Colin, how did the kit selection go?

First off let me say that this year was not a fair test for Ultra-light gear on the Challenge. We all had amazing weather with generally hot sunny days, light winds and unbelievably I only remember it raining for about three hours in total! I doubt weather like that will be seen again for a while. Having said that, clear skies mean cold nights and it certainly dropped well below 0C more than once with my lowest of -5C (3C lower than last year) so my cold weather gear was certainly well tested

So, do you think that the ultralight selection would have coped with more typical Challenge weather?

Well yes I think so, most of my kit performed above my expectations with one or two exceptions. I'm not 'loyal' to any one manufactuer I'm just interested in the best kit for the lightest weight.

So, tell me about the pack.

The Pack is a Mountain Laurel Prophet Rucksack which weighs 178 grams.

This is a basic pack with few features. Some people thought it looked like a stuff sac with straps and while not quite that basic it could certainly be described as minimalist. Capacity of the main pack is around 40ltrs and that was easily big enough for all my kit with four days food. The only real feature of note is the front mesh pocket that extends round both sides of the pack. In this pocket I kept the tarp along with a few small items that I might need during the day. I found this pocket barely large enough, certainly fitting in my small 500ml water bottle was so difficult that I gave up after a while and kept that in the main pack.

Materials used are Silnylon and Spinnaker. I was concerned if Spinnaker would actually be robust enough for a pack suitable for the Challenge but these concerns have been totally unfounded. Spinnaker is used only in low stress areas with the rest being Silnylon. I strengthen the seams from new with the supplied Silicon sealant and the pack still shows absolutely no signs of wear. Of course you need to be careful with a pack like this, keep the weight carried low and don¡¯t let it rub against rocks and the like. I always roll up my sleeping mat inside to stop anything in the pack rubbing the material and to also make a simple padded back. ML supplies the pack with a basic chest and waist strap but I found these both unnecessary with the weight I was carrying. The pack is made in three different sizes depending on your height and while it¡¯s impossible for me to comment on how comfortable any pack is, after all we are all different but I certainly found it very comfortable. I particularly like the freedom of being able to quickly carry a belt less pack over one shoulder when walking on easier terrain.

Star Rating: 8

I also used a Sea to Summit Pack Liner that weighed 29 grams.

My sleeping bag was stored in the ML eVent bivi when in the pack while my down jacket/trousers lived in this pack liner kept at the top of my pack. This liner is available in many different sizes, they are totally waterproof and have a simple roll over closure system that is again waterproof. It performed exactly as advertised and cannot be improved. My only doubt is with the durability of the material particularly around the rollover closure system which only time will tell.

Star Rating: 9

OK, now what about the shelter?

My tarp was an a Cuben Tarp made by Team io and which weighed 156 grams.

This tarp is light, pitches quickly and is very taught, doesn't stretch much when wet, is reasonably priced, was built to my specification, is a good conversation starter and is made in the UK. Of course all this is worthless if it doesn't perform and unfortunately I've had problems with this tarp!

All the guying points are starting to come unattached from the Cuban fibre caused by the simple fact that the stitching has not been tied off properly. Constant pressure on these guying points has loosened the stitching. I did apply Silicon to all stitched areas from new to try and stop this but this has proved inadequate. This should not have happened and is a problem with how the tarp has been manufactured and not the materials used.

I'm first to admit that I like my tarps drum tight. Anything that's not tight will flap, sag and generally irritate me! Getting this tarp taught is very easy but does need a fair bit of pressure on all the guying points. The front/rear ridge guying points take the most strain and this is where the major problem with this tarp has occurred. The stitching for the front guying point is pulling its way through the Cuben fibre and is now at a point where I think the strength of this guying point is seriously compromised. The tarp has been strengthened at all guying points by an extra layer of Cuben fibre bonded to the main tarp. This appears to be insufficient for the front/rear guying points which could certainly do with at least another layer to help take the strain. I will pass my comments on to the tarp manufacturer to see if improvements can be made.

Cuben fibre is quite a new material to me and from my tests with the two Cuben tarps I own I¡¯m not yet convinced that it is a suitable material for something like the Challenge. In winds like we had last year I have my doubts that this tarp would have survived. I did mention my reservations about the material before setting off and that was the main reason for taking the fully waterproof ML eVent bivi bag.

