Neat pot system

Have a look at this for a neat cooking pot system.  The GSI Pinnacle Soloist. Shame it’s not available in the UK.

Bargain

Clamcleat are selling their Y stake tent pegs cheap again. £3.99 instead of £5.99 for 6. Last time they did this, the offer only lasted briefly. Not only are they a thing of beauty, but they are very strong and light. In my view, they are better than the usual titanium V stakes.

 

P.S. I know there is an element of irony, coupled with the last post

Overconsumption

Fortunately, unlike a considerable proportion of this country (and others), I didn’t go into this credit crunch with any borrowing. I belong to a generation that suffered sky high interest rates in the 1980s and have always been very conservative with my borrowing. The only borrowing I’ve ever had on a long term basis is a mortgage. I still have a microscopic mortgage (to maintain my credit history), but could pay it off tomorrow if necessary. I’ve never had any consumer loans for cars etc or any Hire Purchase agreements. I’ve always saved for anything I’ve bought.

Sermon over. I’ve been fortunate. However, one thing I’ve been very guilty of, in common with most other people, is over-consumption. Just look at the backpacking gear I’ve got. I can probably survive the rest of my life without buying anything else, other than socks and boots/shoes.  It’s a shocker. Why am I thinking about this?

Well there are two reasons. Firstly, there is not an insignificant chance that I may not survive in my current employment. I’m quite old now to find a new job, so stacking supermarket shelves may beckon. The second reason for thinking about this was Eddie Meechan’s article in the current TGOM. Eddie is jacking in his job and going totally lightweight to the degree of seeing how little money he can live on and fulfill his backpacking passion.

Hats off to Eddie. I bet many of us secretly wish we could do the same. Guts or family commitments prevent most of us. If I didn’t have family, I reckon I could probably just about do it, but responsibilities are responsibilities. I hope Eddie will keep us in touch with how it’s going. Of course, in our current economic situation, if we all did this, it would be a disaster. However, when prosperity returns, we would all do well (myself included) to remember not to over-consume and to distinguish between “needs” and “wants”.

Phantastic

On Wednesday, Richard made a lengthy post on his blog about the Phoenix Phreeranger tent. As you’ve probably gathered, I have an obsession about tents. I’ve still got five tents (Laser Comp., Akto, AR Ultralite 2, Vango TBS Micro 100, Marmot Thor). I’ve owned even more over the years: Vango Force Ten Mk2, a lightweight Blacks tent that I can’t remember the name of, Saunder Backpacker S, Phoenix Phreeranger, Wild Country Nova.

In terms of a solo backpacking tent, the Phoenix Phreeranger is up there with the best. Even up against modern tents with their lighter materials, the Phreeranger is not outclassed. If it was made in modern materials, it would be a world beater. It just shows how important design is.

One reason I originally bought the Vango Micro, was that it shared some similarities with the Phreeranger. As it turned out, it was appreciably smaller and slightly heavier. The one thing it shares though is stability in wind. I think the Achilles heel of both the Akto and even more so the Laser Comp is the way they tend to flap in the wind. Don’t get me wrong, both tents will stand up to some serious hammer from the wind, but when I used the Phreeranger, I always felt very secure. Is it more secure than the Akto/Laser? I don’t know, but Steve Walton recounts that his Phreeranger was the last tent standing in a serious blow, when all the others had been trashed (see comments on Richard’s blog).

One thing I noticed when I moved back to solo tents was how much less space they had compared to the Phreeranger. To be fair the porches are larger, but as Richard suggests, the Phreeranger is virtually a two man tent and is larger than the Laser (the Laser, not the Comp). The really clever bit was the small cross pole on the ridge, which meant that you had a lot more head room that other designs. A major advantage over the Akto/Laser is the orientation of the hoop means that there’s a lot more space above your head when lying down, so it doesn’t feel claustrophobic. I really don’t like having the inner tent so close to my face.

I see that Big Agnes have picked up on this on their Copper Spur tents as well as MSR in their Hubba range. Will either of these challenge the Phreeranger? I don’t know, but PTC is trialling the Copper Spur. The problem with most American tents is the amount of mesh they have. I want solid walls with mesh vents! The Hubba HP looks the closest, but the dimensions appear to make it quite a small tent compared to the Phreeranger.

