UL gear for long week in remote Scottish hills?

[Paul_B]

Hey guys, I'm kind of fretting a little that I have not got something I will need for a week long trip in the Scottish mountains (hills to non-Brits as less than 2500m). It has to lightweight as I am travelling by foot with all on my back (including food). Anyway this is kind of my thinking for kit.

8ft x 8ft tarp
Rab SZ bivvy
Small sheet of plastic for a groundsheet
TAR prolite short mat
Quilt
50litre rucksack
Primus micron stove with 25g canister (primus 4 season gas)
Vargo Ti-lite pot/mug
BD headtorch
Trekking poles
FAK
Matches, lighter and LMF or Vango firesteel (ferro rod)
Rab generator smock as emergency warmth if it gets v cold
light softshell fleece
Dry socks for night with long johns to sleep in
waterproofs jacket and trews
drinksafe inline filter with platypus bladder
spare source liquitainer for collecting from stream
Earplugs
windshirt
Head net.
Cap (baseball style)
Beanie (montane one) - great for sleeping in and cold nights for a little extra.
Thin gloves - great for cooler times and gripping pot if slightly too hot for me bare hands.

I know this is a long list but what am I missing and what can I leave out? Obviously I will need food on top of this. Thinking dehydrated camping food from outdoorsgrb.co.uk. I have a few double packs which I will alternate each day with single packs. I can't eat breakfast so cereal bars and those 3 in 1 coffee sachets. Lunch probably oatcakes and primula cheese early on, perhaps those John West sandwhich sachets. Later on I will probably have to make do with whatever I can get in Inverie or wherever it is I get too. Want to stay up in the hills though as that is what I'm there for.

I have no idea of weights but generally I get to about 7kg base weight without consumables like food and water (gas in a 100g canister is usually in that though I'll take a larger one this time). I am probably going to take the four sides of my honey stove and either a trangia style burner or get the Ti Evernew one which has two rows of jets (perhaps with the DX stove/windshield too). Plus small meths bottle as a backup only. Or the evernew burner with the trivet and my UL foil windshield for the gas stove.

Am I missing something? I can only think of a hip flask with whiskey in it. I would like a bug nest for the tarp too but hard to get one that's right in time. Think I might have sourced something uber-lite as alternative to tarp with bug netting but not sure I can get it before Scotland.

 

[sxmolloy]

Toilet roll and other hygiene supplies?

 

[Paul_B]

Good point, small orange trowel, alcohol gel and toilet paper.

Also something to wash with. Anyone know where to get DR Bronners soap from??

Anything else?

 

[Shewie]

Looks like it's all there to me Paul, what food are you taking ?

 

[The Big Lebowski]

You wont get a phone signal... or it will be very 'patchy'

Have you registered your moblie for 999 text? and a loud whistle. Best be safe.

 

[Totumpole]

MOZZIE REPELLANT!!! SHED LOADS!!! Gaiters. A good book. Otherwise looks like your covered.

I dont have much tarp experience, but would have thought them harder to batten down should the weather set in on you. Even in the higher altitude valleys the wind can really pick up. Having said that if the weather looks to be turning sour you could always make a b-line for the nearest bothy.

Whats the quilt for?

 

[Shewie]

A Beatons midge jacket is probably a good addition

 

[nigelp]

Hi

Wouldn't bother with spare stoves and fuel etc. if you can keep it to 7 kg that will be good. Defiantly need that midge repellant.

Nigel

 

[coln18]

just done a full week on the West highland way and seen about 6 midgies. if it looks like its going to be really hot, windy or really wet dont bother with anything more than a midgie net.

 

[Totumpole]

just done a full week on the West highland way and seen about 6 midgies. if it looks like its going to be really hot, windy or really wet dont bother with anything more than a midgie net.

Not quite sure how that works. One of my last cairngorm overnight jaunts (albeit 2 or so years ago) was 30 degrees in aviemore (hottest day of the year) and the proceeded to be one of the wettest nights Ive camped out in (proper thunderstorm) - the midges were horrific!!!! Wind I agree tends to keep them at bay, but any lul and they will still rear their tiny ugly heads.

