Kit list tips

[Rabbitsmacker]

this thread is getting very medical orientated which is so outside my knowledge zone so i'll stick to the kit, the nato mug/bottle is fat as you mention, i was after a slimmer alternative myslef to have a play with and spent a day going round all the camping shops in cambridge, which to my girlfriends annoyance has plenty, and spent the entire day looking like a very confused kit perv trying to fit nalgene type bottles into mugs to see if there was a civvy alternative. i think i found blacks had a 1 litre nalgene copy that fit into their titanium mug which wasn't over priced. the whole thing seemed nice and light and very user friendly. the thing that stopped me buying was the capacity of the mug and its shape didn't lend itself to MOD boil in the bags which i use a lot. so i refrained which annoyed the gf even more as i ended up buying nout but filled numerous rucksacks with dumbell weights, ponced about and kit porned the flask section. lol it's all good fun!

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

also may i add, the subliminal messages for drug fueled, pain killer frenzied, goat eating, knife wielding hopper-esque road trips across foreign soil is blowing my mind, i need to lie down! oh the horror!

 

[ashes1627]

also may i add, the subliminal messages for drug fueled, pain killer frenzied, goat eating, knife wielding hopper-esque road trips across foreign soil is blowing my mind, i need to lie down! oh the horror!

This made me chuckle

 

[rik_uk3]

Dump the big knife in favour of a Laplander folding saw.

The Mora will do a grand job, top up the edge with
http://bladetech.co.uk/blade_tech.html sharpener

Backup lighting
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1253 £3 for ten delivered, incredibly powerful for their size, weigh nothing and clip to lots of kit if you want.

Don't take Imodium if you have access to a toilet, let your body purge, just keep well hydrated, take the drug after two days if you can wait that long. If you can't stomach taking water seek medical help fast.

Ask your GP for some broad spectrum antibiotics if going abroad to the likes of Africa and don't be tempted to buy online as you have no way of knowing the drugs you get will work.

Dump the turbo flame lighter if going abroad, I don't care how much you pay for them they are nowhere near as reliable as throw away jobs, 10 for a quid in poundland.

If taking something like an MP3 player make sure its not an internal battery, about as good as a chocolate tea pot if you can't charge them up.

Have a good trip.

 

[BorisTheBlade]

...confused kit perv ... filled numerous rucksacks with dumbell weights, ponced about and kit porned the flask section. lol it's all good fun!... also may i add, the subliminal messages for drug fueled, pain killer frenzied, goat eating, knife wielding hopper-esque road trips across foreign soil is blowing my mind, i need to lie down! oh the horror!

Haha you should travel write! I'm far too boring to be a drug addled, knife wielding rasta I'm afraid. I'm a nerdy musician to the core, I was a musician before I could talk and have never looked back. Why do partners just not understand about outdoors stuff? I swear every time there is anything even remotely survival related that is not even in her vicinity I get that look. Thankfully she is more understanding of my musical obsession, especially in that a lot of it has been West African music over the last 6 years. When I went it was in a touristyish area and very comfy compared to what you would get elsewhere. Cold showers, power for only 2 hours a day ooooh the horror. Haha talk about pampered!

 

[BorisTheBlade]

Don't take Imodium if you have access to a toilet, let your body purge, just keep well hydrated, take the drug after two days if you can wait that long. If you can't stomach taking water seek medical help fast.

You are right there, had an awful virus on my return from Senegal last year that was simply awful. Took anti diarrheal medication far too early along so instead of just being sick and crapping in a ratio of 1:3 I went to being violently sick with blood... The medication has it's place and especially for mild cases but would never take it again for something violent.

You've put some awesome links, thanks man. The Ipod runs for ages on one charge. I can use it around 2 hours a day for around a week before it needs charging so its cool.

 

[spiritwalker]

bar of soap, lipsalve and a pack of wet wipes(many uses) 3 items i always carry and are often overlooked

 

[ged]

Dump the turbo flame lighter if going abroad...

I disagree with Richard on this. I think you should dump it even if you aren't going abroad. Mine is the most overpriced useless piece of junk I've ever bought, it's been replaced twice and it's still nowhere near as good as a twenty pence lighter from a pound shop. Trust me on this, you do not want to rely on a Turboflame. These from DX are way better and a lot less money. There are threads here on the forum which give other links, if you do some searching you'll find them easily enough.

I always like to carry a few polythene bags (e.g. freezer bags, bin liners, and the things that some charities put through your letter box) and some sheet too.

Mosquito coils, Insect repellent and one of those mesh things that goes over your hat and head?

Have a good trip.

Do that!

 

[rik_uk3]

I disagree with Richard on this. I think you should dump it even if you aren't going abroad. Mine is the most overpriced useless piece of junk I've ever bought, it's been replaced twice and it's still nowhere near as good as a twenty pence lighter from a pound shop. Trust me on this, you do not want to rely on a Turboflame. These from DX are way better and a lot less money. There are threads here on the forum which give other links, if you do some searching you'll find them easily enough.

I always like to carry a few polythene bags (e.g. freezer bags, bin liners, and the things that some charities put through your letter box) and some sheet too.

Mosquito coils, Insect repellent and one of those mesh things that goes over your hat and head?


