Pack your bags

I have a new best friend, the chap in Blacks in Kingston who sold me a backpack. He's a Duke of Edinburgh Award instructor (which means outward bound things not making frightful social boobs that embarass the queen) and is superbly knowledgable about walking. He persuaded me to have a quite a big rucksack as the weekend ones weren't going to hold enough socks and pants. He was very impressed by the sound of my walk but dismayed at my hotel stays rather than pitching a tent in a thunderstorm on the Pennines. I explained I am older and wiser and richer than him and I have no intention of being remotely uncomfortable and much of my walking will be done by taxi. So we then downsized the backpack to the weekend one. If I am to follow the advice of George Todd (the author of the helpful website on distance walking), I should fill my backpack with potatoes and road test it on all training walks. He had a problem with this in that his wife surreptitiously used his potatoes, which resulted in him carrying half the load he intended, and the rest of them started growing tentacles. I think I'll opt for a couple of pairs of trousers, a bottle of water and some tacky souvenirs.