Blowin away

Alighting from the train I headed into Tornby Klitplantage and set up camp for the night it had been a cold clear and calm sunny day, sadly for me most of the day had been spent on the train.





The following morning I awoke to an ice encrusted shelter, having had breakfast I set off on the frozen ground towards the coast as the clouds gradually built with a breeze strengthening. I crossed Liver Å on the bridge and it was evident that any moisture in the sand had frozen whilst evidence of sand slips above the bridge ensured that every step was taken with care.



The trail took me through many summer house areas as it skirted the coast line and with the wind increasing the sun covered in cloud there was little time to hang around, it was cold. Finally descending and then walking along the beach to Lonstrup before heading through this quiet windswept village and once again turning south west towards the highlights of the days walk.



The coastline here is subjected to the force of the wind and the North Sea and as a result the coast line is forever changing and with many buildings gradually getting closer to the cliffs and ultimately disappearing. Such is the case with Mårup church originally built in the 1200's about a kilometre from the sea, it is now less than 10 metres from the sea.





To the south of the church lies Rubjerg Knude and accompanying light house, as I climbed to the top of the dune the windswept sand ensured that my face was kept buried in my Tuara.




Fortunately much of the sand was frozen and as such it was not too bad, I can however imagine the sand storms that must rage through this area at times.



The sand around the lighthouse was hollowed out making a veritable wind tunnel and it was interesting to see that the lighthouse originally built in 1899 was surrounded by outbuildings but now only the tower remained. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1968 and the fight against the sand drifts was given up in 2002, once again demonstrating the power of nature.




Leaving the sand dune the trail descended into the peaceful sheltered tranquility of a small forest, it was here, sheltered from the wind, I had lunch.

The afternoon took me through Nørre Lyngby another town threatened by the encroaching sea.

Leaving Nørre Lyngby the trail followed the sea and I slipped and slid over many large ice patches on the sand (should have packed my micro spikes) while there was more evidence of the power of the sea over man made structures.




The cliffs provided some respite from the wind, however, it was evident that the wind was increasing and the accompanying windchill ensured the temps were dropping into the the negatives teens I decided that it was time to find a sheltered spot for the night and a small cabin seemed ideal. Having booked into the cabin, on the outskirts of Løkken, with forecasts of wind speeds ranging between 15 and 20 metres per second for the coming days and with temps below zero combined with a possible reoccurrence of an old injury I felt it was time to head home.

Some gear observations, the Haglöfs Ozo Pullover was perfect for such conditions and it has possibly the best hood of any jacket I have used.

The MLD Speed mid is an ideal size for one and provides enough space should the weather turn bad, this will be going on more trips.

For the trip I used the Snowpeak Gigapower Ti Stove and I used 20 gms of gas per litre of water.



I will be back, as there are many more beaches to walk.

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.

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.

Lerjrevallen to Östafors

Ever since returning from Lapland I have spent a lot of time thinking about gear and planning for my next visit in 2011. For 2011 I intend to cover approximately 300 kms over about 20 days without resupply, which requires me to consider carefully the gear I am carrying, as food alone will amount to 15 kg. So this trip, like other upcoming trips, was about testing and developing a gear list that I am happy with for an extended trip. I know I will be using an Aarn pack (perhaps a little bigger than the current Mountain Magic 55) and my Nunatak quilt. So my interest lay in shelter footwear and stoves.

To begin the walk I caught a train to Kristianstad from Copenhagen and then a bus to Bonnslättsvägen (Skånetraffiken bus 550). From there it was a 5 km walk to Lerjrevallen, the start of the trail. Along the way to Lerjrevallen I discovered that you should not always believe what Google Maps tells you, that is tracks can become overgrown, closed or ... so after a slight detour and a brief conversation with 2 Swedish guys I finally found the starting point of the walk, after passing some apple orchards where the apples were undoubtedly ripe for the picking.



