I’ve been playing around this afternoon with my gear for the Cairngorms, to make sure it fits and to save a bit of weight here and there. My base weight comes to 9.4kg on the spreadsheet. Round it up to 10kg with some dry bags and plastic bags. I’ve not done all my food shopping yet, but I expect food to be 3-4kg for 5 days. It should all fit in. I’m glad I got the Quest as it gives me a little extra flexibility compared with the Aether.
On the sleeping mat, I remembered I had an old 3/4 lightweight Thermarest that I’d not used for a while. It is heavier than the latest version at 457g, but lighter than the full length Prolite 3 (543g). It is very slightly thicker and may be warmer as the holes in the foam appear to be smaller. Lying on it, it feels more supportive than the Prolite. I experimented with putting my thin closed cell foam mat on top, securing it with two lengths of thin shock cord. This seems to work well and gives me full length insulation. I’m considering whether to buy a Prolite 3 Short or stay with the old Thermarest. What ever I do I will be saving a bit of weight. It will also reduce the volume as it packs down quite a lot smaller. I also think that a shorter Thermarest is easier to manage in a small tent.
Because the sleeping mat seems to give me a good level of insulation, I’ve decided to take the Pipedream 400 rather than the 600. I’m taking a light gilet (Gap!) and a powerstretch top (Lowe Alpine), so if I’m cold, I can always use those. I guess I could always wear my Paramo as well!
I have now cut the Akto footprint in half (now weighs 125g). I was going to tape the cut edge, but don’t think there’s any need as it shows no sign of fraying. I could probably cut a further strip off and save some weight as it will reach well under the door, but I’ll see how it fits first. So now I have a groundsheet for the porch. I will be interesting to see whether it cuts down condensation.
I normally carry a Nalgene fliptop drinking bottle weighing 107g, but I’ve ditched that and will use an old Highland Spring 500ml bottle weighing 25g. I could use the Aquagear Survivor on its own, but I’m concerned that the base is not fully watertight. I will test and report back.
I am in a little bit of a quandry as to what gaiters to take. I could take some short Treklite ones that I used in the Lakes or my much heavier Paramo ones. I might see if I can get a pair of Rab Hispar gaiters as they are made from eVent and ought to be less sweaty than GoreTex ones. I need to go to Cotswold to get a fuel cannister, so I’ll have a look.
Apart from mislaying my microphone for my Olympus dictaphone and buying some extras for food, I’m nearly sorted.
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