Do that!

Agree 100?% Ged, I thought the OP was off to Africa. I use these http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4179 much the same as the one you linked and I've linked to them several times here on BCUK. I've had both Primus and Silva turbo fail on me more than once. While I take the DE ones camping in the UK (as they still work) I always, without fail take my throw away lighters too.

Both Primus and Silva told me more or less to bugger off when I asked for replacement and I'm not the only one here who's had the same treatment.

 

[ged]

... While I take the DE ones camping in the UK (as they still work) I always, without fail take my throw away lighters too. ...

We're on the same page Richard. I don't want to hijack this into a lighter thread, but agreed about the throw-away lighters. They cost and weigh practically nothing, although I tend to buy refillable ones which are slightly more expensive. I don't really know why because I hardly ever refill one.

The main problem with pure butane lighters is that they don't work well in very cold weather because butane boils at only just below freezing point. You have to keep them warm, so an inside pocket is best. A propane/butane mix is better but the lighter needs to be designed for it because the pressures are higher. Having said that, in the early hours of 4th January when I was meteor watching in a field in Derbyshire at minus five degrees my DX lighter was the best of several butane lighters I tried for lighting my Optimus in the rather stiff breeze. Admittedly it had been in my pocket so it was relatively warm, and as it has a reasonable quantity of gas it stays warm enough for long enough to light a reluctant fuel. I didn't even bother to take the Turboflame. My Jerven bag was a lifesaver in those conditions too.

 

[John Fenna]

When I have trekked in Africa I have taken just my normal British Summer backpacking gear plus Anti-malarials (doxy) and a mozzie net.
Mind you in South Africa I always went in their winter... a bit like a good British Summer with - Snow on the mountains!
I am still using most of that kit - and it was great in Eastern Europe as well (in their summer!) but in the Atlas Mountains in the snow I just used a borrowed down jacket, bivvi bag and sleeping bag liner on top of my hand luggage - RAM lost my bergan with my normal kit between Casablanca and Marrakesh!
It is amazing what you find that you do not realy need... travel in your trekking boots and have all your essentials in your hand luggage!
I think that you have a pretty good set up there but I use split wood or the base of my bowl as a cutting board and if you must get a Spork (?) get a Ti one as the plastic jobbies do not stand up to hard usage - I have broken so many (or luggage handlers have!) that I just gave up and carved my own out of oak!

 

[Fizzy]

The Mora will do a grand job, top up the edge with
http://bladetech.co.uk/blade_tech.html sharpener

Are they ok putting an edge on a Mora then?

 

[rik_uk3]

Keeps my 2010 sharp enough Fizzy and 'tops up' the edge on my axe.

Ged, just keep any gas lighter in an inner pocket and they will work, body heat etc. Is your Optimus a gassie? I tend to only use a gas stove that take the Lindel thread cartridges and these days favour the propane/butane/isobutane mix, these work much better in the cold than the standard propane/butane mix.

 

[BorisTheBlade]

Have you guys got links to your general kit carry or if you want specifics, cold weather kit carry?

When I have trekked in Africa I have taken just my normal British Summer backpacking gear plus Anti-malarials (doxy) and a mozzie net.
Mind you in South Africa I always went in their winter... a bit like a good British Summer with - Snow on the mountains!
I am still using most of that kit - and it was great in Eastern Europe as well (in their summer!) but in the Atlas Mountains in the snow I just used a borrowed down jacket, bivvi bag and sleeping bag liner on top of my hand luggage - RAM lost my bergan with my normal kit between Casablanca and Marrakesh!
It is amazing what you find that you do not realy need... travel in your trekking boots and have all your essentials in your hand luggage!
I think that you have a pretty good set up there but I use split wood or the base of my bowl as a cutting board and if you must get a Spork (?) get a Ti one as the plastic jobbies do not stand up to hard usage - I have broken so many (or luggage handlers have!) that I just gave up and carved my own out of oak!

That is a good idea. I have not traveled much (not at all compared to you by the sound of things) but when going to and from Senegal I made sure I had the mosquito net, first aid, sterile kit, head torch and wash kit along with other bits in my hand luggage being that the airports are so corrupt there!

 

[MartinK9]

Have you guys got links to your general kit carry or if you want specifics, cold weather kit carry?

Here's how Cliff and I prepared for a trip out with initial kit loads in Part 1 and in Part 2 what we took and would change for a similar trip:

Martin & Cliffs Telemark Trip - Part I & Part II

It wasn't light but we liked our comforts and didn't need to come in when out...

HTH

 

[BorisTheBlade]

Here's how Cliff and I prepared for a trip out with initial kit loads in Part 1 and in Part 2 what we took and would change for a similar trip:

Martin & Cliffs Telemark Trip - Part I & Part II


It wasn't light but we liked our comforts and didn't need to come in when out...

HTH

Hey I have taken a quick look, am busy so will not be able to look till Monday when I am back but cannot wait. Thanks for sharing

 

[BorisTheBlade]

Hey Martin just looked at the threads, looks like you had a great time! Also, very well prepared. How useful did you find the navi system? I have seen very mixed reviews for them (especially the garmin ones)

How much did the map updates for it cost?