TGC Challenge 2015- Potential Kit List

Here we go then, for your perusal and comments.
Ok, I know I've not weighed anything yet but might get round to it someday..


Carry:
Montane Grand Tour 55
OMM chest pouch
Pacer Poles

Shelter/sleeping:
Scarp 1 tent
OR
Trailstar, Tyvek Ground sheet and custom bug bivi (most likely option)

Pegs- Various styles
PHD Custom sleeping Bag
Exped SynMat UL 7M
Exped Pillow
Tiny Tent light
Light Weight Merino top
As Tucas Down Socks
Sit mat / (DuoMat if Trailstar)
Microfiber cloth

Cooking:
Kovea Spider stove
Disposable lighter
MSR Titan Kettle
Windshield
100 gas can
Folding kuska
Homemade cosy (still to make)
Long Handled spoon
Fold-Flat plate
Lexan Hip Flask
Swiss Fork & Knife

Hydration:
Travel Tap with filter
Collapsible bottle


Clothes- Wearing:
Boxers
Socks thick & thin (swear by this- no blisters on TGOC13)
Medium Weight Merino top
Hagloffs trousers
Trail Shoes
Scree / ankle gaiters

Clothes- Spare:
Boxers x 1
Socks x 1 pr thin & thick
Keen sandals OR HiTek Zuuks (£35 ish)


Waterproofs/insulation:
Hagloffs waterproof trousers
Mountain Hardwear Paclite jacket
Waterproof mitts
Seal Skin Socks
Windproof top
Icebreaker beanie or Alpine hat (depending on forecast nearer the time)
Thin gloves
Buff
Montane prism jacket / equivalent (£90-£120)
Montane Prism Trousers (£90)
Down gillet / thin jacket (New Alpkit Filoment probably, cost unknown)


Personal/Safety:
Maps- Custom printed on waterproof paper
Compass
Satmap Active 10 GPS (looking into using Viewranger on iPhone)
Whistle
Kindle
iPhone and cable
Earphones
Ankar charger (heavy but worthwhile)
Petzl e light
Leatherman Micra
Sunglasses
Tilley Hat
Camera (not sure on make / model- will be a birthday pressie nearer the time)
Paracord / Spare Guy line
EDC Firestarter kit (size of shotgun cartridge with thermometer on top)


Hygiene/FAK:
Tooth brush and small paste
Dr Bronners peppermint soap in small bottle
LifeVenture Small pack towel (facecloth size)
Deodorant
Foot cream & Balm (in separate small film canisters)
Foot Powder
Custom First Aid Kit
Sun cream (depending on forecast)
Lip Balm
Toilet Pack (blizzard stake, small vaseline, paper & lighter)

Food... to be decided

Things I'd drop personally ..

As Tucas Down Socks
Fold-Flat plate
Travel Tap with filter
Thin gloves
Kindle
Leatherman Micra

Two or three hats?
Prism and down top?

Good looking list though mate, if you're happy with it then it looks a nice load

Well, I wore both the beanie and the Tilley last time- The beanie was very useful over the corryairrac pass when it was snowing, but I guess i could replace it with the buff and / a silk balaclava...

I know about the prism and down jacket but I sleep really cold now for some reason (when I'm out anyways), and if the prism is soaked (i sweat buckets without a waterproof, let alone with one oon!), I'm not wanting to wear it in my sleeping bag- i did think about a down gillet instead, but might reduce its usefulness outwith the TGO....

The kindle is a must I think- I wake between 5 and 6 each morning and my walking partner Scott struggles to get up before 10! ! have a lot of tent time and the kindle saved me getting seriously p!ssed off with him!!

Cheers though, all worth considering and re-considering!

It's down to the individual of course & that's a list of canny enough kit!

For a trip of that length, assuming this was my kit, I'd make the following changes myself.

Shelter/sleeping:
Exped SynMat UL 7M - replace with CCF
Exped Pillow - remove
Tiny Tent light - remove. Winter only
As Tucas Down Socks. Remove - winter only, if then.
Sit mat / (DuoMat if Trailstar) - Remove - sit on pack.

