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| TGO Challenge Kit List laid out - awaiting judgement. |
Be kind, be humourous, and if you can be helpful at the same time, so much the better!
| Category | Item | Weight (g) |
| Baselayer | Technicals L/S Baselayer | 210 |
| Baselayer | Baggie | 15 |
| Communication | Nokia 1616 Mobile | 75 |
| Cooking | Trangia 1l Kettle | 175 |
| Cooking | Lifeventure Titanium Mug | 60 |
| Cooking | Long Handled Spoon | 15 |
| Cooking | MSR Pocket Rocket | 75 |
| Cooking | Matches & Lighter | 20 |
| Cooking | Gas Cart | 500 |
| Cooking | Sea to Summit Baggie | 25 |
| First Aid | First Aid Kit | 90 |
| First Aid | Painkillers and Anti Diarrhoea | 80 |
| Food | Be-well Exped Main Meal | 180 |
| Food | Be-well Exped Main Meal | 180 |
| Food | Be-well Exped Main Meal | 180 |
| Food | Be-well Exped Main Meal | 180 |
| Food | Be-well Exped Main Meal | 180 |
| Food | Be-well Exped Main Meal | 180 |
| Food | Be-well Exped Dessert | 130 |
| Food | Be-well Exped Dessert | 130 |
| Food | Wayfayrer Dessert | 200 |
| Food | Wayfayrer Dessert | 200 |
| Food | Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack | 115 |
| Food | Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack | 115 |
| Food | Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack | 115 |
| Food | Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack | 115 |
| Food | Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack | 115 |
| Food | Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack | 115 |
| Food | Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack | 115 |
| Food | Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack | 115 |
| Food | Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack | 115 |
| Food | Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack | 115 |
| Food | Smash Packet | 175 |
| Food | Smash in Clip Top Container | 175 |
| Food | Beef Jerky | 100 |
| Gloves | Karrimor Gloves | 50 |
| Gloves | Trekmates Silk Liner Gloves | 25 |
| Headgear | Lowe Alpine Mountain Cap GTX | 75 |
| Headgear | 2 x BUFF | 75 |
| Hydration | 2ltr pop bottle | 50 |
| Hydration | 2ltr platy | 30 |
| Hydration | 2l water | 2000 |
| Hygiene | MSR Pack Towel | 30 |
| Hygiene | Nivea 4 Men Cool Kick 35ml Antiperspirant | 35 |
| Hygiene | Small Bottle of Lifeventure All Purpose Soap | 35 |
| Hygiene | Sunscreen 30SPF | 25 |
| Hygiene | Smidge 75ml | 85 |
| Hygiene | Loo roll | 30 |
| Hygiene | Wet Wipes | 45 |
| Hygiene | Kitchen Roll (10 Sheets) | 15 |
| Hygiene | Sea to Summit Baggie | 20 |
| Insulation | PHD Yukon Jacket | 550 |
| Insulation | Montane Chuckchi Microfleece | 230 |
| Navigation | Silva Expedition 4 Compass | 45 |
| Navigation | Garmin Geko 201 (inc case) | 110 |
| Navigation | Printed OS sheets in plastic case | 320 |
| Navigation | Moleskine Notepad (Navigation Notes) | 40 |
| Odds & Sods | Length of Dyneema | 25 |
| Odds & Sods | Alpkit Carabiner (for the dyneema) | 15 |
| Odds & Sods | Baladeo 22g Pocket Knife | 22 |
| Odds & Sods | Spare Lighter | 15 |
| Odds & Sods | Front Door Key | 25 |
| Odds & Sods | Wallet & Cash | 100 |
| Outer Shell | Mountain Hardwear Paclite Trousers | 300 |
| Outer Shell | Mountain Equipment Changabang XCR | 625 |
| Power & Light | 6xAAA Lithium Batteries & 3 x CR2032 | 65 |
| Power & Light | Petzl eLite | 25 |
| Power & Light | DSL Mini Alu Light | 10 |
| Power & Light | Spare Mobile Battery | 20 |
| Reading | Kindle (inc protective case) | 340 |
| Rucksack | MACPAC Pursuit Classic (Size 3) | 1900 |
| Shelter | Tarptent Moment (including 4xAlpkit Spike Pegs) | 1040 |
| Sleeping | Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Thermo 6 | 575 |
| Sleeping | Golite Ultralite 3-season Quilt | 700 |
| Trekking | Fizan Compact Ultralight Poles | 335 |
| Trousers | Pair of Running Leggings | 225 |
| Trousers | Pair of Running Leggings | 225 |
| Trousers | Baggie | 15 |
| Underwear | Tilley Underpants | 45 |
| Underwear | Bridgedale Hiker Socks | 110 |
| Underwear | bridgedale Hiker Socks | 110 |
| Underwear | Helly Hansen Baselayer | 130 |
| Underwear | Baggie | 15 |
| Writing | Moleskine Notepad (journal) | 40 |
| Writing | Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.1 | 15 |
| Writing | Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.1 | 15 |
| Writing | Baggie | 10 |
| Total | 15692 | |
| Food | 6-days | 3340 |
| Water | Max Carried | 2000 |
| F & W Total | 5340 | |
| Base Weight | 10352 |
Now awaiting critique..............
