Odds and Ends

Like many other walkers I spend time looking at gear, weighing gear, compiling a spreadsheet, reading other blogs and other online services and collecting information some of which sounds useful and some maybe not. The aim, of course, is to lighten the load and refine your gear. With that in mind I thought I would put together a few observations that readers may or may not be aware of, readers are encouraged to add their own tips in the comments section. I have organised my comments under the main headings of Shelter, Sleeping, Cooking and Packing.

Shelter:
Seamsealing there are a number of excellent resources on the web for seam sealing two of my preferred resources are Six Moon Designs and Shed Dweller. Do you need to seam seal, some say no, I always do using a dilution of 1 to 2; occasionally I have had to reseal. I also apply sealant to all tie out points, to help strengthen the connections. But if your shelter has taped seams then no need for seam sealing.

I always tie a small loop in the end of the tie out cords, the loop is a bowline, the instructions I use for the bowline (having forgotten what I learnt a long time ago) come from Gossamer Gear who have this wonderful article called Fun with Rope it is not obviously available on their new site but can still found on the web  at Fun with Rope.

Silnylon stretches and contracts depending on the temperature, to help reduce the need for constant tightening of guylines you can try self tensioning lines shown here used with an ID SilTarp 1.

Alternatively you can make your own using Thera-Band 

Sleeping: 

For a slippery floor on a tent, consider putting silicone sealant on the sleeping mat, not the floor.

There is any number of airbeds these days, in particular Exped, POE and Thermarest NeoAir, they are comfortable, but do you really want to be blowing up a full length mattress every night for a long trip? Maybe a 2/3 length will meet your needs or some foam and a self inflater will work for you. I wonder about these options often and feel that both have their place in the hikers kit.

Multimat in the UK, have a 100 gram closed cell foam mat, I use it on most of my trips, either under another mat, or under my feet at night while during the day it is used as a seat, back rest.

On my last trip, my airbed was deflating and after blowing it up a second time I gave up as I was comfortable on my multimat, the next night I just slept on the multimat which has made me wonder whether I should go back to a more minimal approach to my sleeping mats. Oh, and regarding the well known branded mat, the valve is faulty.

Cooking:

Which fuel? Whilst there some savings are to be had (especially if using a wood stove), in general there is not a big difference in weights, in my view; some results from my data collection over a number of years at temps of around 10 C with water of similar temperatures

Esbit: 20 grams per litre of water
Gas: 20 grams per litre, but can be down as low as 15 gms per litre of water, depending on stove. It is claimed that the new JetBoils can be as low as 10 gms per litre.
Alcohol: 30 grams per litre of water boiled

There are of course variations related to wind and pot used, but in general these are the figures I use. Equally packaging comes in to the final trip calculations.

Windshields, there are plenty of variations, but the one I have found the most efficient is the "cake tin" that is using an aluminium cake base with slits for the supports and burner in the base and folded around the pot as shown. This is a variation of several other designs including Ryan Jordan's and Red Yeti Dave's

In the setup pictured the windshield was a bit tight but given that it takes about 4 minutes to boil 400 ml of water the canister does not get warm at all.

Pot lids can be relatively heavy when compared to the pot, Jorgen in his book on Smarter Backpacking suggests the use of cheap plastic bowl as a lid for the pot which can also be used as a bowl. When thinking about this I found that a Sea to Summit X-Mug fits nicely on top of an Evernew 750 ml pasta pot. The X-Mug weighs 60 grams, but the lid for the pot weighs 20 gram, so there is a net gain in weight of 40 grams but if the X-Mug is your only cup then the net gain in weight is close to zero.

Alternatively you can use a ziploc container shown above on a BPL 900 Ti pot. The container works as a lid, as a bowl, as a cup and can be used to make that extra special desert, I use a foam cosy with the ziploc container.

Do you need a remote piezo lighter, for your gas stove? I don't think so, I use a mini light my fire which will always work.

I like using Esbit, but lighting it can be a challenge, I found a couple of drops alcohol hand cleaner and a mini bic will get the tablets burning.


