Gear Observations: Gendarmstien

For this trip I was expecting snow and temperatures in the range of -15 to -5 degrees C with possibly some snow falls and mild winds, which turned out to be correct. Some of my gear reflections follow.

Sealskinz gloves


The biggest surprise for me was the Sealskinz gloves, the air was cold and along the coast windy but there was no rain, however, I often had my hands in the snow. These gloves whenever worn kept my hands dry and warm even when used to remove snow from the signs, benches etc. occasionally I combined them with Goretex overmitts which further helped to deflect wind and keep my hands comfortably warm, not uncomfortably numb. Though the outers did get damp during the day they felt drier the next morning having formed part of my Paramo Vista pillow. For those considering these gloves in my view they are worth a look, with the caveat that I did not use them in rainy weather.




Feet

For this trip I wore my old pair of Innov8 390 gtx boots and I was very happy with the grip they provided on most surfaces, they were partnered with Bridgedale liner socks and Seakskinz socks, for the most part my feet were kept dry and warm. The Sealskinz helped to form a waterproof layer as well as providing some insulation from the cold. Some water did seep through the socks but at no time were the liner socks more than damp (possibly from sweat). Under similar conditions I will use this arrangement in the future as well as trying the sock combinations with my Terrocs for summer, an arrangement used by Colin Ibbotson as well as described by Jörgen Johansson in Smarter Backpacking

Shangri La 1



I have always been interested in this shelter, especially as it reminds me of my first shelter many years ago, though I was always concerned with entry and exit with the pole located in the centre at the front, however, I found this to be less of a problem than expected especially when the front pole is angled away from the inner slightly. The shelter is easy to set up and is spacious inside especially if you pull the centre side tie outs out a little which does reduce the head height in the middle of the shelter as shown in the following picture. The inner net is a little more problematic, it seems the best option is to attach it before erecting the shelter, I prefer not to do this. I am also surprised given the attachments for the floor why attachments have not been fitted to the inner net to allow fixing to the shelter. Having said all this I found the combination of the outer and inner to work well in the conditions which were well below zero and without any wind it was evident that inside the innernet and shelter felt warmer than being outside when the temps were below - 10 C. Overall I was very happy with the shelter and felt that for the conditions it was used it it was an ideal shelter and seems ideally suited to long distance treks where a small footprint may be required.


Primus Express Spider, I used this stove to boil approximately 600 mls of water 2 times a day. Often the water had some ice floating in it and whilst not recording the time taken to bring the water to a boil it did not seem excessively long. The average fuel consumption for the trip was 24 gms of gas per litre boiled using Primus power gas which is a mixture of 25% Propane: 25% IsoButane: 50% Butane which as shown by BPL (Membership of BPL required) is more efficient at lower temperatures when compared with the standard 30% Propane: 70% Butane mixture.

Moisture in sleeping bags, I used a Nunatak Arc Alpinist (with Epic outer) for the trip and each night there was some condensation in the foot, partly caused by my desire to dry my damp liner socks. Over the course of the 3 nights the sleeping bag gained 40 gms in weight (or approximately 5% of its weight). There was also some loss of loft but I remained comfortably warm at all times without the need for my Western Mountaineering Hooded Flash Jacket.

Aarn Featherlite Freedom, this was my first trip with this pack and I was happy with it and felt that the harness more suited me than perhaps the Mountain Magic did. There was ample space in the pack with the Sports balance pockets (10 litres in total) on the front. The interesting feature of the pack is the internal divider in the waterproofliner, it can provide some challenges packing until you become used to it, but otherwise it is an easy pack to load with an excellent roll top closure. I will write more on this pack once I have used it a little while longer.

Border Patrol

Down south in Denmark there is a trail known as the Gendarmstien which is a trail that was used by the Danish police to watch out for unexpected visitors from the south. It seemed appropriate to visit this area in the southernmost point in Denmark between Christmas and New Year as hopefully it would be a warm and sunny tour. Alas, with recent snowfalls and below freezing temperatures, the sunscreen will be staying at home and all possible warm clothing is being packed.

So for the past few days I have been trying to decide the gear to use given expected temperature ranges of -10 C to -5 C.

My almost final list is as follows.


Rucksack
Aarn Featherlite Freedom

Shelter
Golite SL 1 with inner net (warmth and condensation protection) I have been interested in looking more closely at this shelter and have been able to borrow one from Outlandia for this trip.
4 Sno Pegs
4 Clamcleats
2 Easton 8” stakes

Sleeping

Exped Downmat 7 Short
Therma Rest Ridge Rest
Nunatak Arc Alpinist Epic cover
Katabatic Bivy

Cooking

Primus Express Spider
BPL 1300 + lid
Lightmyfire
Folda Spoon
Kupilka
Nalgene 1.5l

Clothing Carried

BPL Vapr Thrm Mitts
Possum Fur Fingerless Gloves
Possum Fur Socks (Sleeping)
Balaclava
BPL Cocoon Pants
Rab Xenon (maybe warn if needed)
Wester Mountaineering Flash Hoody (around camp and sleeping)

Clothing Worn
Ibex Hoody
Macpac fleece
Paramo Vista
Paramo Adventure Light Pants
Merino Buff
Icebreaker Merino Legless
Darntough Socks
RBH Vapr Thrm Liner Socks
Blue OR GTX cap
Ibex Liner Gloves
Inov 8 390
REI Komperdell Trekking Poles

Other items include
Mobile phone, PrincetonTec Head Torch with Battery, Kahtoola Micro SPikes, First Aid and repair, GPS
Washkit, Pentax W60 with case.

