Putting together multiday trips, regardless of the activity takes careful thought, some obsessive packing, and a bit of stress.

Surprisingly I have had a number of people say to me that they don’t know how to put together a multiday trip. Not knowing where to begin. So I thought I would lay out how I put together my adventures..

The Trip:

What is my objective? Kayaking the Broken Group Islands? Cycling the Sunshine Coast? etc. Once I have established what my objective is, I then breakdown the number of days required, special equipment needed, permits, and any other logistics (Ferries, Water Taxi, Passport). Personally I prefer to have a pretty good idea of what I am doing, and roughly how long of a trip it will be before I start to ask folks to join me, also I find that it is easier to have fewer people involved in the overall planning process( so that you are not spending all your time butting heads over routes etc.). Having said that, I tend to go on trips with a blend of people who want to be involved in the planning and those who are happy to have it all laid out for them. (Both of which I am happy with) so I adjust accordingly.

The Packing:

When it comes to packing, I am not much for list making, but rather, I like to lay out what is needed for each day, then see if the items that I am bringing can have more than one use and thus scaling down on items that I could maybe do with out, assuming all the basics are covered. Another important aspect that I consider is to make sure that I am not doubling up on unnecessary gear that someone else in the group is planning on bringing (10 tents for 10 people is a bit excessive).

Leave Room For Creature Comforts:

Leave a bit of room for them. They are important too. Whether it is a wedge of smoked gruyere, or a mickey of that good scotch that you bring out on a special occasion (after all this is a special occasion!). These are the treats that you give yourself for stepping out of the norm, breaking away from the day to day, even if only for a little while.

Cheers.