New bag, new gear, winter load out

[mountainm]

OK so I got a new bag and some new gear to test (sleeping bag, sleeping mat and under-blanket primarily) as I'm going on an overnighter this weekend with a couple of other peeps on this forum.

So here's the new bag fully loaded:

One minor issue - because I'm erring on the side of being bloody freezing I haven't left much room for clothes. But more on that later.

You'll notice this also leaves me with a volcano stove/or water bottle (the volcano stove has a water bottle included) that I'd like to take to try out but can't at this moment fit in. Also a small pouch bag.

Contents of the small pouch bag:

1. Paracord bracelet
2. firesteel
3. cheap and nasty sharpening kit
4. fishing line
5. SAK
6. Caribiner LED torch and spare batteries
7. Nieto Folder
8. Imco lighter
9. Spork
10. Matches
11. Earplugs
12. Tea light

This is the stuff I like to have to hand or with me in the hammock.

Next the loadout of the main kit bag (see this thread:

Here we have

1. Folding trowel
2. DD Travel hammock
3. Brew kit
4. Headlight
5. Folding saw
6. Mora classic
7. Alu mess tins
8. UCO candle lantern
9. tentpegs
10. sit mat
11. Gelert x-treme light 1200 "4" season sleeping bag
12. Honey stove (and Hive bits)
13. Paracord
14. Rennie
15. Cable ties
16. Matches
17. Square of foil
18. Mini dry bag
19. Tree hugger straps with Carabs
20. 6 x 2m lenghts of shock cord
21. 2 x mico flashing LED doobrys
22. mini carabs
23. Small tabacco tine
24. Tea light
25. Large tabacco tin
26. "hexamine" type blocks (4 large)
27. mini water bottle
28. Aerogel Sleep mat in dry bag
29. Orikaso folding dinner set (plate, bowl, mug)
30. summer sleeping bag (over blanket)
31. travel towel
32. DD tarp
33. DD sleeping bag liner
34. Unsponsored down underblanket in drybag

So I'm missing a FAK, washkit, food and some clothes.

I've already cut the towel down to facecloth size. I don't really know if I'll need the spare sleeping bag and the sleep mat with my "4" season bag and underblanket but supposedly it's going to be frosty overnight.

Comments welcome - am I being too cautious, not cautious enough - I don't think we're going to have to walk far at all.

Cheers!

 

[redandshane]

Hi
You have answered your own question I think

You wont need an under quilt which tbh while jolly comfy and nice bits of kit are generally superfluous and you should not need a spare sleeping bag You probably wont need the sleeping bag liner either but weight/bulk wise that's the least of your problems,
A lightweight bivvi bag to keep out rain is useful and in damp situations way more valuable
Volcano stoves nice idea but in reality no more than a brew kit
It all depends what you are doing and how far you are carrying stuff though

Whats important is that you have what you need and have a great time
You will learn loads; we all do

 

[wildrover]

If you have the (down)under blanket you won't need the sleep mat.
In addition ditch the "overblanket".
IMHO if you have a sleeping bag that approaches 4 Season capability then you won't need it.
Even if the bag doesn't do what it claims you could wear the clothes that you can now carry as you have dispensed with the mat and blanket.

If you have the Honey stove and Hexi, do you need the Volcano Stove?
I think you've got it covered.

Don't forget a hat or balaclava

As for wash kit.
If it's just an overnight, what do you actually need?
Some Anti bacterial gel, a cut down bit of soap and a small towel or even better shemagh (Head gear and towel)

Don't omit a FAK.
Lifesystems do some small but comprehensive kits if you'd rather not make make one up.

Atb

Chris

edit... Redandshane covered most of it. Lol

 

[WeThePeoplexfbm]

i like this load out ^^, but i'd drop the volcano and use somethink small, but thats just me ^^


-----
Skipp

 

[SBreen]

You wont need an under quilt which tbh while jolly comfy and nice bits of kit are generally superfluous

I humbly disagree, when sleeping in a gathered end hammock your sleeping bag will be compressed on the bottom and somewhat along the sides, although a ground mat can be used in place of an underquilt the UQ is the preferred method as it also provides insulation along the sides.

Agree with the rest though

 

[dwardo]

Kit should be suited to the area where you are going but at a glance a few things to think about.

Mora classic would be enough on the sharps front, u could lose the others. Match case is nice but a cheapo bic lighter backed up with firesteel is enough, tinder just collect en route.
I dont bother with tent pegs, always sticks about. If only out for a day or two then just the "fine" bit of your sharpening kit it enough or none at all and sharpen when home or use your your belt as a strop. Never tried one of those little shovels before but it looks too small to be of any real use, a digging stick should do you. Dont forget the loo roll!