A report will follow.

Gear Reflection Tornby to Grenen

Some of the items used and my comments are listed below.

MLD Trailstar, a wonderfully roomy shelter that is easily pitched and when pitched tight will deflect winds from all directions.

Aarn Mountain Magic 55, a pack ideally suited for trips of 4 to 8 days in my view, carries well and the front pockets are a bonus. This trip I was very pleased to have the waterproof liners which kept everything dry in what was extended periods of heavy rain.

BPL 240 Quilt, this was the first trip for this quilt and I was pleased with it and at all times was I warm (a little too warm), temperatures were never below zero but I feel comfortable in taking this quilt as part of my sleep system into sub zero temperatures.

Katabatic Bristlecone Bivy, not really needed in the Trailstar however the bivy provides ideal protection from drafts in windy weather. I used the bivy on top of my Neo Air this time and was pleased with the minimal slip between the bivy and the mattress, I will experiment further with this approach.

Stoves, I took 2 stoves on this trip to compare fuel usage, the stoves were the Monatauk Gnat, and the Compact Caldera cone, both used with the Evernew 1 litre Past Pot. Both stoves performed well and were used, with care, inside the Trailstar. I only ever boil water and for a day I boil approximately 1.5 litres of water. The fuel consumption figures were interesting:

Monatauk Gnat: 22 gms of gas per 1 litre of water, reflecting similar figures when used in Vålådalen in May 2010.

Caldera Cone: 25 gms of alcohol per 1 litre of water.

In my view the conditions were the same for both stoves and a windshield was used with the gas stove.

Paramo Vista Jacket, for this trip I wore the new lighter weight Vista jacket, in XL it weighs 660 gms which is a 200 gram saving over the Third Element Jacket (which is to be discontinued). I was pleased with the jacket and partnered with a silkbody long sleeve shirt I never over heated and it repelled all the rain that it was subjected to.

Gear for 24 hr trips

In the coming weeks I expect to be undertaking a number of 24 hour trips. These trips will most likely be located on Sjælland in Denmark and will rely on public transport to and from the trail head.

As these are overnight trips then the gear required will be minimal especially as most of Sjælland is rural and a small town is never far away. However, it is the rurality (sic) that impacts on the ability to camp. Unlike Sweden and Norway there is no All Mans Rights and camping is strictly regulated, perhaps rightly so in a small country such as Denmark. But this means that any camping locations have to be chosen wisely taking account of the surroundings and the impact on other members of the community, for this reason my shelter will be either a bivy or tarp in subdued colours, likewise my clothes will also need to be of a subdued colour.

For the big three I intend to use

Gossamar Gear Murmur a pack that will undoubtedly hold more than is needed for an overnight trip.

Sleeping quilt will be my Nunatak Arc Specialist quilt.

Shelter, will vary between the Nemo GoGo and the Golite Poncho Tarp

As for cooking I will use a Caldera Keg H or a wood burning stove. ( More details will follow on the wood burning stoves). If not using wood then I intend to use Esbit (14 gm) as I have found it to be reliable when boiling 600 ml of water. To light the Esbit I use an alcohol hand cleaner and a mini bic lighter.

I intend to write more gear comments as the trips unfold in the coming weeks.

Salomon XT Wings 2: First walk

Much of the hiking I do in Denmark and southern Sweden is on hard packed trails and tarmac and as a consequence I need shoes that provide support, traction and some padding in the sole. I also prefer to use Salomon shoes as they fit and comfort level is consistent across the different styles I have used. Lighthiker in a recent post reminded me of the XT Wings. After much searching I was able to find a pair in my size online and they duly arrived from Beyond Extreme. Straight out of the box the shoes felt comfortable and fitted, I wear a UK 13.5 (EU 49.3) in Salomon shoe and the weight for my shoes is 880 gm for the pair the same as the weight of my Terrocs in UK size 13. My Salomon Tech Amphibian 2 in UK 13.5 weigh in at 740 grams for the pair.

As I said the shoes felt comfortable from the time I put them on, they have a reasonable lug sole, better than my Salomon XA Pro Ultra (compared side by side below)



One of the benefits of the XT Wings is that they are non Goretex lined, my preferred option, one that is increasingly difficult to find. I wore them on a 8 km walk through the nearby forest and was very happy with the comfort level and the way that the heel nestled firmly in the back of the shoes. Some writers have expressed concern at the Salomon lacing system, but I have replaced one set of laces (in my XA Pro Ultras) and it was a straight forward process and on an extended walk I would take a spare lace for the just in case situation.




