Need recommendations and feedback on my kit!

ryemck · Oct 28, 2015

Hi all! So I've spent around £110 on a huge kit that I have and I'm looking to spend more before I go out into the country. So far I need these things so can you recommend any?

- 1 man tent, needs to be comfortable for me and I am around 6 foot 3 in height, as similar as possible to this one please: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7D7K7h41aA
- A knife, I have one already but need a spare. Something small, sharp, rugged and easy to sharpen.
- Sleeping bag and bed roll for my tent
- A medical kit to cure or at least alleviate anything mother nature can throw at me

Here's my current kit with links:

Firemaking:

- Silver 2oz tobacco tin (for charcloth - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00G96VGKC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00)
- Small & cheap backup flint/steel (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D1A0D30?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00)
- BCB Survival Matches (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00590VR1M?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00)
- Pencil sharpener for collecting inner dry wood from sticks in wet conditions or for good tinder (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000SHW4FY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00)
- Bear grylls fire starter (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004DT6TEK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00)
- Magnifying glass, mostly for fun I want to start a fire with it one day

Quixoticgeek · Oct 28, 2015

ryemck said:
Hi all! So I've spent around £110 on a huge kit that I have and I'm looking to spend more before I go out into the country. So far I need these things so can you recommend any?

- 1 man tent, as similar as possible to this one please: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7D7K7h41aA
- A knife, I have one already but need a spare. Something small, sharp, rugged and easy to sharpen.
- Sleeping bag and bed roll for my tent
- Cups or pots
- A medical kit to cure or at least alleviate anything mother nature can throw at me

can't comment on tents, I'm still undecided on the. I use a tarp and bivvi bag for my trips out.

Mora clipper or frost knife or what ever it's called. It's a tenner and it Just Works.

Sleeping bag is a tough one, where are you going and at what time of year? I am a big fan of the Mountain Hardware Lamina bags. I have 2, they are synthetic, and give the best balance currently of price vs weight vs warmth. If you're not too fussed about weight, then you may find some of the surplus bags work for you...

Pots - Look at alpkit. Their alipots Just Work. I have [thread=127146]reviewed them[/thread]. Alternatively the Fire Maple FMC-207 set is cheap, and light. [thread=128307]Reviewed here[/thread].

Med kit? Buy a pack of mixed plasters & a pack of blister plasters from wilko, then order a couple of small IDF dressings off ebay. Stick it all in a zip lock bag. Done.

J

ryemck · Oct 28, 2015

Quixoticgeek said:
can't comment on tents, I'm still undecided on the. I use a tarp and bivvi bag for my trips out.

Mora clipper or frost knife or what ever it's called. It's a tenner and it Just Works.

Sleeping bag is a tough one, where are you going and at what time of year? I am a big fan of the Mountain Hardware Lamina bags. I have 2, they are synthetic, and give the best balance currently of price vs weight vs warmth. If you're not too fussed about weight, then you may find some of the surplus bags work for you...

Pots - Look at alpkit. Their alipots Just Work. I have [thread=127146]reviewed them[/thread]. Alternatively the Fire Maple FMC-207 set is cheap, and light. [thread=128307]Reviewed here[/thread].

Med kit? Buy a pack of mixed plasters & a pack of blister plasters from wilko, then order a couple of small IDF dressings off ebay. Stick it all in a zip lock bag. Done.

J

The pots and knife look good

I'll wait for more replies before I buy (I might buy more than 1 set though).

For the sleeping bag I will be going at the end of november and will be in either the Lake or the Peak district

mrcharly · Oct 28, 2015

You don't need a spare knife.
For just backpacking you don't need a big fixed blade knife.

