bag’. It is easily packed, whether filled or empty, in your rucksack. Those on a budget could use fizzy drink bottles as these are very tough – mineral water bottles can split if dropped.
Blisters and first aid
Zinc oxide plaster applied directly to the skin (check first for allergy) protects against foot burn, rubbing and chafing, the skin conditions that precede blisters. Unlike moleskin, zinc oxide can be removed (with care) overnight. Most importantly, if blisters do develop, proprietary dressings such as Compeed will enable you to continue walking. On the mountain, a get-you-home aid is sheeps’ wool, as it makes resilient padding – but not next to broken skin. It is always wise to take your own knee and ankle support tubes. Include a menthol inhaler (or similar) in your first aid kit in case a thick head cold is going around, and also travel sickness and hay fever pills if you usually need these. Visit the BMC (British Mountaineering Council) website – see Appendix D for details – for information on the treatment of blisters. Also, a Tetanus inoculation is advisable since there are many rusty fences and lots of animals.
Bringing cheese down from the Madares
Litter
There is an abundance of product packaging in Greece. As recreational walkers, set an example and bring all your rubbish out of the mountains and countryside. Villagers recognise the problem – even if visiting Cretan town-dwellers apparently do not – and most villages are supplied with large rubbish trolleys. Win local approval by putting your rubbish in the village bins. Women should note that buried sanitary materials will be dug up by animals. Boat service notices ask passengers not to throw litter into the sea.
Daysack and trekking essentials
‘Daysack essentials’ are contingency-plan items that each individual hillwalker should carry in case of sudden changes in the weather, changes of plan, or unfortunate mishaps. Hikers of the Sierra Club of California neatly call these ‘The Twelve Essentials’:
rain shell clothing
spare warm layer
warm hat
gloves
water bottle
spare food
map
compass
torch
whistle
pocket knife
survival bag
Think this through as: spare clothing, sustenance, navigation aids, means of attracting attention, a minimum of one useful tool, and shelter. Nowadays you would add a mobile phone to that list (see below).
In Crete take daysack essentials on all summit ascents and mountain walks. Whatever the day looks like when you set off, unpredictable winds can bring mist and heavy rain by the evening. You might further extend the list to include the following items:
blister kit
knee and ankle support tubes
sunglasses (your hat counts as an ‘everyday’ item)
sun cream
Greek–English dictionary or vocabulary list
For communal use, also carry a water kit (see ‘Water’, above), which comprises 5m of lightweight cord or string and two plastic carrier bags, purification tablets or a brew up kit including matches. Campers should note that soft cleaning sponges, if left out overnight, may be stolen by animals that live in burrows. Take something to do, or read, so that if thick mist develops you can wait patiently and confidently until it clears.
If most ‘essentials’ seem a fiddly nuisance, parcel them up into one separate stuff bag and belay this to the inside of your rucksack. Secure your trekking pole(s) to a clip on your rucksack whenever not in use, to avoid leaving it (them) behind. Trekking poles are most easily forgotten when you are travelling by bus.
On Grade A and low-level Grade B walks, especially during warmer months, you will need fewer items:
long-sleeved shirt (or rain shell)
spare warm layer (thermal vest or T-shirt in a plastic bag)
water bottle
spare food
map
whistle
sunglasses
sun cream
blister kit
knee and ankle support tubes
pocket knife
cotton scarf (always useful)
If walking with a group, do not automatically rely on others. Make sure that you understand the itinerary and know the name of your destination. Carry your own supply of cash. Sometimes a series of unlucky coincidences can separate you from your companions.
Lassithi: milking sheep
Clothing and footwear
In spring, autumn (and winter) bring one outfit of lightweight quick-drying synthetic fabric. However, above a certain level of humidity all synthetics are uncomfortable, so you also need a cotton outfit such as shorts and T-shirt. To travel light, consider the versatility of silk, which is quick drying, fairly windproof and insect proof, quite warm and yet wearable in the worst humidity.
Underwear
In case of chafing, pack two different types. If underwear incorporates synthetics, bring cotton or silk alternatives.
Warm layers
Depending on season and altitude, you need one, two or three warm layers from the following range: thermal underwear, a lightweight wool or fleece pullover and a fleece jacket or light duvet. In rooming houses and hotels, facilities for drying clothes are minimal. Keep dry clothes in reserve. Backpacking trekkers may have to change back into damp clothes, which is why synthetic dry-on-the-body materials are so practical.
Rain shell
Insulated waterproof garments are too warm outside the winter months. Lightweight Gortex or similar is best since ‘breathable’ materials double as windproofs, but any waterproof is better than nothing; at the very least, kit yourself out with a big dustbin bag. However settled it looks at first, storms can develop in half a day at any time of year. On mountain treks and summit ascents you must have a rain shell. Overtrousers and gaiters are a welcome luxury. An umbrella is always a useful travel item, especially now that ultra-light models are available.
Protective clothing
In summer, wear loose-fitting cottons for protection from the sun and from chafing. Check beforehand that all clothes are comfortable in use, and bring long-sleeved tops and long trousers, which also help protect against insects, numbers of which build up over the summer. If you find the heat exhausting, use an umbrella – your own pool of shade makes all the difference.
Boots
Cretan footpaths, with loose stones, are relentlessly rough underfoot, but there are also lots of new service tracks in the mountains. Ideally your boots need to provide good ankle- and foot-muscle support and yet also be flexible enough to suit road-tramping. Shock-absorbing footbeds are particularly helpful in Crete. However, in hot weather your feet will seem to swell. You will need generously sized boots; the introduction of either thick insoles or two pairs of socks, or both, could make your boots too tight – consider these options beforehand.
Shoes
Velcro-fastening sandals are useful for sea bathing or river crossings. Some cheap varieties are ultra-light.