Cooking:
Folding kuska - 'probably' something bigger/lighter.
Fold-Flat plate - remove
Lexan Hip Flask - remove
Swiss Fork & Knife - remove

Hydration:
Travel Tap with filter - remove

Clothes- Spare:
Keen sandals OR HiTek Zuuks (£35 ish) - tend toward remove or lighter.


Waterproofs/insulation:
Montane Prism Trousers (£90) - remove

Personal/Safety:
Satmap Active 10 GPS (looking into using Viewranger on iPhone) - remove - go with Viewranger on phone
Kindle - remove
Earphones - remove
Ankar charger (heavy but worthwhile) - remove.
EDC Firestarter kit (size of shotgun cartridge with thermometer on top) - remove

I think the most weight saving over last time will be with food.. seriously over-estimated how much I would eat and ended up giving a lot of it to my wife when she appeared in Newtonmore to swap my inner tent for a bivibag (my duomid a hadn't been seam sealed by previous owner and I got soaked in Ft Augustus when it sleeted all night!)

If the Prisms soaked - if you leave it on after you've stopped walking isn't it nearly or completely dry by the time you get in your bag? If not I'd wear it overnight to dry it off. If it was still wet enough to bother my bag I'd put my windproof on top & if warm enough only have bag up to my waist. Sort of thing I tend to do more in winter - especially with wet gloves etc - stick up next to skin.

you'll struggle to get lighter than the swedish army folding kuksa, takes a 500ml brew for 42g. Its my goto backpacking mug.

id bin the satmap for sure, very heavy bit of kit for what it is. that will pay for your anker charger to keep the phone topped up.

synmat would go in favour of a neoair xlite medium which saves 100g

Paracord goes in favour of polyester coated dyneema - english braids or similar - lighter, stronger and just as grippy

lexan hipflask would go in favour of roll up bottle (they are pretty though )

tyvek groundsheet would go in favour of polycro.

id bin the plate too

Tis your kit though and you know what works for you. Have a great time

Ross said:

It's down to the individual of course & that's a list of canny enough kit!

For a trip of that length, assuming this was my kit, I'd make the following changes myself.

Shelter/sleeping:
Exped SynMat UL 7M - replace with CCF
Exped Pillow - remove
Tiny Tent light - remove. Winter only
As Tucas Down Socks. Remove - winter only, if then.
Sit mat / (DuoMat if Trailstar) - Remove - sit on pack.
Microfiber cloth

Cooking:
Folding kuska - 'probably' something bigger/lighter.
Fold-Flat plate - remove
Lexan Hip Flask - remove
Swiss Fork & Knife - remove

Hydration:
Travel Tap with filter - remove

Clothes- Spare:
Keen sandals OR HiTek Zuuks (£35 ish) - tend toward remove or lighter.


Waterproofs/insulation:
Montane Prism Trousers (£90) - remove

Personal/Safety:
Satmap Active 10 GPS (looking into using Viewranger on iPhone) - remove - go with Viewranger on phone
Kindle - remove
Earphones - remove
Ankar charger (heavy but worthwhile) - remove.
EDC Firestarter kit (size of shotgun cartridge with thermometer on top) - remove

Click to expand...

Cheers Ross

If im using the iPhone with view ranger I'll need to see if I can get away without the charger!! Earphones are a must though- I even need to listen to music at home- I just cant get to sleep if someone is snoring!!

The kuska weighs nowt, but took an xMug last time so might take that again (it just tends to retain the taste of whatever was last in it).

The travel tap is my water bottle & thought the filter would be sensible when in the east / agricultural areas when its not advisable to fill up without some form of purification?

Flat plat I used a lot as a cutting board for chorizo, cheese etc last time (like fresh frood when I can get it, and I will die before i go away without a decent single malt so the hipflask stays too- its a holiday for me after all, not an extreme test of uncomfortable endurance!!

As for the CCF- nah, my days of them are long gone so for me, the Exped stays too!

Yeah, could drop the fire starting supplies.


I'ts all about balancing what I need/want against spending as little money as possible- the Prisms probably wont make it!

paul said:

you'll struggle to get lighter than the swedish army folding kuksa, takes a 500ml brew for 42g. Its my goto backpacking mug.

Click to expand...

I'll not!

