Kit list for two nights in Dartmoor

[garyc]

I thought I'd post my kit list, partly for my own records and it's also good to get feedback and ideas I'm heading to Dartmoor on Sunday with the better half and I'm "trying" to pack as sparse as I can, but still allow for things to be easy (It's her first wild camp and I don't want it to be her last!). We're going for 2 nights and probably doing a fair amount of walking.

Here is the unpacked kit:
Unpacked by garyclark.home, on Flickr

I've managed to get rid of a few items while going through it all, lightening the load by about 700g.

What I'm down to now is:

Water and cooking:-
Stainless bottle and cup
Homemade pothanger for stainless bottle
Sawyer Mini

Pack:-
LK35 + kidney belt
2L Water bladder

Sleep and shelter:-
Hammock
Sleeping mat
Sleeping bag
Travel towel (Used to cover my clothes dry bag as a pillow)
4.5 x 3 Tarp (using a bigger tarp to get 2 hammocks underneath it)

Clothes:-
2x Underwear and socks
T-shirt (for additional layer if needed, layer change and/or sleepwear)
Long sleeve top
Trousers (Sleepwear and/or emergency change of clothes)

Navigation:-
Compass
OS Map

Hygiene:-
First Aid + hygiene kit
Toilet roll
Homemade insect repellent

Tools:-
Knife + 3m paracord wrap
Head Torch
2x Mini torches
Fire Kit
Awl + thread
Hatchet + Saw
Other:-
Spare AA Battery for torch
Battery pack (For recharging head torch and/or phones)

ADDITIONAL (Things I probably wouldn't take if I was going alone):-
2x climbing grade carabiners
Swedish mess kit and other cooking bits (inside mess kit) - This is almost 2kg with the pouch, excluding any food!
4x pegs - for quick tarp hanging)
Spare Paracord
2x wooden toggles - for quick tarp hanging)

Here are the pictures of it packed:
Lk35 back by garyclark.home, on Flickr
Lk35 by garyclark.home, on Flickr

The s10 respirator pouch contains the Swedish mess kit and almost all the ingredients for main meals 2 people over 2 nights. I think I need to hang the respirator pouch differently. I also think I need a larger pack, or a pack with dedicated molle.

 

[Bishop]

Pictures not showing
Ah Ha! found you on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/143914010@N07/28969573812/in/photostream/

I see what you mean about the respirator pouch. It's a good size but but just the one looks odd and unbalanced, now a pair of them I reckon would make for good side pouches.

 

[Nice65]

Pictures not showing

Not for me either.

Hammocking on Dartmoor, there aren't exactly loads of trees, and it's still the school hols so plenty of tourists about. Still, best of luck.

 

[garyc]

Sort of fixed, they are showing now... but HUGE.

 

[Nice65]

Weird. Bishop now shows as post #1. Might be time to clear the cache in my browser, I'm getting some glitches.

 

[Bishop]

It's not your cache I'm seeing me as first post as well
Hopefully in the morning a passing Moderator will give the server a good kick and sort it out

 

[GadgetUK437]

You might want to spend some time over at the Trek-Lite forum,
http://www.trek-lite.com/index.php
lose yourself some weight.

 

[juttle]

I'm sitting here in Brixham, which ain't a million miles from Dartmoor, and the rain is tipping down.

Waterproofs?

 

[SCOMAN]

There are a few places to go hanging on the moor but it's all plantation. I can't even remember where I used to go I'd have to dig out my journal. There is a small valley of dwarf/stunted oak but I doubt you'd get much of a hang from them and they're protected anyway.
Sorry to criticise and I accept that I'm looking at a pic but your pack looks horribly unbalanced with that AGR pouch.

 

[garyc]

There are a few places to go hanging on the moor but it's all plantation. I can't even remember where I used to go I'd have to dig out my journal. There is a small valley of dwarf/stunted oak but I doubt you'd get much of a hang from them and they're protected anyway.
Sorry to criticise and I accept that I'm looking at a pic but your pack looks horribly unbalanced with that AGR pouch.

I see what you mean about the respirator pouch. It's a good size but but just the one looks odd and unbalanced, now a pair of them I reckon would make for good side pouches.

I know roughly where I'll be hanging, so I'm not too concerned

I'm going to do something with that pouch tonight, I'm not sure what but it's bugging me! I do like the idea of one either side though, thanks for the suggestion.

I'm sitting here in Brixham, which ain't a million miles from Dartmoor, and the rain is tipping down.

Waterproofs?

My stuff is in dry bags for the most part, and my skin is waterproof the clothes I'm wearing are lightweight and will dry really fast, if it was wintry I might take some waterproofs. It's a shame about the weather situation, but it doesn't put me off getting out there,

You might want to spend some time over at the Trek-Lite forum,
http://www.trek-lite.com/index.php
lose yourself some weight.

I'll check it out, thanks. I'm carrying roughly 15kg (not including food and water), I don't think that too awful as I'm carrying the "shared" items for two people. I could shed some weight by investing in a summer sleeping bag and leaving the missus at home... but I don't think she'd approve

 

[SCOMAN]

My stuff is in dry bags for the most part, and my skin is waterproof the clothes I'm wearing are lightweight and will dry really fast, if it was wintry I might take some waterproofs. It's a shame about the weather situation, but it doesn't put me off getting out there,

I'm to be a bore here chum sorry but I think your planning is a bit flawed not taking waterproofs. Yes your clothes will dry but that period of drying is going to be a miserable one. I would say has potential risk to ruin a great trip and if Dartmoor turns nasty, as is it's want, put you at risk. I can be anal with my kit but I rarely go out anywhere without waterproofs, that's Scotland, Ireland, Lake District, new forest, Northumberland park, Dartmoor anywhere. I've seen Dartmoor go from an early beautiful spring morning to sleet in the a'noon. Your choice chum, fail to plan - plan to fail.

