The Great Outdoors Challenge 2014 Gear List

 

For those that may be interested.

In alphabetical order (sorry). All weights in grams (unless otherwise stated) and approximate and items may be subject to change (if I change my mind. I’m allowed!)

Carry

2 cards/cash in holder	30
3 inhalers	101
Bottle Water to Go	138
Blue towel	51
Camera	224
Charger	41
Compass	30
Cup	94
Exped packliner	115
Exped yellow	45
First Aid Kit	447
Gaiters Trekmates	68
Glasses case	34
Gloves	80
Handkerchief	15
Handwarmers (disposable)	175
Hat purple	20
Head torch Petzl e-llite	47
Icebreaker leggings	186
iPod Shuffle	12
Jetboil Flash/gas	661
Keens sandals	564
Laser Competition outer/inner	823
Maps x3	120
Mobile/GPS	141
Montane Prism jacket	388
Notepad/pen	18
Pants	46
Pegs and pole	295
Pillow case purple	49
Platty Soft Bottle x2	48
Podsacs L	66
Podsacs M	52
Raincover	121
Ronhills	222
Rucksack Osprey Exos 58	1140
Sitmat	32
Sleeping bag PHD	820
Smartwool base	154
Socks	50
Sun cream	69
Sunglasses	39
Synmat/pump	502
TGO Fleece	197
Trowel/paper	39
Washbag	433
Water treatment	78
Windproof	160
Total	9280

Food

1881

Total carried

11.161kg

 

Worn

Boots	1448
Buff	51
Gloves	43
Paramo Velez smock	734
Socks	50
Tilley	143
Trousers Paramo Quito	404
T-shirt Icebreaker	106
Underwear	20
Walking poles	515
Total	3514

And, my maths is notoriously dodgy…

EDIT Ah, that’s better.

The start of a new occasional series: Trigpointing

So today, we decided to go out for a little training (not least to avoid a little annual nonsense) before Laura returns to the continent for a short spell before the Challenge in May. We’d decided sometime ago that we should have a theme or purpose to our walks rather than just the tea and cake thing, so we thought that we could maybe start to visit trigs. Now, having had a look, it would appear that there are probably thousands across Moray and Aberdeenshire, so we might be a little choosy. Today we chose one that was easily accessible as we didn’t have quite all day.

We arranged to meet at the car park beside Castle Roy and I was a little early than expected, I still managed to arrive after Laura though, so I was true to form. After neatly abandoning my car, I quickly popped into the van for a natter before we set off. Unfortunately there were a few dark clouds around and there was a light sprinkling of rain which delayed the start of our walk for a little while, but as Laura hadn’t put the heating on in the van, we were soon starting to chill and the best option was to hop out, faff a while, then start to walk. As luck would have it, there is a portaloo in the church yard next to the castle, so we formed an orderly queue to powder our respective noses before setting off.

Castle Roy, under repair

Meall a’ Bhuachaille and Craiggowrie Ridge

We set off across the road to walk the start of the Castle Roy Circular, but I had no intention of doing a waymarked walk. Behind the Abernethy Activity Centre, we stayed on the main path which tracks up and away around the hill, through rather nice woodland. It was very peaceful and pleasant walking.

I have No Idea…

Lovely little treecreeper

We ignored a few tracks going off left and right in order to pick up a vague track following a fire break. I wasn’t expecting a path as such, but there were obvious signs of a vehicle track, but it was quite deeply overgrown and it wasn’t long before it became impossible to pass with heather and juniper bushes forming an impenetrable barrier.

The soon-to-be-impenetrable firebreak…

That had started so well

We veered slightly east off the track, but keeping it in view, to find an easier way. It was quite rough and tussocky, with the occasional fallen tree and hidden holes, but we were able to make reasonable progress. Using our GPS track, we knew that we were not far from our target, but the forestry had become quite dense by now and we were weaving through the trees and thick undergrowth to make headway.

Suddenly, the cry went up “I can see it!”

