Estonia Kit List - Comments Please

[Teepee]

If its due bitter Steve, ie under -10C, I'd take some CCF and use it to boost the UQ. Car windscreen reflector material works well. Not quite as warm as 3/8" CCF mats but its softer, lighter and is comfier between the layers. Like that, you'll be fine dude IME.

My local shop (QD superstore in Orton) has some 1.5m x 1.5m blankets of the stuff for £2.99.

 

[Jaan]

Native Estonian finally reporting in!

My comments in no particular order:

1. For your phones: http://rmk.ee/organisation/rmk-mobile-app
2. Yes pepper spray is legal. Yes there's a hunting shop in the supermarket near the airport. Costs about 5€ a can. Not really needed, but you can never be safe enough.
3. Bear canisters/bags are not needed. Just don't cook and eat next to where you sleep. The camping sites are used most of the year and they stink of people and woodsmoke - bigger and smarter animals usually keep clear. It's the small ones you need to worry about that sneak off with your stuff in the night.
4. Gas cans available also at the MatkaSport store and the hunting store. Types and prices can be seen here: http://matkasport.ee/msweb.nsf/pages/Tooted?OpenDocument&vw=Class&f1=Energia&f2=K%FCtused If you click on the type you want and then on the next page click on the price and there's a "+" in the column "Ülemiste", then they'll have it.
5. I can't stress this enough - please please please don't decide on the clothes and sleeping gear until a week before. Just last week we had -22C and +2C within 12 hours. It has the power to mess up people's regular days so it can potentially ruin a stay in the woods. If there's still snow and it starts to melt then lower areas can become unpassable without wellingtons. Or your feet get very wet and cold.
6. While stoves are good and comfortable they'll probably not be needed if you move between the camps. Or they'll be very needed if you decide to stealth camp and it rains and there's no firewood.
7. Estonians are quiet, calm and don't want to interact with other people - if you don't open your mouth when you meet other people nobody will even suspect you're foreigners and they will not bother you or know to bother you. Watch out for young drunk people who drive to the woods to have a party. Most of the campsites can be accessed by car (they need to empty the toilets and trashcans and bring firewood by car) either legally or illegally and youngsters use that opportunity. I've seen a group of Russians in the middle of the forest with a van, a gas generator and 1 meter high speakers having a rave when I went to get some berries.
8. Not likely to meet poachers. There are 14000 hunters in Estonia which is a lot for our small country and a population of 1,3 million (from which 400000 live in the capital). The hunters and the Forest Management Center are very active and responsible and do everything possible to catch poachers. More likely to meet a proper hunting party. Poachers kill around 500 animals every year. For comparison in 2010 hunters killed 17000 wild boar, 12000 raccoon dogs, 10000 foxes, 6500 beavers, 5000 roe deer, 4200 moose, 500 red deer, 180 lynx, 130 wolves and 57 bears. Yes, we do have a lot of wildlife.
9. If you have any other questions - ask me! I live here and I can procure stuff and information for you. I'm also a member on an Estonian hiking/camping forum where I can ask for extra opinions from people who have been solo camping out in Estonia for decades and probably know a lot more than me.

PM me or write in this thread for any other questions. I'll subscribe to the thread so I get e-mail messages if something happens.

Hope you'll all LOVE it here in Estonia. I'll try to meet up with you and we can have a chat around the campfire!

See you in March!

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

So Racoon Dogs will pinch yer grub ?

Good knowledgeable advice there. Maybe it should be a Sticky ?

 

[Teepee]

Brilliant and golden info Jaan :You_Rock_

 

[Nomad]

If you're going to take cigs, take baccy instead of ready-made. Very compact and virtually uncrushable. You can also regulate how much you use by rolling the cigs thicker or thinner. Keep each packet of papers in its own little individual sealable bag (like for electronic components - try Maplin). If you're not sitting about doing nothing much, one 50g packet should last 8 days quite easily. I'd probably take two, and 10 packets of papers (more than needed, but wet papers are useless). Buy it duty free at the airport - at Schipol, Golden Virginia is about a third of the price it is in the UK.

 

[Jaan]

Oh I forgot to comment on fishing:

Casual fishing is everyone's lifelong right in Estonia, but there are restrictions. You can only use a simple fishing rod, the line can't be longer than 1,5 times the fishing rod and you can only use a single hook. That means no reels, double or triple hooks. Fly fishing is not casual fishing.

If you want to use any other form of fishing (including fly fishing) you need a permit. Luckily they can be bought with a phone, so make sure to pick up at least one disposable SIM card at the supermarket.

1 day is 1 euro with the code 400, a week is 3 euros with the code 401.

You just call to this number: 1322*permitcode*IDcode

Foreigners can insert their ID code using 0birthdate0000. So if you were born on the 20th of March in 1970, and want to fish for a week you just call: 1322*401*07003200000
First the year, then the month, then the day.

To prove you've bought it you just need to have some ID on you.

Or if you have a credit card just call 11800. There's additional calling fees though.

 

[Shewie]

That's a tough one tbh!!
According to locals it can be as low as minus 15 or as high as plus 15.

The plan is gonna be to obviously use the snugpak under quilt an then I'm gonna buy a cheap ccf Matt to use in between the layers on the hammock if I find the under quilt not Working.

Do you think that will work rich?

Not sure mate, I'd say it'll probably negate the UB from insulating you. I've never tried it to be honest, it's either been one or the other. I do use a small 18x18" piece of Reflectix under my butt if it's really cold.

Make yourself a basic weathershield to hang under the UB and that'll stop a lot of the draughts cutting through, retain more heat and prevent wind blown rain from getting in your UB.

Pete's dabbled a bit more than me, I switched from a 3/4 Thermarest to the Snugpak, and then went to down and haven't looked back. Some systems work better than others but I haven't tinkered too much with my setup.

