Favourite Kit

Following on from my musings below about what kit I want to get in the near future I thought it was about time to reflect on my favourite bits of kit that I do currently have and use.

First up is the Laser Competition. Still my tent of choice after 2 years use. I just cant go back to heavier tents as it feels wrong and the fact that its an outer pitch tent just nails it for me. The only other shelter I use currently is my cuben fibre tarp which even with poles, guys and pegs weighs in at 250g. Now that is seriously light! Will wait with interest to see what this new Terra Nova Solar Elite tent looks like when its launched next year. Supposedly Laser Comp weight but free-standing…..

The Terra Nova Laser Competition

Secondly a quick look at my rucksack collection indicates that I have several favourites here. I use the OMM Running Light 20L sack for quick and dirty overnighters, the OMM classic 32L sack for more conventional overnighters and summer weekends and then the Gossamer Gear Mariposa or Golite Jam2 for longer journeys and winter trips. Hard to choose the most favourite although I certainly use the OMM 32L sack most of the time.

OMM classic 32L rucksack

My Golite Ultra 20 sleeping bag/quilt has been a revelation. I have been using this for about 18months and since I bought mine, I have seen quite a few other people buy one as well. Its really light, versatile, warm beyond comparison for its weight (500g) and with the exped downmat has served me through the winter as well.

Golite Ultra 20 sleeping Bag/Quilt

Favourite shoes are my current (2nd pair) Montrail CTCs. They are light, breathable, grippy in most situations and a joy to wear with a comfort factor of 9. I will be trying out the Streaks soon though as enough people have convinced me recently that they are a good bet as well.

Montrail CTC approach shoes

My Montane Atomic DT jacket just keeps doing it for me. I have had this for 18months now too. Never had to wash it or reproof it and it is still beading and keeping the rain out magnificently. Its also a damn fine fit and uber light to boot. Not showing any great signs or wear and tear either. Great bit of kit.

Montane Atomic DT Jacket

For a warm jacket to stand around in camp I have found none better than the Montane Antifreeze. Its light at around 400g, water resistant, packed full of uber warm down and fits me really well. And this is the main point for me…..I am blessed with short arms, big chest and torso, medium waist but short legs. Montane sizing seems to work for me spot on. I have tried lots and lots of other manufacturers but they just dont fit, normally either very long flappy legs or long flappy arms…….. Thats why I mainly wear Montane and craghopper, they fit me!

The Montane Antifreeze Jacket

Other bits and bobs that still make me smile with pleasure are my MSR pocket rocket, my opinel knife, my Paramo Cambia baselayer, the Exped downmat for winter camping and funnily enough my Nokia N95 (GPS, MP3 player, video player, 5MP camera, internet access, oh and a phone)

Nokia N95

Ok, no great shakes. What works for one may not for another but I have spent the past 5 years building up my kit to a point where just about everything I use is a favourite of mine. And thats the point I think. If you really like AND enjoy using your own personal kit everytime you go walking and camping it just makes the exprience all the better for it

New projects……

Ok,

so I’m back blogging and I’ve also done a fair amount of walking this year too. With any luck a change in job will allow me to do more solo camping as well. I am currently awaiting the outcome of a series of interviews for my present company that, if successful, will allow me to work from home permanently. If this happens then I will have much less restrictions in being able to disappear into the hills for a couple of days at a time.

In preparation for this possible turn of events I am reviewing my kit and seeing what I can sell on and also what I may still need. I have narrowed my list of “wants” down to a new tarp, a new pair of trail shoes and a new pair of walking trousers.

The tarp is kind of sorted already. I have bought a “Ray Way” tarp kit from Ray Jardine. Its uses 1.3 ounce per yard silnylon which should give a very light tarp with maximum coverage. The kit allows you to produce a tarp with beaks, lifters and a ridgeline so i am looking froward to making it. Trouble is, I havent done anything like this before so it should be interesting to make

For the trail shoes I am looking to get a pair of Montrail Streaks, as reviewed by PTC on his excellent blog. I love Montrail shoes as they do half sizes and they fit me really well. I have tried other shoes and nothing comes close for me.