 

[789987]

as has been said one bag should do it as its pretty mild at the minute, what im wondering is - wheres the food and the bevvy?!!

also thats some impressive packing.. you got a lot of stuff in there!

 

[mountainm]

Kit should be suited to the area where you are going but at a glance a few things to think about.

Mora classic would be enough on the sharps front, u could lose the others. Match case is nice but a cheapo bic lighter backed up with firesteel is enough, tinder just collect en route.
I dont bother with tent pegs, always sticks about. If only out for a day or two then just the "fine" bit of your sharpening kit it enough or none at all and sharpen when home or use your your belt as a strop. Never tried one of those little shovels before but it looks too small to be of any real use, a digging stick should do you. Dont forget the loo roll!

My SAK is more for opening cans and bottles, the folder is for grunt work but my pouch stays packed permanently (taking the sharpening kit out has no benefit it weighs nothing and takes up no space), I have an IMCO so don't need a bic and the mora won't fit in the pouch - that's why I end up taking them all, easier than constantly unpacking and repacking the pouch. The tent pegs are for the honey stove for cooking purposes. The trowel has come in useful a few times and again weighs next to nothing. It's big items I need to slim down on I think - I have room for more doodads in my pouches

 

[dwardo]

hey, you gotta carry it all

 

[Partickpebbles]

Looks like plenty!!

 

[mountainm]

Looks like plenty!!

Think I over did it with the small folding towel.

 

[spoony]

My SAK is more for opening cans and bottles, the folder is for grunt work but my pouch stays packed permanently (taking the sharpening kit out has no benefit it weighs nothing and takes up no space), I have an IMCO so don't need a bic and the mora won't fit in the pouch - that's why I end up taking them all, easier than constantly unpacking and repacking the pouch. The tent pegs are for the honey stove for cooking purposes. The trowel has come in useful a few times and again weighs next to nothing. It's big items I need to slim down on I think - I have room for more doodads in my pouches

all the small things that weigh nowt will all add up when you put them together, Its more to lose. One knife the mora will do,

 

[ex member coconino]

all the small things that weigh nowt will all add up when you put them together, Its more to lose. One knife the mora will do,

Especially at this time of year when it's dark early and probably wet too, it's amazing how easy it is to lose—or just lose track of—those little things. There seems to be a sock missing already

 

[mountainm]

all the small things that weigh nowt will all add up when you put them together, Its more to lose. One knife the mora will do,

Sorry, but I can't open a can of beans, bottle of wine, cut plasters neatly, make holes in tin cans etc. With my mora. Wrong tool for the wrong job.

 

[mikergj]

How did you get on with the bag the weekend

 

[mountainm]

How did you get on with the bag the weekend

Very well, mightily impressed. For the price it can't be beat. It sat in a muddy quagmire and is bone dry inside. The zips and clasps held up to my over zealous packing. Only negative thing is if you fill it fit to bursting then the rain cover doesn't fit - but I don't think I was using it "as designed".

Comfy to carry thanks to the padding. Good size and selection of pockets. Easy access to the bottom of the sack if you packed in the wrong order. Nice neck baffle with draw cord to extend the capacity of the sack a little.

All in all. 20 quid is a bargain. For anyone on a budget I'd recommend this as the one to get.

 

[tree beard]

Good old Matt hayes . . .

 

[Jinsin456]

Just out of interest mate is that the Pacific Outdoor mat? What size of dry bag are you using because whenever I fold mine up it always seems to stick out the side a bit as I just fold the tabs over and roll it up, it does go in properly in I spend about half an hour folding it but don't want to do this on anything but a carpet. Do you just fold the side tabs in and roll and does it fit well in that bag?

 

[mountainm]

Yeah it is the pacific one. Rolling it up as it comes is a real pain. Normally I'd just make a big tube of it in my rucksack then fill the tube up. Was trying out a different tack. It wasnt too tricky to get it in the sack - it's the rolling/folding process that is a pain if you're on your own.

 

[Jinsin456]

Yeah it's a bit of a nightmare, my method is to lay it on the ground and squeeze most of the air out then fold the side tabs underneath then roll so that they come from the bottom to the top as this stops them flapping about, can never quite get the stuff sack fully closed though which is a bit of a pain.

What's your opinion of it, I've used it twice now, once in a tent and once in a hammock and I can definately say it makes a difference, especially when you roll of it although that doesn't happen much.