Admittedly a short walk does not constitute a real test, but proved that I will be using them on forthcoming walks.

Along the Nordkalottleden: Gear Review

My gear list was published prior to departure on the trip, however, there were a few late additions to the pack including a book (300 gms) waterproof carry case for the camera and an extra meal, so my pack weight was closer to 17 kg when I left home. As I have stated previously I was generally happy with my gear and it enabled me to complete the walk with a minimum of hassles, but there are always times when the gear is not optimal, for others it may be a different story. I will comment on the big three as well as some other items of gear.
Aarn Mountain Magic 55l pack.
Generally I was very pleased with the pack and certainly with the ability to carry 17 kg comfortably. There is no doubt I had probably pushed the pack beyond its comfortable weight limit but given that a days food weighed about 800 gms, after a couple of days the weight was approaching what was more realistic of a pack this size. The picture below shows the pack fully loaded with only tent poles and a sleeping mat attached to the outside.



The front balance pockets were full and each contained approximately 3 kg and did inhibit leg lift, after day one I reduced the weights to about 2 kg in each and this proved to be much better. One problem I had with the pack is the attachments to the top of the balance pockets, these a shock cord and cord locks, I do not believe that this the best design as the shock cord stretches and the cord locks slip when the bungy gets wet. I tied knots into the cords to stop them from sliding but still they stretched further than I would have liked. I am now looking at replacing the bungy with either dyneema cord or webbing straps. For my next long trip I may consider using the Featherlite Freedom as it is perhaps more suited to such loads and the attachments for the balance pockets are better suited to heavier loads.
Stephensons Warmlite 2C tent



I was very pleased with this tent, as I had said in an earlier blog post I had decided to err on the side of caution when taking a shelter for the trip. The tent withstood strong winds from the back the front as well as the sides, it was spacious for one and could be erected in under 5 minutes. The shelter only requires a total of 9 pegs and can be erected with 3. There was some minor condensation at the single layer cones at each end but the mid section stayed condensation free. There are two changes I would make to the tent, one, I intended to, but did not put silicone sealer on the floor to reduce the slipperiness, it will be done before the next trip. As it was daylight all night and the tent quickly warmed in the mornings it would have been nice to have an insect free refuge with the door open, I intend to contact Stephensons to arrange for a no seeum door to be added. But these are minor annoyances more than design deficiencies, I can strongly recommend the tent. Having experienced the wonders of Lapland I now feel it is possible to use an appropriate shelter with added bug protection, such as GoLite ShangriLa 1, Gossamer Gear Spinnshelter, any of the pyramid shelters from MLD or Black Diamond as well as tarps such as the Spinntwinn from Gossamer Gear. Of course in using such shelters, care will need to be taken in adverse weather conditions.

Nunatak Arc Specialist Quilt, kept me warm and comfortable through out the trip, nothing more need to said about such a fine product.

Cooking, I used a Primus Micron ti Stove with a mini Light My Fire striker. The stove worked flawlessly and I boiled approximatey 12 litres of water over the 10 days using less than a 250 grams of gas, I estimate there were 2 days left in the canister suggesting a usage of approximately 20 grams per 1.2 litres of water. For the next trip I may consider the use of a small wood burning stove in conjunction with either Esbit or gas, when the insects or weather make the outdoors less than pleasant. Options include the Bushbuddy Ultra and the FourDog stove LT1 with the Primus stove or a Monatauk Gnat.
Clothing
Haglöffs Oz Pullover, there has already been much discussion on the blog about the pullover. My perception was that water did bead in the beginning indicating that it was repelling water, but eventually became overloaded causing a build up of moisture inside. Given that I tend to perspire a lot this may be expected. However, with the air being dry the coat did dry quickly and as it was only used a couple of days, heavy duty wet weather gear was not needed and the Oz pullover did the job. I will use the Rab Demand pullover next time, though there is a weight penalty.

I used a Montane Featherlight Smock, which was excellent and with a Tilley hat along with a Buff I saw no need for a hooded windshirt such as the Lightspeed. My water resistant pants were the Featherlite pants and whilst in continued rain they do wet through I was happy with them and would use them again, they also make great wind speed measurers.



Merino; anything made out of Merino wool performed faultlessly, though my BPL Beartooth hoody is showing some wear and tear now and I need to consider replacements. Thanks to Joe at Thunder in the Night I now have an IBEX Hooded Indie to experiment with. My Ibex Liners performed perfectly and were ideal for protecting my hands from the mossies.

Vest; I did not take a vest, and there were times I wish I had, for use when the weather is a little cool or at rest stops, if I take one I would be deciding between the Haglöffs Treble Vest and the BPL Cocoon Vest.

Salomon Quest boots, after developing Plantar Fasciitis, and the long recovery period that followed I have been using Salomon footwear and have been very happy with them. For this trip I chose boots over shoes as I felt the more rigid soles would be better on the Talus etc, and I think this was true, however, the boots had a major drawback, lining, resulting in blisters. It is for this reason that I intend to return to Innov-8 Terrocs for all my hiking in the coming months paying particular attention to the activities that can lead to Plantar Fasciitis.



