This Sunday, Dave Heckman and I head out to the desert to stash supplies around Death Valley National Park in preparation for our July circumnavigation. We hope to finish placing the caches before the end of the week.
In case you’re wondering what a couple of people need to survive an expedition like this, here’s what we’re dropping into about 30 holes we’ll dig in the sand:
- Water: 500 gallons, most of which will be stashed in pairs of 1-gallon containers about 10 miles apart (however, around China Lakes, we’re looking at five 1-gallon containers about 25 miles apart)
- Food: mostly freeze dried Expedition Food provided by our sponsor, RacingThePlanet, plus a few MREs and canned meals to supplement
- Miscellaneous: toothpaste, sunscreen, Sportslick, batteries for our GPS, and Sustain electrolyte tablets
Each stash will also have a note:
“Please don’t disturb. We are making a 500-mile circumnavigation of this area during the summer 2012. Our lives depend on our access to this food and water.”
We could certainly survive if someone felt they just HAD to pinch our toothpaste.
Marshall I truly admire you and envy you at the same time. You are an amazing human being. Good luck and God bless you.
See you at Badwater, my friend? I hope so. YOU are the amazing person.
This is such an amazing undertaking – you are truly something else, Marshall 🙂
Thanks, I do appreciate your comment. I’m hoping things go as well as can be expected.
I hope you are making a movie or writing a book about this latest adventure Marshall. Looking forward to hearing more about it!
Just might have something cooking…one way or another it will be documented. I’ll keep you all posted.
Hello Marshall, good luck on your expedition. From all of us at RacingThePlanet!
And we have all that great expedition food from Racing the Planet buried in safe storage down deep. I’m looking forward to enjoying those great meals you have formulated!
cheers,
marsh
Marshall, I marvel in your trust that the supplies will all still be there in 3 months time. I don’t know how deep you’re burying the stuff, but isn’t it possible that animals could dig up the food? Or are there just no animals out there to worry about? Perhaps not…
Todd J´s last blog post ..Dear Hudson River: How May I Help You?
We used pepper around the caches…animals don’t like that. Great talking to you today and I’m glad to hear you are back to running strong!
Marsh. The great Comrades Marathom is calling. We look forward to having you take on the Ultimate human race. It will define you. Train well, but most of all, rest and focus. In a month it will all be over.
Gavin,
And I look forward to meeting you. Thank you for all your advice and help. We’ll have a grand old time of it.
cheers,
marsh
Hi Marshall! Good luck on your expedition! You truly are an inspiration. Everyone at Injinji wishes you well.
Ah, my thanks to you and for all your support.
cheers,
marsh
You are truly an inspiration. I love reading about your experiences. I now know that I am not the only crazy person who enjoys spending a day walk/run a 24 mile trail feeling terrific and using it to quiet some inner demons.