I think you need to consider the hike and where it is and what season you are doing the hike in to ensure you plan, prepare and pack for your hike appropriately. I’m sure there are specific things to hike in the Arctic Norway!

I think train travel can be hit and miss. That was a shame you had a bumpy and loud train trip! Better luck next trip!

I love riding the rails and even though the US has limited trains Amtrak still has some great train trips you could take – from NYC to LA! I saw that one on Sex and the City!

I think you gotta try train travel at least once to decide if it’s for you or not. I find the pros far outweigh the cons.

Sounds like you have your luggage down pat! It’s great when it all works out!

I totally agree. I love staying on the ground and travelling by train. It’s comfortable, relaxing and gets me where I want to go! That would have been fun in the overnight train in SE Asia!

Yeah. You’ve got to try different types of luggage to find what suits you!

You sound like a woman who loves cooking classes too! I have found them such a fun experience.

Great suggestions to add to my hiking packing list.

Yes I’ve read a lot of packing lists for hikes too when I was a newbie to hiking. And once I started hiking I learnt pretty quickly to leave things in the car so I had clean socks and dry clothes to change in to. Sounds like you are the same!