Pacer Poles, aluminium alloy, excellent as usual and even with a major fall the poles continued to work, albeit with a slight bend in one of the lower sections.

Camera; Olympus E-Pen 2, I was very pleased with the camera and am still learning how to use it, I was attracted to the Micro fourthirds in an effort to reduce weight, but maintain the quality offered by a DSLR. I also found that the user interface had some similarities with my Ricoh GX100 which made the transition a little less daunting. I intend to write a longer review on this camera in due course.

Nordkalotten Gear List

Below is my gear list for my 11 days on the Nordkalotten Trail, the total weight is a little over 16 kg. All weights in the list are in grams.

The weather outlook for the coming days indicates a little rain, a little breeze, a little sun and temperatures ranging between 5 and 15 degrees.


Rucksack
Aarn Mountain Magic 55L: 1,540

Sleeping

Warmlite 2c tent with pegs: 1,372
Nunatak Arc Specialist Quilt: 550
Neo Air Short: 270
Multimat (sit and feet): 98
Tyvek Groundsheet: 150

Cooking

Primus Micron Ti: 77
MSR 850 + BPL Lid: 110
AL foil windshield: 45
Reflextix Cozy: 23
Gas bottle stand: 20
Foldacup: 23
Short Handled Spoon: 9
Lightmyfire: 22

Clothing

Carried
BPL Cocoon Hoody: 339
Silk Long Johns sleeping: 191
BPL UL merino Hoody sleeping: 180
Hagloffs OZ Pullover: 219
Montane Featherlite Windshirt (worn): 100
Montane Featherlite Pants: 128
MLD eVent Overmitts: 30
Possum Fur Gloves: 42
Possum Fur Socks: 83
BPL Merino Hat: 20
Buff: 37

Clothing Worn

BPL Beartooth Merino Hoody: 272
IceBreaker SS Pulse Grey: 240
Montane Terra Converts: 384
Underarmour Compression Short: 118
Darntough Socks: 97
Injini Toe socks: 51
Merino Legless: 205
Salomon Quest boots: 1,576
Pacer Poles: 700
Tilley hat: 96
ID shortie gaiters: 66
BPL Headnet: 9

Various

OlympusE-P2: 467
Tripod: 296
Mobile phone: 167
Washkit with towel: 92
First Aid and repair: 150
3 l exped bag: 45
1 l exped bag: 27
GPS: 136


Food and Fuel

Nalgene 1.5 litre: 63
Platy 0.5 litre: 20
Swiss Army Classic Knife: 30
Fuel per day (GAS): 300
Fuel Carrier GAS: 220
Water: 500
Food per day: 7710

Total weight in Pack of just over 16 kgs.

The small things

We often consider the big items in our pack but on a my most recent trip I was reflecting on the items of clothing that travel with me on most if not all trips. I thought others my be interested in some of these items and may be able to provide alternatives to these items.


First up is my Icebreaker Pocket 200 red merino hat I have 2 of these one for the cooler months going to work and one for hiking. I use the hiking one when needed in conjunction with a Buff and when it gets cold then my BPL.com Merino hoody and cocoon pullover help to keep me warm. In summer there is a need for sun protection then it is my OR pocket bucket though I love my Radar Pocket Cap and often carry it as well (yeah I know extra weight but ...)




Gloves, I use walking poles and in the cooler months the hands get cold, I have tried IBEX merino liners (the best by far) and whilst they are very good, there life span is short when used with hiking poles. Recently I was able to obtain a pair of Extremities Velo gloves and they are great, partially because the manufacturer does not have the "one size fits all" mentality.




Socks, I have big feet (US 13 or 14, depending on brand) and have often had blisters especially between the toes but once I started using injini liner socks over 3 years ago I have had no problems. I find the Bamboo liner socks perfect, they dry overnight (do not smell like synthetic socks) and they are very robust.

Chafing, something that we all try to avoid by ensuring that we wash regularly on the trail as well as other tricks. For the past 4 years I have used Underarmour compression shorts along with appropriate personal hygiene has ensured that chafing is a thing of the past. Now I am exploring the use of merino underwear from Chocolate Fish.

An early Christmas present

Yes I won one of Hendrik's Buff's thanks Hendrik.

I expect that I will be hiking next week wearing the Merino Buff it feels really nice, and I love merino. Thanks again Hendrik for a great addition to my hiking wardrobe.

Have a great holiday season everyone and include some time in the outdoors if at all possible.

Caldera Ti Tri Inferno and the Bushbuddy

Hendrik over at Hiking in Finland has provided an excellent video on the operation of the Ti Tri Caldera Inferno with his Tibetan 1100 pot. Similarly this BPL.com review thread provides reviews of the Inferno.

