Hello,
I plan on hiking the Pennine Way in the UK – it’s a 270-mile hike up the backbone of England. I am looking for any advice you can offer regarding equipment/anything else you think I´ll need.
The problem is I live in Brazil and have never hiked before.
From info gathered over the net, I can see the terrain is harsh and will most probably be raining for the duration. Slate paths and marshland/bogs. It can also get foggy and wondering off track is par for the course.
It will take 17 days, averaging 15 miles a day with one day off for rest. There is a luggage transport service that will take my case or whatever to the next bed and breakfast so I won’t be carrying all that much. ( or will I?)
I have posted on other forums asking people but the responses are a bit vague – you guys seem to be much more specific/experienced ALSO I will be stopping off in Miami for a week before going over and can BUY a lot of stuff in the US –
At the moment I have nothing purchased and am open-minded to your suggestions.

Your thoughts on equipment from the feet up?

I have no advice, but I do have a request. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> A picture or two after it's over would be very interesting...

I think you should take a bunch of short hikes first. Starting with a 17 day hike is just asking for trouble. 15 miles a day isn't too agressive, but if you're inexperienced it should be worked up to. At the very least, you need some miles to let your feet and hiking boots adapt to each other, and if they don't you need to get different boots. Rather painful if you find out you've got the wrong boots 4 days into the middle of nowhere! Same goes for the rest of your gear. If you can't take some break-in hikes, make sure you at least have a few "outs" in the trip in case things aren't going as planned.

If it's a trail where it's easy to get lost, I would suggest a GPS. You don't need to keep it on all the time, just turn it on every once in awhile for a few minutes to get a fix when you're not absolutely sure where you are. But if you want to bring along enough batteries for the trip, it's nice to see a track log and use it to measure your speed and distance.

IMHO: don't !

now, it all depends on a lot of factors I don't know anything about : your age, your physical shape, and so on ..
You say you have never hiked before .... 15 miles a day on a non flat terrain is quite a lot for a non sportive type...
But OTOH if you are a marathon runner ..... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> ... it's a piece of cake !

Anyway, even if you're in a great physical shape, I second Goatrider warnings : your brand new equippment (especially, but not only, shoes...) do need some "training" before such a hike !

As others have said, start hiking now to be in shape for the big event. It sounds fun.

Make sure to avoid cotton clothing, if possible. Non-cotton clothing will dry much faster if wet. Cotton takes forever to dry.

With your gear, make sure you have a repair kit with needle & thread, safety pins, etc.

I'd suggest you carry a daypack that has an integral water bladder (like a camelbak) that carries at least two quarts/day. Inside that, besides the water, the list of gear should include:

<>First aid kit, including blister gear (moleskin, duck tape, needle, antibacterial cream, small packet of handwipes)
<>Rain Gear - poncho or breathable rain suit
<>Doug Ritter Pocket Survival Pak, supplimented with: mini-Bic lighter, Ritter Photon Freedom light, & Micropur tablets
<>Ritter full size or mini RSK - GREAT knife!!! Consider whether you'll need a can opener
<>Extra clothing to match minimum temperatures
<>Nalgene polybottle (the whiteish plastic), 1 quart widemouth - though your primary water is in the bladder, take a supplimental bottle along in case of bladder problems - you can fill the bottle with gear if space is needed.
<>Trail food - something that won't get messy
<>Sun protection - wide-brimmed hat w/ neckstrap, sunglasses, lip balm, sunscreen
<>Good compass - take a look at the Suunto M-3 with the Global needle - keep in mind that a compass with a standard needle will not work correctly in both Brazil and England.
<>Very good map of the hiking area - know how to use it with your compass. Mark your map with UTM coordincate grids.
<>Consider a GPS - my choice would be a Garmin Geko 201. My favorite related book is "GPS Land Navigation" by Michael Ferguson. The how to buy section is a bit dated, but the how-to descriptions are excellent. Learn how to use UTM coordinates. Bring extra batteries.
<>Insect Repellent w/ 25-50% DEET
<>Toilet paper roll stowed in plastic bag
<>2 Large Trash Bags - all sorts of uses, including picking up trash
<>Extra pair of wool hiking socks
<>Extra pair of non-cotton hiking sock liners
<>2 Bandannas, preferably brightly colored
<>Polycord or Paracord, 50 feet
<>LED Headlamp w/ extra batteries
<>Small camera w/ lots of film or lots of memory cards & batteries
<>Small binoculars
<>Heavy duty Space Blanket - many uses, but especially useful for sitting on when the ground is wet
<>Hiking Staff - consider a bamboo martial arts staff w/ an added rubber boot on one end - contact a local instructor for a source. They are strong, lightweight, and cheap.

If you were off-trail I might suggest a small shovel for digging cat holes, but I'll guess toilet facilities are provided on the trail.

Go get very good hiking boots (I prefer leather over Gortex/nylon), put some good waterproofing on them, and start ramping up your practice miles now!!

Great idea to train and get the boots -- that could have been murder
Any preference for these boots considering the wet/rain/bogs? and gaitors?
looking at Vasquez boots right now. i picked up that rubbing alcohol/spirit on the feet one week before can harden them up and make them less prone to blisters. - Camera, of course - I~ll bore you when I get back
<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I am going agree with Frenchy 100%. From what little info that was provided this is a VERY ambitious feat. With that out of the way I am going to make a few assumptions and say; you are in good health, the trail is marked very well, there will be a lot of other people on the trail, and you have little to no experience outdoors. If all of these are true you about 25% there. You will really need to do a lot of homework on clothing and foot wear, foot wear, foot wear! I did a 65 mile hike this past summer and developed big blisters on my heals the first day and that wasn't the hardest part.
I would follow the advice of everyone else and do some test hikes 2-3 days with the foot wear you chose to hike in and approximately the weight you will carry. Also you should be prepared to improvise on the trail because no matter how much you prepare there is always something you will forget or never thought of.
That?s my 2 cents and good luck it sounds like a lot of fun!
<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
P.S. Pics and some commentary would be much appreciated.

Go to your local shop that sells high quality backpacking gear. Try on lots of boots to see which ones feel good. Different brands have different shapes and fits. Once you find one that feels comfortable, have them fit the boots to you. If you feel pressure or some part of the boot poking you, don't uy it. Make sure you wear the same wood socks and liners that you'll were.

There should be very little movement. Also, try to push your foot far forward inside them (sometimes you can "hang" your foot off of a step) - your toes should not touch the front of the boot.

Though nylon boots with integral Gortex socks are popular, I've read a lot of complaints that they will eventually leak. I tend to prefer 100% leather boots with a good waterproofing treatment.

For gators, go with Gortex.

A'men to the Full Leather boot!

Thanks for the endorsement. Please note that since he'll be entering Britain, not the world's most knife friendly country, :-( he should tighten down the pivot screw to the point that it will not open without pulling it open. British customs has prove to be very difficult over that and Aeromedix now tightens down the pivots on all RSK MkIs going put of the country. Once in country you can loosen the pivot back to where it belongs. I would also caution you not to wear it or any knife openly or to go flicking it open in public. When I visited Britain this year I just carried a SAK to avoid any agro and problems. Of course, never was stopped for customs inspection either time. <shrug>