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.

Stevns Trampesti

I started the trail at Bøgeskov Havn, it was a gloomy grey day but no rain. The start of the trail is well marked and points you west along a sandy trail before taking you on to the beach after about 300 meters. A walk along the pebble-covered beach eventually leads you to a sheer cliff into the sea, it is now that you will get wet feet, if you have not already. For me the tide was in and the seas calm so the depth was no more than 30 cm. There were 2 sections the first being 50 meters the second 150 meters. I was glad to be on dry pebble covered beach again. Soon after at Kulstirenden the trail turned inland.

After first following a farm trail through the cliffs and then farmland the trail follows small roads onto Holtug Mosevj. These quiet country lanes make for pleasant walking and all junctions are well marked, ultimately the trail turns towards the cliffs just prior to Stevns Nature Center. Following the cliff trail soon takes you to the back of the nature centre which was to be my home for the night. According to the booklet, Overnatning i det fri, there is a shelter and a toilet, but no water. There is however, a tap outside and a hand basin inside. As well there is a shelter and some tents sites both of which are protected by some small pines. The shelter would sleep no more than 6 persons. Nearby is a DMI weather radar and in the building below it there is an excellent display the flora, fauna and history of the area. As well there is an excellent lookout tower providing views of the sea, farmlands and the neighbouring chalk pit at Stevns. During my stay the plant operated all night, with a ship arriving to collect a load a chalk. The sound however, was in no way intrusive, and along with the constant hum of the raider provided a interesting contrast to the bird song.

Morning arrived with a much more pleasant outlook, the potential for a good day evident in the sunrise.

Leaving Flagbanken, the trail firstly follows the cliff tops before heading in land as it skirts the chalk pit. After travelling away from the sea and then parallel to it turns back towards the sea and finally rejoins the cliff tops less than a kilometre from where it left. By now the clouds had cleared and the white cliffs dipping into the blue and turquoise sea provided the backdrop for the remainder of the day. The walk is now a cliff top walk that follows the cliff tops whilst meandering around the farms, as the Stevns guide explains this is a trampsti and as such is the trail is constructed by persons walking along it, as well the trampsti exists through the cooperation of the surrounding landowners and therefore users should be aware of their obligations as they walk.

Aside from the outstanding views of the sea and cliffs the next point of interest was Stevns Fyr. The lighthouse stands atop of the cliffs which separate Køge Bugt and Fakse Bugt, I did wonder for how much longer will lighthouses be needed in this day of GPS navigation. The trampsti then wends its way south till it arrives at Højurup gamle Kirke which is slowly being washed into the sea. The kirke is a popular tourist attraction in the summer but for now it was peaceful and provided me with time to relax and reflect on the beautiful surrounds. After passing through the kirke and its surrounds the next point along the trail is the Fortress of Stevns which has an important history with its use spanning many years and NATO only ceased to use it in 2000 the kommune of Stevns now uses most of the surrounds as a museum, more information can be found at the Stevnsfortet web site.

Further down the coast the views continue whilst in the distance Rødvig can be seen. As you approach Rodvig the trails turns inland to take you through the Boesdal Kalkbrud with its imposing Lime Kilns and pyramid storage shed. The final 1 km of the trampsti takes you into Rødvig where you can catch a train to Koge and then the S train to Copenhagen. I can recommend this 22 km walk as either an overnight or a long day walk which is within 2 hours of Copenhagen.

Photos of the trip can be found in the web gallery.

Shelters and Shelters Jægersborg

Well I had a chance to get away and do some walking, as a result I ended up at Jægersborg Hegn and Jægersborg Dyrehave, just 20 minutes by train north of Copenhagen. What started off as a day of exploring the forests on the leap year day turned out to be a discovery of shelters. Yes I had intended to use my Mountain Laurel Designs Poncho as rain gear and start practising to use it as a shelter but what I did not know is that I would see many other shelters along the way.

If you are in København and looking for a walk in the woods then we can recommend Jægersborg Dyrehave, a trip on the C train to Klampenborg will have you there in less than half an hour.

Back to shelters we have posted in our web gallery a set of shelters found in Jægersborg Hegn we hope you enjoy them

Pacer Poles

I started using hiking poles about 5 years ago, and I have transitioned through several sets of different poles before coming to realise that for me the Pacer Poles are the best. These poles are a little heavier than some of the carbon fibre ones available but the handles and the grip are by far the best. The photo demonstrates the poles "leaning on each other" in the sand near Grenaa. This set up coincidentally demonstrates how Aarn in New Zealand has developed a tent for use with the poles. Similarly a member of Backpackinglight in the USA has demonstrated similar setup using the Integral Designs Sil Shelter, but more about this later.

