Lightweight Summer Hiking Kit List

I love a good kit list, I don't know if this is one, but it's what I carry for a weekend summer bivvy when it's less likely to rain. Of course a forecast is just a forecast, so I carry enough to deal with unexpected cold and proper rain.

I've aimed to be realistic and list everything, I often see very low quoted base weights which miss things like basic first aid.

I'm sure there are few items here that would raise a quizzical eyebrow from the ultralight crowd. For instance I love wild swimming, so I carry a reasonably sized modesty protecting towel, while some would wipe themselves down with a napkin from Greggs whilst proclaiming "it weighs only 2g although the sausage roll crumbs are bit itchy".

My favourite definition of light weight hiking is to carry what you need for your mission and no more. So whether your weight is 'good' or not depends on what you are doing and for how long, budget, comfort levels and appetite for risk. It's a really personal and situational thing. I'm also prone to cold and cautious, I need to be back at work with all my appendages on Monday.

Click for a bigger picture obvs.

Sleeping
Alpkit Kloke Bivvy Bag
Alpkit Numo inflatable mat
Alpkit Cloud Cover Down Quilt
Sea to Summit Inflatable Pillow
Polycro Ground sheet

Carrying
Alpkit Ledge 35L
Exped Rucksack Liner
Decathlon packable 10L rucksack (useful extra capacity & stuff sack)
Trash bag

Drinking
1L Decathlon Aluminium Bottle
Sawyer 1L squeeze bag
Sawyer Mini Filter
Sawyer Mini Filter Syringe
Chlorine Tablets
Lidded Cup, used to make decent camp coffee.

Hiking Basics
Compass
Map
Pen, Notebook
Reading Glasses
Terra Nova Trail Elite Walking Poles
Waterproof pouch wallet
Victorinx Classic Pen Knife
Whistle
First Aid Kit including Tick Twister

Misc
Rubble Sack
Strips of luminous material, for visibility, everything else is dark.
Swim trunks
Towel

Kitchen (Contained in pot)
Generic 900ml titanium pot with lid & bail handle (useful for open fires)
Speedster Stoves 30ml Burner (thoughts here)
Speedster Stoves Wire Pot Stand
Tin foil hat/wind shield
Decathlon Folding Spork
Lighter, Matches
Meths Bottle
Small J-Cloth

Weather Gear
Berghaus Light Trek Waterproof
Montane Minimus Rain Trousers
Cotton brim hat
Sunglasses
Rab Filament Beanie
Snood
Mosquito Head Net
Suntan Lotion

Walking Clothes
Brasher zip off, cargo trousers, pocket big enough of OS map
Hiking Socks, Boxers
Montane Dart T Shirt
Zip Up light weight fleece (not pictured)
Merrel Moab Hiking Shoes (not pictured)

Night / Last Day Clothes
Transparent plastic bag to keep the below clean and dry
Montane Dart T Shirt
Merino Long Sleeve
Long sleeve fleece
Hiking Socks

These clothes are part of my sleep system, and then get worn on my last day so I'm dry and slightly presentable. I most use fleece and synthetic for warmth, it comforting to know it still works when wet.

Electronics
Head Torch, spare batteries
LED Key chain torch (backup)
Phone Battery, USB Leads, plug
Phone
Camera & Pouch

Toiletries
Generic titanium trowel
Loo Roll
Soap
30*30cm hand towel
Hand Sanitiser
Dry Bag for above
Tooth brush & Paste
Meds
Tiny Comb
Deodorant
Tiny Shampoo & Hair Gel

Food Pack (Typical)
Muesli
Lunch -Sandwiches, Tortillas, local pasty etc
Noodles
Couscous
Dry Roast Peanuts
TVP (dried soya protein)
Fruit Loaf
Tons of Tunnock's Bars
Dark Chocolate
Jelly Babies
Ground Coffee in reusable tea bags
Instant Cappuccino Sachets

I generally pack food options which are no-cook compatible, in case I can't use the burner for any reason, in particular it means I can pack less fuel because running out isn't a concern.