I've not seen kuksa's that big but I get just over 500ml in my mug at 20g. I'm not a gram weeny as some of my kit is heavy by today's standard but by taking less & saving weight with some items my overall weight ain't too bad.

Ross said:

If the Prisms soaked - if you leave it on after you've stopped walking isn't it nearly or completely dry by the time you get in your bag? If not I'd wear it overnight to dry it off. If it was still wet enough to bother my bag I'd put my windproof on top & if warm enough only have bag up to my waist. Sort of thing I tend to do more in winter - especially with wet gloves etc - stick up next to skin.

Click to expand...

To be honest Ross, I havent worn a prism so I dont know how well it dries out.. might be that your idea works well enough. I need to get one I think!.

Must look at Polycro Paul.. I keep forgetting about that stuff, cheers

Magic folks, lots of great ideas

Surprisingly hard wearing mug. On my 2nd after I stood on first one. Was still usable though. Used to keep cone, fuel, grip, lighter, spoon, syringe etc in it when I was a cone user.

fair play i just like something a little more refined

i have been known to use a costa cup on occassion but they leak after a while

Forget the spare shoes; you've seal skins for wearing with the wet trail shoes to the pub, carry a couple of plastic bags for wearing over the tent socks when you need to go to the men's room (or carry a pee bottle)

Switch the symat for a Neoair Xlite short (less than 1/2 the weight)

Personally I ditch the Prism jacket & trousers; I'll carry a base layer & leggings for sleeping in which I'll wear during the evening if chilly + a Cumulus down jacket.

Fork & knife, as well as a spoon, ??? If it can't be eaten with a spoon it doesn't get carried

Good point about the seal skins and not needing spare footwear, although I was glad of my Keens on a couple occasions last time to give my feet a break and a breather on road walks

I think my current mat is damn near perfect- can't get on with anything less than full length- I have a Peak Elite AC short which I used once only, although I liked the larger tubes along the sides..nice idea.

The knife and fork might well get ditched but they are feather light ones (pretty nice actually, Bob stocks them at BPL) and handy for when we get fresh food- I wouldn't be able to tell if they were in the bag or not.

Lots to think about, especially the insulation, and I'm going to stick with icebreaker leggings and top for sleeping / in camp warmth.

Cheers folks

I was glad of a change of footwear on the CWT Stuart, it's just nice to have something different to put your feet into. Especially with the Vivos, they're pretty much slippers

I didn't bother on the TGO and was mighty jealous of my mate with his knock off Crocs

Nothing much to add re. 'stripping the list down'.

I don't take footwear changes. I take the insoles out of my shoes to air at the end of the day and then put the shoes back on...I'm almost convinced they are different footwear. Barefoot is nice too.

I do take 55g river-crossers on occasion, but will only wear them for that.

River crossing shoes, what do people wear apart from taking your socks off and taking out the insoles and crocs of cause?
Heard of using ultralight track running shoes but wouldn't know which ones to get.

Coffee cup
http://blog.itradein.com/2013/05/01/starbucks-launches-reusable-cup-in-uk-stores/

These....I have a womens foot

They're a bit Right said Fred for me.

Hedley Heap said:

River crossing shoes, what do people wear apart from taking your socks off and taking out the insoles and crocs of cause?
Heard of using ultralight track running shoes but wouldn't know which ones to get.

Click to expand...

I wear trail running shoes, Innov8's or Salamon usually, I just wade straight through the rivers, most of the water drains in the first five minutes then the heat from your feet dries the rest out. I sometimes even roll up my trouser legs if I remember

At camp the shoes come off, insoles out, I'll either put them to one side and put my Vivos on, or if I don't carry those I just put on a pair of short SealSkinz and put the wet/damp shoes back. For weekend or three/four dayers I just go with the SealSkinz, if it's a longer trip and there's more miles to cover day in day out, the change of footwear is worth the 200g hit.

Hedley Heap said:

They're a bit Right said Fred for me.

Click to expand...

Footophobe

edh said:

These....I have a womens foot

Click to expand...

What about the other one?

I wager that foot hasn't...........

edh said:

These....I have a womens foot

Click to expand...

What happens when she wants it back?