What is Preparation?

Today we sit down with Constantine and Magpie and chat all things preparation! Magpie just woke up, we decided on the show’s theme 10 seconds before recording, and we have an energy drink, fully prepared, master class edition. We begin the show by discussing what you all demand, energy drink reviews! This weeks is Beaver Buzz - no that was not a typo, but instead the sweet nectar that is Canada’s nationality manifesting into an elixir from the Beaver Gods. We discuss its 17 years in business (quite amazingly), its tag line, and whether drinking “Beaver Juice” is a good idea or not. Hint, it is not! We then get into the meat of the show to talk about how we prepare for a thru-hike. We focus on our upcoming hike of the Te Araroa Trail (when you listen to this we should be on it) and our preparation process for this hike. We compare and contrast our preparation now compared to when we first began hiking with some anecdotes from Constantine’s first hike on the AT in 2016, and Magpie’s first on the CDT 2017. We chat the most important step, making the decision. We chat trail association’s information vs. a guy named Brett. We chat the fun of preparation, the gear involved and trail excitement correlation with trail prep. We chat van breakdowns, what to do with all your stuff, and perfume infused with the essence of beaver. We chat physical preparation for a hike and how it changed depending on the goal and trail you are doing, and how our physical prep has been consuming unhealthy amounts of cookie dough and pineapple buns. We chat how hikers (no matter their situation) will always budget. We chat the power of Fall and embracing your “Basicness.” We discuss a trail of only meat and cheese and confusing a hike with the life of a Hobbit. We discuss the Bell Curve of hiking, and once you hit the peak the quick acceleration back down to the bottom on the back side! We chat how to compartmentalize a hike and how to live off the land (not well). We chat Lulu Lemon and their next product line, credit card points, and flight bookings. We chat having tent stakes in all parts of the world and how that can be an amazing benefit. We chat what happens when you buy a child’s pair of shorts and hiking unbuttoned for 600 miles. We chat how controlling some part of the unknown such as food can be a good tactic to find comfort. We discuss how to be flexible and how this can become the most important part of planning, and how to discuss safety beforehand so in case you find yourself in an unsafe situation you will already know what to do. This episode is a true stream of consciousness so strap in for the ride, it gets wonderfully bumpy! Favorite Quotes: “We have a plan to make a plan.” “Rest of the trail I didn’t button up my pants 1 time” “My backpack is a Mary Poppins pack full of surprise.” “You have hiccups, burps, and you just sneezed.” “Grab a Beaver today and get your Buzz on!”(actual energy drink tagline) “Don’t base your preparation off this show.” To learn more about who we are click below: Website: www.ElevenSkys.com