Big Wales Thing Kit

I have pretty well decided on the kit that I am taking on the Big Wales Thing. In fact I already had most things that I need, and so most of it is well proven and familiar. I’m sure I could have shaved off a few more grams by buying lots of new ultralightweight stuff, but as I use a lot of this stuff on mountain marathons, it is pretty light already.

Reviewing this post, I realise how much of my gear comes from Alpkit and BackpackingLight . They have provided me with so much good quality, lightweight kit over the years, along with Marco at As Tucas who made my new quilt.  Thanks guys!

Here is a long and slightly geeky kit list! (I’ll do another post about shoes and clothes soon.)

Rucksack

My rucksack choice was easy. I have been using an Osprey Talon 33 for years, and know that it is roomy, comfortable and stable. I’ve walked hundreds of miles with it, run with it on Mountain Marathons and have been using it for dozens of miles of training for this trip. There are (slightly lighter bags around, I know, but I'm sticking with a faithful old companion!

As Tucas Quilt

Sleeping and Living

As previous posts discussed, I am taking an As Tucas quilt rather than a sleeping bag. Lightweight, small, convenient and warm! Thanks Marco!



Underneath that will be my faithful old Thermarest Prolite Short, which has seen me through many microadventures, trips and OMMs.

Shelter

Hunka

Rather than take a tent, I have opted for a bivvy bag and a tarp. Both of these are from the brilliant Alpkit, another of my favourite companies. The bivvy bag is a Hunka, which I have used many times. It suits my smallish frame well, though if I was bigger I think I’d go for a Hunka XL and put up with the extra 130g of weight. I hope to sleep on the hunka on good nights, and inside it on damper ones.

Testing the Rig 3.5 in the garden

To keep my dry if it rains properly I am taking an Alpkit Rig 3.5 tarp. This is a pretty small tarp at 1.4 x 2.4 m, but is only 270g (plus pegs and guys). I have tried a few configurations, and if necessary I can just about make a fairly weatherproof tent if it is blustery and wet. As trees may be a bit sparse to make tarp poles, I am also taking a small walking pole, which will also be good for helping me up the steep bits! I have got a cheap Trekrite pole from Amazon, which is fairly light and has four sections, so collapses to 55cm, to fit easily in/on my bag.

Cooking

I pondered going for a light liquid fuel stove (beer can stove maybe) but in the end I have opted for my tried and tested brewkit, which consists of:

Kovea titanium gas stove - which I picked up in a sale in Llanberis years ago. Tiny, lightweight and very effective.

Alpkit MitiMug - A rugged titanium mug which has been my permanant walking companion for several years.

The stove fits inside the MytiMug, along with a small gas cylinder and a bag full of teabags and coffee. The whole lot is then inside a homemade pot cosy (made with insulation from BackpackingLight, who have all sorts of lovely lightweight goodies!) making a very compact, self contained cooking set.

As I felt I might want to fry something or need a bowl I could warm things in, I have supplemented my usual kit with a Vargo Titanium Sierra 750 bowl/pan (from BackpackingLight - I told you they have a lot of desirable featherweight stuff!). I’ll also take a folding bowl from Orisako, to serve as both bowl and chopping board.

If I am not too pushed for weight I will also pack my folding wood burning stove (another gem from BackpackingLight). With some firelighting materials it weighs in at about 150g, and I love the feeling of brewing up over a fire, seeing the flames, and smelling the smoke.

Technology

I am not a great one for technology on the hills, but I seem to be taking a number of things electronic this time, despite the weight limits. All I can say is that they are either essential or very small and light!

I need a phone, but have decided not to take a smartphone that would just go flat. Instead I have an old Samsung Tough phone, designed for builders and others working in the outdoors. It isn’t waterproof, but is splashproof and has a battery that lasts for over a week on standby (and much longer if I switch it off between calls).

The other essential is a camera. I have a rugged Olympus Tough camera, but haven’t been happy with it. It switches itself off without warning, but can flatten the battery if you don’t make sure it is fully off. And the pictures aren’t anything special. So I have splashed out on a Lumix FT5, which comes highly recommended for usability and image quality. I figured that this is an epic trip and recording it properly is important, so a good camera was an essential bit of kit.

In the small category we have an iPod Shuffle, partly for music and partly for birdsong identification. And then there is the Kobo Mini ebook reader. I reckon that I am going to have a lot of time to rest and carrying paperbacks wasn’t going to work. So when the Kobo Mini was on offer last month I jumped at the chance.

The phone will need recharging, so I shall take a plug in USB charger with me too.

Water

I have invested in an 800ml Travel Tap water filter/bottle. This lightweight bottle has a filter that will allow me to dip water from almost any source (rivers, streams, ponds etc) and drink safely. I’ll carry a second 1 litre bottle for additional storage where required.

Odds and Ends

In addition to all that lot, there will be a host of small odds and ends, including: small washkit, head torch (Alpkit Gamma), spare batteries, mini candle lantern (if space allows - I do enjoy the glow of a candle on a dark night high in the mountains), titanium spork (Alpkit again!), first aid kit, mosquito headnet, compass(!), notebook and pencil to record my thoughts and my trusty (if battered) 40 year old swiss army knife.