With just a few days to go until we’re off on our coast to coast walking adventure, following the 84-mile long Hadrian’s Wall, I thought I’d share a little bit about our planning for the trip.
The former defensive stronghold and customs post runs from its eastern limit at Wallsend (no prizes for guessing where that name originated) in Newcastle upon Tyne, to Bowness-on-Solway in the west.
Decisions
Before anything else, we had to decide how we were going to travel and sleep. Were we going to head west to east, or east to west? Would we camp or use hotels and B&Bs? And, how long did we want to take?
Looking through various web pages and guidebooks, starting at Newcastle and heading west seemed the favoured route. Why? Because the Newcastle section is fairly built up and it seems, understandably, some people find finishing in a city a bit of an anti-climax. It feels more adventurous to leave civilisation and head off into the wilds. We also know from experience that it can be quite hard to adjust back to a life surrounded by other humans after being out on the trails for a while. So we knew where we would begin and end. Now to work out how to travel between those two points.
Camping would probably always be our preference. It’s more adventurous, you’re much better connected with nature and the environment around you, and it’s a hell of a lot cheaper too! That said, we knew we were going to be setting off fairly late season and camping means carrying a lot more weight in your bags. We also knew that whilst this was supposed to be an adventure, it was also our main holiday of the year and we had to strike the right balance between challenge and relaxation.
In the end, we went for a mix of traditional B&Bs and AirBnB. Less grandiose than some of the lovely hotels we’d seen along the way, but considerably closer to our preferred budget, whilst providing the comfort that would enable us to make it a holiday and not simply a test of physical endurance. Please forgive us if you feel that our decision isn’t in keeping with the spirit of true adventurers. We believe that adventure can and should be for everyone and that it’s up to each person to decide how far they want to push themselves.
Our final decision. How much yomping to do each day? We’ve done a fair number of hikes between 10 and 13 miles this year with Lou’s mum whilst ticking off legs of the Cotswold or Mendip Ways, so we figured pushing up to an average of 14 miles wouldn’t be too much of a stretch. 84 miles, the total distance of the wall, divided beautifully evenly into six days of 14 miles (although some will be around 10 or 11, whilst others will be more like 15).
What to take with us?
With no camping on route, we could obviously ditch the tent, sleeping bags, inflatable roll mats and pillows (much to the gratitude of our shoulders). Having never done more than a couple of days of hiking back-to-back before though, we thought we’d check out a few blogs and websites to see what was suggested. Here’s a link to a blog post I came across with a fairly thorough kit list:
What To Take On A Day Hike In The UK? (+ What NOT To Take) - Becky the Traveller
And, after much consideration, here’s our final list of essentials for the trip:
Hiking boots - good quality, waterproof ones that combine comfort with decent ankle support.
Rucksacks - we had to head out and get some new gear for this. I had a rucksack that is perfect for day hikes, but just too small for multiple days on the trail, whilst Lou had a giant rucksack that we just didn’t need (unless she was intending on carrying me)! In the end, I opted for this 35-45-litre one from Go Outdoors.
Walking poles - for a little extra power.
A pair of shorts and a pair of trousers. I have the ones that zip off at the knee for added flexibility and to lighten the load.
2 x technical t-shirts to reduce sweating.
A long-sleeved top (one of my many ‘you didn’t get into the London Marathon this year’ ones.
Waterproof jackets and trousers - being wet and cold is miserable and, as we’re headed to the north of England, we are taking no chances!
Smartwatches - partly to track the distances, but also because they give us portable compasses if needed too.
Smartphones with the OS maps app - I pay £24 a year to get access to OS maps for the whole of Britain on my app. I can add the app to multiple devices and, best of all, pre-plan routes and download them to use offline in case there’s no signal. An absolute bargain!!! Plus, the phones are our cameras for the trip so that we can share our beautiful adventure with you.
First aid kit - just one of the little portable ones with bandages, plasters and scissors.
Emergency bivvy bag and a whistle - because it’s always best to be prepared.
Suntan lotion, after sun, and chaff cream - comfort is everything.
Baseball cap and woolly hat - welcome to Britain!
Thin gloves and waterproof gloves - cold, wet hands aren’t fun.
Pants and socks, including waterproof socks - and neither are cold, wet feet!
Snacks - flapjacks, Trek bars, fruit, crisps, or whatever takes our fancy for the day ahead.
One outfit for evening wear with a light pair of shoes - because tonight’s pub won’t know I wore it yesterday too! ;-)
Roman Centurion outfit - too much???
I considered taking head torches and a portable charging kit but, when I checked out the route, I could see that we’re never too far from a road and the lengths of the days mean we should be done long before darkness. I’ll probably pop them in anyway because I’d rather carry a few more pounds worth of kit and be prepared for any eventuality.
If you think we’re missing anything vital, feel free to pop a comment below. It’s always good to have a little reminder. :-) Wish us luck!!!