A journey down to the water can be as green as you make it.
Driving to the half way point just outside a nature reserve and in pursuit of adventure I saved five miles off my journey.
A small win, but you have to take them all and build from these foundations when challenging yourself to do better for the planet.
Packed into the back of my vehicle was my bagged up inflatable paddle board, neatly packed within its bag.
Weighing in at just over 16kg's with the added weight of water for the journey and a few snacks that did not last long.
The idea alongside reducing my environmental impact travel-wise, to additonally test whether a two hour journey to the sea and back was feasible from such a distance with such a load.
Testing whether the experience of carrying something of this size and weight would still be comfortable and the experience still enjoyable.
The results.
Two hours of fresh air, bird song and nature.
Peace and quiet, coupled with a refreshed mindset.
Happiness.
The straps held up well. I was grateful for the well built construction and the padding to spread the load comfortably.
When surrounded by such beauty your mind forgets about the task at hand and the journey appeared shorter than expected.
Initially to the beach it was a breeze, and after a good session out on the water for an hour a slight push on the way back, with slight fatigue setting in.
This I would advise as the maximum distant for a hiking adventure down to the sea. Any further would have been have been pushing it, but for fellow nature lovers and adventure seekers like myself that's never a bad thing. Just remember to bring more snacks!
For those who might need a bit of extra support who would like to take on a similar challenge, I would highly recommend a wheeled board bag. Perfect to help you out on the less challenging terrain and relieve the shoulders/back from the load for a good break to recharge the batteries.
I hope you found this blog useful and it's answered a few questions if you're seeking to potentially venture out with an inflatable paddle board.
Thank you for reading, I hope to see you out on the trail and down on the water.
