Gear list 14 day hike, two resupplies

[Einstein X]

I just updated the gear list in my profile for my upcoming participation of the TGO Challenge 2008 (search in Google). It is definitely not the lightest gear list, but it is the most honest gearlist I ever made. Everything I could think of that will end up in or on my pack or me is listed there, although I just realised I might also take a handkerchief.

Please have a look and tell me everything you think.

Eins

[Kathleen B]

I just got the Garmin Vista Hcx for my birthday, and with batteries it weighs in at a whopping 170 kg (6 oz). But boy is it nifty.
I can think of cheaper stove fuel than whiskey. That is what it's for, right?!!

[S P]

One shot for me, one shot for my stove, one shot for me……… :)

[Einstein X]

Hi Kathleen. Your GPS is heavy!!! Does it come with a Diesel powered generator? 170kg (375 lbs) is quite a lot.

And off course the whisky is stove fuel, what else would you use it for? :D

Eins

[Kathleen B]

Can you tell I'm an ounce and pound person? So much for reading the conversion chart on my scale!

At least with a long trek you'll have a chance to go on the wagon.

[Scott Ashdown]

Eins,

I wondered about the Tee Lights. You have 2 listed for days 1 to 5, 4 for days 6 – 10 and zero for days 11 to 14. What are you doing differently over days 6 to 10 that requires more than the other days? Just curious.

Scott

[Einstein X]

Haha, Scott, good question.

Day 1 to 5 I'll spend one night in a bothy, where both tealights will be used. Day 6 to 10 there'll be two nights in two different bothies, so four tealights, Day 11 to 14 there'll be only one night in a bothy again, so I should've listed two tealights again, will add those today.

Other nights will be spend camping (5 nights) or in hostels or an Inn, where I won't need any tealights.

Eins

[Einstein X]

Stupid BPL server

[Steven Evans]

Hey Eins, very nice list – just wondering what the bivy-bag-pack is, as I see you have the bivy poncho listed there and also a Ghost. I know it's homemade so you can't send me a link, but maybe a quick description for it's use.
Thanks!

[Einstein X]

Hey Steven thanx for the compliment. One of the last things i needed to add to my lightweight gear list was a bivibag, but a bivibag is a pretty useless thing when hiking during the day. I figured I might sew some shoulder straps and hip belts on my bivi and make a backpack out of it, which I did. The bivi-bag-pack weighs less then my Gossamergear G4 and the bivibag put together and I get double use out of it, which I think is a must for my gear.

Eins

[Roger B]

I like your gear list and am intrigued about your bivibag. Is the bivi home made or is it an off the shelf bivi?

Are you using a pad for a frame? If so how is it secured in the "pack"

And do you have a picture?

I also wondered why are you taking a poncho bivy when you already have a bivi?

Above all else enjoy the challenge.

[Einstein X]

Hey Roger,

The bivi is an off the shelf bivi, the cheapest one I could find cause my bivi-bag-pack is still a prototype.

I won't give details of it nor do I want to show a picture, cause if my dreams come true I would like to put it on the market. Anyone interested? But if you have a look at my avatar picture you'll see sth red behind my back, which is the bivi-bag-pack in pack mode.

I do not believe in a bivi on it's on unless it's below freezing. Making camp in the rain means putting sleepingbag into the bivi in the pouring rain and getting udressed in the pouring rain, so everything will be wet. Sleeping under a tarp will solve these problems. A poncho tarp on it's own also has it's problems, like horizontaly wind driven rain, snow or even worse: sleet. Sleeping under a tarp without bivi at these conditions isn't much fun either. Bivi and tarp together is the best combination and depending on which you buy also the lightest, most versitile set-up. Much more info can be found on this website, that's where I learned all this.

Eins

[Roger B]

Understand fully your reluctance to provide lots of information given that it is a prototype. It sounds like a great idea, is the bivi made out of a breathable fabric?

If so then I assume you need to take care of water wetting out the "pack" while you are hiking.

Your use of the poncho makes sense, its exactly what I do, but I use a pack as well as a poncho and a bivy.

[Einstein X]

The prototype isn't made out of breathable fabric, but I intend to make prototype mark II with a breathable upper. Wetting out might be a problem, but I carry all my stuff in three waterproof roll-top bags so it won't really be a problem if it wets out. Additionally, if it's raining I'm wearing my poncho to protect me from the wetness anyway.

Eins

[Gordon Green]

Hi Einstien,

Your gear list was interesting inasmuch as you chose to use a bivy/tarp combination for the TGO in Scotland.

Now, after the event, what feedback have you on the merits of such a combo?

There has been at least one other thread where the use of tarps &/or bivies in Scotland has been discussed. I'm of the opinion that providing the location is very well chosen, then there should be no inherent promblem in using tarps in Scotland. I've, so far, used a fly/bivy combo in Scotland and found it more than adequate for the conditions. I'm waiting for a cuben tarp to arrive before trying this out in Scotland later this summer.

BTW, on the TGO, were you in Dalwhinnie on Saturday 17 May?

[Martin Rye]

Eins,

Why no feed back on the TGO with the tarp. A few questions.

Q.Others used their Cuben tarps and these suffered damage on the 08 Challenge described as a classic year for good weather. So how did your setup perform?

Q.In bad weather did you use the tarp or a bothy?

Q.Did you walk solo or with someone with lots of spare equipment that you could use if you got in trouble – example they might have had a tent with room for you in a storm if the tarp was not up to it.

Be good to hear your experience to compare with others

[Author]

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