Can Someone Review My Gear List Please?

[honisoitquimalypense]

Many questions need to be answered before giving any advice. assuming nothing, are you a very fit 25 yr old male or an unfit middle aged female. can you carry easily a 40lb sack for example. you maybe a 15stone 2nd row rugby player that 40lbs is a bag of sugar. get my point.!
first hike in 2018 buying kit now. ???? massive first hike.
what are you doing meanwhile.
by then you may well have walked , hiked all over uk with maybe a holiday away as well and be much more experienced and buying acquiring new kit as well.
with anything with any element of danger theres 4 types of advice. Great. Good. Bad and dangerous. all 4 apply here i have read.
Safety snow and ice comment great advice. best sleeping bag you can afford and carry. great advice. plastic water bottles. good advice. duck/gorilla tape. good advice. tape this around your water bottles to strengthen them and you also have a source of tape. dont need then a roll of tape.
Dump any camelback or water res ideas. bad advice. you will drink too fast. lose track of fluid usage. at this stage forget them and learn to stop when you have worked out how often you need to hydrate , get your bottle out and drink.
as for bad advice i aint getting into those or one i and anyone qualified/experienced outdoor would agree.
2018 is a long way off. concentrate on the next years outdoors kit. im not saying then go out and buy new kit but i think you get my point.
i have done many chunks of the PCT including routes on Whitney and the Badwater 146. Massive undertaking. Wildlife. Hypothermia due to weather and poor kit. Falling. Getting lost. run over. yes run over. 2 hikers killed few years back by lorry.
you need to get out and get some massive experience. i envy you. great challenge and ambition. regards

 

[honisoitquimalypense]

Julia is very right that Kahoolas have been a game changer. I've even used a set on my mukluks which are as soft as butter.
Plus having them for that 10m stretch of ice that can ruin a bad day is excellent and they hardly weigh a thing.
The only thing I would say is don't let them act like Dutch courage. Have known folk in the past to go farther afield or tackle stuff they really shouldn't as they've been bolstered on by having a set (or some other silver bullet type product) and either get into serious trouble or just not come back.
Must admit to being vague on the AT, but isn't it possible to work it direction & season wise to avoid winter conditions? Me I used to be the daftie looking for vertical ice and frozen waterfalls but I just want folks to be safe.
Sounds like you're off to a good start kit wise, best advice is to get out and shake it down, see what works for you and modify it and your behaviour when on the practice trails. That and as you're doing speaking to folk on the likes of here where you'll get some great advice.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

and some stupid. but how do you know which is which if new?

 

[Goatboy]

and some stupid. but how do you know which is which if new?

Sorry my initial response sounded like I was snapping at you. Generally we bash things about and folk come to a consensus about what's right and what's not. But yes some awful advice can be given and even videos made of dangerous practice which seems to give it credence. Usually it get's quietly pointed out what to follow and what not too. Though in the end like you say the best way is to get out there and shake down your gear and find out what system suits you.

 

[honisoitquimalypense]

no apology required. agree generally but if you get bad advice go out, get unlucky. you get hurt. or die. dont really wanna find out that way.
but if you live and get out in scotland you know that!!! i v had some epics up there. benighted Aonach eagach winter. for one!
someone suggested if really going to use an axe get trained. absolutely. great advice!!!!! never ever crampons unless walking on flat summer glacier before axe. i hold a winter ml from glenmore lodge personally as well as other quals
and as said M8 some stuff on this post not good but not getting into that. nothing like a PM!!
M8 im here to learn about some traditional bushcraft cos im a newbie to the old prim stuff and am luvin trying things. fire by bow. or flint yeah right. keep trying!!! lol. or a crane to hold pot over fire. so far i v lost 2 meals not lol. sorry if hijacking OP.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Many questions need to be answered before giving any advice. assuming nothing, are you a very fit 25 yr old male or an unfit middle aged female. can you carry easily a 40lb sack for example. you maybe a 15stone 2nd row rugby player that 40lbs is a bag of sugar. get my point.!

Can carry, vs should carry is a point worth asking. Sure there are people who can run across the Breacons with 25kg packs, doesn't mean to say it's a great idea. It takes a hell of a toll on the body to do it. You will stress the body less if you carry less. You're also likely to enjoy it more, as you're not so tired.

The user pic, and the name of Rachel gives you some indication of who we're dealingh with.

first hike in 2018 buying kit now. ???? massive first hike.