I forged ahead, a new lease of life pushing me uphill amongst the ever more dense trees. I lost sight of the “trig”, but kept going, until I suddenly realised it had been an optical illusion. Ho hum. At least we were closer now, so we continued bashing our way uphill.

Eventually, the ground began to level out and although the trees had finally begun to thin out, there were still the occasional clump over old trees and plenty of heather and gorse. Where was the darn trig!

GPS in hand, I knew I was within feet of the trig and suddenly, there it was! Hurrah!! The trig of Carn na Loinne.

A well hidden trig

In all this

We celebrated, enjoyed broken views of the mountains around us, then decided to find a route down, but preferably not the route we’d clambered up. And there was a demand for a lunch spot.

So, we headed off, with occasional pauses, the odd peer at the GPSs and maybe the odd consultation of the map whilst still trying to keep an eye out for a suitable lunch stop (some people are quite choosy…). The route we chose appeared alarmingly easy in comparison to the route we’d come up. We’d decided to had down the west sign of our original track in an aiming off fashion in order to hit either our original track at the bottom or a track to the south of it. Quite soon we’d ducked down out of the keen breeze and suddenly spied a fallen tree that would give a handy, deer poo free perch. Phew, a lunch stop! The view was more not being able to see the wood for the trees, but it was nice enough and we were visited be a few dear little birds that hid their identity very well.

After lunch, we set off down hill on what now appeared to be another old vehicle track, but one I suspect was perhaps a pervious forestry work track, so not adopted as a regular route.

Broken views

A nice a track to return on

However, it was not too rough or overgrown at all and in no time at all we found a real track at the bottom of it, just as we expected. Brilliant. Finally able to stride out properly we were soon on the track back to the cars and a quick trip to the coffee shop at Revack.

A visitor at the cafe

Roughly a total of 4.99 miles and 879 ft ascent.

The rest of the Challenge musing

There isn’t much more Challenge musing to relate to you, but I’ll jot a little something down just to keep records correct.

I’ve planned a route this year that, whilst there shouldn’t be an awful lot of road walking (or a lot of awful road walking, whichever) there shouldn’t be an awful lot for bog trotting either (or a lot of awful bog trotting, you get the picture). I decided I didn’t want to carry all 236g of my usual Rab gaiters as I would only wear them when doing a tiny amount (…ummm…) of bog trotting and carry them the rest of them time. So I searched out a lighter pair. Now, I do know that the ones I’ve plumped for are designed for use with trail shoes, but I have tried them with my boots and for the short periods of time I’ll be wearing them (…ummmm…) they’ll be just fine. Or if Laura wears her trail shoes for the Challenge, we could do a temporary swap. The ones I’ve plumped for are Trekmates Atlas gaiters, £15 and weighing in at a whole 68g.

For a treat the other weekend, TTS took me to Aviemore for the day to have my feet vacuum packed. Now, those of you in the know will know that this has nothing to do with extra freshness, this is for the purpose of having custom fit insoles made. What an utterly fascinating little trip that was to see Bob at Mountain Spirit, pad around his shop barefoot then sit on the Superfeet throne in the shop window. Joy. Bob reckoned that my life could be transformed by my new custim fit insoles, I think this may have been an exaggeration, however, I have worn them in all my footwear for the last week and my poorly foot is definitely showing signs (or feeling signs?) of improvement. I have high hopes of a not-excruciating Challenge…

And finally (I think, although I may muse some more with some chords playing in the background, musically…) my Paramo Velez Adventure Smock. TTS and I both have one of these, his is a slightly older version in bright orange with the detachable hood and mine is in grey, with a non-detachable hood. TTS had been complaining for a while that the velcro on the sleeves of his jacket no longer did so he wanted it sent back to Paramo for repair. I thought I’d send mine along at the same time as the elastic hood volume adjuster was wearing a little thin where it attaches to the jacket inside it’s little sleeve which is too hard for me to get at myself.