After passing the orchards I wandered down to the cool forest surrounding Lerjevallen and soon heard the sounds of many children enjoying themselves, they were a school group who had stayed at a hostel and were learning about nature, playing football, fishing and ... After a lunch I headed away from the lake and soon began climbing, this was my first trip since Lapland so whilst the hill was not that steep, I recognised how little exercise I had had over summer. Once on top of the hill I began to notice the number of different Fungi in varying stages of growth.









The walk for the remainder of the day continued in much the same way, green forest with moss covered rocks;



Narrow trails



All in all a very pleasant and relaxing experience with the sun shining and the birds singing.

I arrived at Bökested a place I had visited a couple of years ago and set my MLD SpeedMid overlooking the lake, it was very calm and there was the occasional mosquito around.



I was quite taken by Ryan Jordans post a while ago about Mids and after my last trip lapland I though that yes a Speedmid from MLD may work and will be a lot lighter (a days worth of food), more recently I had been heartened by a recent post on another blog about mosquito protection in a laavu and given a Mids recognised wind protection characteristics then it maybe ideal for Lapland. There was certainly enough space inside for me and my gear and even in rainy weather the back half of the mid would be protected from rain and spray.



Having settled down for a relaxing evening I collected firewood for the Evernew Sidewinder Caldera, this was my second use of the stove and with better quality firewood there was much less smoke and much more heat, I was very happy with its performance and with its packability it would seem an ideal stove set up for long distances.



In the morning I prefer to use Esbit to heat water for coffee and porridge and one 14 gm Esbit tablet was able to boil 600 mls of water, which I was happy with.

After dinner I sat down on the banks of the lake just enjoying the tranquility of evening, it truly was a pleasant night only punctuated by the occasional sounds of other people way off in the distance. The outlet of the lake was calm



and the sky was magical



After a leisurely start in the morning with a little cloud in the sky I set off soon passing by another still lake



I was now on a section of trail I had been on before so I was able to wander without needing to worry too much about the direction, my focus was on appreciating the warm sunshine in the calm conditions. However, there was one surprise for me having passed by in cooler weather I was surprised to come across these wonderful stands of pink flowers which seemed to be a fitting conclusion to a relaxing and enjoyable trip.




Some of the gear used:

MLD SpeedMid, I was very happy with my first outing with this shelter, and look forward to using it many more times in all types of weather conditions.

Shoes: I wore my Salomon XT Wings 2, the ground was dry so there was no problems with slippage and they were very comfortable, especially when walking on hard packed surfaces I will be using them again.

Caldera Stove: worked faultlessly and is very packable.

Trekking Poles: I dug out my old REI Peak UL Poles (193 gms each) for this trip and walked with one only, as I wanted to test the concept of walking at a more relaxed pace. This worked well and I will continue to experiment with this approach.


Aarn Mountain Magic 55: As comfortable as always and worked well as an overnight pack, given its large volume.

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.

Am I there yet?

Well I am furiously working on my gear list, for my departure next week, currently the weights are made up of:

Equipment weight: 7 610 gms
Food and Fuel weight: 9 200 gms
Clothing Worn weight: 3 421 gms
Complete Pack weight 16 810 gms

The big three are

Pack Aarn Natural Balance (or in english) this is an 83litre pack yes a huge pack and I know I will not fill it, but the benefits include coming with 2 separate dry bag sections and thereby having sufficient space for all my gear whilst also keeping the wet gear away from the dry stuff. Weight of the pack is 2200 gms, if I can I will use a Aarn Mountain Magic 55 which weighs in at 1550 gms that will be nice, a work in progress.

Shelter, I am taking a Stephensons Warmlite 2 C a light tent but heavy by tarp standards, however, it is likely that there will be damp moist days and if its bug season then the ability to escape the hordes will be appreciated. Also the tent can be erected quickly with its 2 hoops and 3 pegs thus shelter can be erected in exposed conditions in under 5 minutes. Furthermore I intend to camp as high as possible as often as possible and this tent will cope with strong winds. Weight 1300 gms with seam sealing.

Sleeping, I never leave home without an Nunatak Arc quilt, for this trip it is the Arc Specialist weighing in at 550 gms.

