A walk along the banks of Furesøen

Though the temperatures were at or below freezing I was able to go for a walk along the western shore of Furesø earlier this week. Furesø is one of the many lakes that are on the north west fringe of Copenhagen. Whilst some of the lake is bordered by houses there are many parts where the lake abuts the forest. Located near the lake in the forest is a primitive overnight camping site.

Access to Furesø can be by public transport, Bus 191 will take you to Frederiksdal from Lyngby Station as well there are many other bus stops near the lake along with several railway stations nearby including Farum, Sorgenfri and Holte.

The forest adjoins the western shore of Furesø between Frederiksdal and Farum and provides a pleasant undulating walk as you climb and descend along the shore line. The views across the lake as well as the forest itself provided a pleasant and relaxing walk especially with the sound of oarsman from the Roklubben Furesø training in the icy waters of Furesø.

It was a great start to the walking season for 2009 with many other walks planned.

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.

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.

Holiday Season

Like many others the closer you get to Christmas, the busier it gets, no matter how well you plan.

Have a great holiday season and we will be back early in the new year.

B and R


Photo: Sunrise in Röstånga (Sweden), Camera Ricoh GX 100

Comparison of performance BPL Firelite Ti Wing and Caldera Cone using the BPL Trapper Mug

Recently I have completed 2 four day trips on the Skåneleden in Sweden. I have used Esbit as fuel for each trip but have taken different stoves so as to compare the performance of each in real life conditions. In both cases the temperatures experienced ranged between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius and the stoves were sheltered from the wind, often on the floor of the Vindskydd (windshelters). I have been using Esbit because it is easily measurable and thus makes it easier to determine just how much is needed to be packed.

The two stoves used have been the BPL (USA) FireLite Titanium Esbit Wing Stove and the Trail Designs Firelite SUL 475 Trapper's Mug Caldera Cone using the Gram Cracker for Esbit. The pot used in each case was the BPL USA Trapper mug a 475 ml pot weighing 37 gm, there is no lid and I used a piece of Aluminium foil.


BPL (USA) FireLite Titanium Esbit Wing Stove, windshield, and reflector plate (as shown in the picture below) = 26 gms (not including the Trapper mug)



Trail Designs caldera cone, gram cracker and Caddy (optional extra) and Trapper Mug
i. Total weight with caddy = 117 gms (not including the Trapper mug)
ii. Total weight without caddy = 37 gms (not including the Trapper mug)

The advantage of the caddy is that it can be used as a bowl and a cup, the disadvantage is the weight.


So how do they compare with my style of cooking, which is boiling a cup of water in the morning for coffee, making a cup of soup in the evening as well as a cup of coffee and a "freezer bag meal" where about 400 ml of water is boiled and then added to noodles mixed with other ingredients. In a day I would heat to boiling about 1600 ml of water that is 4 mugs. I normally carry a mixture of 4 gm and 14 gm Esbit tablets and for heating water in the morning I found I could use 1.5 tablets (6 gm) with the Caldera, but needed 2 tablets (8 gm) with the BPL Ti Wing. In the afternoon one 14 gm tablet was the ideal option for both stoves especially for the Caldera where I was able to boil 2 pots of water whereas for the Ti Wing I was able to boil 1 pot with the second almost boiling.

In summary, for the BPL Ti Wing I needed a total of 38 gm of Esbit whilst for the Caldera I needed 34 gm of Esbit, in each case there would be a little in reserve and as the weather gets warmer there is the potential for further savings. The following chart provides an overview of the weights for a 7 day trip using each stove and with or without the caddy. Unsurprisingly the Caldera with caddy is the heaviest and remains so. By the end of the third day the Caldera is a slightly lighter option than the BPL Ti wing, however using these figures after a week the difference is only 17 gms taking into account the original weight of the stove and the differences in the weight of fuel used.

So which option is better? Well as always it depends on your preferences, but if weight and packability are your highest priority then the BPL Ti wing is the best option, however, if you want to say that you are carrying the lightest option then the Caldera over a 7 day period is better. The Caddy of course provides additional options in food preparation and may on some trips be the best option especially if you are sharing the kitchen.



We will continue to explore these alternatives as well as other stove options, but most importantly getting out there is more important than counting the number of grams of a stove you are carrying.

MSR Pot and Ti Tri Caldera in wood burning mode

Holdfast has asked about the use of the wood burning option on the Ti Tri Caldera so here is a picture showing how wood can be added to the fire, note that there is also a Ti base plate that extends beyond the cone to protect the ground from scorch marks. Two titanium stakes are used to raise the pot to close to the rim of the cone.
The benefit of the Ti Tri is if you are relying on 2 fuel systems, such as alcohol and wood, but if wood is you one and only fuel then the Bush Buddy from Canada may be your best option.

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