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Trek2Reconnect (Australia)
Big congratulations to Lizz for completing her epic challenge to trek across the Australian continent!
Lizz: "It is hard to describe the excitement and relief at finishing a journey of this size. Trekking 6000kms across Australia on foot and by bicycle in 153 days. I still don’t think I qualify as being a sports person but I am definitely a passionate person who cares for our planet and the people on it. I think we need each other to remember that we live on a small planet and that we need to take care of it together. Thanks for all the questions that have come in! Here are some of the top questions-
What was your biggest day?
Longest trek in one day 96.5kms (to get to a shower!…and make a school visit)
Did you see any snakes?
Yes, not as many as I thought I would but I came across 3 new species I had not seen in the Wild when crossing the Central Australian deserts.
What was the hardest thing?
Depends on the day you ask me! But overall it helps when I keep my thoughts focused on my bigger goal then the present moment pain. Having the right perspective in the moment to face the joy and challenges during the trek has been the most challenging thing. Living on the road was a shock to the system…digging a hole 30 cm deep for a toilet, lack of waste and recycling facilities, living out of a camper trailer with Justin and Rowan for 5 months- all
What shoes were the best?
The shoes were great and I went through 4 pairs from Wildfire Sports, but what made my feet sing were the anti blister socks I was given by Armaskin. I was sceptical at first but thanks to Justin (logistics co-ordinator) who insisted I wear them ALWAYS I didn’t have 1 blister. I did notice that I now have up hard heels and knobbly bits under my toes. My feet did get sore but my skin was fine!
More info on Lizz's journey can be found at https://linktr.ee/trek2reconnect
The Via Francigena (UK, Switzerland, Italy, France)
ArmaSkin Ambassador Chris and his partner Shannon have successfully completed their 6th Camino.
"This morning at 06:30 while many at home were just going to bed we were up and had begun our final day of the Camino. The 20 kilometres into Santiago de Compostela went very quick. Weather was beautiful. As usual we were welcomed into the square behind the Cathedral to the sounds of bagpipes. We feel very fortunate having completed our 6th Camino and 5 of them having ended at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela."
If you are interested in following their footsteps or learning more about their adventure, you can visit Chris' Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/chris.duhaime/ where they have provided very comprehensive videos from their journey.
Volcano Training (Oregon USA)
ArmaSkin Ambassador Jeremy, normally found in Finland, is currently in the USA. This pic comes from Tumalo Mountain (South Sister in the background )
"I jogged/hiked up and then ran down South Sister volcano today in central Oregon. Another day another volcano. Good heat and vert training before my upcoming race in the California high country. I drank two liters of tailwind and about one liter of glacial melt water (via filter). Brutal downhill on the quads, but that is exactly what I need. Stunning views. The last bit is covered in red volcanic ash, which makes for two steps forward and one step back. Altitude at the top over 3,100 meters. Distance was 19 km with 1555 meters climbing. I added one video clip. Beautiful terrain. I highly recommend this route."
Camino with Alexander
Starting the Camino in July was our Canadian ArmaSkin fan Alexander. Alexander will be experiencing the pilgrimage through the lens of photographer, writer, traveller and environmental diplomat.
Alexander is Founder Institute for Planetary Security, Policy Director Environment & Development Resource Centre, Public Speaker, Editor of The Planet newsletter.
Already we have a sample of his visual work with an image from Estella.
If you'd like to delve deeper into Alexander's view of the Camino, here's an extract from a recent article he published on his substack.
"It is another morning on my journey to Santiago de Compostela. I realize that each step I take fills the footsteps of millions who have walked this route before me. And with each step, I am enveloped by conflicting emotions. The world around me is drowning in the turmoil of self-destruction. Yet, amid the chaos, I find myself in a personal oasis of peace.--"
You can read much more about Alex's Camino on
https://theplanet.substack.com/
Yukon 2020, approaching Bering Sea
Having entered the Yukon at Carmacks Canada on May 28, 2023, after previously being stymied by unseasonal floods and Covid travel bans. Karts is well on the way to completing his attempt to canoe the length of the Yukon River.
At 26 July, Karts is only 250 miles from concluding this magnificent challenge. That means he has covered over 1750 miles of the Yukon River, much of it solo.
This 71 year old adventurer, and ArmaSkin Ambassador, is proving to all that life is there for the living!
Since internet access to Karts has been sparse, we've no recent personal update. His current altitude is about 58 feet, and the weather is generally mid teens C but there is continuous likelihood of showers and light winds. It seems also that the humidity and associated mosquitoes might be somewhat draining.
Here's a map that shows in red the distance travelled this year so far as well as the route travelled previously and the remaining 200 plus miles.
Here's a link to Karts' GPS tracker. ArmaSkin Blog with a GPS tracker address Put in May 26 as the start date to see Karts' full journey.
ArmaSkin Ambassadors invade Youtube
When you have a passion for the outdoors, there is a lingering desire to see if you can make that outdoors life also your source of income.
With on-line platforms being super competitive it is not easy to make your mark.
And, the behind the scenes technical effort to produce interesting and professional looking videos is super time consuming. Not to mention the hidden effort to set up on trail video shoots often requiring walking and re-walking sections of the same trail for that perfect capture. Also, there is the carrying of the extra kit of cameras and batteries and tripods.
It is thus exciting to watch the progress of some of our long term ArmaSkin Ambassadors on Youtube. And we'd love you to give each of them a boost by visiting their channels and subscribing if you like what you see.
As you will see, their content is super relevant and their level of professionalism mixed with reality is refreshing. To give you a sense of the range of interests and locations here are some recent videos from Hayley: Set To Hike, Martin: Vildmark and Erick : Dogfoot Trailing. Links to each video are under the pics. Please enjoy their work and give them a boost by subscribing! (No charge)
ArmaSkin Ambassador Hayley has recently been sharing inspiring trails in New Zealand.
"We are live!! This video is episode length so it is designed for you to grab some snacks, put it up on the tv and come along on this 5 day solo hike with me! So instead of watching a Netflix show tonight, I would be honoured if you could watch this ‘show’ instead. And by doing so, you might help YouTube know that I exist. 😉Hope you like it!! "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Png23iV0mns
ArmaSkin Ambassador Martin shares his excursions around the UK and abroad where he participates in bushcraft, canoeing, kayaking, packrafting, hiking, camping, fishing, hammock camping, outdoor cooking, projects, gear reviews and micro adventures. His latest is packrafting in Scotland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqSuQUu--Ow
ArmaSkin Ambassador Erick who took us on the PCT last year recently shared backpacking up Yosemite to take on Half Dome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrDdu9k6syI
Thanks for the Demo Edin! (Ontario Canada)
It is always great to see ArmaSkin fans go the extra mile to help raise awareness of ArmaSkin. A special thanks to Edin of Ontario who recently posted an Instagram video to help instruct viewers on the benefits of ArmaSkin.
Sydney Trailwalker is up next from 25th - 27th August 2023.
ArmaSkin is always happy to support Teams with some discount ArmaSkin and free promotion.
Contact us if your Team needs blister protection. ian@armaskin.com
Lena shared her dream of summiting Mount Kilimanjaro. You can see the challenge in our lead picture.
And here's a shot of Lena on the roof of Africa +3 extra metres and the tallest free standing mountain in the world. Uhuru Peak (5895m)
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