So big three weight is 4050 grams, a little heavy but with it comes piece of mind. However I do not meet the 343 criteria, so this will be an aim for the next trip to the area.

Other equipment:

For cooking I am taking a MSR 850 kettle, a Primus Micron Ti stove with an Aluminium windshield and a mini lightmyfire the weight for the cook kit with spoon and cozy is 306 gms.

Sleeping, aside from the quilt I will be using a short Neoair and a multimat adventurer Quilt, neoair and multimat total weight is 918 gms.

Aside from sleeping clothing (silk pants and merino top) I will be carrying my Rab Demand PullOn which will be combined with Montane Featherlite pants and MLD eVent mittens, BPL Cocoon Hoody, Possum fur hat and gloves should the conditions be very wet and cold. Total weight of clothing carried in the pack will be 1230 gms.

I expect that for most of the time I will be wearing a Montane Featherlite Windshirt combined with a BPL Merino Hoody and possibly an Icebreaker short sleeve shirt, for bottoms it will be Montane Terra Converts, Icebreaker legless (if needed) and Underarmour shorts along with my Tilley Hat and normal socks.

There are of course other odds and ends such as camera, phone, first aid, personal hygiene which all add up in weight, but are very important.

A final gear list will be available in the coming days.

MLD Duo Mid Review

There have been many excellent blog entries on the Duo Md and in particular those of Andy Howell and Phil Turner have been most informative in preparation and planning for my first trip with a duo mid. I purchased a silnylon version because whilst a lighter shelter would be nice I felt that for the silnylon would satisfy my requirements as well as saving some money.

Preparing for my recent trip I seam sealed the mid using the advice on seam sealing provided by Ron Moak, as well I replaced the supplied cord with 2 mm dyneema from BPL.uk The first night I placed the sides well above the ground ensuring there was no condensation in the morning, however, there was a strong breeze blowing under the shelter and I was glad for my BPL Vapor Bivy. The second night I pegged the corners very tight to the ground but pulled out the mid points of the sides and this seemed to be a better option. As I had camped on damp grass and the skies were clear, the condensation soon formed on the inside of the shelter even before I had entered it. However, I was very pleased to find that later in the night and the next morning there was only a slight film of moisture on the inside of the shelter.



I am very happy with shelter because of its simplicity and the space offered to the solo hiker, all reports suggest that it is very weather worthy and will even survive light snowfalls. I am currently in the planning stage for a trip in Lapland in 2010 and the Duo Mid combined with some bug protection maybe the best option, more experimentation over the coming months will ultimately determine the best option for me.

Other observations; For the trip I used a Tyvek ground sheet but for coming trips I am looking at options for trapezoidal shaped floor as well I am now considering how I can set the mid up to use two poles in a "V" thereby giving me plenty of floor space, maybe a "y" shaped aluminium tube is the go.

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.

Kust to Kustleden: Shelter reflection

Shelters I used on the trip along the Coast to Coast in Sweden are; the Golite Shangri La 3, Terra Nova Laser Competition, Integral Designs Crysallis Bivy and the Backpackinglight (USA) Vapor Bivy. The Vapour bivy and the Crysallis Bivy were used in shelters whilst the other two were pitched near shelters.
My preference? The answer is it depends. If I know I am using shelters all the time I would take the BPL Vapor as it is light (285 gms) , will keep the bugs away and protect against moisture and wind. The Crysallis is an ideal bivy for those who want to sleep in the outdoors without a tarp, as it is a very roomy bivy with lots of space to store gear. Camping then it would be the Laser Competition, which weighs a little more the the Shangri La 3 but provides better all round weather protection. A further advantage of the Competition is that it takes up less ground space than the Shangri La 3.