Where has the 2018 come from? I thought she was looking at the Akkins kintail Trail in March?

what are you doing meanwhile.
by then you may well have walked , hiked all over uk with maybe a holiday away as well and be much more experienced and buying acquiring new kit as well.

I feel the need to introduce you to Sam Vimes

2018 is a long way off. concentrate on the next years outdoors kit. im not saying then go out and buy new kit but i think you get my point.

I disagree, it helps to have a long term view of what you're planning to do to buy kit wisely. Sure this weekend I might be walking round Kent, so don't need much, but next weekend I might be on Dartmoor, and need different kit, but the stuff for Dartmoor will work in Kent, so it's more better value for money to buy with both trips in mind. I think this is what Rachel is trying to do, and why I mentioned the PCT when Rachel is only talking about Scotland.

J

 

[sandbender]

"...for is a 50 mile hike across the Scottish Highlands. There will likely be rain, and wind, and a chance of ice or snow a little too..."

Expect to get wet. Expect to no be able to easily dry your gear.

Cycling shorts, the skin tight variety worn instead of underwear can cut down on the chaffing wet clothing will subject your legs too.

Vaseline for the same reason.

If you can afford it, investigate Buffalo clothing, they won't keep you dry, but they will keep you warm while you are moving, just don't buy the heavier range as you will cook.

I have traipsed about the highlands in a Buffalo Teclite Shirt with nothing underneath or atop in wet and windy winter conditions and was kept perfectly warm and comfortable.

The first time out with Buffalo clothing can be a bit of a leap of faith for folks who like to layer up, but they will substantially cut down on weight.

I hope this helps.

 

[honisoitquimalypense]

a slight person may have to be thoughtful over weight issues than someone stronger. simple. sometimes there is no choice over larger weights/loads carried.
assume nothing. i thought you a male.
2018 pct. personal blog linked
sam vines????? and im missing something
kit bought now used in uk might be completely different to used on a 2,500 walk over 5/6 months in 2018. commonsense.
your logic in comparison with kent and dartmoor is sound. but not uk forest trails and PCT.

regards

 

[Quixoticgeek]

a slight person may have to be thoughtful over weight issues than someone stronger. simple. sometimes there is no choice over larger weights/loads carried.

assume nothing. i thought you a male.

It's been many years since it was safe to assume a) everyone on the internet is Male, and b) everyone on BCUK is Male. Neither the OP or myself are male, as you can tell from either of our blogs (both linked in this thread).

2018 pct. personal blog linked
sam vines????? and im missing something

Click the link. I did link to an article explaining it.

kit bought now used in uk might be completely different to used on a 2,500 walk over 5/6 months in 2018. commonsense.
your logic in comparison with kent and dartmoor is sound. but not uk forest trails and PCT.

I'm not so sure. Think of it the other way round "would gear bought for the PCT work on a trail in the UK?" Sure it will, why wouldn't it? I have an Osprey Tempest 30 pack, at least one forum member did a large section of the PCT carrying the mens version (talon 33), I've used my Tempest in UK, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, Spain and France.

Similarly Will Wood (Red Beard on youtube) has just done the PCT using a Jetboil Minimo stove. A friend just used the same on a hike of the southwest coast path. etc... etc...

There are differences in the approach used on the PCT and UK trails, but there is a lot of commonality.

J

 

[Goatboy]

What Sandbender says about Buffalo is very true. When it first came out I um'd & oo'd. Then there was a brilliant test done in one of the mags. They got a chap in layered up GTX and a chap suited in Buffalo to stand in a sea loch up to their necks for 5-10 mins in the middle of Feb. in Scotland. They both came out soaked of course and the GTX chap had to strip & dry off & change into warm dry clothes. The Buffalo chap wandered 'round for 5 mins to drain off, changed his socks and was warm and dry again. I was sold enough to try it and loved it. Did have some set backs though. I don't like hoods anyway but the Buffalo hood was way to warm. And unless you used the vents you could overheat. I even bought (and still have in the loft) their double bag sleeping system. That was bulky but saved me a bit when I was too drunk to put up my tent at Spittle of Glenshee and slept in a puddle in it overnight. Was still warm in the morning. (Not to be repeated though ).
Not a perfect system for every situation but I was one toasty belayer when my lead was having problems with rotten ice on the route above me on B. E. M. in Glen Coe. Truely found the triple point of water that day - ice, water & vapour!

