Blog moving

Am moving the walkabout journal to the website.  You can directly access the posts here.  Thank you for visiting this blog.  I hope you'll continue to follow my adventure at the new location.

3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

A couple things happened last night that bode well for the walkabout. First, Twisted Laws pledged 5L$ per region and said there may be more. Thanks Twist! That's brings the per region cumulative total up to 86L$. Second, Primalcore Magneto delivered the plot for the first leg of my cross-continent walkabout. Yea!

This morning (Monday), I got up, got together the gear I was going to backpack and headed to the airport. I was nervous, anxious, and excited but ready to get this thing underway 'cause I have to get it all done before the end of July when Relay for Life ends. Naturally, I went to the wrong airport, but Aree found the right one, sent me a teleport and got me there. I chartered a Cessna 172, gave the pilot the coordinates for the start region, tossed my gear and parachute in and left my stomach and cares behind as we soar off into the blue. Finally I was underway.

12:10PM SLT, I was pushed out of the plane and parachuted into Pounce.

There's a Walkabout website now where you can find this blog as well as tracking maps, photos of my adventures and eventually podcasts and vidoes from during the trek. I'll update it later on my first day's journey.

Count Down to Aventure

Primalcore Magneto is hard at work planning and plotting my route over the big mainland continent. As you can see from the map picture, it is a rather large section of the grid.  I'll be starting at Pounce on the southern tip and heading more or less in a northern direction from there.

For the last week or so I've been wearing the pack every day -- trying to get used to it -- as well as taking short hikes to get ready for the forthcoming walkabout. I thought I was in fairly good shape but have since discovered that there's in shape and then there's in condition and the two are not the same.

Also, I discovered that packed stuff starts to weigh a lot after a while. Water weighs 8.3 Lbs a gallon (2.2 Lbs per liter) and all things being equal, the average person requires about .5 gallons per day, more if you're doing constant exercise/work like hiking. Plus, there's water needed for cooking and washing. I can't be assured of adequate water supplies along the route so will have to make sure I carry enough to make it between the supply drops.

The weight issue has already caused me to replace the cast iron fry pan with an aluminum one and I'm seriously debating the need for the lantern -- a box of matches and some candles are looking better and better. But another week or so of conditioning may reverse that inclination.

The sturdy shoes I selected seem to be holding up well though I've discovered that two pair of socks is better than one so that doubles that sock loadout. A second pair of shoes will have to be added just in case 'cause wet shoes or a broken one would be very bad for the feet and I'll need some milage on them to break them in.

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In case you didn't re-read the last post after it was updated, I gained two more Cool Sponsors, Cathy Gray and Katar Supercharge.

Since then, three more Cool Sponsor have signed up.  Thank you Rebecca Wendell for the 5L$ per region and thank you to Fearkiller Dorchester for the 1L$ per region and thank you Reymon Thalheimer for the 1L$ per.  This brings the total pledges to 81L$ for each that I cross on the trek.

Also, Kylan Nicholls made a direct contribution of 400L$ which will be added to the total at the end of the walkabout.

***

Update! Saturdays concert on Mogo at Beta Quadrant had a change of headliners.  Cylindrian Rutabaga cancelled on Friday but Cool Sponsor KallfuNahuel Matador found a wonderful replacement: Grace McDunnough.

If you would like more information on the Lanterns for Life projects to raise money for the Cancer Society's Relay for Life, contact Aree Lulibub in Second Life.

If you would like to pledge for the Walkabout, you can contact me, Pierce Kronos, inworld as well.

Go Relay!

Almost Ready

No new pledges since the last post but I'm sure more will come in. Primalcore told me this evening that he's got most of the first leg of the walkabout plotted and will be sending it to me soon. Wow, then I can set a date to start the trek.

Got all my gear in order now, added a few more things to the backpack. Added on a spare canteen, lantern and a large utility knife.  As the pack is kinda small and I cannot carry but so much supplies with me, the support crew is going to pre-position some supplies at various locations on different regions for me.  That's going to be very helpful as some of the sponsors plan to occassionally walk a bit of my walkabout with me ... can't let them go hungry, lol.

I tested out the netbook link to the interweb via the satellite phone/radio.  It works well so I'll be able to upload reports, blog, podcast or whatever while I'm on the trek.  Still figuring out a website details to stick it all on though ... wouldn't work well here on the blog.  I'll post information on that soon so you all can follow along on this adventure, if only vicariously.