Generally, I’m an early adopter, so I had an early version of the Phreeranger. It wasn’t perfect. It didn’t have a mesh vent/screen on the door. The groundsheet was flat rather than bathtub. The EB came out a bit later and I think the door arrangement on that was much better. I’m sure there are other refinements and tweaks that could be made. Even so, overall, it was a mighty fine tent. I can’t understand why Vango (who acquired Phoenix) haven’t revived the design, using ultralight materials. I would buy it like a shot. To me, inherently, it’s a better design that either the Laser or the Akto. Come on Vango, get your act together!

Perfection

We are all searching for perfection in our gear, but unlikely to find it. I guess the perfect piece of gear would perform 100% of the function but weigh nothing. However, some gear approaches perfection. Here’s some nominations from me.

My nomination for the nearest to perfection is my Snow Peak GST 100 A stove. It is a lovely piece of engineering that works faultlessly. Even with piezo ignition (which always works) it weighs only 87g. I could make it even lighter by taking the piezo ignition off. It’s among the lightest stoves you can buy. It’s really solid and the pan supports really do support the pans properly. It has virtually the lowest carbon monoxide output of any stove. For me, it’s the perfect gas stove and a joy to own.

the Snow Peak GST 100A stove

 

Close to perfection:

Paramo Third Element Jacket: as long as you like Paramo, this is near perfection for me. It is the most versatile jacket I’ve owned and probably has the best venting options of any Paramo jacket. Of course, it has a head start as I prefer Paramo to any other waterproof material. For me, the fit is virtually inch perfect. If they brought out a lightweight version, it would move even closer to perfection.

Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus: the more I use this pack, the more impressed I am with it. It is probably the most comfortable pack I’ve ever used, along with the old style Osprey Aether 60. Having replaced the carbon fibre stays with flexible nylon ones, it has taken this pack to a new level. I love they way it has structure but moves with your body. It is surprisingly capacious and the mesh pockets on the outside mean that access to frequently used items and food is easy. The back system is a bit sweaty as it uses a sleeping mat for padding. I haven’t had any problems with the pack material but it is quite thin. A version in Dyneema gridstop would be awesome. I would also like to see the hip belt have an Osprey ergo-pull type fastening system.

Aplkit Pipedream 400: for the money, this is an incredible sleeping bag. The down and construction quality is excellent. The weight to warmth ratio must be up with the best (although I’ve clearly not tried every bag on the market!). The only improvement I can think of is that I would rather have elasticated drawcords.

Berghaus Paclite Overtousers: I don’t really like overtrousers, but these are the best I’ve ever worn. They are light (212g) and are surprisingly breathable. What really makes them is the long zips, which help with venting and getting them on and off. For me, the fit could not be better. The only reason they are not perfect is that they are a bit fragile and I’m on my second pair.

 

It can be done

With a little practice, the Laser Comp can be pitched with an almost perfectly wrinkle free flysheet. Just to show it’s possible:

Sometimes, it’s a thing of beauty, other times it’s like an old sock, the green one I mean.

 

Terra Noddy?

According to a thread on Outdoorsmagic, Terra Nova now appear to have recognised that the pole hood on the Laser needs a locking mechanism but they have chosen to use cord locks. Unfortunately they seem to slip and are not very effective. Why didn’t they use line-loks, which are much more effective? Doh! Perhaps they should employ me as a design consultant.

Troll’s fist

This is an amusing picture I took recently in the forest. Not a bad impression of a fist. Reminded me of Bilbo and the trolls.

i Phone battery extender

If you have an i Phone or an i Touch, I have found an incredibly useful bit of gear and it’s very lightweight. As most i Phone users will be aware, the battery life of the i Phone is not the best, particularly on some applications. As there is no user replaceable batteries this is a bit of an issue, particularly if you want to use it for blogging.

I bought the Freeloader solar battery recharger a while ago, partly so I could use the rechargeable battery as a backup for the i Phone. The Freeloader is quite flexible as it can either be charger by sunlight or via a USB link to a computer. However, I have found the performance of the rechargeable battery to be disappointing. Unless it’s fully charged, it’s quite feeble at recharging the i Phone and won’t give the i Phone a full charge.

Slightly by accident, I found a battery extender at techfocus, which will give three full charges to an i Phone from four conventional AA batteries. It weighs only 39g without batteries and costs a very reasonable £7.82. The picture on the left below shows the extender attached to my i Phone and on the right, it shows the battery compartment.

 

It was delivered while I was away during the week and yesterday was my first opportunity to test it out. Instead of using normal batteries, I used some rechargeable ones. I ran the i Phone battery down to the red zone twice and achieved two full recharges from these batteries (2 x 2300mAh, 2 x 1300mAh). I weighed the batteries. The 2300mAh weigh 27g each and the 1300mAh are 20g each. Conventional Duracell AA batteries weigh 24g, for comparison. Assuming that the three full recharges is correct on normal batteries, this can be achieved for a total weight 0f 135g.