With regards to the trousers, I havent got a clue currently. I want a pair of trousers that will cope with all but deepest winter conditions but am finding it difficult on account of my sizing. I am a 32inch waist but with 29inch inside leg. That makes it really difficult to find a good fit. i have tried Montane’s range of trousers but they just dont feel comfy. I will have to have a look around but for now I will stay with my trusty if a little unflashy craghoppers.

Anyway, more musings to come I suspect

A strange day

Look this is getting out of hand! Posts on 3 consecutive days on my blog? Outrageous!!!

Ok, I had a day to myself. A rare enough event in itself so I decided to go out walking as you do. I had been warned though. I had checked the BBC weather report (vague and unsatisfying), metcheck’s weather report (usually quite good) and metoffice’s mountain specific weather report (usually excellent). All three told me it would be misty up high and generally thoroughly wet in the Brecon Beacons. I decided on a classic tour of the high ridges of the central beacons as a treat and devil may care what the weather would throw at me.

Ok, I drove from my house to Brecon and found that the weather forescast was being pretty accurate. It was throwing it down. I consolled myself with a bimble through Brecon itself. Brecon is a little gem of a place. Decent fish and chip shops, a WHSmiths and now 5 outdoor gear shops. I didnt buy anything but a slight detour into Gregg’s the bakers ensured that I was happily full. By mid morning, there were signs that the weather might break up a bit so I decided to chance it and go for my walk.

I drove up to the Neuadd Reservoir and parked the car by the old water board buildings and set out. Walking along the reservoir itself, I glanced up at the ridgeline opposite and saw that the mist line was hanging around at the 600m mark.

looking up at the mist

A squall of rain pushed me onwards although I did tarry around the little “island” at the far end of the reservoir. Normally this surrounded by water but at the moment its walkable from the foreshore. Evidence of people camping abound on the knoll of the island, which is lightly wooded. I do wish people would take their rubbish home with them. Whover has been using it as a campsite has been really careful to build fire pits using stones but then leave a variety of tins, cans and other detritus all over the place.

The Neuadd Reservoir

Pushing on, I find myself heading towards “the gap”. No, nothing to do with the London Underground. This is a gap or access point through the otherwise unbroken wall of mountains. I believe that the Romans used this to march through but I’ll have to check with Kate Gilliver for the truth of it (I dont really know and it may be an urban myth).

From here the climb up to Cribyn is steep and brutal. I have to stop a few times but each time I do I notice that there is evidence of speckled sunshine starting to play across the flanks of the mountains. Maybe the weather is about to be kind. After attaining the top of Cribyn, its time to push on to Pen-y-Fan. The wind picks up and my cap is in danger of flying away. It also has the effect of blowing the mist from the opposite ridge towards me.

High mist on the ridgeline from Pen-y-Fan

However, just as I am about to be engulfed, the sun wins out and breaks up the mist and suddenly we have a rather nice afternoon on our hands. Speckled sunshine with a strong breeze and no rain.

The view from Cribyn looking back towards The Gap

By mid afternoon I attain the top of Pen-y-Fan and have a grand look around. Its about this time that I see other walkers out and about. A family from Ireland are doing a circular walk based around Bryn Teg and Cefn Cwm Llwych. Luckily they are going down the Cefn Cwm Llywch as I find coming up it to be really brutal. After exchanging a few words, I press on and after briefly touching Corn-Du I make my way onto that long return ridgeline that leads back to the reservoir and the car.

The view back to the Neuadd Reservoir

Here I am in my element. I love ridge walking. Ok, its not for everyone but I love the views and the ability to eat up the miles with long unabated strides. I find my way towards the exit point off the ridge and scramble down a route that is part path, part mountain stream. It makes an interesting descent  but I am soon back at the car.

The weather was much better than any of the three forecasts envisaged so I have had an afternoon of great views and pleasant walking. I dont do the central beacons very often but when I do I am always pleased. So there you have it. A rainy miserable day to begin with but by the afternoon, breezy dappled sunlight and another cracking walk. Bit of a strange day.

What do you think of the new layout?

As per the title, I have changed the look of my blog and am looking for opinions as to whether it works or not. I am a reasonably inept WordPress user and can never work out how to change font size or column width so always borrow someone else’s design. I liked this new layout because it reminds me a bit of PTC’s excellent blog site and I think it shows up the pictures slightly better than the last one.