BTW, the Lanterns for Life "store" is open now at L4 on Beta Quadrant, proceeds from the item sales go to RFL of course.  Check it out when you get the chance or donate an original item.  The store will be open through July and end when RFLofSL does for this year.

Well, that's about it for this post.  Who knows, when next you hear from me I may be on the road.  If you see me out there, throw up your hand and say, "Go Relay."

Update!  Cathy Gray has pledged 2L$ per region bringing the total to 69L$ per.  Thank you Cathy.

Update! (Wednesday)  Katar Supercharge has pledged 5L$ per region to bring the total to 74L$ per.  Thank you Katar.

Gearing up (entry #2)

So far things are going great for my upcoming Relay for Life walkabout.  I'm going to be one of my own sponsors and kick in 2L$ per region that I visit on walkabout to bring the pledges up to 29L$ per region to date, (See post one for the other sponsors so far).  I'd like to get a total of at least 50L$ per region before I start the walkabout and I hope to traverse at least 2,000 regions so 100,000 L$ would get donated.  Of course, the more sponsors the better.  Btw, if you're considering a sponsorship, don't feel that you can't cap the total of your donation if necessary ... every bit helps.

While Primalcore is working on my walkabout route, I've been going through my equipment to see what I have that will be suitable for the journey. I plan to take a series of short walkabouts to get into shape and test out the gear as it's been a while since I've done any serious camping/hiking.

The hat (which I dyed) and the equipment belt come from my time working as a Ranger at last year's SL Burning Life event.  The belt has a lot of neat stuff on it: a couple of water bottles, tube of sunscreen, first aid kit, compass, satelitte telephone/radio, etc.

The backpack is from Camp Second Life.  It's a bit small I think but we'll see.  The bedroll and frying pan I took off of my Hobo Bicycle. I still have some more gear to go through yet ... gotta find things like a flashlight, small tent, cook stove, lantern and the like.

I also plan to take a digital camera and small netbook with me so I can post blog entries, pics and videos via the sat-phone to the outer-web and keep everyone updated on my progress and status as well as detail on the places I visit.  We'll have a website up soon with links to the Flickr and this blog site plus there will be a big map showing my progress across the grid as well as the amount raised to that point.

If you would like to become a walkabout sponsor, give me a hollar inworld.  If you would like more information on our Relay for Life team, Lanterns for Life, contact Aree Lulibub inword.

Update!

My first Super Sponsor and at 20L$ per.  Thanks so very much Sean Petit!  Per region donations now up to 49L$.

The Race is on, thanks to Sean's move, Jeff has upgraded to Super as well and is now gonna pledge a total of 11L$ per region!  Thanks Jeff.  Donations are now 55 L$ per region, I guess I have to set a new sponsor goal.

MenuBar Memorial of Watermoon Breeze donated a small campfire and a small gas lantern to the cause.  Thanks MenuBar!

Thursday Update!

Got another Super Sponsor.  Ariel Miranda is pledging 12 L$ per region.  Thanks Ariel.  We're up to 67L$ per now.

An Adventure (entry #1)

I've decided to try to raise money for RFLofSL by walking across the main land in Second Life.  Hopefully I'll be able to get some sponsors to each donate L$ per region for each region I traverse.  If I get enough sponsors, it could add up to some real L$ for the American Cancer Society.

Here's my idea for sponsorships:

Cool Sponsor: 1-10 L$ per region crossed.

Super Sponsor: 11-20 L$ per region.

Mega Sponsor: 21-30 L$ per region.

Ultimate Sponsor: 31+ L$ per region.

I figure I can blog on the journey, post some pics, keep sponsors and followers updated that way. If you'd like to sponsor me or just pay to have me "take a hike", contact me in-world and let me know what type sponsorship you've got the pockets for.

UPDATE!

I have a Trek Coordinator now who's helping me plot my journey and is handling logistics for me.  Thanks Primalcore Magneto!

And

I have my first Cool Sponsor, say thank you to Jeff Beckenbauer and his 5L$ per region donation!

My second Cool Sponsor is Kanara Quonset @ 7L$ per.  Thank you to her.

The third Cool Sponsor is Primalcore Magneto @ 10L$ per.  Thank you PcM.

The fourth Cool Sponsor is KallfuNahuel Matador @ 5L$ per.  Thanks.

Additionally, a donor who wishes to remain anonymous will be covering the cost of any inworld equipment and upload/download expenses.  Super thanks.