Met a kind Beligan who let us pitch camp in his meadow one night. He had an AMAZING workshop..
Gear junkie in me needs to know... nice pack/setup, care to share?
post a picture of yourself
- Thread starter jon r
- Start date
Gear junkie in me needs to know... nice pack/setup, care to share?
I've just read through the thread on BB, interesting stuff, which tools did you end up taking?
Were you walking the GR10 or 11, the pictures (more in the link above) look like they are from the eastern end. It looks like you had a great time.
Gear junkie in me needs to know... nice pack/setup, care to share?
Haha, I too am kind of a gear junkie. The list is pretty massive (and weighty!) but from the top of my head, some main things were..
- Kelty Coyote 80 backpack - really light, super comfy
- Alp Kit Skyehigh 800 sleeping bag - not once was I cold in the night
- Marmot Limelight 3p tent - 3 person tent for 2 people was kind of the minimum unless you're both severely vertically challenged. We're both pretty stout so that tent ended up perfect. Nice low impact colour.
- Marmot Aegis rainjacket - you could build ships outer these things, mega waterproof
- Mountain Equipment shroud fleece - nicest, warmest fleece for the weight I've ever worn
- Leki Makalu Carbonlite XL hiking poles - pretty much saved my knees with the weight I was trawling around, SO helpful. Useful for dragging yourself up an incline and supporting yourself on a descent, just golden.
- Cheap foldable 3 legged stool from pound shop.
- MSR pocket rocket and small esbit pocket stove as a backup, both excellent.
- Alp Kit MyTiMug 750ml, great light titanium mug.
- Camelbak Omega water beast 100oz - the taste of plastic eventually started to fade by the end of the trip..
- Klean Kanteen 40oz bottle
- Took a couple of those all weather blankets which I call "space tarps" due to their reflective on one side and green tarp on the other. They came in very handy.
- Trousers were the Fjallraven Barents trousers - probably go with a lighter option next time, wore shorts a lot. Wonderful trousers though, quality through and through.
- Tools/sharps I took with me were Mora Clipper (invaluable), Leatherman Charge tti (pliers came in very handy, so did the can opener and saw, used little else), Buck Knight as a little back up knife, didn't use it once.
- Fenix LD10 as my main torch, LD20 as backup and thrower if needed. Lantern attachment invaluable. Headband also!
- Scarpa Ranger GTX boots, held up well, hugely comfy. Bit battered now from all the scree but I still love 'em.
- My most useful, used item. Bandanna. One of the big RM ones, biggest I could find. Head dress for keeping yourself cool/hot, scarf, towel, dish cloth, pouch for carrying/collecting things, crude short rope, pre-filter.. etcetcetcetc
- I shall stop there.. I took the amount of stuff most people on here would shudder at the thought of, makes me chuckle.
I have loads more pics but I shall not bore you with them. Lots were posted in the BB thread sandbender linked too.
Thanks man, correct! we were on the eastern side. we ended up bunny hopping from the GR11, GR10 and sometimes the Haute Route at higher elevations when we found it. Didn't really want to keep to a route as such, we would plan every evening what route/summit we would do next depending on weather and what we felt like. Free as the wind...I've just read through the thread on BB, interesting stuff, which tools did you end up taking?
Were you walking the GR10 or 11, the pictures (more in the link above) look like they are from the eastern end. It looks like you had a great time.
Edit, oh forgot to mention I picked up an Opinel no.7 which is great. My only tangible momento, but more than worthy. The thin blade and flat grind give you a mean mean slicer for brie and tomatoes.
Last edited:
Sweet cheers - just had a look at more of your trip photos over on BB and now I want to go!
Myself looking somewhat intent and pensive - out in the bay in front of my house
And this is what I was looking at: A young basking shark - and watching us all in turn, a curious seal. Beautiful evening, and my brother just happened to have his camera in the boat.
And if I seem a bit serious in the pic, it's because we managed to row to within 15 yards of him, and he was almost twice the length of the boat....
Still trying to figure how to post the big pics in a thread, so sorry for the little thumbnails.
And this is what I was looking at: A young basking shark - and watching us all in turn, a curious seal. Beautiful evening, and my brother just happened to have his camera in the boat.
And if I seem a bit serious in the pic, it's because we managed to row to within 15 yards of him, and he was almost twice the length of the boat....
Still trying to figure how to post the big pics in a thread, so sorry for the little thumbnails.
Last edited:
All you have to do is click the icon of a framed tree in the input box and copy and paste the url to your image in there. Hey presto, bob's your auntie and all that jazz.
me in the Bundu last November
Good to see someone who's mastered the African squat toilet.
"...Lots were posted in the BB thread sandbender linked too.
Thanks man, correct! we were on the eastern side. we ended up bunny hopping from the GR11, GR10 and sometimes the Haute Route at higher elevations when we found it. Didn't really want to keep to a route as such, we would plan every evening what route/summit we would do next depending on weather and what we felt like. Free as the wind...
Edit, oh forgot to mention I picked up an Opinel no.7 which is great. My only tangible momento, but more than worthy. The thin blade and flat grind give you a mean mean slicer for brie and tomatoes.
It is a great part of the world, glad you both had a fine time. I prefer the western side though, all that Basque food.
So as not to drag the thread of track, here is one of me, looking for my hat I think.
Ok well i suppose i shall join the masses and embarrass myself -
Me posing as usual -
Me with a miscellaneous parang injury -
Me playing with my old axe -
Hamster
Me posing as usual -
Me with a miscellaneous parang injury -
Me playing with my old axe -
Hamster
i tell you what gary you take some awsome pics mate.Prize winning pic, Wayland.
what a cracker that is.
Freezing me a$p off, in the name of fun...
Me with the little lebowski... A great bushcrafter in the making.
Me with the little lebowski... A great bushcrafter in the making.
Prompted by the 'squat toilet' comments, I offer my avtar showing me on a Sh*tbox (from www.thebrowncorporation.com ) looking out over a peaceful Loch Lomond some 5 years ago.
Incidentally the Sh*tbox still works fine to this day despite a number of canoe trips. highly recommended for those of us haven't mastered the squat.
Incidentally the Sh*tbox still works fine to this day despite a number of canoe trips. highly recommended for those of us haven't mastered the squat.