Packing:


Waterproof liners or stuffsacks, I use stuffsacks, normally Exped ones, though I have had success with the SeatoSummit eVent ones, they are a little heavier but they do allow the air to escape as they are compressed. The new Granite Gear eVent Sil Drysacks are also of interest and are lighter.  But check the seal of any "waterproof sack" regularly, I fill them with water, you may have other methods. Remember a waterproof stuff sack can also be used as a water bucket at camp


On a long trip my pack will often be too small at the beginning of the trip because of the amount food being carried, however, I do not carry a bigger pack, I carry items such as a tent on the outside of the pack. A simple silnylon stuff sack strapped to the outside of the pack will add little weight and has multiple uses, after all you will need somewhere to store the accumulated garbage (wrappings etc.) on a trip.

I hope you have found something of interest in this post. Do you have little "tricks" that you use often on trips and wish to share. Feel free to provide them in the comments below.

The tale of two shelters

As I commence my planning for Lapland 2011, my mind turns to shelters. Last year I took my Stephenson Warmlite and I was happy with it, but with a total weight of 1400 grams, I felt that I could go lighter this year, especially as I am planning a longer trip and therefore need to carry more food.

My requirements for a shelter are

1. Most campsites will be above tree line and therefore exposed and probably windy.
2. It is mosquito season and their numbers can be large.
3. It will rain.
4. I anticipate, because of 2 and 3, I will need to cook (with care) inside the tent.

I have spent a lot of time looking at different options, including

Chris Townsend's use of the Go Lite Shangri-La1 (SL1) on the Pacific Northwest trail.
Dondo's use of the GoLite Shangri-La2 (SL2), which led me to look more closely at the use of the Black Diamond BetaLight.
Ryan's appreciation for yellow pyramids with bug netting around the base, which led me to look at the MLD SpeedMid.

So after some playing around I have come down to deciding between;

MLD Speedmid, with perimeter netting and side tieouts (added after photo was taken) weighs in at (678 gms), though I do have some concerns about ingress of insects around the floor, which should not happen, but it could. I could add an SMD Meteor Bivy (223 gms) or possibly take a Gossamer Gear Bug Canopy (72 gms) as extra insurance.

Alternatively,

I could take a GoLite SL 2 which weighs (606 gms) and combined with a MLD Solo Innernet (260 gms)

Weight wise the minimum weight would be 750 gms for the SpeedMid with GG netting whereas the SL2 with the innernet would be 866 gms, a 110 gm weight difference. For comparison purposes, the GoLite Shangri-La 1 with Aplinlite 1.25 bug inner weighs 826 gms.

Lets take a closer look, the shelters are similar in many respects, both are pyramid types

Floor Area

SL 2 approx 4 square meters (43 sq ft.)

Speed Mid approx 5.5 sq metres (60 sq ft)

The useable floor area is another matter, with the steeper sides of the SL2 most of the floor space is useable whereas the sloping sides of the SpeedMid limit the edges to storage only.


Internal Height (when staked to the ground)

SL 2 122 cm (4 ft.)

but with two poles it feels like there is more height.

Speed Mid 137 cm (4.5 ft)

Sloping sides, (when staked to the ground)

SL 2 the long sides of the shelter have an approximate angle of 63 degrees

Speed Mid, the sides of the SpeedMid have an approximate angle of 44 degrees, thus reducing the useable space at the edges of the floor.

Side Panel Area

The side panel area is important when considering shifting winds the side panel areas are

SL 2 approx. 3.26 sq. meters (35 sq ft.)

Speed Mid approx. 1.7 sq. metres (17.4 sq ft)

As you can see from the numbers the side area is lower for the Speed Mid, however, if the SL 2 is placed with the rear into the wind (and the wind direction does not change) then the area is approximately 1.6 sq metres (18.5 sq ft)

So good shelter placement is more important when it comes to the SL 2.


Entry and exit
As shown in the photographs above the SpeedMid provides the opportunity for opening of the front of the shelter to give expansive views, whereas the SL 2 is more restricted.

In wet weather entry and exit can take place with some spray entering when the door is open, this maybe more of a problem in the SL 2 if the inner net is placed as shown in the photo above, but locating it on the opposite side will reduce the potential for spray on the inner net.

