Of course, the better alternative would be just to get a toiletries bag – it will work as fine.

First aid kits are critical during treks! It is a MUST! However, there are some things that we all must know when bringing the kit out.

1. Check the kit before every trekking trip! This is to make sure that there are no expired items, and also to make sure that everything is waterproofed in the kit! It would not be useful if you drop your kit into the stream, and then have to work with wet cotton balls or gauze right?
2. Make sure you know how to use everything in the kit! Afterall, what is the point carrying something that you do not know how to use? It will become more of a burden… and it may even make a difference between life and death! Really, so get trained when you gear up, know how to tie your basic bandages, which creams for which symptom etc.
3. So how do you pack a kit? Apart from the regular list that you can get from your pharmacy, I think it will be useful to think and prepare… what will you use? For example, if you are wearing a new shoe for trekking this round, you might want to get prepared for blisters, so packing in some moleskin may be useful. If you travelling in wet weather or cold weather a blanket will be useful. If you are going to travel for long hours on a bus, you might want to get travel sickness pills from your pharmacist! Carry the appropriate things for the situation.
4. There is a need to balance! Its easy to get caught up and bring everything, but you don’t want to do that, because every extra gram adds up when you go trekking.
5. You might also need to get enough saline solution for washing wounds, because at the site of injury, you might not have a water source. You don’t know when things will happen during a trek!

I guess I better start packing mine for my trips soon!

Boiling

Boiling effectively kills all the harmful things listed in my previous post, so its great! However, two things to note.

• Water boils at different temperatures at different altitudes so I’m not really sure if it effective in higher altitudes (will go and find out more!)
• Boiling is quite cumbersome. You have to set up your stove, get the water, and you need to wait for the water to boil, which takes time. Moreover, the water will not be immediately drinkable because it will be hot!

Chemical Treatment

There are a couple of ways to chemically treat the water to make it drinkable.

• Chlorine tablets – You can ask for “Water purification tablets” or “Aquatabs” from Guardian Pharmacy in Singapore. Each box of 50 tablets cost about $5.00, which makes it $0.10 per tablet. To use the tablet, fill a 1 litre bottle with water (I typically use 1.5 litres – they are fine too), and then put one tablet and let it stand for 30 minutes. After that, the water is ready for drinking. If you are worried, use only 1 litre. I’ve tried one tablet to 500ml. If you like swimming pool water, you will like the solution
• Iodine – Iodine comes in tablets or crystals. Iodine, however, has a taste, so it is recommended that you mix the water with favored drinks. I have not used it personally before, so I am not too sure about the ratio and stuff (again, more to find out!)
• Potassium Permanganate – Comes in crystals. Recommended for emergency use only, because the solution is not good for you in the long run! When you add too much of it, the solution becomes a disinfectant that can be used to clean wounds… so imagine drinking disinfectants. :/ This, however, is a good option if you can’t boil it or use any other purification method. The ratio is one or two crystals with about 1 litre of water so the water turns very light pink.

Filtering

Filtering basically strains out the suspended solids in the water. There are two types, gravity fed or pump fed. There are also two different ways in which the water is filtered.

• Membrane filters – thin sheets perforated with precisely sized holes, just like your coffee bag, only more precise.
• Depth filters – thick porous material to trap particles like compressed carbon. I used to use this when I was in Australia, when I was really really lazy to boil the water. I had a gravity fed carbon filter. Note that these filters will eventually clog and so you need to change them.

If you are lucky, the next day, you will wake up with bright sunshine and with the most wonderful smile. If you are not, you won’t even wake up – because you realise you won’t even sleep! You will be in that squatting position all night!

Water! Contrary to what is believed. When it comes to water, what you cannot see CAN hurt you.

According to what I have read, there are three types of “things” in water that may potentially cause you your nightmare!

1. Cysts – these are hard shelled single micro-organisms that may cause a gastrointernal upset!
2. Bacteria – you’ve heard about this in Dettol advertisements everyday. Potentially can cause fever and pneumonia
3. Viruses – viruses are the smallest, least pervasive waterborne fauna. Viruses may cause hepatitis A and B (you can die from Hep B!), diarrhea, flue, fever and colds

In many cases, where the streams are near to a civilization, the main cause for these things to exist come from chemical pollutants and fertilizers… and this is a global problem – environmentalists have been arguing on this for ages, and yet, we know that somehow somewhere, someone will still be taking the easy way out and dumping all their waste into the river.

Back in relation to trekking. We really need to be aware of this – clear water does not mean clean water. Make sure you purify ALL your water before you consume it, however tempting it may be! Its better to be safe than sorry. You won’t want your holiday destroyed just because you refuse to purify your water, right?

Shall talk more about the methods of purifying water in the next post!

I think I have briefly touched on the topic before – footwear is one important part of the adventure equipment. The footwear that you wear will determine your trekking experience!

While I was in NUS Rovers, we used to always trek in sandals – whether it was Berkelah Waterfalls, or Mount Ophir, or whatever. The previous time I trekked with Singapore Adventurer’s Club, they recommended us to wear sports shoes.