 

[Paul_B]

MOZZIE REPELLANT!!! SHED LOADS!!! Gaiters. A good book. Otherwise looks like your covered.

I dont have much tarp experience, but would have thought them harder to batten down should the weather set in on you. Even in the higher altitude valleys the wind can really pick up. Having said that if the weather looks to be turning sour you could always make a b-line for the nearest bothy.

Whats the quilt for?

I'm actually worried about mozzies. Got cocky after last year was mozzie free where we were in the same week so decided to go tarp. Only got bug net for head and I'm a magnet for midges.

My tarp battens down well when pitched as a cave. Better than my mates Laser Comp tent. Doesn't flap and completely sheds wind like its not really there. I can lower the high point at the front in wind by lowering the trekking pole and widening the ground pegging points so easily in matter of seconds in strong wind. Then raise it up again when the wind has died down.

Its a golite backpacking quilt. It looks like a sleeping bag but from about the last foot end near the feet it has a wedge of missing down so its open at the base where your down in a sleeping bag would be compressed with accompanying loss in insulation. Comes with two straps and a pop stud at the top to hold it together and to hold the mat in place. No slipping off the mat in the night to get cold. Its also about 600g in the XL length which fits me perfectly. Also allows me to wear more clothes in cold weather such as a down pr primaloft smock to uprate it. It goes to a comfort rating of -7C and with me being slim I can practically wrap it around me. As it is I get cold its a tighter wrap or more clothes on, if I get hot I can open it up or slip my arms or legs out the side. Generally its more practical for my sort of use. Worth it for £100 (reduced from £280 at the time). Got water resistant foot section and around the opening where your breath can condense onto the bag wetting it in the colder conditions too. No hood but you wear a hat or balaclave in truly cold conditions anyway. REally rate it I do.

 

[Teepee]

Just in case you have missed it, get a head midge net. You may end up going completely mental without.

I think you have most bases covered and its a similar load to my own trips. I would add lots of gaffer tape wound round your pole's shafts for emergency repairs, a spare lighter or two wrapped in gaffer tape to stop the gas leaking.

I cant see any pack cover or waterproof stuff sacks listed either-essential for me.

 

[Paul_B]

I find midges often find out any shelter they can from the wind which can include your tarp. Not nice to see 50 or so midgies above your head sheltering with you from the storms!! Not seen that yet but I expect to one day. Thought about getting some kind of so-seeum midge net and velcro the edges a bit then stitch velcro patches on one edge of the tarp where the opening would be and if needed net over. The edges on other three sides would be pitched and tightly pegged to the ground anyway. Not sure I want to mess my tarp up that way and not sure I can be bothered.

 

[Paul_B]

I use up to 4 dry bags. Small Exped for valuables and phones, large one occasionally (if needed as its heavie than my others) for say sleeping bag although they are not really that good and leaked a few times for me. I have two sizes of Outdoor Research drybags which are really the mutts nuts. They have a more 3D webbing tape at the opening with excess sil-nylon fabric to the opening side which is heavily siliconed. This means when rolled up it forms a better seal than any other drybag I have used including the big, heavy Ortlieb canoeing ones. Very light too.

Gaffa tape. I have a small roll of black duck tape. It never leaves my sack whether a small day sack or big, 50 litre backpack.

Reminds me I really need to fix my MountainKing trekking pole. The grip on the top of the middle section has seized up inside the top section and even heating the top section with hot or even boiling water won't release it. Got no strap grip thingies plumber have only pliers to grip the tubes which doesn't work and would damage them anyway. Kinda tried quite a few things to sort it out but no luck. Any ideas? Might have to buy some Fizan UL trekking poles instead.

 

[coln18]

Not quite sure how that works. One of my last cairngorm overnight jaunts (albeit 2 or so years ago) was 30 degrees in aviemore (hottest day of the year) and the proceeded to be one of the wettest nights Ive camped out in (proper thunderstorm) - the midges were horrific!!!! Wind I agree tends to keep them at bay, but any lul and they will still rear their tiny ugly heads.

