Problems
Some of the tunnels on the hillside levada (waterway) walks go for quite a distance, in the dark.
Answer
Carrying torches
Our hiking holiday group organisers had warned us to take torches. You can take an ordinary hand held torch.
Packing Torches
Check batteries before packing. It can take twenty minutes to find torches, sort them out, find where to open them. Check batteries, clean contacts.
Decide where in the luggage to keep them so they can be retrieved quickly. Outside pocket of suitcase or backpack? But then pad them, so they don't get broken.
You might want to take spare batteries. Keep a note of the battery size in case you have one minute in a shop whilst others wait, to show shopkeeper.
Another option is a head torch. That leaves your hands free for your camera, or holding instructions, holding on, reaching out.
However, if you look down where you are walking, you might miss a low roof. One of our group hit his head on the roof. He was a six footer. (Six foot tall - in meters ....?)
Luckily he was wearing a hat. That prevented bleeding.
Head Protection
But a blow to the head is never a good idea. If you have a helmet such as a motor cycling helmet or other protection, you might like to take that. Any kind of hat is helpful. The more padding the better. You might wear one hat over another.
One walk to the Peninsula was on a very windy day. You risk being blown over, or having a baseball cap or unsecured brimmed hat blown off.
Securing A Hat
Don't sit on ledges which might crumble - rock fall signs everywhere. Don't sit on stone parapets. If your hat blows and you reach for it, your balance goes.
You could reach for a hat, or a dropped camera whilst taking a selfie. You might lean sideways or backwards to avoid a swooping bee or fly. You might lean back to evade a bird tyring to grab your sandwich.
You can secure a circular brimmed hat by making a hole either side with an awl, knitting needle or other improvised implement. Use a long shoe lace for an emergency tie.
If you have time at home to adapt a hat in advance, buy a matching ribbon and sew it securely to both sides of the hat. Pin it first to be sure the position of the ribbons is right.
First Aid Packing
Pack layers of clothing. On a sunny day we drove uphill into a mountain with mist. A freezing cold wind hit.
What else to pack? Of course, minimum is a couple of different sized sticking plasters. Ideally, bandages, a mini first aid kit, a link on your phone to first aid page, and save it for when there is not internet connection. First aid kits, either carried by everybody for when you separate taking different trails, deliverately, or by accident, or at least the leader of the group so when you stop and meet for lunch, for example at the waterfall destination, which is clearly marked on a path, you can pool resources.
Some groups have a policy of every man, or woman, for himself. Family groups pool resources. Friends have the option. In a large group it helps if the leader sets the policy so you know that you must rely on yourself, or you know that you are expected to help others - or both.
Foot Protection
Trainers don't necessarily have good toe protection. One of our group stubbed his toe. Each time he did that again, the minor blow made the sore worse.
One person on one hike lost a toenail. (Another friend on a marathon found his toes went blue from bruises.)
Buying And Packing
When buying shoes, or choosing which of your shoes to wear, consider toe protection.
On a long trek, I like to wear thick socks to prevent shoes rubbing. Long socks also prevent scratches and bites.
But they are heavy and get damp quickly from perspiration. So you might need two pairs, to let one dry overnight.
How to dry socks in a hurry? Use the hotel hairdryer. I did not notice it until I needed it. The hairdryer might by on the wall in the bathroom or in a drawer with a reminder not to use electric items near water in the sink or on the flat surface. Bath, shower, toilet, bidet - water is everywhere.
You can also dry off socks:
by using a towel
by using toilet paper or kitchen roll
by breathing on them
by hanging in the breeze on a balcony.
Holiday Shopping
Need more clothes or shoes? On holiday, ask for the nearest sports clothing shop. An evening trip might enable you to catch up. In Madeira, I was told that the nearest shopping centre, La Vie, was open from 10 am to 10 pm in summer. I was able to dash along between 6 and 7 pm before dinner.
Socks, Safety, Comfort
When packing, consider your clothes and footwear, are you protected, head to toe!
Suncream and Insect Protection
You will need:
1 Sun protection (including long sleeves) cream or spray
2 Insect repellent
3 Insect bite relief
All else fails? Use drinking water from your bottle to wash.
Some people say lick your wounds. If you can't reach the wound, or you don't want dirt in your mouth, spit on a hanky and then wipe. I'd still prefer to wash with clean water.
Now you know, what to buy, pack, research. Fore-warned is fore-armed!
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
