C2C - planning so far

I've mentioned it somewhere on here, possibly numerous times, but I plan to run the Coast to Coast next year. Following the challenging 190m Wainwright route of course - following from reading several excellent accounts in blog-land and hearing from former completors. The planning is underway and there's quite a lot to work out. First things first, my co-runner and I have commited to 5 days, so much so that we've started booking accomodation at appropriate intervals. We reckon this will be a challenging but not uncomfortable schedule, especially as the hilliest bits are at the start in the Lake Distict. Not to suggest that the Yorkshire Dales and, my oft bleak - more often stunning nemesis, the North York Moors are easy. So now we plan around the schedule.

Never being a fan of complication I'm toying with the idea of carrying the bare minimum of gear rather than using a sherpa company and only getting support on route in the form of places to eat and sleep. After doing the 180m section cycle of transpennine trail with a 10L pack. Which I had stuffed with bottle of energy drink, powdered energy drink I needed for second day, clean thin clothes for the evening and train journey back after second day, snack food to supplement food I'd buy on route, protective gear (waterproof, gloves, hat), navigation stuff and - the thankfully unused - spare innertube. Only thing I carried not in this bag was a small bumbag with puncture repair kit and phone and 2nd waterbottle on bike.

We've called the idea, "doing it caveman". Ok, thats a slight exaggeration, were not going to subsist off the land, catching rabbits, eating berries and grass. But, if we can confirm there are places on route to lunch substantially, then I plan to carry the minimum of food. Sure, this is 3 days longer than the TPT cycle, but I'll be using a 20L pack, and only plan on carrying extra's from that trip to the tune of a change of running gear, more food, more maps and numerous sachets of powdered energy drinks. Oh and I definately won't be needing an innertube!