 

[garyc]

I'm to be a bore here chum sorry but I think your planning is a bit flawed not taking waterproofs. Yes your clothes will dry but that period of drying is going to be a miserable one. I would say has potential risk to ruin a great trip and if Dartmoor turns nasty, as is it's want, put you at risk. I can be anal with my kit but I rarely go out anywhere without waterproofs, that's Scotland, Ireland, Lake District, new forest, Northumberland park, Dartmoor anywhere. I've seen Dartmoor go from an early beautiful spring morning to sleet in the a'noon. Your choice chum, fail to plan - plan to fail.

I have dry clothes to change into if needed so that's my plan, but I have no problem being wet as long as I'm not too cold. I'm fully expecting to be soaked through for the majority of the time I'm not under the tarp, we're living in the wrong country not to expect it really

 

[MikeLA]

Try getting rid of these. Are they needed just for 2 nights


Toilet roll. - use hand wipes instead these can be used for washing and toilet



Head Torch and 2x Mini torches
Spare AA Battery for torch
Battery pack (For recharging head torch and/or phones). - a lot of light just use 1 or 2 and put new batteries in before leave

Think lightness if will really need and use and can you get multi use eg hand wipes

Just been to Lake District with family carrying all children's kit and water food etc. So know to keep it basic and light

 

[boatman]

Why hatchet and saw? Useless weight. I would forget hammock, take bivvy bags, mat and tarp. her first time so take basic Gaz type stove and spare cylinder, no fuss heating food. Separate pot or kettle for hot water and one for cooking (girls are funny that way). Although heavyish, tins are good for instant tasty recognisable food.

 

[garyc]

Try getting rid of these. Are they needed just for 2 nights


Toilet roll. - use hand wipes instead these can be used for washing and toilet



Head Torch and 2x Mini torches
Spare AA Battery for torch
Battery pack (For recharging head torch and/or phones). - a lot of light just use 1 or 2 and put new batteries in before leave

One of the torches is for my other half, so that's not an issue as she'll be carrying it, I'll ditch the spare battery too. So that's 100g gone and I'll keep the other torch just in case (75g including battery). I'll have a think about the loo roll situation.

Why hatchet and saw? Useless weight. I would forget hammock, take bivvy bags, mat and tarp. her first time so take basic Gaz type stove and spare cylinder, no fuss heating food. Separate pot or kettle for hot water and one for cooking (girls are funny that way). Although heavyish, tins are good for instant tasty recognisable food.

Mainly for keeping skills up, it's a long hatchet so can be used as an axe, the head is also a hammer for stakes, the saw is contained in the axe. Weighs in at under 800g and it's weight well spent for crafting.
The hammocks are for comfort, if it's hammering it down with rain, being off the floor and having a comfy seat is great, swaying and a hammock, under shelter with a hot brew, unbeatable in my book
I have a SS bottle for boiling water, and the Swedish mess kit for cooking. I love cooking and I know she prefer not to live on MREs but I wouldn't be taking the mess kit if it were just me. I'll be baking bannock in it, frying steak, making cheesey pasta, sweet bannock cakes, cous cous etc. If I have to take a mess kit, I'm going to be going all out with the cooking!

Thanks everyone for all the feedback and ideas so far. I do love this forum!

 

[SCOMAN]

Remember no fires on Dartmoor.

 

[Bishop]

For anybody out there with an LK35 or thinking of getting one then sealegs-swedish-surplus-thread over at BushcraftUSA is a useful read.
Recommended maximum carry weight, packing order for original kit loadout, shortcomings of the basic hip-belt etc

It also links back to an article here on this site by MickeS and how he replaced the LK35 metal frame with a wooden one to save weight.

 

[garyc]

I certainly don't plan on having a camp fire, there's no need anyway with the current temperatures, I will probably be using wood with the Swedish cook kit, I see that as comparable to using an alcohol burner or gas stove though. It allows me to practice traditional/survival fire craft and it means I can save the meths for mid-hike cuppas

For anybody out there with an LK35 or thinking of getting one then sealegs-swedish-surplus-thread over at BushcraftUSA is a useful read.
Recommended maximum carry weight, packing order for original kit loadout, shortcomings of the basic hip-belt etc.

That's a great read, some brilliant info on lots of other Swedish kit too. With regards to carry weight, even 36lbs seems too heavy for this pack to be comfortable without modification, from my experience.

 

[garyc]

Okay, so I've done a bit of rearranging which has improved the weight distribution. Although the respirator pack still looks like it'll off balance the pack, the main weight (the Swedish cook set) is now in the main pack near my back at the top. The pouch now only has food and brew supplies. To make a cuppa I'll have to open the main pack, which isn't ideal, but it's weighed much better now.

I've removed a torch, the spare AA and the phone/head torch rechargeable battery, I could face getting rid of the toilet roll, I think the missus may like that "luxury"... I saved 5g by removing the card centre though

 

[Mesquite]

My stuff is in dry bags for the most part, and my skin is waterproof the clothes I'm wearing are lightweight and will dry really fast, if it was wintry I might take some waterproofs. It's a shame about the weather situation, but it doesn't put me off getting out there,

That sort of thinking is a great way to end up with hypothermia. Don't think it's something for colder times, you can become hypothermic in the middle of summer if the conditions conspire against you.

Taking waterproofs is good advice... listen to it especially as you want your girlfriend to go out again for future trips