Above the Arctic Circle in Sweden in summer, shelter thoughts

The process of selecting a shelter for an extended trip requires consideration of the anticipated route, weather, level of exposure to the elements, the resulting criteria for shelter selection for this trip are;

-lightweight
-wind and rain protection
-space to cook (with appropriate ventilation)
-space for wet gear


The shelters that I currently have access to which are most likely to meet the criteria are;

-Integral Designs Silshelter
-GoLite Shangria La 3
-Hilleberg Atko

Integral Designs Silshelter




The Silshelter is a shaped tarp weighing (350 gms on my scales) that has been available for a while and is recognised for its wind protection and its suitability for lightweight hiking. The latest version of the shelter appears to have overcome some of the design issues of the rear end of the shelter by moving the neoprene cup to the rear wall as shown in the accompanying photograph. This enables either the use of a pole inside the shelter or as shown a section of a Carbon Fiber trekking pole to be used as a support at the rear allowing improved tensioning of the ridge line, as well, this arrangement allows the rear of the shelter to raised providing airflow helping to reduce condensation inside the shelter.


The front of the shelter retains its simple cross over closure system which allows air flow as well as closure in inclement weather but the centre pole at the front has always restricted access. However,a suggestion on a forum at BPL.com has helped to change the way thinking about the front of the shelter. Two pacer poles, can be placed to form a triangle which is used to support the apex of the shelter as well providing a pole free entry as pictured. A similar system has been adopted by Henry Shires with his Tarptent Sublite tent.


These changes make this a shelter one of my options for the planned summer trip above the Arctic Circle in Sweden.

GoLite Shangri La 3

I have used the Shangri La 3 in Skåne and the benefits of the shelter is the internal space within the shelter (especially if you are solo) and the pyramid shape provides an ideal wind shedding design making it ideal for exposed tree less environments. My observations about the shelter are that it provides a number of choices regarding set up which include;

-Can be staked close to the ground or raised for for more ventilation,
-Can be raised on one side one staked to the ground on the other,
-Can be pitched such that the door are left open for viewing the surrounds,
-A bugnet can be used to protect from bugs this can be the heavy Golite inner, a Six Moon Designs Serenity shelter or a home made bug net.

However, it is heavy (710 gms without the centre pole and stakes) and requires a circular space of a approximately 3 metres in diameter, which can be difficult in forested areas but will be easier in open spaces.



Hilleberg Atko

The Hilleberg Atko provides a secure haven for sleeping as well as a vestibule for wet gear and cooking. The benefits of such a shelter is stability in windy damp exposed areas which are the most likely conditions in Lapland. The disadvantages of the shelter apart from the weight (1380 gm) there is a limit to the visibility from the entry when compared to a tarp and bivy, there can be condensation issues in the shelter (site location can reduce this of course)

Comparisons
Silshelter
350 gms + 6 stakes (2 Easton Alloy 22.5 cm + 4 16 cm Easton Alloy + 6 Ti skewers) Requires Walking poles + CF Pole (for rear) + Poly Cro ground sheet (100 gms) Total weight range between 833 & 1298 grams, depending on bivy used.
Shangri La 3
710 gms + 6 stakes (3 Easton Alloy 22.5 cm + 3 16 cm Easton Alloy + 6 Ti skewers) Requires Walking poles (stability in high winds may be an issue) Poly Cro sheet (100 gms). Total weight range between 1191 & 1656 grams, depending on bivy used.
Atko
1380 gms + 6 stakes (4 Easton Alloy 22.5 cm + 2 16 cm Easton Alloy + 4 Ti skewers) Total weight 1467 gms

Decision

At this stage I have not made a final decision, however, I am inclined towards the silshelter combined with a bivy, possible combinations and weights are given below

Sil Shelter and BPL.com Vapor Bivy: 635 gms (lightweight bivy with bug protection)
Sil Shelter and Integral Designs Micro Bivy: 860 gms (weather resistant bivy no bug protection)
Sil Shelter and Integral Designs Event Crysallis Bivy: 1100 gms (bivy provides full weather protection with bug protection and could be used without shelter)

All of which are lighter than the Atko.

