UPDATE

Daniel from TGO magazine contacted me regarding the venture . Brief chat about doing the venture with my son J. Obviously it is nice to have company on the walk , and have done alot of backpacking together in the Lakes , North Wales and mainly Scotland , however it makes me nervous his commitment and sometimes teenager approach . Luckily he is better at keeping a tent tidy than his room , he is strong and fit  and normally determined to get from A to B. If I can keep him off the mobile and able to communicate to me using words may help. When we were back packing Cape Wrath over new year he was so moody because he could not get a signal , when his phone battery finally ran out it was like I regained a son and communication with him .

I bought him a MOTOROLA DEFY + , like mine, due to his inability to keep phones alive . He will certainly test it to its limit , I am hoping the phones ruggedness  , dust and water resistance will prove money well spent. Of course there is the possibility that he may loose it like so many phones he has had . You may say - Why give him a phone ? -  I may not like it but it is an essential  piece of kit for him ; he has a girlfriend , a mother and friends he will want to keep contact with .When I think back to the Coastal Walk in '86/7 , no mobiles , just red boxes and coin fed phones . I suddenly feel old.

The only difference between my phone and J's is that I have the whole of Great Britain on 1:50 000 Ordnance Survey maps via the VIEWRANGER app which up to now has been excellent.

H J HALL have sent the socks- Protrek heavy weight . I have been wearing a pair- yes, same pair for the last three days , in wellies , crocs and walking boots to see if they live up to my expectations . Seem excellent so far , no doubt the walk will tell.

I have a solar panel for the trip, something else I did not have in the past . I have not had a chance to try it out , again will keep you informed.