What you do need, that isn't on your list, is clothing. On a budget, I reckon army surplus goretex is pretty good (look on ebay). An old wool jumper or fleece, solid boots (fit is more important than brand name) and trousers that dry ok are the essential bits. For trousers sometimes the cheaper end of the stretchy synthetic tracksuit bottoms can work well, particularly if you pick up some goretex trousers

ged · Oct 28, 2015

I hate one man tents. I only ever use one as the end of a shelter, in conjunction with a tarp. If you close it up you will suffer from lack of space and from condensation.
You have two spare blades on your multi-tool, so you don't need a another knife.
I don't like coated gloves, they make my hands sweaty - but I have trouble with anything that's likely to collect moisture as I sweat a lot.
For lightness you can forage for vegetation to make a soft area to sleep on. A Thermarest is good but expensive. A CCF (closed-cell foam) mat is a good compromise.
Sleeping bags is a whole subject in itself, I'd suggest reading some of the threads on this forum. You'll want a three or four season bag for your chosen areas in November/December.
Consider a couple of 'Zippo' or similar hand warmers which despite being called hand warmers can be good to heat your whole body, or sleeping bag.
You have a couple of mess tins, you can cook in them so you don't need more pots but you might want a mug.
A big steel mug can double as a pot, I use one more than most other pots and I would probably use that instead of the mess tins.
You don't really need the sharpener, in a pinch you can use a rock. I carry one (a ceramic electrical fuse body) in one of my belt pouches but rarely use it. A strop is more useful to me.
For backpacking I'd take a PET bottle or two for water, it's a lot lighter and you can still heat water in it over a fire if you're careful. It can even double as a hot water bottle.
Dry bags are handy for spare dry clothing, and some are lightweight although the better ones (e.g. Ortlieb) are a bit on the heavy side.
Do you really want to carry a chair?
Consider a multi-tool that has a pair of pliers instead of the Draper one.

Take also
a couple of little LED torches - a head torch is my favourite,
maybe a spare battery (best if torches all take the same battery),
a few freezer bags, a couple of carrier bags, one or two bin liners,
as much cordage as you think you can afford to carry,
micropore tape (that's most of my first aid requirements in one item),
tweezers (I usually have two SAKs with tweezers, plus a separate pair in a belt pouch),
a little bottle of meths, for example a contact lens solution bottle.
you probably don't really need insect repellent/anti-histamine in November/December in the Lakes/Peaks but it's not out of the question,

What food will you be taking?
You've mentioned a compass, do you know how to use it? Have you got any maps?
You're going to tell someone back home where you're going and when you'll be back, right?

ryemck · Oct 28, 2015

ged said:
I hate one man tents. I only ever use one as the end of a shelter, in conjunction with a tarp. If you close it up you will suffer from lack of space and from condensation.
You have two spare blades on your multi-tool, so you don't need a another knife.
I don't like coated gloves, they make my hands sweaty - but I have trouble with anything that's likely to collect moisture as I sweat a lot.
For lightness you can forage for vegetation to make a soft area to sleep on. A Thermarest is good but expensive. A CCF (closed-cell foam) mat is a good compromise.
Sleeping bags is a whole subject in itself, I'd suggest reading some of the threads on this forum. You'll want a three or four season bag for your chosen areas in November/December.
Consider a couple of 'Zippo' or similar hand warmers which despite being called hand warmers can be good to heat your whole body, or sleeping bag.
You have a couple of mess tins, you can cook in them so you don't need more pots but you might want a mug.
A big steel mug can double as a pot, I use one more than most other pots and I would probably use that instead of the mess tins.
You don't really need the sharpener, in a pinch you can use a rock. I carry one (a ceramic electrical fuse body) in one of my belt pouches but rarely use it. A strop is more useful to me.
For backpacking I'd take a PET bottle or two for water, it's a lot lighter and you can still heat water in it over a fire if you're careful. It can even double as a hot water bottle.
Dry bags are handy for spare dry clothing, and some are lightweight although the better ones (e.g. Ortlieb) are a bit on the heavy side.
Do you really want to carry a chair?
Consider a multi-tool that has a pair of pliers instead of the Draper one.

Take also
a couple of little LED torches - a head torch is my favourite,
maybe a spare battery (best if torches all take the same battery),
a few freezer bags, a couple of carrier bags, one or two bin liners,
as much cordage as you think you can afford to carry,
micropore tape (that's most of my first aid requirements in one item),
tweezers (I usually have two SAKs with tweezers, plus a separate pair in a belt pouch),
a little bottle of meths, for example a contact lens solution bottle.
you probably don't really need insect repellent/anti-histamine in November/December in the Lakes/Peaks but it's not out of the question,

What food will you be taking?
You've mentioned a compass, do you know how to use it? Have you got any maps?
You're going to tell someone back home where you're going and when you'll be back, right?