Kust till Kustleden: Östafors to Glimåkra

I was able to get away for 4 days to the coast to coast trail in northern Skåne, Sweden. The Kust till Kustleden is the northern walking trail of the Skåneleden system and connects Sölvesborg in the east with Ängelholm in the west a total of approximately 300 kms. A trip report and photos are coming. I will also be providing an update on the Shangrai La 3 as well as comparison on the of the BPL (USA) Trapper mug with the Caldera and the BPL Titanium Esbit Wing Stove

GoLite Shangri La 3

For a while now I had been considering the Golite TiPi offerings, firstly the hex and then the Shangri La 3. Finally got around to purchasing a Sage Green Shangri La 3 the first observation when it was erected is that there is a lot of space inside, in actuality there just about 6 square meters of floor space. However, its size is also its disadvantage the Shangri La is a ground area hungry shelter and requires a site that is at least 3 metres by 3 metres and preferably one that is 4 x 4 metre site. For this reason the shelter had limited use on my recent trip along the Ås till Åsleden. Notwithstanding its area hunger the shelter is undoubtedly the ideal shelter should you be looking for extra space.


As for the pole, I always thought that the hiking poles were the way to go. I use Pacer Poles and Neil Johnstone at BPL USA provided the way to go.



For a ground sheet I use a Gossamer Gear Polycro sheet that has been modified for the shelter.

So the weights are

Shelter (no pegs, ropes etc) 705 gm
Pole (extra section) 36 gm
Groundsheet 110 gm

Total weight, not including stakes 851 gm, lighter than my beloved Integral Designs Uni Shelter.

This shelter will be my preferred winter shelter because of its space and its sturdiness in adverse weather, though I agree with Chris Townsend, a double ended zip in the door would make this the perfect shelter.

Sil Tarps and Ponchos

B bought an Integral Designs Sil Poncho about 3 years ago, in Copenhagen. Since that time she has used the poncho in Norway, Denmark, the UK, USA and Australia. I have been so impressed by the multiplicity of uses of the Poncho that I also purchased one for use when we travel together.

Poncho Mode
There are many poncho available on the market and but what has attracted us to the Integral Designs poncho is the quality of the manufacture, the robustness of the press studs when used in poncho mode and the elasticised draw cord which allows the wearer to pull the poncho tight around the waste thereby reducing the flapping in windy conditions and providing a pack cover. The hood on the poncho is roomy and provides ample space to wear hats or caps underneath the poncho.

Shelter Mode
The ID Sil Poncho has dimensions of 1.5 m x 2.4 m which enables it to be used as a minimalist shelter, the simplest structure us the lean to which provides a shelter length sufficient to protect the users sleeping bag and bivy, personally I would use a lightweight bivy such as that provided by MLD, BPL or RAB to ensure that the sleeping bags do not get damp from wind blown rain. However, if you have a more weather resistant bivy such as the ID Micro Bivy then other shelter arrangements are possible, my preferred arrangement is shown in the accompanying picture, this modified lean to shape provides shelter from 2 sides and allows the user to have a semi enclosed area that can be used for eating, cooking (with care) and other relaxation.
The disadvantage with this arrangement is that it requires some of the bivy to be exposed to the weather and as a consequence the increased weight of the bivy makes it a heavier proposition than the simple lean to or the A frame shelter.

For 2 persons, an alternative shelter is to connect the tarps together using the press studs, this provides shelter which is 3 m x 2.4 m albeit with a gap down the centre where the join is, however it provides considerable space for 2 persons in inclement weather.

Day shelter, perhaps one of the greatest advantages of poncho and small tarps is the capability to set them up as a lunch or rest stop shelter in bad weather allowing more than one person to be protected from the elements for a short time at least.

The poncho tarp serves a number of important roles in a hikers kit and even if you use a tent normally at night is multiple uses of rain protection and shelter make it one of the first pieces of gear that goes into my pack at all times.

And if the poncho is not your preferred option then the Integral Designs Siltarp is another option, weighing just 200 gm, it will provide shelter and some space for cooking etc.

Nowadays I prefer to use the Integral Designs Sil Cape and the Integral Designs Siltarp as my rain gear and shelter, the total weight for this combination is about 350 gms.