Day 5 - Planning for Hiking

On day 5 of the “To The Woods” STEMersion, we learned about Cheryl Strayed and her journey across the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). More importantly, we learned how a lonely hike across nature like the PCT could change a person’s life, like it did to Cheryl. 

Then, we planned out what we would need to pack to go on our own hike, just like how Cheryl packed her “Monster.” 

I wanted to hike the Great Himalaya Trail, which is 923 miles long. Estimating from traveling about 20 miles per day, it would take 47 days. I would hike this trail during the summer due to the fact that there won’t be as much snowfall, reducing the chances of possible nature hazards.

For this trip, I would need basic hiking equipment like food, water, tent, flashlight, compass, sleeping bags, and first aids. I would try to choose equipment that is convenience. For example, there are small ponds in the Himalaya, so I would only need to bring so much water and an insulator to resupply the water. I would also bring a kinetic charger flashlight so that I don’t require batteries. Furthermore, I would bring things like knife, lighter, and candles to feel safe at times. Lastly, I would also bring something like a Rubix Cube in case if I’m ever lonely at night. Totally, my pack weighted at around 65 lb.

A group member carrying a bag weight 70 lb

I feel like I could carry this weight for a while, probably about half a month, before my shoulder would gave up. I think that I could get rid of some of the weight, like food and water, if I know the location and where to get them in the wild.

Next, we watched “Fly Away Home.” This is a story of a 13-years-old girl and her dad helping to reintroduce migratory goose. I think this is a pretty cool movie of how wild animal follows their natural instinct even when there’s human involve. I strongly believe that we could help many species, especially endanger species, by reintroduce them with habits that could help their survival rates.

Lastly, we did Yoga to calm down after a fun and busy day of planning.