The design was basic with a ridge line length of 8ft, front width of 7ft tapering to around 4ft at the rear, this provided plenty of space and protection but would have been a little short if I had not been using the waterproof bivi bag. I had ten guying points fitted to help spread and loads caused by high winds and I think on a tarp this size that was about right.

Star Rating 5

Although you had problems with this tarp do you think that tarps are a good choice for a hike like The Challenge?

I was happy with my choice of a tarp over a tent for the Challenge and will almost certainly take another next year. Would I take a Cuben fibre one again? Probably not! I would like to try one from a well established gear manufacturer such as ML but his Cuben fibre tarps are not that cheap. Another option would be to take a tough but heavier Silnylon tarp with a lighter water resistant bivi bag for about the same weight.

What about tarp accesories?

I used 1.5mm Dyneema guylines with line-locs fitted on all ten guying points. Dyneema is a superb material for guy-lines being very light but also incredibly strong and having little stretch. The line-locs never once slipped and were always easy and quick to adjust. You can get this from Team IO and also I think it¡¯s the same stuff Bob at Backpackinglight.co.uk stocks

Start Rating 9

I also took a front pole 'load sharer' which weighed 11 grams. This was needed because of the thin carbon fibre walking poles I was using. I found during testing before the Challenge that in strong winds the front pole could bend quite alarmingly in strong winds. My solution was to use both poles up front and link them together with two aluminium tubes (cut from old tent poles) held together with elastic. This contraption then slips over the top of both walking poles and rests on the baskets, the guy line is simply wrapped round the centre of the tubes. It worked very well and the double pole setup has proven to be flex free. Of course if you use standard walking poles then this device would not be needed.

Star Rating 9

I also used a rear fibre pole, a carbon kit supplied for Mountain Laurel tarps. Not much to say as it worked trouble free. The pole has a nice ribbed surface so guy lines grip very easily

Star Rating 9

I carried a variety of pegs weighing 77 grams. There were 11 pegs:

3* Vargo lightweight titanium (2 for the rear tarp corners & 1 spare).

Rating 7
4* Terra Nova carbon (side centre four guying points).

Rating 7

4* Aluminium stakes (for the ridgeline guys & front tarp corners).

Rating 8

Scotland's ground is often very soft and waterlogged so a thin peg will have problems holding, therefore I like a thick peg in all high stress areas.

The Aluminium stakes used for the ridge guys and front corners came with my Tarptent and have proven to be un-bendable! You can hammer these things into even the toughest ground if necessary yet they will also grip in the softest boggy ground. The heads are bonded and have a habit of coming off so I have used Araldite on all mine and have had no problems since. Weight is only10g each.

The carbon pegs are fine in low stress areas but will break if abused, because of that I only use them for the side centre guying points. Again quite a thick peg which is why I prefer them over a similar weight titanium peg and being brightly coloured they are hard to loose. Weight is 4-5g each.

The Vargo titanium pegs are quite light at 6-7g each, very strong and resist bending well. Unfortunately they are thin so grip is compromised and being a grey colour they are very easy to loose.

The spare titanium peg is used as a pot stand for the stove.

I stored all of the pegs in the simple silnylon bag as supplied with my Tarptent. Not that strong but otherwise near perfect.

You took a custom designed bivy with you; I'm keen to know how that worked

The bivy was a Mountain Soul Bivy made from eVent fabric weighing 304 grams.

I wanted a backup shelter should the tarp let me down so my bivi had to be fully waterproof. The problem with all these waterproof bivies is condensation, using this type of bivi for a night or two in the UK is fine but after that it usually starts to get uncomfortable as the effects of condensation builds day after day. To minimise condensation I wanted to try a bivi made from eVent and it had to be light. ML makes by far the lightest eVent bivies that I know of. ML make two bivi suitable and I finally picked the Soul because of the built in bug netting which the Alpine lacked. Both these bivies are kept so light by the simple design and by using 2 layer eVent.

The problem with the 2 layer eVent is that the membrane has no protection on the inside therefore you have to be careful never to put anything in the bivi that could possibly damage the membrane. Even something like a zip on a sleeping bag could quite possibly damage the eVent should it snag, I don't use zipped bags so that wasn't a problem for me but others will. The main advantage of eVent is of course its breathability and in that respect this bivi is incredible, way, way better than any other I have ever used. I would say it's very nearly as good as my Pertex water resistant bivi. That doesn't mean I had no condensation because I did but this was light and mainly around the foot area which I think had more to do with the plastic bubble wrap insulation I used under my legs than the bivi itself. The amount of condensation was never enough to affect the performance of my down bag and all that was needed was ten minutes or so airing everyday to dry it.

