You’ve finally pulled the trigger and booked that overseas trek — woo hoo! Chances are, your departure is at least three months away, and more likely, at least six. Whatever that block of time is, consider it to be a gift from the Travel Gods. This is the time frame in which you should be doing everything you can to prepare for the trip.
What does “prepare” mean, exactly, as it relates to an overseas trekking adventure? Simply stated, it means doing everything you can NOW to make your trek easy THEN, not only physically, but logistically.
To that end, here are my top 10 ways to prepare.
- Over-train. As I said, your goal should be for the trek to be easy, not challenging, so use every single day leading up to departure as another opportunity to improve, whether through diet or exercise. Don’t procrastinate, because your departure date will be here before you know it! Your training will probably involve walking and hiking the same route multiple times, so each time you go, time yourself. You should strive to better your time each subsequent hike, meaning go hard and fast. Train intensely now so that you can hike slow and easy while on the actual trek.
- Mimic your trip itinerary. For example, if you will have multiple days of early wake-ups followed by six hours of hiking, train that way at home. I know this won’t always be feasible, but schedule at least three training sessions where you mimic your trip conditions as closely as possible, especially when you’re close to departure.
- Replicate the food. When you’re about a month out from departure, start trying to mimic the food of your destination. For example, the trek up to Everest Base Camp will feature a vegetarian diet, so an EBC trekker should get themselves used to this before they’re actually on the trek. Also, figure out what kind of snacks you’ll be packing and start eating those exact things during training hikes.
- Practice in the rain and snow. Yes, I know this will be a pain in the buttocks, but again, your goal is to mimic the possible conditions you may face on the actual trek. This is also a great way to test your gear and check for leaks in your rain shell or pack cover.
- If you have new gear, practice with it repeatedly. Familiarize yourself with pack adjustments, water filtering devices, headlamps, and mobile apps until they become second nature.
- Be sure your footwear is broken in. This is critical. Whether you’ll be wearing heavy-duty boots or trail shoes, make sure you’ve practiced with them a LOT.
- Create a plan for your long flights. Put together a flight “kit” that contains everything you might need while in your seat and can fit in your seat storage rather than in the overhead bin. Also, make a schedule for getting up and walking around the plane, even if you have to wake yourself up to do it.
- Study the currency. Get a clear sense of what things cost and how the currency looks so that you’re not having to figure it out on the spot.
- Learn some language basics, even if it’s only “hello” and “thank you.” This always breaks the ice when trying to communicate with a non-English speaker.
- Develop an airport plan. Work out who’s dropping you off and picking you up well ahead of your departure. Provide these people with written instructions and flight schedules. Do this at least a month in advance so you’re not scrambling to figure it out at the last minute when you’re entirely freaked out.
Want to talk any of this through? Call me at 855-hobnail (462-6245) or shoot me an email HERE.
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