Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Fashion Faux Pas in Mt Pulag :))


#traveltuesday

Just when you thought I will post another Instagram post for my recent travel…..

I  feel like babbling and talk about my fashion faux in Mt. Pulag.  LOL!

What to wear for a trip was and will always be the question during my travel but this time it was difficult given the fact that – (a) I’ve never hiked before in my entire life (b) my last 10 C winter experience was 5 years ago in Seoul and lastly - yes this is a valid criteria  (c) I can never over pack this time (like I always do) because there are no wheeled luggage bags.  LOL!  I mean, along with the North Face backpack (borrowed from a friend) I took with me at work on Friday morning was my Samsonite trolley bag to further filter my clothes at work.  Yayz! :))  Actually, the real reason behind that was – the  backpack was eating me alive on a Friday morning.  I just realized at that juncture that I don’t know how to pack using that bag.  Waaaaaah, I’m such a pathetic creature.  Hahaha!!!

I couldn’t find any informative post from the internet last week and it took me an interview with the same friend above Randolph to guide me on what to bring for the trek.  Okay, please note that this is good for February trek like I did with weather ranging from (10 to 15 C).  I’m not sure how constant is the weather up there for the entire year but you can always consult this website.  

Backpacking means carrying light items on your bag even if it meant bringing a lot (I wore 6 layers of clothing up there).  Oh yeah this is applicable for those cold-blooded persons like me.  But actually a tee and jogging pants would do during the afternoon trek (2PM to 5PM which I think was the common itinerary).  Yeah it was cold but you’re exercising so you don’t feel it at all.  Now I finally understand why they can schedule the NY marathon on a cold month like November or how my regular Japanese student would tell me that they regularly hold their running festivals in the cold season.  If you wanna go for a tee, make sure to slather yourself with sunblock to protect your skin.  Or you can go for a tee with arm sleeves like what I did during the trek down below.  Or if you’re not a sweaty person like me perhaps you can go for a rashguard (I regret not bringing mine last weekend.  Oh well.)



Another thing to consider during the trekking is the possibility of getting wet from the rain.  So in order to make sure that you’re items are still “light” even with sweat or if you got wet from the rain is to bring dri-fit clothing for the trek itself.  Because it is certain that your items won’t dry up there.  LOL!

Around 430 PM, in my neon pink shirt I wore for work last Friday, we reached Camp 2 and it was already very foggy.  By this time, I couldn’t wait for the tent to be set-up so I can unpack and put on everything I have.  Actually I didn’t wanna go out of my tent anymore because I was shivering.  LOL!  So when I emerged out…..



They were teasing me that I looked like I’m going to Paris or something.  Waaaah, somebody help un-kikay myself.  LOL!  While most of them were in their trendy North Face windbreakers, I was in Mango and Zara puffer jackets (but with the prettiest color combination if I may add, lol!).  And while they were in their very practical cargo jeans, there I was wearing two layers of leggings combined with my two yoga pants.  LOL!  Throw in that leg warmers I saw on sale from Terranova the other day and 4 layers of socks as insulator to my feet that is clad in orange running shoes.  Everything was so wrong for the place! Hahaha!!  But it did keep me warm though.  You have to forgive me, it’s all I have.  Hahaha!!!  I didn’t wanna spend more on clothes specially after capitalizing on some items for the trip (the headlamp, the sleeping bag, etc.)  Oh, the sleeping bag – I don’t think I would survive without it.  At night, I added two more layers of clothing (the wool and polyester tops) but I still found myself curling like a fetus and chilling during the rain.  Aside from the sleeping bag, I was informed that a yoga mat is also useful as flooring in the tent.  Next time.

During the sunrise climb the next day (1.5 hr trek from Camp 2 to the summit), I wore the same clothes but with additional bonnet (yes, I did layering for the head cover too..haha!!) and I think the gloves I had wasn’t enough.  But again, it’s all I have.  The scarf was something I got for my Korea trip too. Again, not proud of the over-all effect but it sort of worked for me.



Actually, if you really wanna be “fasyon” up there in Mt. Pulag you can do just so.  You can have your leather stuff worn and bring all your favorite clothing for great shots minus the sweat.  You see, I learned that you can avail of the porter services for the price of Php 600.00. :)  It was tempting at first but I realized that hiking without that extra weight challenge at the back will not keep me satisfied when I utter the statement – “I survived Mt. Pulag – the 2nd highest mountain in the Philippines.” :P  Besides, whenever you take a rest from hiking, it’s better to just slouch on the grass past caring on how your clothes will get dirty or what coz you’re just too tired. :P  And the environment is not that clean at all, you wouldn't wanna get your special clothes dirty so I don't recommend it. :D

So there goes my tips on what to wear for a trek to Mt. Pulag.  And to end this post, I'd like to share one of my favorite sunset shots (no, not Instagrammed lol!) in here.  It was glorious.  The hike all the way up was truly worth it. :D


 Beautiful isn't it? 




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