Being an American design the bivi is quite generously sized and certainly much wider than you might expect for something so light and this width certainly didn't help the condensation problem. Condensation formed quite readily on any exposed non-breathable Silnylon base material as you would expect and unfortunately because the bivi was so wide this base extends quite far up the sides and could easily come into contact with your bag. I solved this before the Challenge by narrowing the base only, to just larger than my sleeping mat therefore reducing the possibility of any contact with my down bag. On the Challenge this modification worked really well so if you are thinking of getting one I would recommend getting Ron to do this for you. The zip used is a waterproof one which is also protected by a storm flap.

Overall I really like this bivi but think that the Alpine would be a better option if you wanted to use it regularly without a tarp, just because the zip is much better protected from our UK rain.

Star Rating 8

So, on to sleeping gear?

The sleeping pad was a Gossamer Gear, Nightlight pad which weighed 91 grams.

This is the simple non egg-box version cut down to my torso size which looks and performs just like a standard Karrimat. It's lighter than a Karrimat and the egg-box version of the Nightlight I took last year but also not quite as comfortable, as a side sleeper I found it adequate. After many months of use it shows little sign of wear and hasn't compressed like the egg-box version does. It will mark quite easily, but when left for a while it does self heal. Stored in the pack this pad had two jobs, first is to protect the pack material from anything in the pack and secondly as a simple padded back.

Star Rating 7

I also took with me a bubble wrap pad, weighing 56 grams.

I brought this along not for comfort but as I knew that the Silnylon base of the bivi was a magnet for condensation. This was supposed to isolate the down bag from this base. Unfortunately because of the cold weather I didn't test it before the Challenge having only used a longer Nightlight pad before, this was a mistake and I paid for it! I have no doubt that my minor condensation problems around the foot area was caused by this bubble wrap. I certainly didn't have as much when I used the full length Nightlight. The bubble wrap was however comfortable and quite warm but I would not take the stuff again. I will look into a suitable replacement (underlay for wooden floors MIGHT work and would be even lighter). I suppose I should have practiced what I preach and test, test, test everything before the Challenge.

Star Rating 3

The sleeping bag was from PHD and weighs 487 grams.

I like a light bag that will cope with the average temperature expected at that time of year (0C is about right) if it's colder then I will wear some or all of my spare clothing.

My bag is impossible to review because I'm not even sure what it is! Also I've since made some major modifications to it.

Why don't I know what it is, after all I ordered it?

Well it's a PHD bag that¡¯s for sure and I ordered a Minimus in MX fabric but when it arrived it looked and weighted like a Minium Ultra. Now PHD is not known for their customer service and they yet again lived up to their poor reputation. They completely ignored my emails and even phoning didn't help. Now liking ultralight kit I loved the weight (369g) of whatever it was so I kept it. As the Challenge loomed it was obvious that it wasn't going to be warm enough so it underwent a transformation. I removed the hood which I find next to useless on all summer bags (I prefer an insulated hat or hooded jacket), redistributed the down and also added extra down from an old bag I had laying around.

So now what I'm left with is what I think is the perfect Challenge bag. It's hoodless, has great loft, no side baffles (so I can shake the down around), will keep me warm down to 0C without extra clothing but can cope with temperatures in excess of -5C when combined with my down vest/trousers and yet it still weights under 500g. The bag is a simple design with box wall construction and is made using PHD's lightweight MX fabric which is similar to Pertex Quantum. I estimate that it now has about 300-350g of 800fp (European) down.

I don't want to put people off from using PHD because their products are actually excellent. Construction/design and materials are absolutely first rate. Whoever designs and builds this stuff truly knows what they are doing, it's just dealing with customers where PHD is lacking somewhat. Sort it out PHD!

Star Rating n/a (would be 9)

I'm always interested n the way lightweight hikers mix and match the few clothes that they take with them. How did your system work this year?

First off I carried a Nunatak Shaka down vest 220g

I like down, it still has by far the greatest warmth/weight ratio and this vest is certainly very warm. This is the hooded Pertex Quantum version that in a size medium has an advertised weight of 170g. I was more than a little disappointed when mine arrived weighting 220g or some 30% more and also had a broken hem cord lock. Tom at Nunatak was very apologetic when I questioned him about this and was keen to make sure that I was happy with my vest, in the end I decided to keep it, liking the extra loft and after all it¡¯s still very light for what it is. The cord lock was easily replaced.