Thoughts?

I’d forgotten how good the Brecon Beacons were and other stories

Ok,

here’s me writing frequently. Twice in 6 weeks …..ha ha (sigh)

Ok, I am sat in a tent looking up at Pen-y-Fan, Corn du and Cribyn at this present moment. I am spending yet another weekend in the beacons. Quite frankly it has become a bit of a habit recently. This makes the 6th camping trip this year to the beacons and the 4th in a month. Whats the big deal? Well, my house is about 30 miles from the brecon beacons but i work away in Burton on Trent during the week so I guess normally I am too tired to contemplate doing much walking and/or camping of any description normally. In the past few months though i have decided to make time for walking and especially camping and so far I have done that. What’s more is that I have persuaded my wife to come with me to the beacons this year.

Normally my wife is a fair weather, comfy campsite camper and loves going to the south coast around Sidmouth, Seaton, Beer those kind of places. This year though, with the weather picking up so early, I said to her one day about going to Brecon for a camping weekend as it was only 50minutes away. She looked at me and said “ok” with a slight frown. Anyway, i picked out a nice campsite with power hookup and a little pool for the kids and away we went. Weather fab, missus happy. Result! Thing is it went so well she keeps on asking me to come back to the same site weekend after weekend…

Anyway, sat in my tent typing this up after another great little jaunt to brecon and the beacons. Weather pretty good although today was a bit on and off. I am as happy as a pig in poo

Outdoors Magic April Meet in Snowdonia – the Windy Boys return!

Yes.

I admit it.

I am crap at keeping my blog up-to-date.

<sigh>

Its just been so hectic. I have been travelling back and fore with my job, actually getting out into the hills and trying like mad to fit home stuff in as well. Might as well try to nail a jelly to the wall.

This was the 5th OM-inspired meet I had attended since Feb 2008. The 1st “Windy meet” was a Lake District Classic with around 20 guys and gals turning up. In between the size of the meets I have been to have been in the 4 or 5 region. This latest meet had the potential for as big an attendance as the 1st one…….

Right then. On to the write up.

Friday – day 1

The start to the weekend followed the normal chain of events. Packed everything (twice). Loaded the car (twice). Performed ablutions (at least twice). Put a saucer of milk out for the kids, patted the wife and kissed the cat. Hang on a minute, that’s wrong……I havent got a cat.

Much txting, emails and phone calls had established that we were all going to meet up in Bettws y Coed. I had brought a great selection of music for the journey. Ok, it’s my taste in music but I dont care. I think they call it having eclectic tastes……. :) The drive up was long, very long. It was misty. I could see the road, the road signs and not much else of Mid Wales as i made my way up to Bettws. Ah well, I least I would get up to Bettws quite early for a bout of gratuitous gear fondling. Nearly 4 hours later, I find myself driving into a sunny Bettws eager to meet up with friends new and old. First of all I would have to find them. Luckily I missed knocking Gary over as I careered into the main car park and waved jauntily as I sped past. I could see Ian’s car in the distance and made my way over. There I met up with Tim as well as Gary and Ian for a bit of a chinwag.

Right, we have caught up on all the gossip since….ooooo…. last night and now do what all good outsdoors people do…..go down the pub. We have lunch and a pint or two in a nice little hostelry run by an Pole and a Mancunian and then decide to look at all the gear shops. The day is pleasant but we soon make tracks to get to the campsite before tea. There we meet up with the likes of Dave, Matt, Ed, Rich, Diddy, Jo, Sean and Maria. We chat, we put up our tents, we chat some more. Its early evening and we’re hungry. What can we collectively cook up with our honed culinary skills? Nowt. By popular agreement we opt for the evening pub meal with a beer or two to wash it down. Talk about slackpackers………

Sated, we make our way back to the campsite to talk nonsense and quaff a few beers more. The evening passes well and we repair to our tents for a nights snooze ready for the morning. Tomorrow would be a trip up Snowdon or Tryfan depending on what time we got up in the morning…..

Saturday – day 2

Ok, you guessed it…Tryfan.