I have used the Inferno stove on a recent 3 day trip as well as on 2, day walks. My overnight hiking meal routine involves a boil in the bag meal such as Real Turmat, soup and cup of tea (or 2) at night. For the mornings I need some hot water for coffee, so I heat no more than approximately a litre and a half a water a day. When I am hiking with a fuel stove, alcohol, esbit or gas I am always worried about how much fuel I am using and how much is left and usually as a result have spare fuel when I return home. The benefit of the wood stove is that you are only dependent on wood being available in the vicinity of your campsite, which is not an issue in Scandinavia, unless you are up high. (See The bearable lightness blog for a discussion of the use of the Bushbuddy above the treeline in Sweden). Hendriks review along with reviews at BPL.com support my positive experiences with the Inferno, it is efficient at boiling water quickly, it is easy to place wood in, the multi use aspect of the stove (wood, alcohol, esbit) provides the ideal arrangement for the hiker. I found that the fire took less than 5 minutes to become hot enough to place the pot on and in less than 10 minutes I had 800 ml of boiling water in my BPL.com 900 ml pot. Hendrik has reported times of 7.5 minutes for a litre which reflects my experiences.

The boiling times for the Bushbuddy maybe a little slower, but I have not done a side to side comparison to determine this. Importantly there is very little ash left over with the Inferno, a similar result will be found with the Bushbuddy.

The major differences between the 2 stoves are:
-the compactness of the Bushbuddy over the Inferno
- the ease of adding would to the inferno
- the coolness of the base on the Bushbuddy when compared to the inferno
- more assembly required on the inferno
- the Caldera is a multifuel cooking system

Comparing the weights of the Inferno and the Bushbuddy in use

In both cases I am assuming that I am using the same pot (BPL 900 ml.)

Ti Tri Caldera Inferno, Caldera, Ti base plate mesh and grid for inferno. Total weight (on my scales) is 116 gms


Bushbuddy Ultra weight 144 gms.

However, this is not the end of the story.

In use weights will normally be higher, in my case if using the Ti Tri Inferno I would also take the caddy to protect and hold the stove and the caddy weight is 80 gms.

The Inferno in use weight plus caddy is 196 gms

Whereas for the Bushbuddy I will need to take a cup and will use the pot or the freezer bag as a bowl the total in use weight with a FoldaCup is 169 gms.


In the morning I would not use a wood stove but rely on a small fuel stove, normally Esbit.

In the case of the Caldera I could take the Gramcracker for an extra 3 gms and would have a complete Ti Tri Caldera system for 199 gms. (lets call it 200 gms)

A second stove with the bushbuddy is a little more problematic, Hendrik has described making a small alcohol stove for his bushbuddy, however, I would prefer to use an esbit stove such as the HPS stove weighing 5 gms combined with some ti foil for a windshield weighing 8 gms. Providing a complete Bushbuddy system for 182 gms. Unless you are a diehard gram counter the difference between the two set ups (17 gms) is not worth worrying about.

So which is better? Neither really, I think it will come down to personal preference, they are both great wood stoves and will serve you well in the outdoors. Which will I be taking on my next trip? I am undecided at the moment and it ultimately depend on the type of weather expected.

Gossamer Gear Gorilla

For the trip to the west coast I took the Gossamer Gear Gorilla. The total volume of the pack according to Gossamers Gears website is 46 litres with 39 litres in the main bag section, which seem about right to me. The pack therefore is a good size for trips up to 4 or 5 days, depending on the volume of your gear.
The pack comes with bungy and cord locks as well as foam inserts for the hipbelt and the shoulder straps and the Sitlight pad which has its own sleeve on the outside of the pack. I inserted all the foam inserts in their respective places but felt that the shoulder inserts tended to push the shoulder straps into my neck which I found uncomfortable. However, the beauty of these packs is that you can open the shoulder straps and put in socks or hats etc. for padding. So I replaced the inserts with Gossamer Gear 1/4" foam which worked perfectly providing both a comfortable fit and cushioning where it was needed. The weight of the large pack on my scales was 730 gms which included the Sitlight Pad. The pack has their U shaped frame which is similar to the Haglöfs LIM 45 as described in an earlier post. To the pack I added two Gossamer Gear Hipbelt pockets (20 gms each) and one shoulder pocket (19 gms) giving a total pack weight of 790 gms.

I started the trip with a total weight of gear, food and water in the pack of a little under 10 kgs, but as explained in the trip report late on the first day I loaded up with an extra 2 litres of water taking the carry weight to approximately 12 kgs. With this weight in the pack it was still comfortable for me. The packs hip belt is much softer than some other manufactures belts, but when tightened up it is effective at supporting the load. The frame works well and in my view allows the base of the frame to flex when walking while staying rigid at the top, such flexing aids in the walking and the pack feels like it is hugging your back. The three mesh pockets are functional and stretch easily to accommodate items such as platypus water bottles, bivies, tarps, Caldera caddies etc. The Gorilla is Gossamer Gears heaviest pack partly due to the heavy duty fabric used for the body of the pack and as a result the pack has a feel that it will withstand a fair bit of punishment either on or off trail.


My opinion, it is a comfortable pack capable of carrying 12 to 14 kg with easily accessible side pockets and an efficient roll top closure. The addition of hipbelt pockets and shoulder pockets ensure that all the gear for the day is on the outside of the pack and there is no need to open the main bag. It is a pack I will use often depending on the conditions and the location of the trip.