The Shaka is the only down vest I know of with full box wall construction and I think that makes a significant difference to its warmth. Loft varies from over 2i± near the hem up to nearly 4¡± around the chest/hood area. Features are none existent other than a short front zip and a hood. The hood really does make a huge difference to the warmth and it also has a very effective draw cord system which seals any gap round the face. Fit is generally good but is sized for Americans so I think I would have been better with the small width and medium length. Being a custom made piece of kit this and any other modifications you could want would be possible. The only real improvement I think that could be made would be to add some elastic around the arm openings to close the gaps, I could certainly feel a draft sometimes.

Nunatak talk a lot about the quality of the down they use and I'm not convinced it's as good as they say. This vest leaks constantly indicating to me that there is a high percentage of feathers in Nunatak's down, only the feathers can force there way through the Pertex fabric. It's not that big a deal I just spend a few minutes pulling them back in from the opposite side and of course having an extra 30% of down means I can afford to loose a feather or two! I did see a couple of other Nunatak products on the Challenge and they all leaked down like mine did so I think it's something to watch with Nunatak¡¯s products. Certainly the down used in my PHD bag appears to be of higher quality with that bag rarely loosing any down yet it has a similar outer fabric. That said it does have an amazing loft for a garment so light so the down can't be all that bad.

Star Rating 7 (because of the problems, would have been an 8 otherwise)

You've also tried some of the new Montbell range (well, new to us in the UK anyway). How did that work?

I took some Montbell Down Inner Pants weighing 193 grams

These have a simple stitched through construction to hold the down in place and have a nice slim cut (which suites me). They are made from a very light fabric which feels thin and I'm sure it would be easily damaged if caught but for around camp use they are ideal. The pants are only 50g heavier than the base layer pants I took last year but must be at least ten times warmer. Getting up on a cold frosty morning was made a pleasure when wearing a combination of these trousers and the down vest. They were certainly worth every one of the extra 50g carried and will be a permanent fixture on any trip at that time of year. Being a mass produced product they are very good value for money. I don't think they are yet imported into the UK but with the internet that's not a problem. I cannot think of anything I would change about these trousers, they are really that good.

Star Rating 10

And you have also become an advocate of waterproof shorts!

These are my Mark II shorts and they weight 68 grams

Last year I used a pair of fully waterproof homemade shorts and really liked them but I wanted them even lighter for this year so looked at making a second pair. These MK II shorts aren't really waterproof but when combined with my Montane Terra stretch pants (both of which are treated with Nikwax TX10) they are effectively, it's very much like wearing a Paramo garment but in this case it spits into the liner or outer. They are made from a cut down pair of Montane Featherlite windproof pants to just below knee level. I find the combination of these with my stretch pants to be very flexible and they will cope with any weather experienced on the Challenge. Like Paramo it's important to keep them clean and well proofed if you want to stay fully dry.

Star Rating 8

Colin, talk usthrough your cooking selection.

I used an MSR Titan Kettle which weighs in at 118 grams.

I keep meaning to replace this with something lighter such as a Tibetan 900 which at 96g is very similar, but never quite get round to it. Why? Well, it works perfectly, is very tough and well made, my stove was designed round this pot and any weight saving is minimal. I do use one of the larger Tibetan pots with my Bushbuddy stove and that though very light and functional looked from new slightly battered due to the very thin grade of Titanium used. One day the Titan will go but not just yet! The Titan at 850ml is the perfect size for simple one person camping meals and it’s the only cookware I ever take with the Esbit stove, the shape also makes it a very handy mug. The lid is a perfect fit but overly complicated (cosmetically) and therefore heavier than it need be. I removed the lid handle because it rattled constantly in my pack and replaced it with cord. The Titan has two large and quite comfortable folding handles that are very useful and remain cool. If I was to suggest improvements then it would be to add some volume markings as getting the right amount of water for re-hydrating food is guesswork (I have added marks on the spoon and use that as a depth gauge).