If its due bitter Steve, ie under -10C, I'd take some CCF and use it to boost the UQ. Car windscreen reflector material works well. Not quite as warm as 3/8" CCF mats but its softer, lighter and is comfier between the layers. Like that, you'll be fine dude IME.

My local shop (QD superstore in Orton) has some 1.5m x 1.5m blankets of the stuff for £2.99.

This has been bugging me for a few days so I've just asked the question on HF, somebody's bound to have tested it over there.

I've never tried combining the two so I'm curious myself.

 

[jacko1066]

This has been bugging me for a few days so I've just asked the question on HF, somebody's bound to have tested it over there.

I've never tried combining the two so I'm curious myself.

Cheers for that Rich, it is a bit of a conudrum. There is 2 way of looking at it, 1 is that it would work the same way as layering clothes in whic I guess the first layer is keepint the heat in and the rest of layers acts as insulation stopping heat escaping.

The other way to look at it I guess is that your body heat wont get throught to the synethic fill of the UQ and heat it up rendering it useless.

Am I right in what Im saying?

another thing I thought about getting round it may be to get a ccf mat and cut it into strips and tie the strips together but leaing individual similar to how slats work on beds, what do you think?

 

[Shewie]

Cheers for that Rich, it is a bit of a conudrum. There is 2 way of looking at it, 1 is that it would work the same way as layering clothes in whic I guess the first layer is keepint the heat in and the rest of layers acts as insulation stopping heat escaping.

The other way to look at it I guess is that your body heat wont get throught to the synethic fill of the UQ and heat it up rendering it useless.

Am I right in what Im saying?

another thing I thought about getting round it may be to get a ccf mat and cut it into strips and tie the strips together but leaing individual similar to how slats work on beds, what do you think?

That's how I see it too Steve, just not sure of the answer me sen

I've seen folk mention drilling holes through to aid with the condensation you get with CCF pads, the lattice one in the HF thread is interesting but probably awkward to pack.

 

[jacko1066]

That's how I see it too Steve, just not sure of the answer me sen

I've seen folk mention drilling holes through to aid with the condensation you get with CCF pads, the lattice one in the HF thread is interesting but probably awkward to pack.

Yeah I did see the lattuce thing thats what reminded me of my idea, see with the ccf foam of mine being in seperate strips with maybe a cm gap between them, it should allow for a bit of breathability and also be easier to pack.
But the other side of it says to me that by having gaps it will do away with all of the inulative propertys of the mat!
I really have no idea lol

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

Its not something ive given much thought to lads but if it gets too chilly just give me a shout and ill open up the hot house for you

 

[Teepee]

My thoughts on this foam and UQ combo; Insulation is cumulative. The more insulation, the lower the heat loss. Foam pads also provide a vapour barrier effect which aids keeping warm, as it removes heat loss through evaporation.

Like stacking sleeping bags, coats, socks, it keeps you warmer. My experience of stacking CCF into UQ's is limited as its very rarely needed, but when I have done its been much warmer. When I started this cold weather hammocking, I used foam mats.

I'd use 3 of the cheap asda mats with 2 side by side, one down the middle over the gap. Its kept me very warm and comfy down to well below -10 many times. I remember waking up one night because i was sweating, but my nose felt cold Looked at the thermometer and it said -13.

 

[jacko1066]

Damn you Thrills!!!!!

:AR15firin

 

[jacko1066]

My thoughts on this foam and UQ combo; Insulation is cumulative. The more insulation, the lower the heat loss. Foam pads also provide a vapour barrier effect which aids keeping warm, as it removes heat loss through evaporation.

Like stacking sleeping bags, coats, socks, it keeps you warmer. My experience of stacking CCF into UQ's is limited as its very rarely needed, but when I have done its been much warmer. When I started this cold weather hammocking, I used foam mats.

I'd use 3 of the cheap asda mats with 2 side by side, one down the middle over the gap. Its kept me very warm and comfy down to well below -10 many times. I remember waking up one night because i was sweating, but my nose felt cold Looked at the thermometer and it said -13.

Well you have just sold me on the idea mate!!
What sort of temps do you think a snugpak UQ and ccf go down to? The UQ is rated to -10!!

 

[Teepee]

Well you have just sold me on the idea mate!!
What sort of temps do you think a snugpak UQ and ccf go down to? The UQ is rated to -10!!

What top insulation are you considering for if its due cold? If you took your Synmat, that would boost the insulation and provide a back out if you have to go to ground.

 

[jacko1066]

What top insulation are you considering for if its due cold? If you took your Synmat, that would boost the insulation and provide a back out if you have to go to ground.

Snugpak Elite 4 opened as a top quilt, a sleeping bag liner and prob have 1 of my 2 season small down bags as a back up as they only weigh 500gms.
I had thought about the synmat but wasnt sure if that would fit between the layers on the hammock?

 

[Teepee]

Toasty mate If its bitter, getting into the bag will give a bit of extra under insulation. The synmat will fit yes-not as good as CCF or UQ's IMO but they make up for it being able to keep you warm on the ground. As a bail out, you can sleep on the ground, using the UQ on top of the sleeping bag as a booster.

Well have a fire any way and Paul has his sauna tent. I have spare UQ's to lend anyway, don't worry bud. You'll sleep like a bear that just eaten a honey smeared Englishman

 

[Shewie]

Just wrote a long and over complicated reply which muddled my own brain, I'll save it for a night round the fire me thinks

 

[jacko1066]

12 weeks exactly chaps!!! Not that I'm counting or anything lol

 

[Teepee]

12 weeks exactly chaps!!! Not that I'm counting or anything lol

84 sleeps to go! Its time to start carving marks on your bedroom wall