My Suggested Gear List

60% Needed, 40% Didn't Need

What I brought Comments

2 pairs of synthetic pants Get the ones with draw strings. You're going to drop waist sizes.

2 long sleeve and 2 short sleeve synthetic shirts. Polyester + spandex Perfect for dissipating heat, comfort and quick drying

3 pair of Covington boxer briefs. These are like the cheapest underwear you can buy at Sears, yet they've proven to be more comfortable than expensive sports underwear.

4 pairs of cotton or Merino wool socks and 4 pairs of super lightweight socks. I learned the hard way that wearing two pairs of socks is the best way to go. One lightweight pair and one cotton or heavier pair over them.

1 pair of decent running shoes or light (not lightweight) hiking boots. 1 pair of super feet insoles. Shoes have been a problem for me because of my wide feet and narrow ankles. However, I've had some success with these two types of shoes. If you're dialed in on what works for your feet then great, otherwise I would suggest talking to someone knowledgeable about what will work for you when walking 10 - 15 miles on hard pavement for days on end (worse case).

Big handkerchief Invaluable for a myriad of tasks... you can also wait for the small hand towels that are given at temples as osettai. These are equally handy. I tied mine to the strap on my over the shoulder pouch so that I could use it to wipe my brow or gear in case any got wet.

Lightweight goretex jacket I didn't use mine and sent it back to Tokyo on my first trip in April 2006. I run very warm when walking. However, when I went in early march 2008 I wore it every day and only took it off when hiking up mountains.

Poncho Highly recommended. I bought mine at REI for $25 and it proved to be invaluable. Easy to put on and pull off. Allowed cooling breezes in to alleviate the "baked potato" effect. Also had loops at the bottom so that I could draw it tight to my body when the wind blew it around too much. Quick dry, quick store and lightweight.

Books I always assume that I will read a bunch on my trips to Shikoku. So far I read maybe a paragraph before I pass out at night. Therefore my book list will be shorter next time. Besides your NokyouCho I suggest Miyazaki's map book and as lightest a copy as you can find of your favorite reading material. Or perhaps just 40 - 50 pages of it.

Camera I used a small point and shoot digital camera on my first trip in 2006. It was good but I wanted more for my trip in 2008. Like a true American I went out and bought a bigass Canon EOS DSLR 350D Rebel. I'm not sure it was worth taking actually. Simply because it is huge and a pain to take out and put away. Not only that it is more delicate (sensitive to shock, temperature and moisture) than a pocket camera. On the other hand, its very presence was a good reminder to take photos. All in all, the eye of the photographer is a greater asset than the quality of the camera. I will most likely take a pocket camera with me on my next trip.

Hat I took a synthetic baseball type hat with me in 2006 and 2008. It worked great in both trips. I also wore a Henro Kasa (pilgrim's hat) during my 2008 trip and to my surprise it worked best of all.

Miscellaneous Kit I took a variety of medicines with me such as ibuprofin, antacid, lip balm and sunblock. I also brought sports tape which is great for taping over forming blisters and repairing your equipment. Bandaids, antibiotic ointment (neosporin), antibiotic wipes, needle and thread. A CF card reader, USB thumb drive and camera battery charger completed my electronics stuff. Last but not least I brought an LED headband light in case I ended up in the dark somewhere. This all fit into a 4 x 7 plastic box.

Take breaks

Not taking breaks was a problem in my first trip to Shikoku in 2006. If my fellow henros would stop, I would too but never take off my pack. I didn't want to jeopardize my momentum by taking the pack off and then putting it back on, etc. In hindsight, the whole trip would have been better had I stopped for lunch or simply took my pack off and sat down for 15 minutes more often. But no, I had to "press on" continually. A trait that I most assuredly inherited from my dad.
I'm happy to say that in my second trip in March of 2008 I did stop quite a bit more and was surprised at how much more I was able to see and experience. Not only that, I was able to travel more in a day with short breaks. Really had to fight the urge to "press on" though.

On reserving rooms

In my first trip my wife Hiroko and I reserved most of my rooms ahead of time without knowing enough about the distances and times between inns. Consequently, I was bound to a conservative schedule (walking on a rail) instead of one that met my natural pace. In hindsight, I should have just canceled all my reservations after the first week and then reserved on an ad hoc basis. The only real reason I didn't do this was because I'm apprehensive when it comes to talking Japanese over the phone. I would rather have my wife call from America (cheaper than a Japanese pay phone by the way) to reserve me a room than do it myself.
In my March 2008 trip I went totally ad hoc with reservations. My sister in-law Yuki loaned me her son's cell phone to take on the trip. This also had the added benefit that she and my wife could track my location. I told them to send in the search party if I haven't moved for a day. Anyway, I was still a wuss when it came to making phone calls so I asked either the previous inn keeper or another Henro to call for me. Because it was off season I was able to book as late as noon of the same day sometimes. Unless it can't be helped this should be the latest one calls for a reservation if having the meal. It takes time and effort for the inn keeper to shop for and prepare meals.