Star Rating 8

Optimus Titanium Spork 18g

Originally I planned on taking a simple lightweight plastic spork but I do prefer Titanium for its strength (you can even use one as a tent peg if needed). My standard Terra Nova spork is very light but quite long and hard to store and I didn’t want anything loose in the pack that could potentially damage the Spinnaker or eVent bivi material. Just before the Challenge I saw this folding Titanium spork in Aviemore and thought that it could be idea. When folded it lives protected in the MSR kettle where it can do no damage. The Optimus is quite heavy for a Titanium spork but it is a good size. The only minor problem is that just occasionally it will self fold when in use if you do not set the locking bar sufficiently. Overall I like it and will take it again.

Star Rating 7

Turboflame Turbostick lighter 69g

I’m a big fan of Esbit stoves and I’m surprised how few people in the UK use them. One of the few problems with Esbit can be lighting of the fuel if it’s particularly cold or more significantly, windy. Wind is a challenge when using a tarp in the UK and I have struggled many times to light my stove when the wind has been howling through my self-made wind tunnel of a tarp. This gas lighter makes lighting Esbit in all conditions very easy. The Turbostick was originally designed for lighting barbecues and has no problems reaching my fuel in the stove. Turboflame describe the lighter as windproof and while it’s certainly not fully windproof it does take a lot to blow it out. Lighting is simple and quick with the built in igniter as long as it’s not that cold. Below zero the gas needs to be warmed up, I leave it for five minutes or so in my sleeping bag should I be in there or stuff it down my sock should I be around camp. It’s made out of Aluminium and is quite heavy for what it is, I’m certainly on the lookout for something similar in design but lighter. I don’t rely on this lighter as my only means of lighting the stove as the igniter could fail so I always carry a few weatherproof matches as well.

Star Rating 7

Stove 17g Pot cosy 29g

I have written about these two before so I won’t go into detail again. Both are cheap to make, simple in design, work perfectly and in my opinion are better than the commercial alternatives.

What I will briefly talk about is the cooking process I go through as that if done properly will save you weight with whatever type of fuel you choose to use.
A pot cosy is absolutely essential, if you ignore everything else I have written please do give one of these a try. The stove protected by a windshield is only used to bring the water and contents to the boil, then the pan is immediately transferred to the pot cosy and any further simmering or cooking is done fuel free within the pot cosy. A good pot cosy (I prefer foam) will keep the water hot enough for the cooking process to continue for at least 20 mins which is more than enough to re-hydrate your meals, cook your pasta etc. Even after 20 mins I generally find the food is still too hot to eat. Done this way I get away using only 23g fuel/day. One big advantage of my pot cosy design is that the lower half remains fitted to the pot even when eating the food and therefore keeps the contents hot that much longer.

Stove Star Rating 9
Pot cosy Star Rating 10

Platypus 1L 25g

My 500ml waterbottle isn’t enough for use around camp so I also have this 1L Platypus rollup waterbottle as well. I have had this one for many years and it shows little sign of wear. It folds up to nothing so takes up no space in the pack.

Star Rating 8

Now, let's have a look at clothing; I know there is a lot of interest on which collection of clothing you selected and how you thought the sleection worked.

Base layers - top (230 grams) boxers (85 grams)

Merino has been my favourite base layer material for the last few years and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Merino remains comfortable through a wide range of conditions and is noticeably warmer than synthetics when wet. Very importantly for us backpackers it remains almost smell free even after a weeks use. I only take a long sleeved top, if it’s warm then I roll the sleeves up but having the option to cover my arms from the sun or wind at a moments notice is enormously useful. I got this Oasis Icebreaker skin 200 top whist cycling round New Zealand in 2006 and have used nothing else since. I like the fit of the Oasis top, it reminds me of the old skin tight Helly Hansen lifa baselayers but with a much more effective material and a lot less smell. A tight fitting base layer is vital, if it doesn’t touch the skin how can it work? After many washes the merino is no longer as soft as it used to be but the performance hasn’t been compromised at all and I expect to be using both of them for a long time yet. Icebreaker has recently released a finer Skin 150 range in a similar fit and I would like to try that for warmer conditions but for the Challenge I think that Skin 200 is ideal.

