...Could you tell me the broadth of the hipbelt please Paul?...
No problem,
The width of the belt is 5cm (belt not the pad)
...Does it has a top compartment? I think I can see a zipper on the top-left of the Sting (pic above). What size is it (what can you store in it, sizewise)...
Youre right, Johan, is does have a compartment on the lid, I can get four OS maps and a wool hat and gloves into it, as illustrated and more if its packed tight. An OS map is about 24.5 * 13.5 * 1.5cm (1.5cm thick if its laminated) and the long dimension of the map is more or less the full width of the zip.
...Did it come with a raincover?...
Theres no rain cover, but if the weather were really foul, Id probably use a poncho over me and it.
...Did you ever had problems with the hipbelt closure system? Did it ever opened under pressure / in a situation you didn't wanted it to open? (A mate in the army uses the Saracen and he isn't very pleased with this system and preferes the hooklike closure of the Vulcan sack; Need to say I'll probably never use my sack as he does
)...
Ive never had a problem with the buckle, but then Ive hardly had it on my back
Im not a great fan of plastic buckles, Id rather have metal, but I guess if you carry some spares, and if a buckle fails it can always be replaced without too much hassle. Im not in the military so I dont have to worry about critical failure of kit in what might be described as a tactical situation (For the record, Ive never done any paintballing either, or wanted to
and I dont wear DPM) Oh, and the waist buckle system on Berghaus belts is very nice, one of those in aluminium would be perfect
...Being cheeky
- do you've got a piccy from the top (Snowlock and drawstring closure)?
uppy_dog pl-ea-se??
...
Yep, I have a pic of that for you
Theres another zipped pocket on the internal surface of the lid, which would is big enough to get some documents in, or some such.
...How do you pack it?
With my sabre I've got 2 compartments, and use the bottom one for my sleeping gear (which is drama to get it all in again true the small-ish zip bottom opening). This way I don't need to unpack everything to get my sleeping kit. But with a one compartment rucksack you need to - if you store it in the bottom, where it logically belongs ... (big light-ish stuff in the bottom, heavy stuff near your back and a bit up ...)...
The contents are a work in progress and are constantly changing with the seasons, and as better ideas occur to me. Ive been thinking that later on in the year I might buy a Saracen for the winter kit, as Im struggling to fit everything in for a winter survival kit in the Sting. Not that the Sting has any short comings, its just that the bulk ('bulk' meaning, volume) of extra mid layers, spare strides and so forth, could be better accommodated in a larger rucksack. I doubt I could carry more weight than is already in the Sting, but the bulk (volume) of the items is proving problematic. At the moment the Nanok Cold Weather Suit would be strapped to the lid (more versatile than a sleeping bag), and the sleep mat, and few other bits and pieces would be fixed to the outside too, which is starting to make the pack feel a little unbalanced.
Pic of Nanok Suit in its compression sack to the right
Broad categories of the winter kit inside the rucksack would be as follows:
Communication, signalling and wireless (nothing fancy)
Clothing Spare socks, hats, gloves and underwear nothing else (no room for it)
Various methods of water filtration and purification
Various tools (heavy metal)
Shelter
Sleep
Various equipment and fuel for cooking and heating water (heavy)
Food a few dried goods only (no room for anything else)
First Aid Kit and hygiene.
I dare say that a bushcrafter could make do with a lot less, but then with more knowledge and skills, or in a real emergency, so could I
I find that assembling a survival kit is a good way for me to structure kit buying and focus on the essentials that can cross-over from one UK season to another. I feel I should say that my methods are not intended as a blue print or to serve as an ideal for others, its just my way of doing things and my way of having some fun.
A bit of walking and having a poke around in the woods is pretty much all I do, Im not preparing or hoping for the end of civilisation, Trying to have some fun is more of a priority
Cheers,
Paul.
