Harry and Leslie hosted a Pack Party on Saturday, August 13. What is a Pack Party? It's a time for travelers to review plans, ensure that they have all their equipment, undergo tech/medical training, identify gaps in supplies, weigh their packs, and get to know the supplies that their fellow pilgrims are bringing.
The Pack Party was an all-day affair (including breakfast, lunch, and dinner)! Here's the schedule we followed (each section discussed in more detail below):
8 am - 11 am Review powerpoint of trip plan. Each pilgrim presents their
days as "Leg Leaders."
11 am - 12 pm Lunch and pre-departure interviews.
12 pm - 2 pm Individual pack by the numbers. Each pilgrim organizes their
equipment according to suggested packing list.
2 pm - 3 pm First aid kit review and training.
3 pm - 4:30 pm Apps: download vBookz app, daily prayer files, and Day One app.
Tech training: production leaders, photography, gimble,
blogs/vlogs.
5 pm - 6 pm Mass.
6 pm - 8 pm Dinner and discussion.
8 am - 11 am | Review Powerpoint
We reviewed the (massive) plan powerpoint. This powerpoint contains: general overview, meal planning, laundry planning, prayer assignments, Leg Leader assignments and responsibilities, Production Leader assignments and responsibilities, cost estimates, weather estimates, and each day in detail (starting/stopping points, lodging, grocery/food, POIs, churches and mass times).
An explanation of Pilgrim Roles:
Leg Leader: the pilgrim in charge of the day's plan, including navigation, planning food/laundry/lodging, and accessing POIs
Production Leader: the pilgrim in charge of capturing the day's events in photo/video/audio, and uploading digital items to Day One App (discussed below)
Every day, there will be 1 leg leader, 1 production leader, and 2 pilgrims "off duty."
11 am - 12 pm | Pre-Departure Interviews
Juliana and Karen (Frans' daughter and wife, respectively) conducted brief interviews with each of the pilgrims to mark the starting point of their journey and provide comparison data for after the pilgrimage. They asked the pilgrims to address the following questions:
(1) Briefly describe yourself.
(2) What does pilgrimage mean to you?
(3) Why are you interested in this specific pilgrimage (The Pilgrims' Way)?
(4) What do you hope to accomplish during your pilgrimage?
(5) What do you anticipate being the most difficult part?
(6) How have you been preparing your body and soul for the journey?
(7) Anything noteworthy about equipment to mention?
(8) How did you prepare to lead the team on your days as Leg Leader?
You can find links to the pre-departure interview videos on the About page.
12 pm - 2 pm | Pack by the Numbers
We headed outside with our packs and equipment, and Harry led us through a thorough and well-organized exploration of our equipment. Here's our equipment list:
Watch Harry's explanation of the "pack by the numbers" activity.
Generally, we had all our items (one or two items missing, in the mail). You can see our equipment assembled here:
Equipment assembled after the Pack by the Numbers activity. From left: Harry, Frans, Lisa, Leslieann
Now let's talk weight. Harry recommended a pack weight of no more than 20% of your body weight, and ideally closer to 10%. Pack weight = the weight of your fully-loaded backpack less the weight of the clothing/shoes you're wearing on day 1 and your two water bottles. Our pilgrimage group targeted a pack weight of 20 lbs or less for the men, and 16 lbs or less for the women.
At the end of the pack by numbers activity, Harry recommended that all of us spend some discernment time considering each piece of equipment and asking the question: "Do I really need this?" Lowering your pack weight as much as possible is crucial; we will be walking 8-16 miles a day, and this is very strenuous with added weight.
"Packing is a game of pounds, measured in ounces."
- One of Harry's aphorisms. Removing many small items (weighing mere ounces) from your pack can equate to a large reduction (in pounds) of your pack weight.
Lowering your pack weight can also be.... painful. At Frans' house, there was much groaning, since he originally had a pack weight of 26 (!) lbs and had to reconsider many 'cool' items, like a heavy military rosary, carabiners, and a headlamp. He even went so far as to reduce the weight of his toiletries by cutting his deodorant stick in half (literally) and squeezing out half of a bottle of lotion. Everything counts!
Defensive Maneuvers
Bulls, boars, and badgers, oh my! Although the English countryside is pretty safe, there's always the possibility of crossing paths with rogue animals. We took time to practice some defensive maneuvers, lovingly named the Porcupine and the Centipede.
Top left: Porcupine. Top right: Centipede. Bottom: At least orcs don't inhabit the English countryside.
Some of the (female) pilgrims expressed trepidation and doubt about being able to stop a charging boar or bull. Frans assured them that these tried-and-true defensive maneuvers really did work . . . in the Roman era. Harry described the time a water buffalo charged him in Vietnam, an anecdote that probably This might be the greatest thing I've ever filmed.
did more harm than good, but nevertheless produced many laughs.
2 pm - 3 pm | First Aid Kit Review
We are taking just one first aid kit, and rotating who carries it each day. Lisa and Leslie put together an extensive supply -- probably more than necessary, but you can't take any chances when everyone is 60+ years old! The kit includes the following:
Allergic reaction medications: methylprednisolone pack, Zyrtec, Benadryl cream, hydrocortisone cream, Epi-pen
Antibiotic medications: antibiotic cream, Zithromax (Z-Pack)
Pain relief: ibuprofen, acetaminophen, IcyHot medicated roll
Other: loperamide (anti-diarrheal), omeprazole (heartburn), anti-fungal foot cream, aspirin (blood thinner), CoVid-19 tests
Tools: bandaids, gloves, mole skin (for blisters), tweezers, alcohol prep pads, benzalkonium antiseptic towelettes, nail clippers, CPR mask, nail file, ace bandage
Right: Lisa and Leslie show off the kit they prepared. Left/center: the entire medical section of Walgreens
The pilgrim group has two doctors and one nurse . . . I think we'll be okay!
3 pm - 4:30 pm | Assorted Tech Concerns
On the pilgrimage, we will use two apps on our smartphones on a daily basis:
Day One: This digital journal app will allow us to upload photos, videos, audio, and notes during the pilgrimage to one digital location; Juliana and Karen can then access them and post them on the blog. We created just one account on the app and shared the login information. Day One timestamps uploads and allows you to give titles and attach notes to uploads.
vBookz: This text-to-speech app reads PDF files out loud. We will use this app to listen to our daily prayers while we are walking. Harry put a great deal of effort into getting this app to read the prayers correctly!
In additional to downloading these apps, we also trained on the other technological aspects of the journey, including using the gimble (to stabilize iPhone when taking videos/pictures), and talking through what's required for the "production lead" role.
5 pm - 8 pm
We attended mass at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church as a group, followed by dinner and discussion.
T-minus 19 days until departure.
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