Anyone who has done the West highland way will tell you that the rannoch moor and the kings house hotel in particular are usually hell for midgies, first time i done the walk and pitched my tent, within 2 minutes my complete arm was covered with midgies, last week i didnt see any there, the only day we saw midgies was on the 2nd last day at kinlochleven when they were out for about 5 minutes. I have trekked the rannoch moor plenty of times in the heat with no breeze and the midgies disappear while the sun is out.

Maybe the really long harsh winter we had in Scotland has taken its toll in certain places, but to be sure i would still take a midge net, if you are going ultralight you dont need anything more. Also use your midge net as a ditty bag and save some weight

 

[Limaed]

Paul,
Did you decide on Knoydart in the end? Its been quite cold and wet on the hill this week with some fresh snow on the the highest tops. Before you head off check the weather: http://www.mwis.org.uk/nw.php
Yesterday a gentleman was airlifted off Ben Aden after being unable to retrace his route back to Barrisdale and ended up spending a miserable night out on the hill.

 

[Twodogs]

Foot powder .... drys your feet before you get into your dry kit ..

 

[Teepee]

Kinda tried quite a few things to sort it out but no luck. Any ideas?

Lots of Silicon release spray and some webbing clamped in a vice and wound round the pole is my best bet.

 

[JAG009]

Reminds me I really need to fix my MountainKing trekking pole. The grip on the top of the middle section has seized up inside the top section and even heating the top section with hot or even boiling water won't release it. Got no strap grip thingies plumber have only pliers to grip the tubes which doesn't work and would damage them anyway. Kinda tried quite a few things to sort it out but no luck. Any ideas? Might have to buy some Fizan UL trekking poles instead.

Wrap an old innertube around the pole you will get a far better grip

Jason

 

[Paul_B]

I decided to contact MountainKing directly at about 18:30 tonight and then drove home from work. The 3/4 hour it took to get home and changed at home was how long it took them to reply to me with a good trick. They suggested it was just overtightening (what I knew it was TBH) and not bent. So she said to put something rubber like a large rubber band or rubber gloves round the middle bit and turn it. Anyway it was the bottom two sections not the upper two so I used a pair of marigolds, one on each section and the bloody thing just loosened like it wasn't even done up properly. That is a neat trick to remember in the future. Kinda like the innertube idea. I definitely recommend it if you get a stuck pole in the future.

Anyway can I just give the people at MountainKing a huge, internet pat on the back for their absolutely brilliant service. It beats my previous best ever customer service when I forgot it was a national holiday on the wedding day and I called Giles at Drinksafe Systems over my eliminator inline filter which had a problem with taste taint. He answered and gave me a lot of good advice and a better understanding of how his filter design works. Anyway that took a quick 5 minutes after the phone call to put right the problem.

Don't you just love the way some companies support their customers. On top of this AFAIK Drinksafe are British company. I know MountainKing definitely are. Somewhere in the Northeast of England. They make their poles in their own factory up there. Not many companies like them anymore I think.

Only trouble is I've been looking online at new trekking poles and have seen some newer brands like Fizan. I had kinda set my mind or heart on getting a really snazzy, uber light trekking poles. Fizan do some really compact 4 piece (taken apart they can easily be stored inside a sack for flights) poles that are something like 200g each!! Since most of the time I leave them on my sack anyway that is good. Save nearly 100g over my current poles (1 x BD trail and 1 x MountainKing supertrekker). Plus they can be used attached together to create a 160cm single pole. That is the height an SL3 needs!! Got my mind thinking a nice new SL3 with a nest of some form (I heard of a Cumbrian company that makes them for about £100 or £120 as half nests leaving half the SL3 free for cooking and huge storage area). So I nearly went from a £180 tent with £100 nest and £65 poles to a free fix from the MountainKing and no gear fix!!!! For a gear freak like me that is kind of a win for thee free fix and a pretty savage loss in the missed opportunity to get a new integrated and multi-use set of gear. I mean the poles are poles for trekking and for holding up my tarp and an SL3 plus I can use the SL3 in midge free areas without the nest or with it in Scotland. So many pluses there.