Coastal walking in Thy National Park: Denmark

Well I am back from a 3 day trip in Denmark's first national park Thy National Park. The walk followed the coastline along the Redningsdvejen (The Lifeboat Trail). The sun shone and the wind blew and it was a very enjoyable trip. A trip report will follow as well as some gear comments especially on the Gossamer Gear Gorilla, Trail Designs Caldera Inferno as well as the bivy tarp combo used. The photo shows the MLD Grace Solo tarp and the BPL Vapor bivy.

Sigg Water bottles

Now most of us at one stage or another have owned a Sigg water bottle, great bottles and virtually indestructible. Well recently I was visiting family in Australia and was browsing through a kitchen shop (yes I love kitchen shops almost as much as I love outdoors shops) and I came across a collection of Sigg Bottles. But what caught my attention was the red wide mouth sigg bottle. There was no question it had to be bought. Interestingly the wide mouth top is a similar size to the Nalgene tops, but the threads are different, also the bottle has a standard sigg opening, so, the bottle is easy to fill and easy to drink out of.

It weighs about 170 grams which is about the same as a Nalgene bottle. I am not sure how readily available they are but if you are into sigg bottles they are worth a look.

Jotunheimen Gear

Gear selection for a trip is based on many factors such as weight, fit, appropriateness, colour, whether we look good in it as we hike as well as many other factors.

The list of gear I used for this trip is given below, following are some comments on the gear used.



The "big three" used were Terra Nova Laser Competition tent, Haglöfs LIM 45 pack and Nunatak Arc Alpinist Quilt.

Terra Nova Laser Competition: A lot has been written about the tent and blogs such Blogpackinglight and backpackingbongos will provide a lot of information. My opinions of the tent are mixed, the major benefit of the tent is that it is light and can be packed small if the poles from the inner are removed. The challenges are that it can be fiddly to set up if the ground is uneven, removing the poles to make packing easier creates more hassles when setting it up. I had no problems with the tent flapping in the wind this trip, but others have reported this. I am not tall standing at about 178 cm, but using a Neo Air in the tent (with a Montbell Pillow) means that my head is close to the tent inner when laying down which could be a little claustrophobic for some. Having said that it is a good tent for its weight provides good protection from the elements.

Haglöfs LIM 45, like Holdfast I took an untried pack on this trip though I had read about the pack on PTC's site and along with actually being able to try it in a shop I decided that it would work for this trip. (Interestingly the shop, in Copenhagen, sold this pack as a large day pack) The pack is made of what appears to be light materials, though after 6 days of hiking and a few scrapes here and there the pack showed little signs of wear. The pack has an interesting design with the shoulder straps connected to the base of the pack and the frame has an interesting shape which could be best described as an inverted U shape with a narrowing around the lower back as shown here.



The adjustment for the back length comes from moving the back pad in relation to the shoulder straps using velcro. I found this system to work quite well and once set it did not move. The hip belt is a reverse pull similar to Osprey, a system I like and I found the hip belt to work quite well and the adjustments allowed the weight to be shared between the shoulders and the hips, The pack fully loaded weighed 13.5 kg, which in my view is probably about its limit, though at no time did I find it uncomfortable the shoulders, back or hips. I am a fan of roll top closures and the Haglöfs pack has perhaps the best I have used, it has a 2 cm wide strip of stiff material on each side and when folded twice and cinched down form a very secure closure, this was an aspect of the pack I really liked. Another aspect of the pack that suits my style of hiking is the side pockets and front pocket which are easily accessible and will hold a lot of gear. The front pocket I used for waterproofs, lunch etc. whilst one side pocket carried tent poles and tent groundsheet the other side pocket carried a small amount of water in a platypus and was easily accessible without removing the pack. My two niggles about the pack are there were times that I felt the straps were slipping when they were damp and I noticed some stitching on the roll top lid had come away and whilst repairable in the field ideally should not happen. I have contacted Haglöfs about this.

In summary this is a pack I will continue to use for trips up to 5 days as I like the way it carries and the usability of the pack.


Nunatak Alpinist Quilt. My down quilt is my go to quilt and I use it on almost all trips, However, with its 340 gms of down I found it a little warm when combined with a Neo Air and the tent, got me to thinking that when considering sleep systems one should consider the shelter along with mattress and sleeping bag. In my view in a tent (such as the Laser Comp) a bag with less down may work depending on the expected night time temps, clearly when planning a trip the sleep system should be considered as a system and not just individually. I am now considering other down sleeping bags, which will work with as part of a sleep system depending on the anticipated temperatures.

Wet weather gear: I carried a Montane Lite-Speed jacket, Montane Featherlite Pants and Haglöfs Oz pullover. And to be honest there was very little rain to test the gear. However, after reading Chris Townsends BPL (You will need to be a member) article on wet weather gear, there were times on the trip where I wore a silkbody base layer combined with the Lite-Speed and the OZ pullover on the outside. I was very impressed, the arrangement kept me comfortable, but not hot. This is an arrangement I want to explore more as it means that I carry less weight in my pack if I am not wearing them.

