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.

Long Winter nights in a tent

As winter approaches in the north the nights get longer and more time is spent in a shelter or tent. Usually I carry a book with me but I find that reading by torch light far from ideal. In the past I have carried my iPod Nano and listened to music. On this occasion I decided to take some of the Podcasts from Outdoors Station to listen to, as I have always found it difficult to concentrate on them at home. The first podcast I listened to was the Cape Wraith Trail. Listening to the story was relaxing with the sounds of the skylark, the sea as well as the background music interspersed throughout the episodes. Given that the nano battery life is pretty good these days it is apparent that listening to podcast at the end of a day on the trail with a long night to come allows the walker to unwind and consider the following days plans. Furthermore, the information included within the podcast provides ideas for the next trip whether it be in relation to gear or location. I now need to find more podcasts of similar content for my next trip.

A Tale of Two Water Filtration Systems: Aquagear and Aquamira Frontier Pro

On a recent trip along the Ås till Åsleden I carried both the Aquagear Water Filter and the Aquamira Frontier Pro Filter. Why? Well it seemed like an ideal opportunity to compare these filters when hiking on lowland trails where the water is more likely to be affected by chemicals than bugs.

Some basic facts

The Aquagear is a bottle and filtration system weighing 160 gm (when the filter is wet), the bottle, according to the label holds 18 fl. ozs. but delivers a little less than 500 ml. I use the bottle along with a 500 ml Platypus bottle. Thereby carrying not more than 1 litre (1 kg) of water at any time. The amount of water carried depends on the location and one day on the Ås till Åsleden I crossed very few streams and consequently had very little water left at the end of the day.

The Aquamira Frontier Pro is a filtration system and weighs 68 gm with wet filter, an added 1 litre Platypus would take the weight to about 95 gm, a weight saving on the Aquagear.

The primary differences between the 2 systems apart from their physical weight are;
(i) Aquagear has a filter pore size of 2 microns, whilst the Aquamira has filter pore size of 3 microns.
(ii) The Aquamira has a Pre filter of porous plastic micro filter, the Aquagear has a mesh filter for removing large particles such as leaves.

My experiences:
When I arrived at the campsite on the second night on the Ås till Åsleden I found that the well was almost dry and required a lot of pumping to get water up from the bottom of the well to fill the Platypus bottles, but I also noticed that the water was very red probably from rust so I immediately seized the opportunity to test out both filters. Very quickly the Frontier Pro stopped flowing, the pre filter had “clogged” with the very fine rust sediment however, the Aquagear continued to flow albeit slowly. Both filters did provide crystal clear water the Aquagear required less effort and time to provide sufficient for the evening and the following morning. Admittedly if I had more pre filters for the Frontier Pro then I would have had sufficient clean water but I would probably have “clogged” up these as well. To me though the final test came the next day when I had access to crystal clear water.

With a couple of rinses I was able to remove most of the colour from the water in the Aquagear bottle whilst cleaning the pre filter of the Frontier Pro was less successful, but it did improve the flow rate.

In summary, could I have done things differently, possibly but it is apparent to me that whilst both options may filter out most of the stuff in the water, it is my opinion that the Aquagear provides not only the filtration capacity (within the prescribed limits) but also allows for field cleaning which does not require me carrying extra pre filters when the first one is no longer useable.

From now on I will be carrying the Aquagear and if necessary Aquamira tablets for use when I am concerned about the real nasties which are not removed by either filter.

Ås till Åsleden

Just back from 5 days on the Ås till Åsleden in Skåne, Sweden. The Ås till Åsleden (Ridge to Ridge Trail) is part of the 1000 km long Skåneleden trail system which celebrates its 30 year anniversary this year. It was a great trip, but I must remember to check the hunting calendar next time, as my first day out coincided with the first day of Moose hunting season.

There will be more to come in the following days including reports on some gear including "How to entertain yourself on long dark nights", "My experiences with 2 water filtration systems", "Golite Shangri-La 3 first thoughts" and "Cooking with a small pot"

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.

Return to Sweden and the Skåneleden

This past weekend we took the opportunity to visit another section of the Skåneleden, in this case it was a section of the Nord till Sydleden which connects Southern Sweden with the Kyst to Kyst trail in the north of Skåne.

The weather was cool but clear and as usual it was a pleasure to spend some time in the Swedish Forests. Our time was spent in the area between Hörby and Höör, Ringsjon is the largest natural feature here and provides a habitat for a wide range of birds. Nearby is the Fultofta Naturcentrum which provides easy access to the Nord till Sydleden and is about 3 km from the Ås till Åsleden a north West South East trail running through the middle of Skåne. We can recommend a visit to the Fultofta centre for its wonderful exhibits as well as its coffee.

At the junction of Nord till Sydleden and Ås till Åsleden near the outskirts of Höör the Ås till Åsleden passes through the locale of Frostvallen an interesting area with its lake and large accommodation areas and with a thermometer strategically placed on a large notice board, our assumption is that in winter it may get a little cold there.

The trails were well marked with orange markers and direction signs where needed, we have not seen such efficient marking of trails since we were on the Appalachian Trail with its White Blazes

BPL Titanium Wing Stove

For a while now I have had the BPL Titanium Wing Stove in my gear closet and whilst I have tried it a few times I have never taken it on a trip. Finally last weekend was an opportunity to test it out before longer trip in October.

For me it was a blessing to be able to take out the stove, windshield, fuel and matches from my 500 ml pot. to set it up and light. It was easy to use and took about 7 minutes to boils sufficient water for my boil in the bag meal. Yes there was a residue on the bottom of the pot but with the use of a small scourer I was able to clean it off. The advantage of such a stove is the measured quantity of fuel used and thus for me at least it is easy to determine how much fuel to pack. I intend to use this stove from now on because of its simplicity as well as its weight savings.