Other things to consider carrying: pen and notepad,
business cards (if you plan on networking).
They provide all sorts of medical supplies: band-aids,
aspirin, tampons, blister relief (cornstarch, moleskin), ace bandages,
ice packs, etc. There is a big medical tent at the camp, plus at the
major stops along the way. It's probably wise to carry band-aids
and aspirin with you, in case you can't wait. I have asthma, and
brought 2 inhalers (one in the fanny pack, and one in my bag).
I did not bring my "good" camera. I bough
those disposable ones at Long's. You can buy them at the walk, but they
are definitely cheaper elsewhere. I burned through 3 cameras in 3 days
(but had only brought 2 with me, and bought one there).
Don't bring a WalkMan, you aren't allowed to listen to
them while walking (safety issue). I suppose if you really wanted it at
night, you could bring it, but why bother? You'll have plenty of
interesting people to talk to.
You can bring a cell phone, but you CAN'T talk on it
while walking. I had mine in my fanny pack, turned off. I checked my
messages during lunch break, etc. Believe it or not, I was negotiating a
lease that Friday, and had to check in with work back home. You
may want the cell phone at night to check in with your family. Remember
that you won't have a place to plug it in to re-charge, so charge it up
before leaving for the walk, and turn it off if you aren't using it.
Bring a flashlight, and keep it in your bag. You won't
need it during the day, but you will at camp, at night.
Q: Are
people usually walking from dawn to dusk? What if you're really
slow?
lisa:
Everyone tries to get up and start walking as soon as we are
"allowed to" - which means as soon as it is light enough to be
on the streets safely. Since safety is such a hot issue, they surely did
not want us out there walking in the dark. So for this reason, you could
not walk too late either. We were walking in October though, so it got
dark earlier.
There are "sweep vans" who cruise along the
route, ready to give anyone a ride that needs it - whether you are too
tired, or injured, or it is getting too late. At major stops along the
way, they had a time posted, and if you got there after that time, they
gave you a ride to the end so that you would not be left behind. Of
course most people did not want to be swept, they wanted to get to the
end on their own.
If you think you really can't walk the whole way due
to some physical problem, consider getting a sweep ride to the lunch
point, wait for your friends, and walk the second half of the day with
them. You need a great excuse to do this, of course. I did meet one
woman on the 1999 Walk who was about 5 months pregnant, so she just could not
walk that far. Her solution was to meet her friends mid-day, and walk
the second half.
Q: I'm
a little shy - will I be made welcome if people don't know me?
lisa:
You'll meet tons of people - remember that most people only know a few
others when they get there - for sure they don't know all 3,000!
Introduce yourself to people as you are walking. Start a conversation
about their shirt decorations, their hat, where they are from, and why
they decided to do this. Comment on how awful it is to go without your
blow-dryer, king-sized bed, makeup mirror and Starbucks latte. Commend
about how wonderful it is to go without doing laundry, doing dishes,
doing homework, taxi-ing kids, cooking, and reading e-mail for 3 days.
Sit next to a stranger at a meal, or in the bathroom line. If your own
shirts are decorated, people will ask YOU about them. At night, if you
are wearing a t-shirt or sweatshirt with the name of a town, sports
team, college, etc., someone will probably say something - you might
meet someone who has something in common with you. You will make LOTS of
new friends, I guarantee it!
Q: Can
you give me a general rundown of a typical day?
lisa:
Based
on last year, here's the typical day. Although there is no guarantee
that all details are the same this year, it's probably pretty close.
- get up before it is light (big spotlights go on at about 5:30 a.m.)
- eat breakfast (cafeteria style, yes they have coffee)
- thank the breakfast crew, as they get up at 4:00 to cook for us
- pack up your gear and tent
- carry gear and tent to your assigned truck (based on your tent number)
- thank the truck crew, as they get up at 4:00 to haul your stuff
- get on the road as soon as it is light (in October in LA that was
between 6 and 7)
- walk, walk, walk
- stop for breaks and lunch
- thank every pit stop crew, as they are standing in the hot sun being
tireless cheerleaders for many hours, and helping us along
- lunch is usually in a large area like a park or school, they are box
lunches, distributed at that spot (so you don't have to carry them).
Typical menu: turkey sandwich, fruit salad or potato salad, chips, fresh
fruit, cookies, drinks. Hang out for 20-30 minutes to eat, rest, change
your socks.
- thank the lunch crew for feeding us
- walk, walk, walk
- get into camp late afternoon
- pick up your gear from the truck (no lines)
- thank the truck crew, as they have hauled your stuff there
- pick up a tent
- shlep gear and tent to your assigned spot (markers on the ground with
your location number)
- put up tent
- thank the volunteers who are probably there to help you put up your
tent (one year we stayed at a junior high one night; many students were
there to help with tents)
Once your tent is up, you can do a variety of things in any order
- find clean clothes
- get in line for showers (I never waited more than 15-20 minutes)
- get in line for massage (wait in line to sign up for an appointment,
then do something else until your appointment time)
- visit medical, chiropractic, physical therapy, blister clinic,
concierge tents (it's kind of set up like a M*A*S*H unit, pictures on my
site)
- thank crew members who have dedicated 3 days to popping your blisters,
massaging your feet, and listening to your medical woes
- have a snack
- take a nap
- chat with your many new friends
- write postcards to your sponsors
- visit the "remembrance" tent, sign the large posters, read
what everyone else wrote, cry
At dinnertime:
- eat dinner
- thank the crew, who is STILL working, while you are now relaxing
- listen to speakers with inspirational stories
- possibly listen to a band, or dance to CDs, or participate in a talent
show, or witness a wedding proposal (Day 2, SF 2001)
- big spotlights go out at 9:00; you will have no trouble falling asleep
Go to sleep, lather, rinse, repeat.
