As I Walked Along

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".   

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.

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.