David’s is a registered jacket and I hoped they would recognise it as such and complete the repair foc, as per their lifetime guarantee. Mine came from Paramo 2nds however and I wasn’t sure I’d be extended the same courtesy, so I was absolutely delighted to receive a letter confirming that the repairs would indeed be carried out for free and I am expecting their return any day now, so that will be job done.

If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know..

Musing about this year’s gear

I’m at the point of making decisions and have been having a little muse about things to take, things to replace last minute, parcels to pack and maybe one or two other things to consider. This is what has been going on in my head.

My wonderful Marmot Screepants have seen better days. The zip has a mind of its own and I’ve had to re-sew various bits of seams, so I needed to consider new trousers. I made a plump for a pair of Paramo Quito as I found them at an absolute bargain price at Whalley Warm and Dry and Laura had such success with her pair on last years Challenge. Of course, that does mean it’ll be hot and dry this year…

I also re-thought my wonderful Montane Antifreeze down jacket. I love this coat and I wear it constantly around and about, but when I take it on the Challenge I always worry about it getting damp (it has been quite wet on my Challenges so far) and because I also tend to wear my jacket in my sleeping bag as I really feel the cold when I’m tired (and I always seem to be cold and tired on the Challenge too!). It doesn’t have a hood and although I wear a hat in bed, there’s often a howling gale down the back of my neck, so I was vaguely looking at a Primaloft jacket with a hood. David found me a Montane Primus jacket at a bargain price, so that has been added to my collection and will be in my pack this year.

I also had a re-think about my water system. I’ve opted this year to use a Watertogo filter bottle to carry and drink from during the day, but I will still carry two 1ltr Platypus Soft Bottles and purification drops. I use my trusty and rather beautiful Jetboil Flash when Challenging, but this is designed to boil water for the length of time required to make it safe (just in case it’s not, I refuse to take the risk) so I use the Soft Bottles and drops to prepare water to use for my food and hot drinks.

I also have a new camera this year, an Olympus Tough. I’m getting along with this very well.

Quito, Primus, Watertogo and Olympus Tough

I’ve also been looking for a new tent bag as I want to pack my Laser in my pack flat against my back and none of my current tent bags are good for this. I purchased a little waterproof fabric and some cord (not chord, that makes music…) and after a bit of a poke around my gear stash, found a few useful bits to help me make my own. Out came the sewing machine and this is what I made. (In fact, I made three and I still have a little fabric left…)

With ruler for scale

And again…

The flat bottom I wanted

And the construction inside

A little closer

The opening and fastening

Now, obviously, the top is not rollover and will not be watertight. If I’m not careful, my damp tent could conceivably poke out of the top! But, it won’t. Because I am careful when packing.

I have my dried food, coffee bags and Dairystix and this year, these are the only items I am sending on to myself. The packages are all ready to go in a couple of weeks time. After the first three days, I will be resupplying the fresh food I want from little local shops like a good girl and obviously indulging in good old pub grub and tea and cakes when they are available.

Back to the list and spreadsheet….

That went well!

Last year, we did a Navigation Training Day at the local forest and I did not enjoy it. I think I felt a little unprepared and out of my depth.

So this year, I planned ahead.

Yesterday I prepared a route sheet, like the participants have to for their expeditions. I thought it would be good practice as, although I have checked through their work, I’ve never made one up myself and they have never had to check through someone else’s work. This way, we could all learn.

It worked really well, my route sheet was (surprisingly) accurate and the group were able to follow it easily and we didn’t get lost. Apart from the path they took that wasn’t marked, but they very quickly realised and returned to their last known position (spot on) and found the path they wanted. And the path that was marked and there but they couldn’t see it because of the structure erected since the maps were made. They took a path going vaguely the right way, then when they met a path they judged would meet the track they wanted, they took it.

Everything was done with discussion and team work, decisions well made and executed. I was well pleased.

If you go down to the woods today…

Lunchtime bothy bag

Sharing the cookies…

And I’m going to count this as TGO training ‘cos it’s my blog and I can!

Roughly 6.84 miles and 348 ft of ascent.

Actually, brilliant fun, what an ace group I have! (The other one is a bit, iffy.)