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My lightweight camping kit

Started by sparkymc, March 09, 2017, 10:38:20 AM

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sparkymc

Over the last few years i have been gradually replacing all my kit with lighter weight options and i have to say its made a huge difference to my enjoyment of backpacking / hill loch fishing - here's my kit so far

Backpack - Osprey Exos 48 1100g £115 (fantastic trampoline back panel so no sweaty back!)

Tent - Naturehike 1 person 1200g £75 (chinese tent from ebay)
Down Sleeping bag - Criterion Quantum 200 500g £225 ive used it down to about 5 deg c and slept well / warm enough.
sleeping mat - Thermarest NeoAir XLite 355g £125

Total weight 3.16 kg

Stoves - i decide which to take depending on where i am going etc
Gas - Fire Maple FMS-117T 98g £60
Alcohol - Evernew titanium 36g £55
Wood - homemade Ikea hobo 100g £1.50 (search youtube) http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/laundry-cleaning-products/cleaning-accessories/ordning-cutlery-stand-stainless-steel-art-30011832/
wood - 1.2l Kelly kettle copy 1000g £30 (used when close to the car)
electric - microwave oven!! used in the boot of the car - even quicker than a jet boil  :D

gas - 110g canister £4 (fits inside alpkit MytiMug)
Alcohol - 200ml from B&Q 2litre bottle £6

Cooking pots
Alpkit mytiMug 650 Titanium 100g £30
Evernew 18cm titanium frying pan 140g £65 (perfect trout / perch sized pan)

Alpkit long handled titanium spork 23g £7

source 3l dydration bladder 120g

Head torch - Fenix HL50 57g £40

map & compass 250g

waterproofs
Montane Minimus jacket 230g £120
Montane Atomic overtrousers 225g £70

Regatta down body warmer 220g £50

food approx 1500g for 2/3 days
water 1 litre for walk in then use loch / river water
clothes 1000g (if its just an overnighter then i might just take spare socks - if that)

fishing gear approx 1000g without waders
                   approx 3000g with waders & boots

Total carry weight = 7kg with no fishing gear
                                8kg fishing, no waders
                               10kg fishing with waders

Some notes on the tent - Naturehike 1 man sil-nylon
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Naturehike-Camping-Tent-for1-Person-4-Season-Tent-Ultralight-Silicone-Fabric-/331686343789?hash=item4d3a0bf46d:g:LfAAAOSwo0JWJeBs

i originally bought it to walk the west highland way a couple of years ago, it was only £45 then but brexit has put the price up to £75.
i couldn't afford one of the superlight tents made by the big names at the time, i fully expected it be badly made and just hoped it would last the week, however when it arrived i was pleasantly surprised at its quality.
45 quid for a sil-nylon tent with separate footprint included is amazing.
i think it is a chinese copy of a big agnes fly creek, they do other shapes that are recognizable as copies of other brands.
i have completed the WHW, Fife coastal path and have used it for 5 separate fishing trips and its still like new. i thought the lightweight floor might be a problem but i've camped in heather and on stony ground and no holes or leaks yet.
There is not much room inside for anything but me - my 48l pack goes in the porch.
I am thinking about getting the 2 man version for fishing trips so i can have my fishing gear and my pack inside the tent with me, its only 1.5kg and the same price as the 1 man.
To me it shows how much profit margin there is in a £400 tent when a company can make a profit on £45 inc delivery from china and that's with a footprint included too.  its still a bargain at £75

sparkymc

It was actually a Terra Nova tent i replaced, i used to think of it as light weight at 2kg but things have moved on.
My mrs nicknamed the terra nova "The coffin" so i know what you mean  :D
The naturehike is even smaller but it lets a lot more light in through the fabric so doesn't seem as claustrophobic

If i really dont feel like roughing it then i will just tow my caravan  :lol:

arawa

Respect Sparky MC. I can see some serious thought has gone into your gear.
There was a time when busy with my career that I compensated for the lack of time actually spent in the hills fishing by buying masses of ultra light or specialist kit a lot of which I have never used much at all. One such item was a Terra Nova tent that seemed very impressive in the London showroom (and is actually excellent in bad weather on the hill) but seems much heavier than its actual weight and takes up too much room in a rucksack.
These days my camping is only one night at a time and I use a very lightweight goretex bivy bag, a ¾ length Thermarest inflatable mattress and a summer-weight Rab down sleeping bag that compresses very small and weighs little. A tiny Kelly Kettle copy heats water for tea, soup (the concentrated Heinz tomato soup in sachets) or a dried meal. I have replaced a titanium mug with one of the new folding silicon type mugs that doubles as a bowl.
Along with some tackle (an 8'6" #3 or #4 rod, reel and spare spool, leaders, snips, floatant, HandyPak folding net and box of flies), everything fits into a 35L rucksack with a Paramo poncho on the outside. Also, last year I started carrying a lightweight folding stool after I began repeatedly finding ticks on me after sitting on the ground.
Partially inspired by Element with his "North of Little Loch Broom" plans and then by some information gleaned from the memoirs of a Highland keeper in the 1930s about a "secret" loch well off the beaten track (it really is!!), I am planning a camping trip into unfamiliar territory in late Spring – before the midges. Looking forward to it. Hope your trips go well too.