I might ditch the chair that's a good point!
I left out I have a wind-up torch but I might buy a solar powered battery one.
I will definitely be taking bags that's a good suggestion! Also made me think to take tin foil too as it's so useful.
What do you mean by cordage?

What food will you be taking?
For the 2-3 day trip I'll most likely take: Noodles, soup, dried fruit, nuts, maybe some biscuits too.

You've mentioned a compass, do you know how to use it? Have you got any maps?
We will be getting maps

and no I am not fully confident in navigating but I understand how important it is and will be learning!

You're going to tell someone back home where you're going and when you'll be back, right?
Well hopefully we'll sketch out a route and stuff (I'll be with friends) of where we will go. So they should have a general idea of where I have been at what times if something goes wrong

I will also be texting people if I have signal!

NoName · Oct 28, 2015

to keep it short
none of it

better look up what Ray Mears suggested like in his books 10-15 years ago "Bushcraft"
and "outdoor survival handbook"" the latter can be found digital.
Can't go wrong with that. (ps forget his latest online store, too much things on there)
better search in army surplus stores and here on this forum.

birchwood · Oct 28, 2015

I dont see a stove on your list. Are you going somewhere that you have permission or are able to have a fire.
You have masses of stuff to make a fire. What are you going to do if you can't. What is your alternative plan?

Graywolf · Oct 28, 2015

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ged · Oct 28, 2015

ryemck said:
...
I left out I have a wind-up torch but I might buy a solar powered battery one.

My experience of solar charging is, well, mixed at best. I'd recommend at least one torch be powered from a single AA cell and that you keep it on your person at all times. Make sure it can't switch itself on accidentally.

I will definitely be taking bags that's a good suggestion! Also made me think to take tin foil too as it's so useful.

If I'm cooking over a wood fire, as you seem to be planning to, I usually don't bother to try to get my pot perfectly clean after cooking. I put it in a couple of freezer bags so that the sooty outside doesn't come into contact with everything else.
Yes, aluminium foil is very useful, and it weighs very little. It makes a good wind break for a fire and in a pinch it can help to keep you warm if you have enough of it. I've seen a strip of it used with a 1.5V cell to start a fire but I can't say I recommend it for routine firelighting.

What do you mean by cordage?

Lengths of string, stuff like that. A lot of people use what we call 'paracord' (parachute cord) for almost everything, but it doesn't have to be exactly that, and a lot of what is sold as paracord is actually nothing of the kind. You can probably get a hundred metres of cord for a couple of quid at a pound shop.

For the 2-3 day trip I'll most likely take: Noodles, soup, dried fruit, nuts, maybe some biscuits too.

Sounds fine. I could more or less live on noodles for a month. In fact I just did. I'd probably add some Morrisons flapjack as I'm a big fan.

We will be getting maps and no I am not fully confident in navigating but I understand how important it is and will be learning!

That's good.

Know where you are to the best of your ability at all times. If the fog comes down, stop, get the kettle on, and THINK before you do things like running around in circles and getting hopelessly lost. If somebody has a GPS in their 'phone that's probably a bonus but don't rely on it. It's an AID to navigation, it doesn't replace it.

Well hopefully we'll sketch out a route and stuff (I'll be with friends) of where we will go. So they should have a general idea of where I have been at what times if something goes wrong I will also be texting people if I have signal!

It's good you're going with friends, in one way, but make sure you've agreed between yourselves how to settle any potential disagreements - such as what happens if one of you decides it's too wet/cold/boring/arduous/dangerous to continue.

Stopping at a convenient hostelry for a meal, or a rest, or to dry out, or to get warm is perfectly acceptable in my book.

ryemck · Oct 28, 2015

birchwood said:
I dont see a stove on your list. Are you going somewhere that you have permission or are able to have a fire.
You have masses of stuff to make a fire. What are you going to do if you can't. What is your alternative plan?

We'll be bringing enough fire making equipment to make sure we don't need an alternative

Willcurrie · Oct 28, 2015

Oh navigation, now there's a skill worth learning. I think this is a good primer that covers everything you should need to know about every day map and compass work.

You didn't mention what you are carrying all your gear in?

ryemck · Oct 28, 2015

Willcurrie said:
Oh navigation, now there's a skill worth learning. I think this is a good primer that covers everything you should need to know about every day map and compass work.