Sunshine and White cliffs

Finally had a chance to do a quick over night trip on Sjællandsleden, part of the North Sea Trail. The trip started with an overnight camp at Boesdal located just east of Rødvig. There are shelters here, but no water and with temperatures well below zero, the white chalk cliffs make for an eerie experience in the moonlight. I awoke to a clear but cold morning which provided great views of the cliffs. A short walk led me to Rødvig. The walk along the beach at high tide was interesting with many of the rocks covered in ice and not much sand left to walk on.

The Sjællandsleden follows the coastline from Rødvig for about 6 kms before heading inland through the fascinating township of Lund. From here it is a 2 km walk along a quiet bitumen road before turning towards the sea near Lille Torøje. The remainder of the trip is along the coast and then through Strandskov before arriving at the busy township of Fakse Ladeplads (harbour). A very pleasant day with temperatures just above zero C and it was great to be able to do some walking in an area which is within 2 hours of Copenhagen.

The image shows the early morning sun shining on the cliffs of Stevns Klint near Boesdal. Photo info: Ricoh GX100. More photos here

My Favourite Pot

My favourite pot has to be my MSR 0.85 litre pot, it weighs 125 gms, a little more than some ultra light pots but it is also a little more robust than the thin Titanium Pots available. But perhaps the most important aspect is that I can use it with my Caldera Stove, my Optimus Crux stove, my Bushbuddy. The added advantage with the Bushbuddy and the gas stove is that they will pack inside the pot thereby making it easier to pack.

The photo shows the MSR sitting inside the Caldera along with the Gram Cracker Esbit holder.

ALONG THE NORDSØSTIEN (North Sea Trail Denmark): Ebletoft to Grenaa

As I travelled on the Bus number 888 from Valby Station to Sjællands Odde and then to Ebeltoft Ferry station. I reflected on my previous trip along the Nordsøstien, this time I wanted to complete the section from Ebletoft to Grenå a walk of about 40 km (see GPS waypoints and details here).

After leaving the ferry port the Nordsøstien follows H H Hansens Vej past the 4 wind turbines which dominate the skyline the trail soon enters the grassland before turning onto the beach and the firm sand makes for pleasant walking as you approach Ahl Plantage after walking along the beach for a little over 2 km. The trail then meanders through the plantage taking in the variations of the forest and according to the Ebeltoft Kommune brochure it is possible to view the Yellow Ants. The trail through the plantation ultimately takes you to a bike path that you will follow into the township of Ebeltoft. Within the township of Ebeltoft there are many opportunities for purchasing food as well as camping equipment. The Glasmuseet (Glass Museum) and the Fregatten Jylland the largest wooden ship in the world according to the website. There is also an information centre in near the trail which can provide information on the trail along with possible accommodation in Ebeltoft. The trail follows the shoreline as it heads North out of Ebeltoft towards Ebeltoft Strand Camping which provides a option of staying all year round. After passing through Ebeltoft Strand Camping the trail turns towards Route 21 and after crossing Route 21 it follows a minor road before meeting up with Banestien which is the former Ebeltoft Trustrup railway line. The trail now follows this railway line through Skæso Plantage to meet up with Molsruten at Stubbe Stovej (Molsruten which runs from Aarhus to Grenå is part of the European Union E1 trail running from Scapoli in Italy to Varberg in Sweden a total of 4900 km. more information about Molsruten can be found here ).

The Molsruten and the Nørdsostien follow the same alignment all the way to Grenå, some 28 km away. After crossing Stubbe Stovej the trail continues past a low lying area which was full of water when I passed through in October. The trail meets up with Stubbe Stovej again and it is at this point you leave the Banestien and turn east along the bitumen road. You follow Stubbe Stovej till you meet up with Ved Fredskoven a private road linking Stubbe Stovej with Gamle Mejerivej, this private road takes you through farmland and forest and provides easy walking through undulating country. The trail veers left onto Gamle Mejerivej heading in a northerly direction before turning east along Bjergenvejen for before it meets up with Stenledvej which will take you south west to Rugårdsvej which will lead you north to the sign-posted turn to Rugårds Camping a large holiday camping area overlooking Kattegat. The trail passes through the camping park parallel to the foreshore after which a trail will continue to take you north following the coastline all the way to Grenå.

The walk along the coast line is pleasant, and whilst at times the sand and or gravel can slow progress there are many opportunities to walk on foot trails that parallel the coast. One such place is Glatved strand where there is a working gravel pit along with informative signs advising of the importance of the gravel dating back to prior to the Second World War. I enjoyed this section of the trail as it provided a respite from the road walking that I had experienced earlier and apart from the occasional fisherman I was able to spend a lot of time just admiring the scenery and the wild life that can be found in the area. Perhaps one of my most enjoyable tarping and bivvying experience occurred on this particular section of trail.