To me, that seems very attractive, particularly if you are paranoid about not having enough power for your mobile phone. It also solves the problem of finding a mains supply or computer to recharge your i Phone, as AA batteries are available just about everywhere.

It’s very easy to use, with an on/off switch being the only user control. A green power light indicates when it’s switched on. The only glitch so far is that it is slightly fiddly to remove the batteries. In my view, for an i Phone user, it’s a bargain and an essential piece of lightweight gear.

I’ve used “i Phone” instead of the usual spelling to avoid sp*m

Peewiglet on the GR20

On the dog walk this morning I listened to Shirley’s GR20 adventure on Bob’s podcasts, which don’t seem to on his web sites, but are available on iTunes. I am green with envy. With family commitments, I don’t see that I’ll get a chance to do this, but it’s very enjoyable to listen to the experience of someone else. Thanks Bob & Shirley.

Solo or duet?

I’ve written about the ups and downs of solo walking before. My walk with Alan was the first time that I have walked with someone else for about four years. Although I enjoy walking on my own, it was a pleasure to walk in company.

Obviously, it’s a bit of a gamble going with someone you’ve never met before. As it happens, it worked out well. We had more in common than I first thought and conversation was easy and relaxed. I always think the bigger test, though,  is whether you feel relaxed not saying anything.

Fortunately we paced each other well. I was probably a bit quicker up hills, while Alan generally led the way down. I put this down to my short legs! I also probably stopped more to take pictures. Taking lots of pictures is one reason why sometimes I can be a bit slow.

My next walk (end May?) is likely to be solo. I’m hoping I’ll be able to go back to Scotland, possibly in the west, although there’s still more of the Cairngorms to explore. In particular, I want to see Gleann Eanaich and explore a bit around Loch Avon.

Loch Avon

Carneddau added to trip diaries page

I’ve added links to the Carneddau trip to the trip diaries page above together with a link to the pictures on Picasa.

Ion mask update

I’ve not worn my HiTec Altitude Ultra boots much because they don’t suit my foot shape. I can’t comment on the long term waterproofness of the boots, but I thought I would alert you to a thread on Outdoors Magic where some users have had some poor experiences. These seem to relate to the stitching. I am quite dubious about the tongue area as it has fabric areas and can collect water. Anyway, I thought I’d pass it on.

NeoAir first impressions

Never in the history of backpacking can a mere air mattress have been so keenly anticipated! Everyone is twittering about them. Does the reality live up to the expectation? Well, a real judgement can only be made when it is used on a trip. However, here’s my initial take.

I’ve bought the short mattress. The reasons for doing so were twofold. Firstly, it’s lighter. Mine weighs 256g without the stuff sack (13g), pleasingly accurate compared to the manufacturer’s estimated weight of 260g. Secondly, in a small tent like the Laser Competition, I think a short mattress is easier to manage. Certainly, my Downmat 7 short was the right size when I went to Wales and a larger mat would have been a bit overwhelming.

The first thing you notice is how small it packs down, especially compared to a traditional Thermarest. Without trying, the compressed size is 200mm x 75mm. It is quite quick to inflate (11 large breaths). The inflated size is very slightly narrower than the Exped downmat (50cm vs 52cm), but the same length (118cm). The weight of the Exped without pump sack is 586g.

The material feels quite thin and delicate and to the touch it feels slightly sticky. Presumably, this makes it more slip resistant. Other Thermarests are prone to sliding around on the tent floor. I suspect this one won’t. The material is also quite “crackly” like a crisp packet. Whether this is an issue at night is difficult to tell, but I suspect it won’t be. The valve protrudes noticeably. I’m sure the material is tougher than it feels. Nevertheless, I would exercise some care and I will invest in a puncture repair kit, just in case. The sheet of tips that came with it suggests that it is easy to repair.

Lying on it for a few minutes, it feels very comfortable. The horizontal baffles give it more stability than the Downmat. You can feel the warmth from the reflective barrier and small baffles, so I would expect this to feel warmer than the old style Thermarests, particularly the Prolite 3s, which I found quite cold. The extra thickness of the mat gives a much higher level of comfort than the self inflating mats, so much so, I think I would find it difficult to go back to them after experiencing this mat and the Downmat.