You didn't mention what you are carrying all your gear in?

Thanks man, do you know of any good videos on it? I tend to learn better when watching rather than reading, don't know why :/

Didn't I put my bag in the list?! How could I miss it xD here it is: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0115BJVXO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

crosslandkelly · Oct 28, 2015

Lose that back pack. Get one of these. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Backpack-Mi...1446052127&sr=1-1&keywords=bushcraft+backpack. good to get you going and cheap enough not to worry about to much. As for the sleeping bag, get the best that you can afford, down fill is best IMO. It's no fun freezing all night.

Same for the sleep mat.

crosslandkelly · Oct 28, 2015

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/s...PeXUHDDC3t9yAFMmG2mBjL4ypsRFVMUcNwaAkbz8P8HAQ

crosslandkelly · Oct 28, 2015

I've quickly copied this for you, a pretty good list.

Tent
Go for a 2-man tent, that way you'll be able to sleep in comfort and store your gear out of the rain. Go as lightweight as your budget will allow, ideally keeping the weight to under 2kg. Alloy poles are lighter and stronger than fibreglass ones. Fibreglass ones can also split in cold weather. Your tent should have a separate inner and flysheet, with the flysheet made of nylon. Vango and Wild Country make fine backpacking tents for under £150.

Sleeping bag
The weight of a sleeping bag is dependent on the bag's temperature rating, construction material and shape. For backpacking in Scotland (outwith winter) go for a 3 season bag. Down is often quoted as a ratio of down to feathers, the higher the ratio, the better the quality and higher price. 90/10 is good with 70/30 more common in cheaper bags. Synthetic fillings are almost as efficient as down and have the advantage of coping better with wet. £100 should get you a quality 3 season bag weighing under 1.5kg. Invest in a sleeping mat to insulate from the ground. Have a look at Sleeping Bags Outlet for a vast range of bags at great prices !

Cooking equipment
Stoves come in various forms, typically fueled by butane/propane, methylated spirits or paraffin. Personally I prefer the butane/propane stoves that screw into a cartridge - clean and no hassle, though the only downside is as the cartridge empties, the flame intensity drops off. If you're cooking in windy conditions, a windshield is recommended. Go for a lightweight solo cookset and try to fit the stove inside along with lighter and padded with a j-cloth. Dried, carb rich and quick cook food is the stuff to go for, eg noodles or cous-cous. I always pack a few treats for those wet days !

Rucksack
A backpacking rucksack needs to hold between 60-80 litres. It should have an adjustable back-height, padded hip-belt and compression straps on the external pockets. there are various types of rucksack, look for ones described as 'expedition' sacks. Rucksacks are never completely waterproof, so pack items that need to stay dry in kayak-bags. To minimise backstrain and aid stability, pack with weight close to frame and light stuff nearer bottom and on the outer side. Items that need frequently accessed should be packed near the top and sleeping bag should be at the bottom in separate compartment.

Other gear
You'll need spare clothing and a down jacket. I like a clean pair of socks and underwear for each day on the hills ! Even if you don't use walking poles, take a set - you'll find they aid stability over long walks with heavy sacks. A large flexible water container is prefered to rigid aluminium ones.

Willcurrie · Oct 28, 2015

ryemck said:
Thanks man, do you know of any good videos on it? I tend to learn better when watching rather than reading

Sorry I don't, I find video learning best too normally but I feel this subject lends itself to the written word.

That Mil-tec backpack looks great for a little over £20.

rik_uk3 · Oct 28, 2015

ryemck said:
We'll be bringing enough fire making equipment to make sure we don't need an alternative

Bad logic, from time to time you just can't get a fire going...take a stove of some sort.

Bishop · Oct 28, 2015

Simpkins or Mac-Iver travel sweets come in a metal tin suitable for making charred tinder and are available from all good £1 shops, plus you get the sweets.
Can also be used as a handy cup because drinking out of a hot mess-tin is a skill that takes some practice.

mrcharly · Oct 28, 2015

rik_uk3 said:
Bad logic, from time to time you just can't get a fire going...take a stove of some sort.

Plus it can be hard to find a place where fires are permitted.

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