Some great new hiking gear here: I particularly like the Berghaus VapourLight HyperSmock 2.0, Adidas Boost Technology, the Bungee laces, & the Cubic Tech breathable 50,000 JIS laminate: http://gossamergear.com/wp/gear-love/winter-2015-outdoor-retailer-trade-show-gear-interest-lightweight-backpackers-new-technologies-new-products
Who needs a tent? Don’t use one myself. Everything you ever wanted to know about tarps: http://www.equipped.org/tarp-shelters.htm
Cable ties are just great…so many uses: http://topclosure.com/ Incidentally, have you tried handcuffing yourself with one to see whether you really can get the wretched thing off? They are not so chewable, let me tell you! Always lots of fun (& games) happening around here, you see! I think everyone should be wearing the Leatherdos hair
Baggage: Most folks (seem to) like nothing better than lugging vast chunks of stuff around. They require huge boxes (buildings) to cram it into, and huge wheeled thingummies to cart it all around in, all of which usually means they WASTE vast chunks of time acquiring, paying for and maintaining it all (worrying about whether
Two reasons some people don’t like camping: it is wet AND cold, and uncomfortable. This does not have to be. A properly positioned tarp and a fire will take care of the former: the usual 1m tall hiking tent which you are forced to retreat to in the event of rain will make your trip
This looks like an excellent one person tent: http://www.trekkertent.com/home/home/3-stealth.html A 1 person, 3 season tent weighing from 570 grams (20 oz) Available in Green 40D silnylon or Green 20D silpoly Foot panel door/vent option Bathtub height increased to 125mm (5″) Side panel tie-outs fitted as standard 180 UK pounds (Mar 2018)
You would think Himalayan trekkers would all carry something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al4UUSAd5yQ ‘Live and learn or you won’t live long’! http://www.lifesystems.co.uk/products/outdoor-survival/4-person-survival-shelter.html I am taking the two person model (350 grams) to EBC in November 2016. The new breathable ‘Escape Bivy’ (http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/survival/survive-outdoors-longer-escape-litetm-bivvy-1.html) @ 157 grams is surely a must in your day pack along with (eg)
If you have difficulty buying stuff online, check out http://www.shipito.com/ They are just great. You can (for example) buy that stuff on Amazon (which has free US shipping but which they won’t send to Oz) and have Shipito forward it (very cheaply). We do this all the time. We usually use Shipito’s cheapest freight rates
Though still a bit stiff and sore (I think mainly from the VERY hot walk on Wednesday afternoon) I am pretty happy to be still able to walk 20+km a day carrying a pack (even in fairly rugged country). Of course it helps if you can reduce the weight of the contents of your pack
Our new TENT (A father’s day present!) z-pack’s hexamid solo plus tarp (http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/hexamid_plus.shtml = 176 grams) mated with their double poncho/groundsheet (http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/groundsheet_poncho.shtml = 173 grams), Total 349 grams plus guys and pegs and carbon fibre pole (57 grams) if not using a hiking pole, still totals less than 500 grams! Pretty light for a two-person