So that's it, let me know if I missed anything :-)

Trekkertent Stealth 1.5 Tarp Tent Review

Trekkertent pitched on Dartmoor, not entirely blending in. As I walked along it occurred to me that I should sing the praises of the Trekkertent Stealth 1.5 , a lightweight double wall tent hand made by a small outfit in Perth, Scotland. I brought the Trekkertent to replace another fine British tent, the Terra Nova Solar Photon . The Solar Photon was ludicrously light for a free standing tent, and incredibly easy to pitch. I was always conscious that the materials were both very expensive and very thin, not that I actually had any problems or damage, even after a sketchy moment when the outer transformed itself into an expensive kite one particularly breezy evening in the Pentland Hills. Primarily I wanted a simple, robust shelter that took advantage of the fact that I was already carrying poles.

The Abbots Way Walk. Possibly.

The Abbots Way winds from East to West across Dartmoor from the small village of Buckfast to the small town of Tavistock. It starts and ends with quiet country lanes, bookends for the longer part of the walk across open undulating, and somewhat soggy moorland.

The Lych (Wrong) Way Walk

As I walked along I considered the rather high proportion of dead to alive that had, over long centuries, completed this forlorn path across Dartmoor. For some it was their last journey. This path is the Lych Way, a corpse road along which bodies were carried from all across the ancient Dartmoor forest, ready to be buried on consecrated ground in Lydford Church yard. The Lych Way is a day long, twelve mile taste of the magic, and occasional misery, Dartmoor has to offer. In between gorgeous views it passes through ancient woods, scrubby moorland, army ranges, soggy bogs, prehistoric and modern relics, fords and stepping stones. A keen eye will notice boundary stones, hidden crosses, wild flowers and wildlife. It doesn’t need a keen ear to realise how quiet and tranquil some stretches are. All this is strung between two quintessential Devon villages replete with pubs, coffee and conveniences.

Speedster Spirit Stove and Pot Stand Review

Simmer ring, burner, lid, simples. This isn’t so much a review as an honourable mention. The simple, reliable things in life are often taken for granted, especially when they work well and do exactly what they are intended to do every time. I term these ‘door handle products’. Not necessarily exciting, but rather important and only likely to be noticed when they don't work or get snagged on a coat. The Speedster spirit stove is one such product. Brought four years ago for the princely sum of £5.40 it’s proven to be a reliable practical burner. Speedster Backpacking Products are a UK company who offer all sorts of useful gear for UK hiking, from tick removers to spirit refill bottles, their stock is clearly based on experience.

Lightweight camp coffee, how to get a decent brew on the go.

No coffee, no walkee as they say. How then do you get a good coffee in the middle of nowhere? Is it worth a five mile detour to get a lovingly crafted flat white or is there something you can carry to satiate cravings until you throw yourself upon the sympathy and dubious charm of the local barista? I’ve pondered these questions over long drudgerous miles, when all that keeps me going is imagining the most exquisite coffee known to humankind waiting for me at the end. What follows is a few solo coffee options for ultralight hiking and wild camping.

What on earth is re-wetting?

Isn't Dartmoor wet enough already? As I walked along I pondered the term I’d just heard, “they are re-wetting over there”. What on earth was that? A local version of hair of the dog? A second excuse to celebrate a new born’s arrival? I thought I was getting quite good at Dartmoor vernacular. Although it’s taken years I can just about deal with sentences like “I was at the Ringleshutes Mine Gert near the adit, in all that pixie wool, at first I thought it was clitter but it turned out to be a buddle”. Re-wetting was a new one on me.

The Dartmoor Two Tramways Hike: Section 1 - Ivybridge to Redlake

As I walked along the tramway stretched out for miles, I was walking for fun, pack lightened by decades of innovation, a stark contrast to the tough people who built and worked line, facing fickle Dartmoor conditions in heavy layers of cotton, wool and leather. This post is an overview of a point to point weekend route I tried between lock-downs. It was designed to be accessible by train, take in two of Dartmoor’s more substantial disused Tramways, a couple of nights wild camping and a brace of bracing wild swims.

As I Walked Along

Search This Blog