Star Rating top 9
Star Rating boxers 8

Montane Terra Stretch Pants 414g

I only wear trousers in Scotland whatever the weather as ticks are a problem throughout the summer. Keeping covered up does help to keep the little buggers at bay. These trousers are used in combination with the shorts and when paired together are waterproof. Because nether layer is waterproof by itself condensation is never a problem much like Paramo. The Pertex stretch equilibrium frabric used is quite warm (even when wet) and highly wind resistant but still very breathable. This fabric doesn’t wear as well as some and fluffing has occurred wherever anything has rubbed for a while. Features are minimal with just a couple of pockets, adjustable ankles and a simple but useful short vent for each leg. Fit is good for my long legs and I don’t see me changing these for next year. Looking at the Montane website it doesn’t seem that they are producing these anymore in men’s fit which is a real shame so get them now while you still can.

Star Rating 8

Royal Robbins Extreme Expedition Cap 73g

Last year I suffered sunburn when the sun did finally come out. This year I wanted something that provided a little more protection and with the weather we had that was a good call. I bought this after it received a glowing report from Chris Townsend in the TGO magazine. I have a lot of respect for Chris’s reviews and I haven’t been disappointed with this cap. It’s a simple but very comfortable baseball style cap made from Coolmax with an adjustable elasticated draw cord and a removable neck flap. The neck flap’s use is limited as it just blows up in any wind, what it needs is a neck strap adding which is what I’ve done to mine. But why didn’t Royal Robbins fit one?

Star Rating 8

Paramo 3rd Element jacket 740g

This jacket has certainly caught a lot of people’s attention and I have had more emails about how I got on with this than for any other piece of equipment I have ever used.

I suppose this was a strange choice for an ultralighter but then weight isn’t everything. Performance and comfort have to be balanced with any weight savings and certainly for general UK conditions Paramo works better for me than anything else I have ever used. The beauty of Paramo is that it is worn rather than carried and also replaces at least two layers of a conventional layering system. That means less weight carried (in the pack) and less bulk (get away with a smaller pack). It still overall works out heavier than a conventional ultralight layering system (about 300g) but I cannot feel those extra grams on gear I’m wearing but I can certainly feel the extra grams removed from the pack. As a bonus comfort and protection provided is far superior to that of the ultralight alternative.
I know Paramo waterproofs well having used them throughout the cooler months since they were first released to the UK in the early 90’s, but like many I found them just too warm for the rest of the year. That was until now…..

Paramo’s 3rd Element jacket isn’t a new idea in fact it was launched in 2001and I remember at the time thinking it was interesting, but a little weird. It certainly looked quite fiddly and unfinished but when the MKII was launched in 2006 it got my interest again and this looked a much more polished and useful piece of kit. I did consider getting one for last years Challenge but in the end went for the lighter conventional layering system.

What makes the 3rd Element unique is that the arms/upper back/hood can be zipped off as one unit leaving a simple gilet, that when combined with the full length front zip and mesh back upper allows for ventilation like no other waterproof on the market. However should the weather turn nasty then you can very quickly refit the removed parts and enjoy the protection and comfort that Paramo is famous for. With ventilation like this it is now possible to keep wearing the jacket on most days throughout the warmer months in the UK. On the Challenge only on one occasion did I find the jackets limit and that was very briefly when I was climbing a very steep hill shortly before Fort Augustus in blazingly hot mid afternoon sun. Only then did the jacket have to be removed and carried (once you have to carry a Paramo waterproof in your pack then for me all its advantages are lost), once on the top the gilet was quickly put on again and never came off for the rest of the Challenge.

The removable section is held in place by a combination of two chest zips and four underarm poppers which looks very neat when done up but is quite fiddly to do in practice. Certainly zipping on the arms/hood section is very hard when still wearing the gilet but also it isn’t really necessary as the jacket is still waterproof with the arms just poppered on. In a strong headwind though you do need to zip them on or slight leakage and drafts can occur. Practice does make it a lot easier.

A handy storage pocket for the “arms” is provided at the rear of the jacket which worked well with my belt-less rucksack but would probably be unusable with a conventional pack with hip belt (not tried it). The jacket design is otherwise simple with two chest pockets that are only just big enough to take my A4 printed maps, standard Paramo velcro adjustable cuffs, a longer scooped rear (useful for cyclists) and a wired peak hood. This hood is more basic than that found on most Paramo jackets but I still found it effective, the peak isn’t so pronounced but as I always used it in conjunction with my Royal Robbins cap I didn’t notice any problems. Do have a look at that if you are interested in this jacket though.

The 3rd Element does have another couple of issues, it’s shorter than most other Paramo jackets and I would certainly have liked it to be a couple of inches longer (I’m 6ft 2” so that might not be so much a problem if you are shorter) and it’s also a slim cut. