By Elliot

Paihia is a great place for a rest day. It’s a resort town on a bay. We went out for coffee and lunch, resupplied our food provisions for the next few days, and dried our shoes and socks. They are now dry, which is a first in four or five days.

We actually got a ride into town from the campsite from a couple we met last night. They were a retired Canadian couple, living in Rossland, BC, which is a ski town. They were also Jews, originally from Montreal, so we connected and had a great conversation. They tried to convince us to move to Rossland. We are not quite convinced, but definitely want to visit.

Otherwise, last night I had the best sleep I’ve ever had in our tent. I think it’s because I’ve cracked the code for making a makeshift pillow. Here are the ingredients.

You need a fleece, a cotton t-shirt, a puffy jacket, and some kind of sack, in my case the sack that my sleeping bag packs into.

First you fold the fleece.

You want the zipper facing in, so that the surface that is closer to your face is smoother. Note that the hood stays out: tucking the hood into the fold would make for a lumpier finished product. I’ve made that mistake before, and won’t make it again.

Stuff the sweater into the sack.

Again, keep the hood out.

Now fold the puffy jacket, ensuring the zipper faces in, and stuff it in the sack. You will have a stack, with the fleece on the bottom, and the puffy jacket on top.

That would be the end of it. The fleece provides a good base, and the stuffed puffy mimics what a down pillow would feel like. The problem remaining is that the stuff sack is synthetic, not something you want to rest your head on all night.

Enter the t-shirt.

The soft cotton is perfect to rest your head on. Fold in all the loose ends and voilà, you have your pillow.

Good night!