Salomon Fastpackers: I have completed over 100 kms in these boots, 70 km of which were in Jotunheimen. My experience with the boots was very positive especially given the snowy conditions early in the trip. In summary I find these boots have good grip in loose gravel as well as on dry rocks, though the grip is reduced on wet rack. In extended downhill sections it may be that toe volume is compromised. There were times where I felt the more robust Alan Sloman's slippers may have been appropriate. All in all my hiking footwear for the future will be selected from Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra, Fastpackers or Quest ... depending on the expected environment.

There was no gear that I would not take on the next trip, though I may consider placing the DSLR in my pack for trips where the scenery warrants it.

Kust to Kustleden Completed: Footwear reflection

Yesterday I finished the final section of the Kust to Kustleden, the section from Båstad to Båstad, a circular route taking in Knösen, Torekov and Gryteskär (a report will follow).

I started on this journey on November 6, 2008 and after 6 sections spread over 8 months I have completed the 300 km walk. The walk started in late autumn with some colour in the trees, finishing with the bright green foliage and landscapes of early summer. I hiked through knee deep snow, experienced 25 C heat as well as cool days where temperatures did not get above 0 C.

It is interesting to reflect on the gear I started with and finished with, the changes made along the way and the reasons for these changes. The first of these reflections is footwear.

Approximately 2 years ago I developed Plantar fasciitis in part caused by my belief that I could walk long distances in short times without taking precautionary measures such as stretching. This took a while to recover from but with exercising, appropriate footwear I gradually recovered. For this reason I started off the first trip on the Kust to Kustleden with New Balance 760's I did two trips with these and was happy with the comfort and support (especially the arch support) over time though I began to feel that they were not quite right for my needs, so I moved on to Salomon 3D Ultras which I have been very happy with, so much so I wear them to work as well as hiking. However, for the last trip I wore a pair of Salmon Fastpacker, my reason being was related to my upcoming trip to Lapland and a concern that a slightly thicker sole may be more appropriate whilst retaining the 3D Ultras design features.

One of the realities of the Kust to Kustleden is that there is a reasonable amount of road walking which can be hard on the feet, but the Fastpackers are as comfortable on roads as they were scrambling around the cliffs of Knösen and walking along the sandy beaches of Bjärehalvön Peninsula. They are Goretex lined, which is not my preferred style of boot but combined with my Injinji liner socks and Darn Tough socks there was no feeling of hot feet. The tread design on the Fastpackers is similar to that of the 3D Ultras, however, the tread is deeper which is an advantage of these boots over the Ultras. All in all a great boot and while I will still use my 3D Ultras for shorter trips the Fastpackers will form part of my long distance off road hiking kit.

Pacer Poles Camera Mount

I have been a long term user of Pacer Poles, I have the original Aluminium poles. When ever out hiking I like to take camera which is either a Dslr, Ricoh GX 100 or Pentax W60. Most times I will just hold the camera in my hand when taking a photo but there are times when a steadier hand is required. I do carry the Ultrapod mini but when walking there are times when a quick photo with a monopod, makes sense. Thus when I heard about the Camera Mount for Pacer Poles I quickly ordered one. The mount weighs 18 grams and is easily installed and removed from the pole, and more importantly, it works. On a recent trip in Sweden where the wind was gusting across the fields I was able to take pictures without worrying about the wind causing the camera to move. I strongly recommend these mounts if you are using Pacer Poles as they work as stated and in my view the benefits are well worth the weight.

Titanium Caldera: Wood Burning mode

On a recent trip to Sweden the Titanium Caldera Stove in wood burning mode was my primary source for cooking, along with a few 4 gram Esbit tablets. The Caldera Cone is a frustum of a circular based cone which is specifically designed to fit a certain size pot and the folks at Trail Designs provide them for most common pots in either Aluminium or Titanium (only the Titanium cones can be used for wood burning) along with the cones, Trail Designs also provides an alcohol burner as well as the Gram Cracker a Titanium stand for Esbit Tablets. The weight using the gram cracker and accompanying caddy varies, but for an Evernew 900 ml pot, the total weight of the cone, floor for wood burning mode, caddy (Ziploc) and gram cracker Esbit holder is 116 gms.

I have spoken about the gram cracker before, and in a recent post on Backpackinglight (USA) Rand Linsey of Trail Designs indicated that " we found that Esbit on the Gram Cracker is actually more efficient in the Caldera than alcohol....and lighter. You do need to use the Gram Cracker or some other similar method to slow the burn rate down."

