Warm Extremities

Today the final part of my warm extremities kit arrived, down socks, from Marco at AS Tucas, I've had them on my feet whilst writing this post... warm feet at last.. These new socks as well as my Alliance gloves from RAB will be put to full use as I'm due to go out backpacking this weekend.. These items are a major improvement over the kit I used in the past . I suffer from Raynaud's phenomenon, in which the small blood vessels in the extremities are over-sensitive to changes in temperature. It makes camping and outdoor activities a bit of a pain, but over the years I have got use to it and now wear Down or Primaloft insulation

The gloves above are RAB's Alliance model, they are made with a Pertex Microlight shell and Primaloft insulation for the inner glove. The outer glove is made from Event fabric with a Pittards leather palm. I've had these gloves a year or so now and I've found them to be of outstanding quality and double warm. Both the above were expensive but at the age of 54 comfort is now my main objective, the extra 200 or so grams and cost are immaterial comfort comfort and more comfort

Down Socks ---- http://astucas.com 

 RAB Gloves ---- http://rab.equipment

Warm feet

Been on a bit of a shopping spree updating kit both radio and backpacking. On the backpacking side I found these down socks mentioned on Matt Holland's blog at OutdoorsMH, after reading Matt's post about these socks a year ago or so. I have now taken the plunge and purchased a pair from Marco at AS Tucas in Spain.. Looking forward to double warm feet as these are now part of my sleep system, as I have cut down on my sleeping bag weight which led to cold feet

Down Socks website ----- http://astucas.com

Matt Hollands website --- http://outdoorsmh.blogspot.co.uk/

New KX3 Pouch

My new pouch for my KX3 radio has arrived. It's a 9 x 6 pouch from Maxpedition and purchased from Military 1st in the UK.......

Its holds all of the kit pictured below and with room to spare for an odd extra battery, chocolate mmmmm !!  chocolate

KX3 Pouch website ----www.military1st.co.uk

Kit 2015

Good Kit 

Below is my list as used during 2014 and which I consider to be good kit only time will tell. It's all been out in the wild on 7 occasions now and standing up to the tasks required

The Tera Nova Zephyros comes with what can only be said as inadequate pegs (bent on first use) these were replaced after my first trip with some made from Titanium, not bent these yet.

Item Manufacture Weight gms Backpack Exped 45  1002 Tent Tera Nova  1550 Sleeping Bag Mountain Equipment 850 Sleeping Pad  Thermarest 300 Walking Poles Leki  200 Clothing W/P Jacket  Rab  Latok Alpine 470 W/P Trousers Berghaus 150 Down Jacket Arc'teryx 300 Insulated Trousers Montane 270 Shirt Base layer Icebreaker merino wool 200 Shirt Mid Layer Icebreaker  merino wool 240 Fleece Mountain Hardwear 70 Wind Shirt Montane 120 Trousers  Craghopper 170 Socks x3 Smartwool 135 Underwear x2 Smartwool 120 Gloves x2 66 North 35 Winter Mittens Mountain Hardware 200 Beanie Hat x2 ???? Got Tortoise on it  90 Buff Headwear x2 70 Kitchen X-Mug Sea To Summit -- Crux Stove Optimus -- Water Storage Platypus  -- Cook Pot   750ml Ti  Evernew -- Long Spoon  Ti  Toaks Outdoor --                Kitchen Total 460 Personal Wash Kit 700 Pac Towel Lifeventure 75 Camera+Tripod Panasonic Lumix 250 Maps Ordnance Survey 120 Compass Silva   Sweden 40 Logbook/Pen Moleskin/Fisher Space 170 Toilet Trowel/Tissue  ?????  Plastic 80 First Aid Lifesystems 225 Head Torch Petzl  160               Dry  Pack Total 8902

Exped 45 Rucsack Modifcation

Got out my sewing machine and updated my Exped 45 to the 2014 version. This entailed sewing four button holes in the stretchy side pockets, thus enabling the compression straps to pass through the pocket.. This then allows me to get my water bottle whilst on the move.. pic below.. Stitching not too bad after some 20 trial runs on some similar fabric

First Frost

Backpacking re-kindled

So here's my first blog.............

It all started 2 years ago when I started backpacking again. I dusted down all my old gear, still in very good condition. This included my Macpac Minaret 2 person tent, petrol cooker, coleman cook set, warm sleeping bag and all of the necessary bomb proof kit that I used to walk Offers Dyke some years ago. I packed it all in to my trusted Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre 65 rucksack and I was ready to go...or so I thought. Mannnn this pack's bloody heavy!!. I could barely lift it...ran upstairs, got bathroom scales, weighed pack. I was 51 when I started this and I'm not carrying 27 kilos (and thats without water and food). Went shopping, purchased new pack a Lowe Alpine Centro 35 half the size and weight.

The Lowe Alpine only lasted 18 months before I over packed it and 2 weeks ago I fell over and burst the side zip, there was and is nothing wrong with my Lowe pack, only the fact that I can't pack it with all the gear I need to carry(ramming it all in over stressed the side zip).

Shopping again for a new pack ,I've now entered the mine field of ultralight packs, Mariposa, OMM, Kumo, and Gregory to name a few. After looking at all the video's I could find on the internet I found the Exped Lighting 45. This pack weigh's in at about 1kg half way between the ultralight.

So after 2 years I've a dry weight pack coming in at around 9 kilos