Tourism & Travel News South Africa

[10 Things I Love About...] Slacking off...

Slack packing, or hiking with someone else transporting your gear and checking into accommodation along the way is gaining popularity with folk who love the great outdoors but not enough to sleep under it.

Contributing Editor Brian Berkman asked Anita Lennox the General Manager of Cape St. Francis Resort on the Chokka Trail, a new slack packing trail between St. Francis Bay, Cape St Francis, Port St Francis and Oyster Bay, for the 10 things she Loves about Slack-Packing.

[10 Things I Love About...] Slacking off...

By Anita Lennox, General Manager of Cape St. Francis Resort on the Chokka Trail

1. Slack-packers can move far and fast over difficult terrain
2. While everybody else hiking along trails will be carrying full camping gear, you carry a small daypack.
3. While a section hiker will probably go home and return later in the year to hike another part of the trail, a slack-packer might just show up the next day to keep hiking from where they left off.
4. You get to breathe the fresh air, smell the fynbos, absorb the views, and feed your soul without getting lost. A guide leads the way.
5. It can have a positive impact on the area around the trail: creating jobs, heightening awareness of a region, and opening up areas of beauty to people who might not have been able to experience it.
6. If you're a trail runner you can be a 'fast-packer' and run most of the route.
7. You get to enjoy real food rather than 'trail food'.
8. Sharing a bottle of wine with fellow hikers and chatting about the day is a great way to get to know your companions.
9. At the end of each day you can enjoy a hot shower!
10. You get the pleasure of a comfortable bed and a good night's sleep before the following day's adventure.

Find out more about the Cape St Francis Resort and the Chokka trail.

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