From the website, I gathered that different boots are from different occasions. For easy flatter terrains, lighter footwear is recommended. These lighter boots resemble sneaker and are made of nylon or light leather. They do not offer ankle support.

In the mid-range (and weight) boots are made more of sturdy leather, with ankle support. I think these are like the ones that they have in Timberland. They are meant for support your feet comfortably for a short weekend hike.

Next, of course, you have the heavy boots for cross country and rough terrain. The main function of these boots is for safety! Some of these boots are like those with steel toe caps, and they are sturdy and made of rugged materials. I’ve not seen any other kind of boots (as least in Singapore) apart from those like the ones Dr Martens have. Maybe now that I am aware, I will be more on a lookout.

Lastly, for the true blue himalayan climber, there are mountaineering boots. These boots are designed to withstand tremendous abuse, and also, help to keep your feet warm, dry and protected. These are the ones made for climbing on ice, and allow for easy attachments of crampons.

It was saying that technological developments has made a huge impact on the practical matters in adventure, such as how comfortable with feel in adverse weather. Comfort is about clothing and equipment. Clothing helps us feel more comfortable, keeping us warm when needed, and equipment does more than that. For example, trekking poles aid balance and movement in less friendly terrains, and climbing shoes with sticky soles aid movement of rock.

I’ve seen those climbing shoes with sticky soles – the sole is like those hooks you use on your walls. So interesting! From personal experience, the pair of footwear you wear does make a huge difference in trekking, especially in the aspect of safety! Therefore, do invest in good equipment if you are serious about adventure!

From the introduction, it seems like Kilimanjaro is climbed by A LOT of people – people with very little experience in climbing or high altitude exertion, therefore the success rate is as low as 60%.

According to the author, most serious danger on Kilimanjaro is altitude, and gradual acclimatization is the best way to against this.

If you climb fast and become exhausted the chances of achieving your aim are reduced and the dangers of high attitude sickness increased… walk at a steady pace, stick to the recommended climbing schedule, drink four to six liters of water daily… do no proceed above 2750 meters with a sore throat, cold, cough, or high temperature…”

Well… more to come as I read more. Oh yah. I realized that PacWest offers trips to Kilimanjaro too, but not to the Shira route unfortunately. Its about S$4K for the 7 day Machame Route to the crater, including airfare via Emirates.

I also checked travelocity for the airfares. Seems like there is not straight flight from Singapore to Nairobi. Have to stop over at Dubai. The United Emirates return trip costs US$1.2K! Gosh~! So expensive!

…try to walk as much as you can… Try to get at least an hour of walking into every day. In addition to this, try to get some morning and evening sessions of aerobic activity in, such as cycling, running or spinning…

Weekends and days off you should try to head for the hills. Try to walk for 6 to 8 hours, perhaps on consecutive days … Use the boots that you will bring with you to Kilimanjaro so that they are well worn in.

Seriously, to me, it sounds a little “to easy”. I was really panting my lungs out when I was climbing Mount Ophir last December! It sounds really easy to say that a certain trek “is a walk, not a run”… when you are carrying that 60 liter backpack with all your stuff – anything is a “run”! Haha… I’m not going to let my physical fitness be my obstacle to reach the peak of Kilimanjaro man! Not after I travel all the way to Africa!

One more thing to note is that I may really need to invest in a good pair of boots. So far, I’ve been trekking with sandals, or just normal sports shoes. Sandals are great for the wet treks, so you don’t get soggy feet at the end of every day. But ultimately I think protection is more important. During one of my trips to Berkelah Waterfalls, I slipped and fell on the slippery rocks and because I was wearing sandals, my toenails almost came off! It bled like… argh, I’ll keep gross the detail out. Haha… Sports shoes are good for trekking, but they aren’t made for trekking. The insole never fails to drop out after its first trek in water… and yuks, it really stinks after getting dipped in all the mud and stuff.

Actually I’m thinking I need a total of three pairs of footwear for all my treks! One pair of aquasocks for water based treks, one pair of boots for treks like Mount Ophir or Mount Kinabalu, and of course, one cheapo pair of slippers for wearing at night!

I came across a website talking about the medical and safety aspects of high altitude mountaineering.

Actually, I’m kind of anxious right now, because as of now the furthest I’ve been is Gunung Stong, which is just 1422 meters above sea level. I’ve never done trekking above that height, and so I don’t know how my body reacts to high altitude.

If I am going to attempt Kilimanjaro in 2008, I should better know what it is like trekking over that altitude! According to the article, people experience altitude sickness because of the inability of the human body to adjust to a rapid gain in altitude. It would be a real waster if I travel all the way to Tarzania and then find that I have to descend to a lower altitude to recover from any altitude sickness problems. I will also need to find out if there would be a need for an extra day for acclimatization (getting used to the altitude).

Fortunately Mount Kinabalu, which I am going to climb this June, is 4101 meters! (Even though the trek starts at about 1800 meters) From what I heard from friends who have went to Kinabalu, you tend to get very tired easily as you ascend, because of the thin air. Hopefully from this June’s experience, I will have a better understanding my ability to overcome high altitudes, so that I can plan my Kilimanjaro trek in 2008 for a higher success rate!