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[NothingRhymesWithRachel]

Many questions need to be answered before giving any advice. assuming nothing, are you a very fit 25 yr old male or an unfit middle aged female. can you carry easily a 40lb sack for example. you maybe a 15stone 2nd row rugby player that 40lbs is a bag of sugar. get my point.!
first hike in 2018 buying kit now. ???? massive first hike.
what are you doing meanwhile.
by then you may well have walked , hiked all over uk with maybe a holiday away as well and be much more experienced and buying acquiring new kit as well.
with anything with any element of danger theres 4 types of advice. Great. Good. Bad and dangerous. all 4 apply here i have read.
Safety snow and ice comment great advice. best sleeping bag you can afford and carry. great advice. plastic water bottles. good advice. duck/gorilla tape. good advice. tape this around your water bottles to strengthen them and you also have a source of tape. dont need then a roll of tape.
Dump any camelback or water res ideas. bad advice. you will drink too fast. lose track of fluid usage. at this stage forget them and learn to stop when you have worked out how often you need to hydrate , get your bottle out and drink.
as for bad advice i aint getting into those or one i and anyone qualified/experienced outdoor would agree.
2018 is a long way off. concentrate on the next years outdoors kit. im not saying then go out and buy new kit but i think you get my point.
i have done many chunks of the PCT including routes on Whitney and the Badwater 146. Massive undertaking. Wildlife. Hypothermia due to weather and poor kit. Falling. Getting lost. run over. yes run over. 2 hikers killed few years back by lorry.
you need to get out and get some massive experience. i envy you. great challenge and ambition. regards

The PCT won't be my first hike. It is my ultimate hike. Aside from stuff that will just naturally come around to being replaced (through wear, or through deciding after months of field testing that it won't go the distance, etc) what I buy now in general (in terms of stove, pack,sleeping bag, etc) I want to last me. No sense in buying several lots of gear, it's all too expensive for that nonsense lol

Next year I'm doing the Affric Kintail Way (I believe I said that somewhere else in this thread, but may have said it elsewhere!), which is a fairly simple 44 mile hike across Scotland. After that, there are a tonne of trails in the UK between 50-70 miles I'd like to try, when time, money and weather permit it. Believe me, I understand your assumption that I am diving in the deep end with no knowledge of how to swim... but I can promise you, that isn't the case. I'm planning very carefully, and doing my research before committing to anything.

I heard about those two hikers. I also looked it up and they are the only two hikers that it's ever happened to. 15,000 people a year (on average) do some kind of hiking on the PCT trails. 1,000 a year finish it. Hardly anyone dies, ever. It's a fairly safe trail, providing you exhibit common sense, prepare and do your homework regarding what you're in for.

 

[sandbender]

"...Click the link. I did link to an article explaining it..."

I just did and was most entertained.

 

[mrcharly]

I agree about the buffalo stuff.

I would add two 'buffs', one for round your neck, one for your head.

As for a knife - a swiss army knife with scissors. You are going hiking, not bushcrafting. Trimming torn fabric, cutting open plastic packets, picking out splinters; that's the most likely use.
Get a tom o tick tick remover. Keep it somewhere fairly accessible but secure. actually get two and put one in the first aid kit.
Baselayer; wool, if you can stand it, just doesn't get as smelly. That fact can save a lot of weight because you need to carry less clothing.
Stuff to treat blisters.

Walking poles. Even the cheap ones help a lot.

 

[sandbender]

I agree about the buffalo stuff.

I would add two 'buffs', one for round your neck, one for your head.

As for a knife - a swiss army knife with scissors. You are going hiking, not bushcrafting. Trimming torn fabric, cutting open plastic packets, picking out splinters; that's the most likely use.
Get a tom o tick tick remover. Keep it somewhere fairly accessible but secure. actually get two and put one in the first aid kit.
Baselayer; wool, if you can stand it, just doesn't get as smelly. That fact can save a lot of weight because you need to carry less clothing.
Stuff to treat blisters.

Walking poles. Even the cheap ones help a lot.

Everything mrcharly has just written. Excellent advice.

 

[honisoitquimalypense]

rachel .assuming?

people do and still die on PCT. the desert sections are tough. last year someone died when a tree fell on their tent in high wind. unlucky or bad camp choice. ?? john donovan snowstorm in late may. people die walking up snowdon, scafell, the ben. it happens. most deaths on high level long distant footpaths occur to solo walkers as well. i solo walk more now than ever. but thats our choice. consider a personal locator beacon. delormes explorer my choice. but you are a long way off that cost issue

its also easy to assume that someone is a novice if they go on a forum asking for a complete kit check

 

[sunndog]

I agree about the buffalo stuff.

I would add two 'buffs', one for round your neck, one for your head.