However, back to wood burning. My main cooking method is cook in the bag type meals, I normally boil about 800 mls of water for a meal and a cup of tea. The evening temperatures were around 10 C, with water temperatures similar. To set up the Caldera it is a matter of sliding the dovetail joint together and for wood burning there is a Base Plate as well as 2 Titanium Needle Stakes used as pot supports. Lighting the fire was done with a FireLite Mini and cotton pads (which ignited a little too easily). The wood available was birch and pine and was air dried as it had not rained for several days. Once the fire was started I would put the cone on and then stoke the fire until it was time to put the pot on. At the point of placing the pot on the up draft is reduced and this can cause some reduction in the fire and possibly a lot of smoke (ideal to keep away the mosquitos but not ideal for stealth camping) Stoking the fire through the gap on the side of the cone enabled me to boil the water quickly and then make dinner. The benefits of such a system is that the fire can be kept going and provide warmth, or light or just a sense of well being. I allowed the fire to burn itself out which left a small amount of cold ashes to distribute.


I enjoyed using the Caldera in wood mode and with the added benefits of a few Esbits for warming a cup of water in the morning for my much needed coffee it will form part of my gear on many trips. However, I recognised that if the focus of the trip is wood burning then I think I would still prefer to use the Bushbuddy as I feel that it provides a better burn and less ash. However, other walkers may have a different view.

In summary, if Esbit or Alcohol is the main fuel for the trip, supplemented with wood burning then the Caldera is the way forward, but if wood burning is the focus then I will take the Bushbuddy. However, both are great items to have available.

Paramo Third Element

I have been using a Paramo Velez Smock over the winter and have been impressed with its functionality and its ability to breathe and yet keep me dry. However, I have also recognised that it has its limits as the weather gets warmer. My attention was drawn to Paramo's Third Element by Andy Howell the Third Element consists of 2 parts, a vest and hood and arms which when combined makes a weather proof jacket for all conditions. Paramo gear is heavy when compared to much of the ultralight gear on the market, but it's design and its twin layers which make up the directional system sets it apart from much of the standard gear that is available.

I took the Third Element jacket on a recent trip in Sweden, a report on the trip will follow.

There was no rain any day during the trip and daytime temperatures ranged between 10 and 18 C not ideal conditions to test such a jacket, especially as it is recognised that if you are carrying a Paramo jacket then it is too heavy. The total weight of my XL jacket was 840 gms with the arms and hood weighing 360 gm and the vest 480 gms on my digital scales.

In use the jackets performance surprised me, whilst I did carry the arms an hood part, I wore the vest for 90% of the time. The design of Paramo garments with their twin layer system enables it to be more breathable than traditional wind shirts. However, my biggest surprise came when after a warm mornings walking I decided to remove the vest and just walk in my silkbody top. To my surprise after a stop in the afternoon I put on my pack to immediatly experience the cold wet back feeling which I had not experienced when wearing the vest, which is a testament to the efficiency of the Paramo directional system.

Along with the efficiency of the directional system that wicks moisture away from the body, the venting provided by the Third Element with its full front zip enhances it's performance for milder climates when compared with my Velez.

This jacket will be too warm for summers in Southern Sweden and Denmark but it will be an integral part of my cooler weather kit.

Packing for Lapland: McHale Packs

I expect when hiking for 10 days in Lapland that my pack weight including food and water may be as high as 16 kg and as a consequence I need to choose wisely with my rucksack and how it is packed. For this reason I have chosen to stick with a trusted friend who has already seen me through many days of hiking on 3 continents, it is my McHale Pack. This pack may not be the lightest pack, but its flexibility in design and carrying capacity along with “always feeling right” when I put it on has ensured its position as my pack of choice when hiking. The customizability of the pack has enabled me to adjust it to the requirements of the trip. The modular aspect of the pack includes a roll top or removable lid with a pocket, different hipbelt pockets depending on the trip, water bottle pockets, or not. As well I have found that the lid can be removed and made into a simple day pack with sufficient capacity to carry wet weather gear, a litre of water along with food for a day walk from a base camp.

So how does everything go inside? The volume is not a problem but I normally pack everything inside a large plastic bag and to help with decreasing volume Dave Wood (Red Yeti) has suggested that the use of Sea to Summit liners can be used to compress sleeping bags (and tents) into flat “pancake” shapes which use space more efficiently within a pack than the traditional stuff sacks, I have also found this to be true and well worth the few extra grams over the spinn sacks I have used in the past. The remainder of my gear is either packed in spinn sacks or packed loose to fill every nook and cranny of the pack.

Walking tour above the Arctic Circle.

Later this year I am planning a trip above the Arctic Circle in Sweden, and whilst the trip will not be as isolated as the Arctic 1000, I have some aims which include;

- Self supported
- Independent travel
- Comfortably lightweight
- Flexibility of travel, with the starting and end points fixed.

Whilst the hiking route is essentially planned the gear is still to be finalised, clearly minimum weight is important within the limitations of the anticipated weather conditions which include;

- Temperature Ranges 5 C to 15 C
- Possible night time temperatures of 0 C
- Rain showers and drizzle
- Windy at times, with accompanying wind chill

So the main items of gear that need to be considered are;

- Shelter
- Packing
- Cooking
- Footwear
- Outer clothing
- Photography

Over the coming weeks I intend to provide an overview of the available options within the limits of the gear that I currently have, or may consider purchasing. The first of the these articles is about the choices of shelters will appear later this week.