Tryfan

We didnt get up in time to park at Pen-y-Pass before the hordes descended. Right. Confession time. I’m not good with exposed heights. Oops. The walk to Tryfan’s Northern edge is fine. The first few hundred metres climb arent too bad but then the rocks get rockier and steeper and oooooooooooh lordy. What a wuss I am. After much grunting and groaning and clinging to rock face by fingers, toes, midriff and sheer will we get to the top. Ok, its no biggey for most but for me its an achievement and a half…believe me!

The Windy Mob from Outdoors Magic

The View from Tryfan towards Gwern Uchaf campsite

After taking a few lovely charlatanesque photo’s it’s time to come back down and head for the campsite. We get back down in time to cook a lovely nosh up (noodles or ready meals mainly) and have a few more beers. The evening lengthens and we settle down to regale each other with witty stories and grand social insights*. The evening passes well and Sean gets out his Munkys. He did. The scamp.

With an eye on tomorrow’s weather and a promise of a Snowdon ridge walk, we go to bed and aim to get up early to avoid the riff raff.

(*ie we talk complete and utter shite whilst drinking beer and insulting each other)

Sunday – day 3

The sun is out, its early and we are all up in a reasonable shape to attempt Snowdon. We drive to Pen-y-Pass and park the cars by 7.45am but only just get in before the car park fills up. We just have to have a coffee and something to eat before we head off and some of us have more than one coffee <thanks Maria >

We opt for the direct route up and attempt Crib Goch. Was I prepared for this? Oh yes. Just like Tryfan isnt it?

Halfway up, I decide that Crib Goch is in fact nothing like Tryfan and I have 2 choices. 1) soldier on and grit my teeth and clench my cheeks (or possibly the other way around) or 2) use discretion……..

Discretion was the obvious choice and so on the way back down with Ian who has no grips on his boots and feels a bit exposed because of it, we opt for the Pyg Track. As we do this we are accosted by a gaggle of Japenese tourists (oh alright 3) who ask which way is Crib Goch. They are attired perfectly for the climb complete with Adidas trainers, gucci jeans, and shoulder slung satchels. Ian does his bit for international relations, ie prevents 3 possible deaths on the mountain and persuades them to rethink the route. This involves a lot of arm waving, gesticulating, shouting loudly and making Disneyesque “arrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhh” noises in a completely unsubtle and obvious way.

That done we continue up the Pyg Track towards the summit. Ian and I cannot fail to be amazed at the attire of some people going up the tallest Mountain south of the Scottish border. Tee-shirts, shorts, jeans, high heels. we see it all. As we climb the temperature falls and the wind picks up. Strangely enough so does the cloud. As we hit the last ridgeline, we are bathed in cold swirling fog. We are feeling mischievious and cant wait to see the people in the teeshirts and shorts attempt the last bit. However, we dont tarry and soon make the top of Snowdon. Well, not quite. Its been a little while since Ian or I have been to the summit. We arent amused. They have built a staircase to the very last bit beyond the new cafe. We cant face it. Stairs to reach the top of a mountain. Oh the shame!

The view from Snowdon

So instead we inspect the outside of the new cafe and arent impressed. It appears a bit jerry-built in places and completely fails to inspire us in any way shape or form. So we do what all self respecting walkers when faced with an anticlimax. We sit down and have lunch and have a bit of a moan. Eventually we are joined by the rest of the gang who have traversed Crib Goch successfully. I feel very inadequate………

Anyway, that done we decide to head back off the mountain and as we make our way down, some carry on round the ridgeline whilst myself and a few others opt for the Miners Track. The sun begins to shine and the mist disappears as we head down. Curses. Photo oppotunities lost on the mountain top but others found by the lake.

Snowdon and the Miner's Track

We chat aimiably and soon our feet carry us back to the car park at Pen-y-Pass. I have a 4 hour drive ahead of me so I dont tarry. I say my goodbyes and shake Matt’s and Diddy’s hand. I also manage a quick cuddle with Jo (not Diddy’s wife) and a quick kiss and cuddle with the other Jo (yes, Diddy’s wife) for which I earn a warning scowl from the Didster himself (well worth it though…)

And that was that. The weekend had been fabulous. I had met old friends and new. I had scambled a proper mountain and learned the limits of my abilities (not much admitedly) on another.

Nothing more to do than climb into my car, put a Sarah Mclachlan CD on and drive back to South Wales on the back of three days worth of good feelings.