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.

The Aarn Marathon Magic 33

The Marathon Magic is a 33 litre pack made up of a 30 litre main bag and 2 front pockets capable of holding 3 litres in total.


There are all sorts of fancy names for the harness system such as Omni Flow, U Flow and Conus Clip chest strap, however, what they do is ensure a snug fit of the pack with the body and as a result the the pack moves with you, partly as a consequence of shoulder harness where each side is connected using the U Flow system allowing the shoulder straps to move as you do. The conus clip which is perhaps best described as the alternative to the chest straps found on conventional packs, connects the shoulder straps together. The shoulder straps are in turn connected using the uflow strap. The net result of the harness system is that you are not “fighting” with the pack as you walk.

The hipbelt has a central buckle between the balance pockets and is connected to two points on each side of the pack, each of these straps are adjustable thus allowing the tension to be varied resulting in the ability to reduce pressure on any points or areas of discomfort that may occur.

The other unusual feature of the pack is the front balance pockets (which can be removed) these are designed to distribute the load with some of the weight placed on the front to counter balance the weight in the main sack. It is recommended that the pockets are loaded with heavy items such as water bottles etc.

For my recent trip trip the balance pockets contained a camera, my Velbon vpod tripod, tent stakes, approx 1 litre of water, all my food for the day as well as maps and other items for use during the day. In the past I have often used hipbelt pockets and shoulder strap pockets, to enable easy access while on the move, the balance pockets have replaced them, and have allowed me to access items such as camera and tripod without needing to remove my pack. The pockets may look strange but I felt that I was walking more upright, however, one trip does make a full test. One question that is often asked is can you see your feet, yes is the answer and the balance pockets do not interfere with my use of my pacer poles.

According to Aarn's website the main sack holds 30 litres, I have no reason to disbelieve that as I was able to carry my bivy, tarp, sleeping bag, neo air mattress, down jacket, pot and stove as well as odds and ends with some space to spare. It has a draw string closure with a flap with a small zippered pocket on the inside of the flap. Of note is the aluminum bar across the top of the flap which allows the shoulder straps to move as you walk providing a “load lifter” effect. I was able to place my Haglöfs Pullover under the flap when not wearing it.

Between the back and the pack there is Matrix Mesh, which I found to be very comfortable and have no doubt that in warmer weather would provide some airflow on back as you walked.

The front of the pack has a mesh pocket which is ideal for placing small items in it such as gloves, hats etc. The cross straps allow the securing of items to the outside such as sleeping mats. Also tucked away under these straps are points to secure walking poles.


I loaded the pack up with 8.5 kgs of gear for my over night trip with the front balance pockets holding about 2.5 kg. I quickly felt that I was walking more upright with the pack and noticed how it moved with me as I walked, there did not seem to be any weight on my shoulders as well there seemed very little pressure on my hips, though the hip belt was tightened.

I believe that this pack will be ideal up to 3 days 2 nights using lightweight gear and I am looking forward to using it again very soon.

There is an increasing number of dealers of Aarns packs, mine was purchased from Outlandia in Copenhagen, a visit to Aarns website will soon find more.

Aarns website also has several videos on how to fit and use the Aarn pack, which I found very helpful.

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.

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.

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.

Golite Pinnacle, first impressions

The Golite Pinnacle is a frameless large volume (75l) pack, which was released a little over 12 months ago. I had been looking for a lightweight frameless pack that would serve both as a day pack as well as for lightweight trips. Whilst you may say that a 75 litre pack is a little large for a day pack, the compaktor system and side straps enable it to be reduced to a much smaller profile. In essence there are 2 hooks and 2 loops of cord at the base of the pack which enable the base of the pack to be narrowed somewhat. Thereby making it both a large volume pack as well as being useful for short peak bagging trips from the base camp.

So far I have only used it for a number of day trips and I have been impressed with the weight (710 gm on my scales) the comfort of the hip belt, the support provided by the included foam back panel, the ease with which you can access the side pockets which hold 1 litre Nalgene bottles with ease as well there is a large back pocket which enables you to access the items required during the day easily. The pack is well made with its dyneema fabric and reinforced stitching where required.

I look forward to using this pack over longer trips in the coming months.

Summer sojourn: we are about to embark on an extended trip during summer and we will report back as we can.

The photo shows an 2.4 m * 1.5 m Integral Designs tarp and bivy.

Backpackinglight Arctic Pack

I have used this pack on one trip last winter in Australia, I used it with the 50 litre dry bag and the 2 aluminium stays for a complete weight of 1100 gms. What attracted me to this pack were two things, one it is made by ULA in Utah, a well respected pack maker and the dry bag would enable it to be carried in wet conditions without the need for a liner. In both aspect I was not disappointed. It did rain on the Prom during my visit and everything inside my pack was dry. Other aspects which I came to appreciate were the excellent hip belt pockets, the comfort of the carry, I had about 12 kg when loaded. The usefulness of the front pocket, the ability to compress the dry sack and let the air out at the bottom, thereby reducing the volume.

There is however, an art to pack this pack, the obvious is to treat it the same as a normal pack and load from the top with the pack sitting vertically, because of its design I found this method not very successful, instead I laid it on it frame and filled it that way with light items at the bottom and heavier items in the middle and so on. This was much more effective.

I personally would like to have some more outside pockets so I am looking at adding side pockets, which I think will also add some sideways stability to the pack when loading it.

This is a specialist pack and I will only use it when I am expecting a wet trip or when I am going to damp environments, such as Lapland.