Colour is a personal thing, but I rather like it. It’s somewhere between yellow and lime green and not as “in your face” as some photos suggest. The base is a silver colour. The stuff sack is a dark grey. I’m not sure what else I can tell you, other than I’m looking forward to using it. It appears that you are gaining the comfort of a Downmat at less than half the weight, which can’t be bad.

I suspect that the Downmat will still have followers as it is considerably more robust and has better insulation. The NeoAir for summer, Downmat for other seasons. Even so, I reckon if I use the thin foam pad that I normally put under my sleeping mats, it would be warm enough for spring/autumn. It’s rare that a product emerges that is both significantly lighter and improves comfort by so much.

I also bought the Mammut self inflating pillow. It weighs the same as the Ajungilak inflating pillow (146g) but has a more secure valve system. The outer has a lovely silky feel to it and it feels reassuringly firm when inflated. The disadvantage is the pack size is quite large, not far short of the NeoAir and much larger than the Ajungilak pillow. I suspect I will stick with the Ajungilak pillow most of the time because of pack size. If Mammut reduced or removed the foam inside, it would be both lighter and more compact, then they would be on to a winner.

NeoAir short and Mammut pillow

Online tracking

I received an email yesterday informing me that my NeoAir mattress has been dispatched. Using the consignment number to track the delivery online, it’s supposed to be in the van on its way to me to be delivered today. Let’s see whether cyberspace and reality match!

New LEJOG

Geoff, another outdoor blogger is doing Land’s End to John O’ Groats. He’s also raising money for Multiple Sclerosis Research. It looks as though he’s got off to a good start. Good luck with the tarp!

Yet more Comp mods

OK, this is getting sad. I’ve got a week’s holiday but we’re staying at home. This morning I popped down to the Post Office to return my Exos 58; I’ll keep you in touch with progress. I also had some brain waves to try on the Laser Competition. So stand by for some more tweaks.

I was reading Geoff’s account of his latest trip and he mentioned how difficult it is to use the tensioners at the end of the inner when they are at the end of their travel. Cue lateral thinking. Why not attach a loop so they are easier to pull? Hey presto! I have some thin Dyneema cord (black and white) that I bought from Bob and Rose as emergency cord. It was thin enough to thread through the loop on the tape, making tensioning much easier, picture below, problem solved.

 

There are no real venting options on the Comp. While I didn’t have much problem with condensation recently, as it was reasonably windy, one thing I thought about was using a longer end pole. It just so happens that I have the carbon stays that came with the Mariposa (I now use flexible nylon stays) and they seemed worth experimenting with. For reference they are very slightly lighter than the existing Comp end poles (10g vs. 11g) and 6cms longer at 50cm. The theory behind using these is to lift the flysheet a bit higher so breezes can get underneath the flysheet. As you can see it’s quite effective.

 However, there is a drawback; they produce quite a lot of tension at the top of the pole as this shows, so I’m not so sure it’s a good idea.

I replaced the old tent poles. Then I had a brain wave. Why not use one of the ubiquitous Alpkit clippers on the guy tie out so that the end tent rubber can be attached, lifting the bottom of the flysheet. This seems like a more elegant solution.

From the end.

 I can’t tell you whether it is effective or not, but it should provide some decent ventilation.

The next tweak was to the pole hood adjustment that I’ve made with the line-loks. The one big drawback to this arrangement is that the lines often get twisted and it can take a couple of attempts to get the cords positioned correctly. The solution is to use more Alpkit clippers so the lines are secured to these rather than the tape loops provided as shown below. If they become twisted, it’s easy to remove them from the clipper and untwist them. I’ve used them on both sides of the tent. I’ve now used all the Aplkit clippers, so I might have to order some more!

 

 The last mod to tell you about  is actually one that I did a little while ago. I’ve put some reflective tape around the pole ends, so the tent is easier to spot in the dark with a torch. You can see the tape at the top of the picture above.

I’ve also thought of a way to  mimic the pole guy line arrangement of the Akto, but that will have to wait another day.

 

Carneddau photos

I’ve uploaded the photos of our Carneddau trip to my Picasa web page, so if you want to see them in higher quality than You Tube, here’s the link.

Live blog: forest 05/04/09

This afternoon is so lovely I had to go for a walk in the forest. This time last week I was on Carnedd Llewellyn. Today I’m sitting on a tree stump next to The Lost Pond (also known, less romantically as Blackweir Pond). The birds are singing, the ducks quacking and the first new growth of leaves is on the trees. If it weren’t for the occasional plane overhead it would be perfect.

Carneddau capers slide show

Here’s a slide show of the pictures I took in Snowdonia.