Seeing all that written down, it doesn't look outlandish to me. There are a few things that I, personally, wouldn't carry, but when you take off the food and water, and assuming that you're going to be walking with the poles and wearing some of the clothing (that's not all spare clothing, is it?), then your baseweight is looking manageable.
ReplyDeleteIf you can post more food parcels so as to keep the weight down, then so much the better, and if you can't then at least you'll know that your packs getting lighter by the day.
Hi Dave - here's a few thoughts then: I don't know your clothing system, but do you need two pairs of running leggings as well as the HH baselayer (or is that a top)?
ReplyDeleteYour backpack seems quite heavy, but maybe it is supremely comfortable for all that?
Can you peg out your Tarptent Moment with more than 4 pegs if it gets really windy like this year?!
On the otherhand I see you are taking a potty & a doll - excellent!!!
Dump the 500 gas. A 250 will get you to Braemar then pick up a 100 to get you to the end.
ReplyDeleteI got to Braemar boiling water, for breakfast+coffee, a brew at lunch and then evening meal.
Would try to send meals on and carry only enough to get to the next pick-up+1 emergency meal, incase you are waylaid.
I doubt you need to carry 2l of water at any time (Scotland in 90% water; this fact may or may not be true :-) ) Dump the 2l pop bottle and although slightly heavier see about a nalgene type bottle, the wide mouth is much easier to fill from streams than a platy or pop bottle.
Seems to be a lot of batteries, if you do need them send them on in the food parcel. It does really get dark til 9-10ish so only a small light instead of the 2.
Swap the 2 Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.1 out for a pen from agros or a pencil.
Can't see a toilet trowel?
The biggest weight is your rucsac, if you look at Golite range or Gossamer gear range you could half the weight.
Think that is all :-)
I have recently had the kind offer of the loan of a Jetboil Flash by a fellow blogger so I can try it out - see if it works for me. 100g gas cart could manage 10 litres of boil! 550g total inc gas, and no trangia kettle or MSR Pocket Rocket required.
ReplyDeleteIt is spare clothing! Worn would be ME Ibex Stretch pants, ME baselayer, Sprayway Microfleece, Paramo Torres Gilet (plus undies of course!) - but I have now decided on removing a few more things, and should still remain comfortable so long as I can get them clean at my proper campsites.
I usually only go out for a max of 5 days so I just end up stinking if it's wildcamping all the way. But for two weeks it would drive me mad if I couldn't get clean every few days.
I'd be interested to hear about the things that you personally wouldn't carry too, if you wouldn't mind sparing the time.
I'm definitely going to post alot of the food. And I wont carry more than 1litre unless I know water will be a problem.
I'm sure there's more I can do to reduce stuff whilst still remaining comfortable, and happy.
My latest weigh in following adjustments is nearer 8kg base, with food/water 12.5kg (27lb)
I'll see how that goes - but compared with the 18kg I yomped with on Sunday it's featherweight!
Thanks for the input Gayle - very useful.
You don't need two pairs of leggings.
ReplyDeleteYou have 2 lbs of flapjack! - You'll soon get sick of that. Take half that.
You only need one base layer (wear just the fleece on your rest day whilst washing your baselayer)
Dump the kindle: You'll be too busy for techie nonsense!
Dump the water
Dump the smash
Dump the Wayfarer deserts
Halve the weight of your gas canister
If you have the dosh, halve the weight of your pack.
Take more chocolate & jelly babies.
That would get rid of 4kg straight away!
Ha, the potty is in place of the trowel and I can't sleep without the dolly.