As for a knife - a swiss army knife with scissors. You are going hiking, not bushcrafting. Trimming torn fabric, cutting open plastic packets, picking out splinters; that's the most likely use.
Get a tom o tick tick remover. Keep it somewhere fairly accessible but secure. actually get two and put one in the first aid kit.
Baselayer; wool, if you can stand it, just doesn't get as smelly. That fact can save a lot of weight because you need to carry less clothing.
Stuff to treat blisters.

Walking poles. Even the cheap ones help a lot.

As sandbender said

+1 on buffalo. Love my mountain shirt......i'd trade one buff for a lowe alpine mountain cap though

 

[NothingRhymesWithRachel]

rachel .assuming?

people do and still die on PCT. the desert sections are tough. last year someone died when a tree fell on their tent in high wind. unlucky or bad camp choice. ?? john donovan snowstorm in late may. people die walking up snowdon, scafell, the ben. it happens. most deaths on high level long distant footpaths occur to solo walkers as well. i solo walk more now than ever. but thats our choice. consider a personal locator beacon. delormes explorer my choice. but you are a long way off that cost issue

Yes, assuming. With geuine respect, you are kind of talking to me like I want to head out there with little more than the clothes on my back. I am new at this, hence all of my questions (the people here have been very helpful and understanding that I'm largely ignorant regarding brands, what lasts and what doesn't etc). But all you seem to be doing is attempting to scaremonger, by telling me of the minuscule percentage of people (comparatively speaking, of course) who die on such trips.

I'm hiking a path-laden trail. Not climbing Everest. I will be fine

 

[NothingRhymesWithRachel]

I agree about the buffalo stuff.

I would add two 'buffs', one for round your neck, one for your head.

As for a knife - a swiss army knife with scissors. You are going hiking, not bushcrafting. Trimming torn fabric, cutting open plastic packets, picking out splinters; that's the most likely use.
Get a tom o tick tick remover. Keep it somewhere fairly accessible but secure. actually get two and put one in the first aid kit.
Baselayer; wool, if you can stand it, just doesn't get as smelly. That fact can save a lot of weight because you need to carry less clothing.
Stuff to treat blisters.

Walking poles. Even the cheap ones help a lot.

Do you know, I am so so sold on poles now. I always used to think 'but all that extra STUFF, and carrying it everywhere', but from what I hear they can make a heavier pack feel much nicer over long distances; I'd rather look a little silly and have a few ounces extra weight than a bad back. I saw some Black Diamond ones (nice and short, just like me haha), for about £50 on sale on Amazon.

 

[honisoitquimalypense]

oh my days. i am new to this. or am i experienced and this is not my first hike. make ur mind up.
with respect. can u walk 2500 plus miles in 180 days. do the maths. check the height gains. check the temps highs and lows. but of course you already have. all im doing is scaremongering you.
grow up!! good luck. bye!

 

[NothingRhymesWithRachel]

oh my days. i am new to this. or am i experienced and this is not my first hike. make ur mind up.
with respect. can u walk 2500 plus miles in 80 days. do the maths. check the height gains. check the temps highs and lows. but of course you already have. all im doing is scaremongering you.
grow up!! good luck. bye!

Sorry... what? I didn't say I was experienced at all. I think you're getting horribly confused about everything here.

Let me be clear: PCT will not be my first hike, because - as you know quite clearly at this point - I don't intend to go until around 2018.

My first hike will be Scotland, in March 2016, where I will spend 3-4 days hiking a small(ish) trail called the Affric-Kintail Way.

Of course I'm checking all that stuff, but this particular thread and its purpose is quite clear. I'm simply asking if I've forgotten anything obvious, or added anything unnecessary onto a generic hiking/camping list.

First you send me a private message telling me to speak to you instead of the people here, as this forum is 'full of bollox', then you start insulting me for no reason? I didn't ask you to come in here and start lecturing me about the PCT, something which I am not even doing for three years. My only question in this thread was about general gear. I made that quite clear - had you actually stopped and read the posts properly, you would know that.

Everyone else here has offered advice, all you've done is indeed scaremonger. What on earth does my gear list have to do with people who get hit by cars on the PCT? (And by the way, that was the driver's fault because he fell asleep... could've literally happened to anyone, hiker or no).

Good day, unless you have anything gear related to speak about in this thread, I'm simply going back to the topic at hand.

 

[Stevie777]

Without going through the full thread, maybe someone has mentioned it. but have you considered toilet roll/baby wipes....beats leafs or a stick any day of the week.