arawa

Quote from: Element on March 09, 2017, 05:40:40 PM
Try - if you can to sit on the rocks and boulders - I find they are less of a problem as compared to the nice soft bracken and grass... I carry a lightweight foam gardening kneel pad specific for this purpose - makes even the most pointy rocks bearable!  :D

E.
Thanks. Good advice. I was sitting on rocks whenever possible, and like you I also carry a lightweight (folding) pad. Ticks were never a problem in my area except for dogs but the past few years I have been collecting them on just about every other trip. I suspect I am getting them when walking through the long grass and high heather around most of my usual lochs but was just trying to further reduce the risk.

caorach

Quote from: Element on March 09, 2017, 07:28:10 PM
gaiters are a must too!

That was my experience too. Before the Lyme scare I'd usually come back with ticks but now that I wear gaiters on all my days out on "tick" ground I'd doubt if I get more than a handful in the average year, that used to be the count for most days. Also I think wearing Smidge really puts them off as well - I'd often pick them up if I put a hand down.

That is a great lightweight setup sparkymc, I've just passed on the tent info to a friend who is planning a bit of a hike on a budget. I think he has failed to understand the weight thing yet and so is wanting to carry a lot of stuff he's seen on the internet so I'm trying to talk him round to being sensible but that tent looks like good quality for the cash.

sparkymc

I have been lucky the only ticks I have picked up were on a trip to Cumbria. I've lived in Scotland for 19 years and never had one here - maybe Scottish ticks can still taste the Yorkshireman in me?  :D
Midgies seem to find me extra tasty though

Billy

Some great info there and inspiring stuff.

I have been looking at replacing my cheap day trip rucksack but I need one with the trampoline back. Nothing worse than working up a sweat then sitting down in the cold to set up the rod.

Billy

sparkymc

I can recommend the Osprey Stratos 26 backpack too, its got the same trampoline back.
I got both my packs and most of my other stuff from go outdoors at huge discounts by getting them to price match, they have a fantastic policy of matching plus knocking another 10% off. If you search hard enough you can always find somebody cheaper.
so if the item is £100 even if you can only find it a penny cheaper elsewhere it means they knock £10 off.
Only rule is it needs to be a uk vat registered company, so no ebay - not sure about amazon...probably not?

Speaking of Amazon i see they have Naturehike tents now - plenty of reviews too
they have a bigger range than ebay and it would seem naturehike have been busy copying all the leading manufacturers!
compare their models with the ones on this page https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/tents-shelters-c25/one-person-tents-c74

arawa

Quote from: Billy on March 10, 2017, 08:36:44 AM
Some great info there and inspiring stuff.

I have been looking at replacing my cheap day trip rucksack but I need one with the trampoline back. Nothing worse than working up a sweat then sitting down in the cold to set up the rod.

Billy
I have a Berghaus 35L with such a back which is excellent but a bit large for day trips.
I am looking at my Lowe Alpine airzone active 28 which is a perfect day pack for fishing and has a trampoline back. In addition to a main compartment it has a second with pockets and spaces for tackle items. On the outside it has 2 side pockets with straps which firmly hold a 4-piece rod and net or water bottle. Another external pouch holds a waterproof. And there is a further set of bungees if you also need a fleece etc. I have not felt inclined to replace it for several years so it must be good!!

arawa

Quote from: Element on March 10, 2017, 10:45:12 AM
Some places are worse than others... I remember coming back from Dundonnel & counting 16 on me! Other places I have had none at all & tbh I don't remember any this last few years so - its a 'bush lifestyle' change that has worked.. Careful where you sit, what you wear and deliberate attention to how you get from A to B through rough terrain - not the path of least resistance - instead - the path of least tick adhesion! :D Careful choce of a tent pitch, out in the hills gaiters are a necessity even in warm weather (they're breathable anyway).
Back on topic, - methinks I have to get a lighter weight sleeping bag; current one is warm & comfy but its also bulky and takes up more room than anything else in the sack. I made a choice a few yrs back to tend towards day trips in & out of the hills and camp comfortably at / near the car - because of knee problems, but maybe a disciplined reassessment of the gear is a better route - yours is the example!

E.
Before leaving ticks. In my area they have become much more common in the past few years which, perhaps by chance, coincides with a massive cull of deer possibly leaving the ticks looking for alternative hosts??

Sleeping bags. I was going to recommend my RAB down version which with a liner kept me comfortable hiking across Mount Cook's Ball Pass in the snow yet alone works well in a UK summer. It weighs a bit less than a kg and packs down to the size of a loaf of bread. Excellent bit of kit and never felt inclined to look elsewhere. However, I just checked and the price for the current version of my model is £500 :shock: :shock: :shock: You would need to use a bag a lot to pay that much.

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