Aside from all these numbers perhaps one of the most important aspects is, How does it feel? Therein lies my dilemma, the benefits of the Speedmid include space to move around with out being confined to an inner net, whereas the SL2 does provide a restricted space, especially if the bug inner is deployed. The SL2 provides more useable headroom, the SL2 has vents which allow for some ventilation, especially when cooking. The SL2 has a two way door zip, also useful when cooking, something I prefer to the Speed Mids one way zip.

Both Shelters have side panel tie outs.

Both shelters require a similar number of stakes.
Both shelters can be erected quickly by staking down the four corners and inserting the pole(s).

May be the choice comes down to if I want bright yellow then the MLD Speedmid is the one, subdued yellow then its the SL 2.

There again, maybe I take the SL 1 and a Katabatic Bristlecone bivy weighing in at 700 gms.

So what do you think and why?

Afternoon Walk in Jonstrup Vang

I had been sitting at the computer too long so I decided to head off for a short walk in Jonstrup Vang (part of Hareskov)

It was breezy and cool with the sun occasionally out, I was firstly taken by the stillness of the lake and the Swan which paddled gracefully towards me.

As I wandered with no fixed plan I came across one of the many snails living in the forest, this one is the Rød Skovsnegl (Red forest snail).

Further along I met this old man of the forest, he did not say much.

There is many still ponds in the forest and the insects were already active.

                         

It was a refreshing stroll.

Aarn Featherlite Freedom

I own a 2009 model Aarn Featherlite Freedom and for me it is an ideal pack, why I hear you ask?

Aarn packs are well known for their front Balance pockets which are intended to offset of the weight of the backpack and thus make carrying more comfortable, which in my experience is true. However, there are some subtle differences which make this pack better than some of the alternatives that I have tried.

Aarn packs will never be the lightest pack, they are a New Zealand based company and gear from NZ is renowned for its longevity. I first owned a Featherlite Freedom in 2005 shown below in Rondane National Park Norway. Yes I wore leather boots in those days.

Strangely though I sold it and experimented with other packs.

But in 2009 I returned to Aarn packs when they became available in Denmark. I played with and used the Marathon Magic 33 and then the Mountain Magic 55. In each case I was happy with the packs for their intended purpose but never really felt "at home" with them, upon reflection, it was the harness was not ideal for me. But don't get me wrong the MM 55 got me through 10 days in Lapland in 2010 and by the end of the trip I recognised the qualities of the pack and the way it carried a load.  However, I also recognised in my planning for a 3 week trip in 2011 that the MM 55  had its limitations.  Fortunately I came across a 2009 version of the Featherlite Freedom (FF) and immediately realised how well it suited my body shape.

Since the trip to Lapland in 2010 I have played with the pack and used the FF on a few trips envisioning using it in 2011 on my 3 week trip to Lapland. Following is my thoughts on the pack.

The Aarn Featherlite Freedom weighs in at 1860 grams which includes a tape sealed waterproof liner, removing the liner the pack weighs in at 1730 grams. The waterproof liner which, in my experience in prolonged rain works, has a central divider passing through it connecting the front and the back of the pack. The divider is intended to ensure that the load is spread evenly within the pack, on the 2009 model the divider is connected by a zip to the front of the pack, however, I find the zip undoes too easily as a consequence I have dispensed with the divider and the liner, preferring to carry Exped dry bags.

What makes this pack special to me is the hip belt and frame, the hip belt not only fits but is also shaped to fit the hip bones.  In the picture below note the curve on the hip belt indicated by the arrow the top half is padded while the bottom half is more rigid and the design is intended to enclose the hip, it works for me.  The reverse pull on the hip belt ensures that it fits snugly to the hips, providing an excellent support for the load and adjustments can also be made with the connection between the hip belt and the pack ensuring that the fit is completely dialed in.

The internal side of the hip belt consists of a fine matrix mesh (used here and in the shoulder straps) providing some padding however the padding is minimal which in my view allows the hip belt to fit.