ReplyDeleteMy last comment crossed in the air with you two guys. By the way David, who is Dave ? lol.
Only 4 pegging points on the moment - it stands up very well in wind, but I know it can get fierce. I will be investing in some of those tarp holding clips - forget the brand name, but I think you'll know what I mean.
Have swapped liner for the pencil, and have dumped one pair of the leggings. The HH baselayer is a top for night nights.
Toilet trowel was in, but not on the list - bugger! Mind you it weighs sod all.
I tried a few walks with a Golite Jam and hated it - it wasn't at all comfortable - maybe cos I couldn't get my head around packing it properly. I am willing to put up with the weight of the pack - unless I try something really good in the interim of course.
Noted re water, but that was being a bit pessimistic re finding a source - I usually have no trouble finding water enroute and usually make camp near to a decent source too.
Thanks guys once again.
Alan - too busy? Really - long nights by the tent, poss alone?
ReplyDeleteDid you suggest trying a particular pack a wee while ago - I can't find the comment or tweet. I am willing to try a new pack - if I can sort the funds out. I feel an eBay session coming on.
No-one has mentioned ditching the Yukon, something I expected.
You may need the yukon, I carried a synthetic jacket and although it was heavy I was glad of it a couple of times, especially on the campsite at Montrose, it can get cold with the wind blowing in of the North sea.
ReplyDeleteKeep the Yukon: We have had temps of -6C on the Chally, important to keep warm.
ReplyDeleteI use a framed Osprey Talon 44litre at about 1.1kg - but you can cut straps off it to get down to almost 1 kg. Very comfy indeed with bags of room and it can be packed badly in a hurry and still be comfy. There are lighter packs, just as comfy I am told, but I love my Talon - so does Roger Boston and 1 or 2 others on the Chally.
Snap - George!
ReplyDeleteOoops! Are you not Dave ... Sorry Locomountaineer!
ReplyDeleteI'd keep the Yukon too - an insulated top VIP for camps & rest stops.
I've used a ULA pack on all my Challenges and find them excellent. Used to be you could only get them direct from USA but notice Ultralightoutdoorgear sell them here now (with whom I have no connection!).
Seeing as you asked (but bearing in mind that this is just what would work for me, and wouldn't necessarily work for others):
ReplyDeleteI would carry only 3 spare AAA batteries (both of our head torches, our MP3 players and the GPS run on AAAs; to date only the MP3 players have had enough use to require new batteries even during a 12-week trip). AAAs can be bought easily enough, so I wouldn't even put any in a resupply parcel (unless you're using your GPS lots, in which case I suppose you might get through quite a few). As for the spare head-torch batteries, you'll use your headtorch so seldom in May that as long as you have good batteries when you set out, you should be fine.
I'd also ditch: the anti-perspirant; the Smidge; a pair of running leggings; either the other pair of running leggings, or the long-johns (depending on what your intended use is); the fleece (assuming that you're also wearing one); one of the notepads (I'd make notes in the back and journal in the front, except these days I don't even carry a notepad - if I need to make notes then I send myself an email); some of the food (on the basis that you should be able to resupply more often than every 6 days); some of the water; at least half of the gas (I see that you've already planned to reduce that); the matches (we did once drown both of our lighters, but it didn't take too long to dry out one of them in a pocket - and it was particularly careless of us (me...) to have got both wet).
Of course, most of that only saves a matter of grammes per item, but if you look after the grammes, then (apparently) the kilos will look after themselves.
Not that I want to disagree with Mr. Sloman, but I can't knock taking some reading matter. I didn't for our first two Big Walks, but this year I had books on my iPod Touch. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I made.
As others have said, if you're looking at throwing money at your weight issue, then the backpack and the sleeping mat are the obvious contenders.
There were two things that I would have added to the list. One was a toilet trowel and I have no recollection now what the other item was...
Oooh, that was a bit of an epic comment. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteHa, thanks again Gayle - it is a bit epic but I did ask, and it's all good. Got me thinking.
ReplyDeleteI will just say one thing re "ditch the smidge" - ARE YOU COMPLETELY BONKERS?
;-)
David - The name's Carl Mynott - but I just realised that there was nowhere on my blog that gave a clue. There is now. Sorry about that.
ReplyDeleteThe Yukon stays. ;-)
I don't carry any midge repellent other than a headnet. The repellents never seem to work and just foul up your clothes.
ReplyDeleteYou've got too many flapjacks you fat barsteward
ReplyDelete