday I bought a waterproof pack liner from Kathmandu. I was unsure whether I should get a liner or one of those waterproof covers you put over your pack, but in the end I went for the liner, firstly because it was cheaper, and secondly because they didn't have the covers in any decent colors (like Ocean or Sunburst, for example).

The liner also has printed on it a handy list of outdoor survival tips (things like "keep warm," "drink plenty of water," and "be determined to survive") along with instructions for building an emergency shelter. Unfortunately there's no information about avoiding bears, or on what one should do when confronted with one, which would have been handy in light of this news.

Karuizawa isn't a wee country town, either; it's a major tourist resort with a population of over 18,000. What's more, the incident occurred just 600m from the main station. We're due to stay in Karuizawa on 8 November. Things like this weigh on my mind.

Distance walked today: 3km
Total distance walked since blog began: 463.4km
Days left until launch of Kisokaido Project: 66
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5 comments:

Erik said...

apparently bells let them hear you coming and make them not want to approach, would be surprised if hiroshige's party had some bells

17 August 2007 at 10:41
Walking fool said...

Yeah, I know about the bells. I'm more concerned about what to do when they ignore the bells and make a move towards you. Are you supposed to stand still, run, climb the nearest tree?

17 August 2007 at 14:54
Anonymous said...

i'd be more worried about the hit-and-run monks if I was you, which of course I'm not so don't have to worry about either, phew*

17 August 2007 at 22:20
Anonymous said...

I dont see the problem. Unless you are planning to take a lawn mower!
Mark

17 August 2007 at 23:20
Erik said...

i think you're supposed to put your hands above your head and make yourself as tall as possible, don't run away, try to look bigger than them. maybe you could carry two big paddles, one in each hand, to create the illusion of height. or, if we team up, i'll climb on your shoulders and we'll form a hulking bear-terrorizing mass.

20 August 2007 at 04:11

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