The hip belt is also adjustable to dial in the fit around the hips, it is possible to buy 3 different size hip belts but more importantly once you have chosen the appropriate hip belt you can then adjust the location of the belt on the back panel to ensure a perfect fit.  Below is a photo of the hip belt "rolled over" to show the velcro attachments, it is possible to relocate the hip belt wings to the desired position to ensure a wrap around fit over the hip bones.

The frame consists of a single stay vertically in the centre accompanied by a U-lite frame around the circumference of the pack, these two items ensure a comfortable carry especially with the large pored matrix mesh on the back.

The back length can be adjusted, as shown below, thereby ensuring that the pack fits the user, I have also found that at times with heavy loads I actually adjust the back length for a more comfortable carry, then re adjust as the load decreases.

The shoulder pads area also made of matrix mesh and once fitted properly work well in reducing the pressure on the shoulders.

The Front Balance pockets are removable and as a consequence on recent overnight trips I have not used them, instead adding a set of MLD hip belt pockets, without the liner as well as removing the front balance pockets the pack weighs a respectable 1360 gms. The front balance pockets can also be used as a day pack and once connected together as shown below gives a 10 litre (or bigger depending on the size of the balance pockets) daypack or carryon luggage.

and the front view




There is a number of accessories available for the pack and in particular I like the Lasso Locs, shown in blue in the photo below, they enable the attachment of mats, tents etc to a number of places on the pack. They consist of clips that can be connected to strategically placed loops on the pack.

Lasso Locs connected to the Aarn Featherlite Freedom.

For me this pack, which is expandable with larger balance pockets to 75 litres, provides an ideal choice for someone looking for a framed pack to carry big loads or smaller loads. Its simplicity in the design, with its single bag construction combined with two outside mesh pockets makes it, for me, easy to pack and organise. There are clearly options for reducing the weight of the pack, but I find it so comfortable no matter what the load and as a consequence I feel no need to lighten it.

Ultimately the choice of pack comes down to fit, comfort and whether it meets the users requirements, for me when I put the Featherlite Freedom on, it fits, it is comfortable and I barely notice it being there, YMMV.

Appalachian Trail Reflections: North Adams MA to Manchester VT

For a while I was working in New York which afforded me the chance to walk sections of the Appalachian Trail (AT), over the coming weeks I will publish my reflections on the special trips along the AT, for those who may be considering walking the AT.

This article looks at my trip along the AT and the Long Trail in Vermont in October 2006.  I commenced in North Adams (MA), and linked up with the trail, north bound, as they say. After crossing the valley the trail climbed up to East Mountain, soon after crossing the border between Massachusetts and Vermont officially commencing The Long Trail  a 430 kilometre path to the Canadian Border.

Once on the Long Trail you enter the Green Mountain National Forest and with lots of autumn colours it was a wonderful walk.

As many people will know, there are around 300 shelters on the AT, and it is possible to stay in shelters for most of the trip. There is ample information available on the web about the shelters including GPS locations These shelters tend to be 3 sided shelters with a roof, water is normally available near by and in locations where bears may be there will also be bear boxes. So after entering the forest I soon arrived at the Seth Warner Shelter which was camp for the night. Whilst these shelters provide a comfortable space, I often prefer to camp out as I did this night so I set up my Tarptent Contrail in the vicinity of the shelter and relaxed in the cool afternoon sunshine

It was a pleasant evening and I had the area to myself and so I relaxed and enjoyed the peace and solitude that can even be found on the AT. The following morning I set off in reasonable weather admiring the wonderful autumn colours as I walked. 

The trail had me climbing up to Consultation Peak, before descending to Congdon Shelter for the night, it was here I met up with a hiker who was new to hiking and seeking lighter gear, we had an interesting discussion, his trip plans were similar to mine, however, we lost contact in the coming days so I never knew if he completed his planned trip.

The last two days had been short, however, today was to be a long day of 9 hours of walking which would would take me down to Vermont Route 9 before climbing past Melville Nauheim Shelter to the Glastenbury Wilderness Area. It was at the Melville Nauheim Shelter (built in 1977) I stopped for lunch. Many of the shelters are named after benefactors or recognise the contribution of trail maintainers and club officials. The weather was cool and misty and my  Litespeed was damp from inside and out.