Foot care

Blisters - I got plenty of these on my first trip after I bought a bad pair of shoes and walked in the rain. The conventional wisdom is to stop and change your socks often to keep your feet dry. Unfortunately I've never been accused of possessing conventional wisdom (or any other kind of wisdom for that matter) and neglected to stop before blisters formed. That being said, my second trip in March of 2008, was much different. First of all there was very little rain so my feet were dry most of the time. I wore two pairs of socks and I used a marvelous product named "Body Glide". It's made for cyclists and runners to put on areas of their bodies that might chafe when exercising. It looks like underarm stick and spreads on the same way. I put this all over my feet every morning and although I got a couple of small blisters this stuff really made a difference. It really stays on too. After scrubbing my feet with soap and water I could still sometimes feel a light film of it on my feet. Last but not least, the burned hand sometimes teaches best, this time I knew what a forming blister feels like and immediately stopped, put sports tape over the area and walked on. I had only one blister that I had to lance and that was due to a bad tape job I did.

Home

What I brought	Comments
2 pairs of synthetic pants	Get the ones with draw strings. You're going to drop waist sizes.
2 long sleeve and 2 short sleeve synthetic shirts. Polyester + spandex	Perfect for dissipating heat, comfort and quick drying
3 pair of Covington boxer briefs.	These are like the cheapest underwear you can buy at Sears, yet they've proven to be more comfortable than expensive sports underwear.
4 pairs of cotton or Merino wool socks and 4 pairs of super lightweight socks.	I learned the hard way that wearing two pairs of socks is the best way to go. One lightweight pair and one cotton or heavier pair over them.
1 pair of decent running shoes or light (not lightweight) hiking boots. 1 pair of super feet insoles.	Shoes have been a problem for me because of my wide feet and narrow ankles. However, I've had some success with these two types of shoes. If you're dialed in on what works for your feet then great, otherwise I would suggest talking to someone knowledgeable about what will work for you when walking 10 - 15 miles on hard pavement for days on end (worse case).
Big handkerchief	Invaluable for a myriad of tasks... you can also wait for the small hand towels that are given at temples as osettai. These are equally handy. I tied mine to the strap on my over the shoulder pouch so that I could use it to wipe my brow or gear in case any got wet.
Lightweight goretex jacket	I didn't use mine and sent it back to Tokyo on my first trip in April 2006. I run very warm when walking. However, when I went in early march 2008 I wore it every day and only took it off when hiking up mountains.
Poncho	Highly recommended. I bought mine at REI for $25 and it proved to be invaluable. Easy to put on and pull off. Allowed cooling breezes in to alleviate the "baked potato" effect. Also had loops at the bottom so that I could draw it tight to my body when the wind blew it around too much. Quick dry, quick store and lightweight.
Books	I always assume that I will read a bunch on my trips to Shikoku. So far I read maybe a paragraph before I pass out at night. Therefore my book list will be shorter next time. Besides your NokyouCho I suggest Miyazaki's map book and as lightest a copy as you can find of your favorite reading material. Or perhaps just 40 - 50 pages of it.
Camera	I used a small point and shoot digital camera on my first trip in 2006. It was good but I wanted more for my trip in 2008. Like a true American I went out and bought a bigass Canon EOS DSLR 350D Rebel. I'm not sure it was worth taking actually. Simply because it is huge and a pain to take out and put away. Not only that it is more delicate (sensitive to shock, temperature and moisture) than a pocket camera. On the other hand, its very presence was a good reminder to take photos. All in all, the eye of the photographer is a greater asset than the quality of the camera. I will most likely take a pocket camera with me on my next trip.
Hat	I took a synthetic baseball type hat with me in 2006 and 2008. It worked great in both trips. I also wore a Henro Kasa (pilgrim's hat) during my 2008 trip and to my surprise it worked best of all.
Miscellaneous Kit	I took a variety of medicines with me such as ibuprofin, antacid, lip balm and sunblock. I also brought sports tape which is great for taping over forming blisters and repairing your equipment. Bandaids, antibiotic ointment (neosporin), antibiotic wipes, needle and thread. A CF card reader, USB thumb drive and camera battery charger completed my electronics stuff. Last but not least I brought an LED headband light in case I ended up in the dark somewhere. This all fit into a 4 x 7 plastic box.