Preparation

Our adventure started from the moment we booked the trip. Oasis provided a list of items to take with us which included a ruck-sack or back-pack, a 4-season sleeping bag, a self-inflatable sleeping mat, money belt, a personal Walkman, etc. On top of this we had to think about travel insurance, paying our bills, and filing tax returns while we were away. Each one of the above has been a learning adventure. As our fellow travelers will confirm, buying a ruck-sack or a sleeping bag is not simply going into the store and choosing a nice coloured bag. For the sleeping bag, questions to answer include extremes of temperatures in the places you will be sleeping, whether you want down or synthetic, are you tall or short, do you want to spend $100 or $300. Buying a ruck-sack is even more complicated, with decisions such as number of litres, load weight, fit, and features. Even the self-inflatable sleeping mat required decision making such as R-factor, thickness, and size. We visited Mountain Equipment Co-Op in Toronto and met a wonderful group of knowledgeable and enthusiastic people who steered us through our decision making and made the experience fun.