The Glastenbury wilderness area was picturesque in its autumn colours and with the many flowing streams provided a wonderful, but slippery, walk as I climbed to Glastenbury Mountain and then on to Goddard Shelter.

It was a cool, misty, damp night at Goddard Shelter with the wind blowing and the mist swirling, unsurprisingly there was no one else around. 

I decided to spend the night in the shelter as tent sites were minimal and found the most sheltered corner and laid out my quilt and mattress. There was certainly no chance of drying things and without a bivy there was a certain amount of dampness in my bag in the morning. Sadly the mist had not cleared in the morning and any potential view from the front of the shelter was non existent.

The morning was foggy and windy, after a short climb to the highest point in the Glastenbury wilderness (there is a tower on top) I then descended along a rocky trail to Kid Gore Shelter, a small damp shelter as I recall.

The trail continued its rocky path downwards, providing new hiking challenges as well as

a variety natural flora.

As I continued along the trail I passed a beaver dam and beaver "island", these were the first I had ever seen and were perhaps a highlight of the trip.

The weather had improved and there was even patches of sunshine in the afternoon. There is a lot of space around Storey Spring Shelter so I set up the Contrail and enjoyed the peace and quiet until I was suddenly reminded it was hunting season, with two loud shots, I never saw anybody nor heard any more, but I made sure I kept a low profile for the remainder of the evening.

The following day I was heading to Stratton Pond an area that I had heard a lot about. The days walk turned out to be fascinating from many aspects. There was unusual rocks in unusual places

Beautiful streams

Small waterfalls

Around midday I met a solo NOBO hiker who was doing the whole AT, he was a bit behind schedule. He had started in Georgia with his partner but after a couple of months she had decided to leave the trail, he was reflective but was intent on finishing the trail.

Finally, there was Stratton Pond Shelter.

A marvellous shelter sleeping 20, but tonight it was all mine. The weather had cleared somewhat and it was a chance to dry gear and enjoy the amenity of the area. Even today I can still recall my evening spent there.

As well I can recall the surprise of the young couple who arrived in the dark the following morning to find me sound asleep in the shelter, they had made a very early start and had hoped that the shelter would be empty, "sorry not quite".

I got up, packed, and having had breakfast set off north towards Spruce Peak. This was a beautiful but misty section of the trail as it passed through the Lye Brook Wilderness area, it was also along this section that I came across the freshest bear foot print I have ever seen. I did look around but no bear was to be seen.

The trail is generally well signposted with its white blazes and other signage though sometimes these signs are not where you expect them, this one was a good 4 metres above the ground.

Prospect Peak provides a wonderful view of Manchester below (so they tell me)

Passing Prospect Peak I then descended to Spruce Peak shelter where a person appeared to have taken up residence, he did not say much. As I was leaving the shelter I met 2 hikers, one who was espousing the joys of the zips on his gaiters, I did wonder how the zippers would work in the mud.

After lunch I descended down to route 11 and 30 and there to Manchester and home. It had been a memorable and damp trip.

I would like to go back to walk the entire length of the Long Trail as it provides a variety and challenge that appeals, maybe one day. The Green Mountain Club has a very useful guide book of the trail known as the Long Trail Guide, it is well worth the expense in my view.

Gear Reflections.

It is interesting to look back and see some of the gear I used then.

For cooking I used MoGo Firefly stove formerly sold by Gossamer Gear coupled with a small titanium stand, I still have this set up and have used it in Norway as can be seen by the red colouration. For a pot I used my Evernew 900 ml pot, a pot I still use to this day.




I wore a Montane Litespeed in bright yellow and still use them now.

My pack was a custom made McHale Sarc Pack made in a heavier fabric than Spectra. These are excellently made packs and will no doubt last the users lifetime.

I used a Nunatak quilt and was very pleased with it and continue to use Nunatak quilts on most trips.

I used the Tarptent Contrail, this was the original version and found it to be light and airy and roomy for one, perhaps my main complaint was entry and exit with the pole in the middle at the front, but setting it to the side slightly made it much easier. If you are looking for such a style of tent then the Tarptents are definitely worth a look.



Soon I will return with my report on my trip through the White Mountains in New Hamsphire.