Those who follow my social media updates will know that I’m just back from a multiday hike down on the southern peninsula of Tasmania. The Three Capes Track is a beautifully created, painstakingly curated track through constantly changing landscapes. More than that, it is an education in nature, culture, history and science (all the good things). Ultimately, though, it was a reminder of the importance of camaraderie and belonging.
Hiking in a group is comforting and entertaining. At least, it is with our Flamingo Flock. Over dozens of hikes alongside these feathered companions I’ve learned many different lessons. Some I didn’t know I needed to learn. But, I really, really did.
Let me share some of these lessons with you just in case they’re things you need as well.
#1. The shoes that work for you aren't for everyone
Some people urgently assure you that they’ve found the best, the solution, the only ‘thing’ (insert your passion here) that is right. I choose to believe they are coming from a place of love and only want the best for others. Unfortunately, their urgency is so easily received as direction it can overwhelm even the most obvious knowing we have about ourselves. It happens with fashion. With hairstyles. And mobile phones. I love mine and will not be dissuaded otherwise. You know who you are!
Case in point – hiking shoes. A good pair is an investment, you have to pay for that support. When we find the shoes that make us feel like we are walking on clouds we want to share it with everyone else so that they, too, can enjoy that singular bliss. And yet… We know our feet aren’t the same as the next person’s and we know we walk our own way. A lot of emotional energy is shared on the internet and on the trail trying to convince another that if they just get these shoes they’ll be in hiker heaven. Don’t go looking down that rabbit hole for you will never resurface undamaged; I will save you time, a LOT of money and emotional energy, by telling you what seems obvious. You know what works for you, what you can afford and what you like. Trust yourself.
#2. Some people wear leggings, some wear hiking pants and others wear shorts.
And we all end up at the same place having seen the same incredible things and breathed the same air. Turns out what we wore, the brand of backpack we hoisted on our shoulders and even our hairstyles had nothing to do with our experience on the trail. OK, we’ve learned to be sensible about how much we carry and definitely worked out what chafes 🙄. See #1 re ‘no one size fits all’. Lucky, for I’ve never claimed to be fashionable!
3. Make sure you drink plenty of water.
It seems obvious but this one catches us all out eventually. Ok, ok, mainly me. I carry plenty of water, usually around 2 litres, and am likely to still have most of it with me at the end of the day. This, my friends, is not a good thing. Luckily for me the worst that’s happened so far is that I’ve snuggled up in my sleeping bag on more than one night with a throbbing headache.
It’s not all that clever relying on luck when it comes to your hydration. It may seem obvious but that body that hauls me along the trail every day cannot function with being properly hydrated and going on a hike tends to demand more of it than usual maintenance level. It’s just that I don’t get thirsty (or very hungry actually) while on the trail. Maybe I’m worried about running out? And, yes, there’s a bit of me avoiding the need to do a bush wee (see #7).
I have been wisely counselled (chastised with very little sympathy for such stupidity) by fellow Flamingos, encouraged (forced) to drink water packed full of electrolytes and warned that, as drinking sufficient water for the demands of a hike is such a simple thing to do, even someone as committed (pig-headed) as me can prioritise that basic self-care.
Just drink the water. You’ll always feel better and it’s fantastic for your complexion.
#4. There is no perfect hiker shape no matter what anyone tells you.
See comment #1 above about hiking boots. The body that takes you on the trail is exactly the right one. You’re not too short / tall/ round / overweight / skinny / unfashionable to hike the trail. Every shape can hike. Every shape can experience the awe of nature. Don’t let anyone (including yourself) tell you otherwise.
That said, every single shape needs to look after itself. Our Flock is currently nursing a few injuries. I see them as an inevitable risk we all accept when we walk out the door to engage in the world. I’m fortunately not carrying more than an occasional ache at the moment but I’ve been sidelined before and accept the chance that it will be me with a leg bandaged or ‘a back’ again in the future. Look after that perfect shape of yours to try and hold off those injuries for as long as possible. Stretch and warm up, calculate the risks. Use hiking poles – they’ve saved my ankles from countless falls now (I get distracted and forget to look where I’m putting my foot…).
#5. We all share responsibility for caring for the places we visit.
Leave no trace. The incredible natural environment we get to enjoy on the trail is relying on us to care for it so it can live on for others to experience.
- Always use the boot washes to ensure you’re not carrying the spores of devastating viruses to unaffected areas (don’t forget to also wash your hiking poles).
- Carry out every single bit of waste without exception (yes, even 💩 in some fragile landscapes).
- Don’t drop your food scraps – it’s bad for the animals.
Perhaps these rules need to go up in our kitchen 🤔
#6. There’s no point in being precious…
So. Here we are. The topic that’s rarely discussed in public but haunts the thoughts of most women before they step out on the trail. At some point on a hike you’re going to need to, um, relieve yourself. If you’re anything like me you probably also need to climb out of bed at least once during the night (it’s drinking all that water 🤦♀️). As noted above in #3, reducing your fluid intake is NOT an option.
No need to be squeamish. We can do this quickly by drawing on the experience of the Flamingos who have faced their fears and found… relief while maintaining self-respect and dignity on the trail.
- DO NOT wait until you’re desperate. Nothing good comes from that, trust me.
- Get far enough off the trail you can claim a wee bit of privacy (see what I did there?)
- Invest in a Kula cloth.
- Carry hand sanitiser.
Other brilliant advice and instructions can be found here with Tangles and Tail and here with Caro Ryan of Lotsafreshair. These women know what they’re talking about and they know we haven’t got time to be too precious about such things! It’s a good reminder that there’s always someone around who has travelled the trail before you and sorted out solutions to the things you’ll come across on your way.
Hiking the Three Capes Track had other lessons for me. This was the first hike we’d done sharing the trail with dozens of others on the same timeline. Up to 48 others walking the same path in the same direction at the same time. My inner introvert was grumbling on the boat as we headed to our beach landing. Who are these strangers in my adventure?
Whereas on previous expeditions I’d felt as though we were the only people in the world this was very different. We sat together with our morning cuppa and instant porridge. We passed one another silently on the way to and from the drop toilet. We finished the day in shared bunkrooms. We took it in turns to lean out over the cliffs to get the most of the view of the dolorite cliffs. And we made new friends.
You don’t need to be fit, fashionable or fast (in fact it’s best if you aren’t any of them!) but you do need to be prepared to find the fun in some unexpected situations…
The Flamingo Flock
Lace up your boots, grab a big bottle of water, slap on some sunscreen and head out for a hike. You know you want to. And I’d love to see you out there. I promise to stop and have a chat while we rehydrate 😉. Maybe we could walk a way together? I’ll guard the trail if you need to whip behind a tree and I promise, there’ll be laughter. I’m learning to identify some of the birds out there and am getting better at knowing my marsupials. I won’t plan what we’ll talk about, the trail has it’s way of choosing that for us as we go. I’m up for it. Are you?
Beautiful! My shoulders have relaxed just reading this. Thank you.
So glad! it just makes me want to lace up and head straight back out again!