The 5 P rule

Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance - the 5P Rule - or if you are a Navy SEAL or in the SAS you may quote the 6P rule - Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. In light of what we are going to do I think I prefer the latter.

It is a lovely day today so I thought I would pop out and start ticking off some of the things on my packing list. So Jinny and I popped down to the local shopping complex at about 10:30 . Usually she is not out of bed by this time on a Sunday, but one thing she would die for is a Starbucks and so she was up for it. We popped into Walsall and nipped into TK Maxx to check out the outdoor section. This is where Jinny found my walking poles last week.

I picked up an adjustable head torch for £4.99 ( check! ).This would be required for the last day of our ascent when we will be getting up at midnight to make it to the summit for sunrise. I also looked at the outdoor jackets but I didn't fancy the styles they had in stock. I did find a set of VAUDE thermal underwear and vests (check) especially designed for "mountaineering, ski touring, climbing, Nordic walking, alpine skiing" £24.99 and £29.99 respectively.

You must be off your rocker paying that amount, I hear you all holler. Quite rightly so, I'm not one to be unnecessarily extravagant, but when you take into account the fact that at the summit it is going to be so cold (and I hate the cold) that water bottles will freeze, batteries will die, we will be sleeping in tents, we may well be sweating like mad, smelly, it could be wet or snowing or we could be in freezing blizzards, I am taking no chances... only proper equipment will do.

The underwear are designed exactly for this sort of extreme environment and the special material is based on a warm merino wool composite fabric that has natural deodorising and quick drying properties plus a thermo-regulating effect. The flat seams will lie smoothly against the skin without causing pressure points and chafe marks - useful when you think how long I may be wearing them along with a back-pack.

Having paid, we popped into Starbucks where I got a delicious Caramel Coffee Frap and Jinny got a Caramel Hot Chocolate (no whip) to go..