Michael_x
Section Hiker
Last week I managed to get out for a very short hike and overnight camp.
My hope was to test out my new As Tucas Sestrals blanket before the weather got too warm.
Sadly Welsh weather failed to live up to its reputation with an impressively sunny hot day, clear skies and a warm evening. Even camped overnight at 560m by Llywn Bochlwyd the temperature never dropped below 9.5c in my tent.
Not surprisingly I was very very warm. I even had to skip the Merino nightwear and just sleep in Alpkit briefs. So, blanket test fail. It's a lovely blanket but I guess I'll have to await winter to enjoy it under proper conditions.
To get to the point, as well as failing miserably to find a cold night in Wales I discovered my pack has a major, and somewhat surprising, shortcoming.
Heading up from the lay-by on the A5 was a lot steeper in places than the route descriptions I read suggest but no major problems for the pack.
Not so heading down. Alas I found my descent was significantly slowed because as I moved from rock to rock the pack insisted on trying to pull me over and throw me off balance. Not fun.
Some of that could no doubt be helped by reducing base weight which I'm working on. What I had was :- https://lighterpack.com/r/etpuj9
I've also since experimented with the back adjustment and it's a bit more stable so I suspect part of it was my fault with poor pack adjustment.
Much as I love my Berghaus ABS I've been yearning for a lighter slightly larger pack and the above has decided it. Presently I'm pretty well decided on an Osprey Exos 48.
The bulk of my backpacking with overnight camping gear will probably be on easier / gentler terrain than Tryfan but just occasionally hilly bits happen.
Still I wonder what thoughts and suggestions folk have on the subject of packs for hiking over rough / uneven ground.
My hope was to test out my new As Tucas Sestrals blanket before the weather got too warm.
Sadly Welsh weather failed to live up to its reputation with an impressively sunny hot day, clear skies and a warm evening. Even camped overnight at 560m by Llywn Bochlwyd the temperature never dropped below 9.5c in my tent.
Not surprisingly I was very very warm. I even had to skip the Merino nightwear and just sleep in Alpkit briefs. So, blanket test fail. It's a lovely blanket but I guess I'll have to await winter to enjoy it under proper conditions.
To get to the point, as well as failing miserably to find a cold night in Wales I discovered my pack has a major, and somewhat surprising, shortcoming.
Heading up from the lay-by on the A5 was a lot steeper in places than the route descriptions I read suggest but no major problems for the pack.
Not so heading down. Alas I found my descent was significantly slowed because as I moved from rock to rock the pack insisted on trying to pull me over and throw me off balance. Not fun.
Some of that could no doubt be helped by reducing base weight which I'm working on. What I had was :- https://lighterpack.com/r/etpuj9
I've also since experimented with the back adjustment and it's a bit more stable so I suspect part of it was my fault with poor pack adjustment.
Much as I love my Berghaus ABS I've been yearning for a lighter slightly larger pack and the above has decided it. Presently I'm pretty well decided on an Osprey Exos 48.
The bulk of my backpacking with overnight camping gear will probably be on easier / gentler terrain than Tryfan but just occasionally hilly bits happen.
Still I wonder what thoughts and suggestions folk have on the subject of packs for hiking over rough / uneven ground.