Backpacking, hiking and walking

I am a keen walker, walking in many places around the country from day walks in the Highlands of Scotland to backpacking in Lincolnshire where I live and even an hour or two across the fields between jobs, an advantage to owning the company!

I used to go backpacking a lot but family, work and years changed that to day walks and long distance walks using hotels and a luggage service. However having watched a number of videos on YouTube of older people backpacking I decided I would start overnight hiking again, with all my gear on my back. That was 2011, this is an on going story.

One thing that is going to be radically different with my hiking now, is the weight I am going to carry – things are going to be lightweight. Not so lightweight that I cut the handles off my toothbrush, eat crushed Pringles and drink cold water. I want to be comfortable, cook a little and drink hot tea but still not be weighed down whilst walking.

If I am not walking I love camping so some of the blog posts and pages mix camping and walking.

Weight

Trying to get the weight of my backpacking gear down has been a process, which I have written about and reviewed over the last few years. Here is the page for this year:

My Backpacking Gear 2015

Other year reviews are available from the menu.

When I have been searching the internet and YouTube for ideas about techniques and equipment I particularly liked pages where people laid out their gear with descriptions and then showed it in use – so have created some similar pages and illustrate my gear in use in my blog.

Backpacking gear pages

  • Backpacking gear list – you can download my spreadsheet I use to list and calculate how much weight I carry.
  • Cooking Gear – my lightweight cooking set, which packs easily into a one litre stuff sack.
  • Brew Kit – a pocket sized kit for a weekend away.
  • MSR Hubba Tent – my second backpacking tent. A review of my lightweight one man tent.
  • Wash Kit – good hygiene is essential for good health even on the shortest trips.
  • Adventure First Aid Kit – A joint project with Lincolnshire based First Aid company, JK Sonics to develop a comprehensive kit to my specifications.
  • Water – it is heavy to carry
  • Possibles Kit – a look at those things I carry “just in case”.
  • Hiking Biscuits – a recipe for versatile biscuits that are great for backpacking and camping trips.
  • Outdoor Gear – blog posts about backpacking gear.

Backpacking Geek

I love technology – read about my backpacking geek stuff here.


The West Highland Way

My blog was up and running when I walked the West Highland Way with my friend Richard. We decided to do it in 2011, the year we both had our 50th birthdays.

Richard leading me along the banks of Loch Lomond
Richard leading me along the banks of Loch Lomond

You can view all the blog posts I made during the week we were walking here – West Highland Way – however the first post you will see is about the presentation Richard and I gave to the Misterton Ladies Group.


Backpacking Blog Posts

Testing the Alpkit Kraku stove with the Alpkit MytiMug 400

External Power Bank Packs and real capacity values

Walking – Easter Bank Holiday

Sunday morning walk – Finnish Gas Mask Bag – First Aid Kit – StarShipSofa

Water treatment methods and their effectiveness

Backpacking Food – Old Man of Coniston

Backpacking food for a weekend

Alpkit Kraku Backpacking Gas Stove

Sea to Summit Travel Day Pack

Silva Compass

Petzl e+lite

Wild Camping trip Black Combe – Lake District

Some thoughts about my gear

Backpacking on the Old Man of Coniston

Camping on the Old Man of Coniston

2 thoughts on “Backpacking, hiking and walking”

  1. Thanks for the Pennine Way GPX File!! About to start it in seven days and waited until the last second to decide on GPS or no GPS.

    1. I’d take both a paper map and a GPS. The technology adds that extra reassurance to the navigation but more importantly it allows you to accurately trace your progress – something which I find essential when walking, it means I can pace myself on multi-day walks.

      Good luck with the Pennine Way.

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