outdoor gear

New gear – lighter still!

/ Backpacking, Outdoor Gear / ,

Diana has bought me a new headlamp for backpacking – a Petzl e+lite.

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It weighs 27g and uses 2x CR2032 lithium button cells – so this torch and a spare set batteries weigh less than the three spare AAA batteries I carried for my pervious Petzl headlamp.

The three white LEDs have two brightness settings, the brightest of which is provides enough light to walk at night by, the lower setting is good for reading a book or using in a small tent. There is a single red LED for night vision lighting – not something I think I will be using. There are two emergency strobe modes, one for the white LEDs and one for the red.

The thin headband is not elastic but sprung loaded and retracts into the headlamp when not is use. Not being elastic it is very comfortable to wear. However I have some concerns about the durability of this mechanism with extended use. Some care will need to be taken when using the headband.

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click on the above image for a larger version

Although the Perzl e+lite is sold as an emergency torch it will make an excellent, very lightweight backpacking headlamp.

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New backpacking kit

/ Camping, Outdoor Gear / ,

It was my birthday last week and I got a couple of new pieces of lightweight backpacking equipment.

Nalgene Travel Kit Small

The first was a selection of Nalgene bottles – I bought a set earlier this year (see here) and they have been great for packaging small amounts of food, including liquids. I am happy to carry a little extra weight for the security of the food being packaged in something stronger than plastic bags. The small jar has been useful for carrying jam or peanut butter in, and there are two similar jars in this kit. Now I can take jam and peanut butter! The small bottle will be useful for taking a little cooking oil on backpacking trips.

The second item was a Helly Hansen Lifa Dry undershirt. This high tech, laminated shirt should keep me warmer than my previous under shirt and it weighs less at about 150g. I tried the shirt out at the weekend and it was very comfortable so I have added the long johns to my Christmas list.

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Lunch today

/ Outdoor Gear, Photography, Travel, Walking / , , , ,

I found a great place to stop for lunch today.

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These rocks are upstream from Rogie Falls.

The water for lunch and for drinking for the rest if the day came from the river – using my Travel Tap bottle. Yesterday I recommended this bottle to one of the people on the campsite, as a good way to save weight when walking – as long as there is natural water around this bottle will make it safe to drink, so you do not have to carry too much heavy water.

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Vango “Force Ten” MkIII CN

/ Outdoor Gear, Photography / , ,

Michael needed a tent today – there was no way he was using my MSR Hubba but in my cupboard was this “Force Ten”.

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I think I bought this tent in 1980 during a trip to Scotland – over the years I used it a lot for camping and I even backpacked with it! My pack weighed much more then than it does today. I stopped using it when I got a lighter dome tent and this “Force Ten” has not been out of its bag for nearly twenty years. When we unpacked it today I expected it to be no good, I especially thought the ground sheet would have perished and the proofing on the flysheet to have flaked off, but it wasn’t. Except for two perished rubber bands that connect the inner and outer tent the tent was in excellent condition and went up in the garden without any problems.

…and it has rained this afternoon and it is not leaking either.

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Vango Self Inflating Camping Pillow

/ Outdoor Gear /

Whilst lightweight backpacking, last weekend, I struggled with my camping pillow on my new sleeping mat – so after a trip to Blacks in Lincoln I bought this inflatable pillow.

Vango Self Inflating Camping Pillow

Camping Pillow

This pillow has a lower profile than the previous one so hopefully it will not roll of my mat, like the previous one did.

The down side is that the Vango pillow weighs more – 265g compared to 140g – but as I kept waking up as the previous pillow slipped off my mat I think it is worth the extra weight.

Camping Pillow

It packs down reasonably small and to save some weight it has attached elastic loops rather than a stuff sack.

I’ll test it next time I am away.

Update

This pillow failed after only one season – read here and here about the replacement.

 

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Alpkit Numo Sleeping Mat

/ Backpacking, Camping, Outdoor Gear, Walking / ,

The valve on this mat failed after two seasons use – I have replaced it with a Therm-a-rest NeoAir Xlite mat. I was disappointed that this comfortable mat failed so quickly and I would not recommend it to anyone.

Alpkit Numo Sleeping Mat

Although I try to carry the lightest backpack possible, I do not skimp on comfort. I had been carrying a self inflating sleeping mat which weighed about 900g, but it filled a lot of space in my 50l pack. I do not want to carry my mat on the outside of my pack to save room or get a bigger pack which I will be tempted to fill and so it will be heavier. So I bought an Alpkit Numo Sleeping Mat.

In the quest to save weight I came across the web site www.alpkit.com. I was going to buy a sleeping bag from them in the end I bought a sleeping mat – their lightest full sized mat.

I used the mat on my recent overnight trip to Woodhall Spa.

Alpkit Numo Sleeping Mat

Alpkit Numo Sleeping Mat

The mat is exceptionally comfortable to sleep on – probably the most comfortable camping mat I have ever used and I have had a number over the years. To decrease the air circulation inside the tubes and so increase the insulation from the ground there is baffle material inside the mat – although I have not tested this on frozen ground, it works well enough for the type of camping and backpack I do.

This mat packs much smaller than my self inflating mat, saving space in my backpack and is half the weight. To save extra weight I do not take the stuff sack or the repair kit, I already have a patch kit in my “camping bits” pouch.

Alpkit Numo sleeping mat

comparison of sizes

The Alpkit Numo fits nicely in my small MSR Hubba tent, leaving enough room at the bottom to store my backpack and along the side for other gear. I was careful not to over inflate the mat, a little give in the tubes made it more comfortable.

One problem I had was that my inflatable pillow now rolls off this mat, so that will have to be addressed.

Update

For more on my use of this mat, my pillow story and more about my gear see My Backpacking Kit 2014.

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