Pain and Discomfort

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Pain is a way of life for trampers.  It is not an option -- it comes bundled with the pack. The following are some of the ways in which a tramper should expect to suffer:

Pain from Mild Abuse

Whoever invented the song "heads, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes" probably did so while tramping.  These are some of the members of the body which scream a silent protest with every step of the tedious journey.  Particularly common problems are:

• Sore shoulders.  This is because the pack is too large and heavy.
• Sore back and hips.  This is because the pack is too large and heavy.
• Sore knees.  From steep descents beneath a lumbering great pack.  Knees and toes are the main points of stress which prevent the tramper from performing the "face plough".
• Sore toes.  From steep descents combined with neglecting to cut toenails before starting out.  With every step, the toe of the boot pushes against the nail, and this hurts.  At least until the nail comes off.
• Sore ankles.  From rubbing against socks.  Should have remembered to put leukoplast on those ankles!
• Itching from sandfly  bites.

Pain from Acute Abuse

• Sprains.  These can make life particularly miserable for the day and a half after the injury is sustained.

Privation Hunger You get so hungry that even instant noodles and cup-a-soups taste good.  Or the shop-bought pizza that you've burned up in the billy. Thirst You get so thirsty that you will drink water that contains mud, leaves, and iodine, and has been boiled in a greasy pot. Tiredness This arises partly from the long ardous journey and the emotoional strain of not finding the hut, but also largely from sleep deprivation brought about by a combination of the following factors: (Not) sleeping on an uphill slope (and sliding down to the foot end of the tent). (Not) sleeping on a downhill slope (with blood rushing to one's head) (Not) sleeping on a transverse slope due to: rolling on top of companions, or being rolled onto by companions, and hence being pushed into the side of the tent (Not) sleeping on rocks, sticks, roots, pine cones.  This form of discomfort can be avoided by testing the ground prior to pitching the tent. (Not) sleeping in the cold. (Not) sleeping in the heat. (Not) sleeping due to noisy trampers or other farm animals.

This is how hungry we get. A four-serving packet serves one.   Pizza, believe it or not.

Frustration

• In one's Hour of Desperation, trying to dig a loo hole through (a) rocks and (b) tree roots