Preparations

This week's post comes a bit late as a result of an overdue exam I had earlier today. Apologies for the wait, and thanks for reading!


After a week, the first two students returned. They brought stories, photos, and a few scars. It would still be two more weeks before we headed out, but we were almost ready to go. First, we had to deal with the daunting task of gathering equipment and packing.

Packing is a skill gained with experience, and most definitely not my favourite part of travelling. I plan on writing about packing and my experiences and recommendations, but later on, describing another run in with the heinous task. Over time, though, I've gotten a fair idea of what gear I need for field work from trial and error. Most of that error, I gathered on this trip.

My biggest worry at the time was not having enough. When I got there, I slowly realized that I had too many of the things I didn't need, and none of the things I actually did. I had a headlamp which broke in a few days, a water bottle which held only enough water to last me two hours, and snacks which would last me only half a day. It wasn't all bad, though. I did make a few good purchases from the little money I had. The hiking boots I currently use in the field have been my companions since then. Once a piece of gear has proven itself worthy, it becomes like a good friend, never leaving my side. The more worn it gets, the more personality it acquires.

Eventually, I received the email to say that Lainy and Willow had come back from their last trip and were ready to leave with us in a few days. If I remember correctly, it was on the 12th of March that I stepped out of the car and into the guest house where the scientists were staying. After brief re-introductions, Leram (the student I was paired with) and I helped them load the top and inside of the bus with an unbelievable amount of gear. Even though it didn't seem like it, as Willow proudly told us, they used every single thing we carried. We wondered how they managed on their own.

On the bus we learned that the girls had somehow 'forgotten' to tell us that the creek had risen during their stay. This forced them to take down and relocate their hammocks in the middle of a storm, in the early hours of the morning. At this point, it was a bit too late to turn around, although, neither of us had any intentions of ever doing that.