Is this bag too heavy? Do my boots pinch? Am I fit enough? Do I look a complete anorak in this cagoule? There is nothing like the prospect of a multi-day, long-distance footpath to rouse lurking anxieties and keep you awake at night for weeks beforehand. And there is always the helpful soul who insists you must take a particular item: a thick hardback volume on the benefits of walking? Lovely.
A selection of artisanal cheeses and a bottle of fizz? I’ll squeeze them in somehow. Once for me, in Yemen, it was a pistol, presented with the comforting words: “Take this – you’re going to need it.”
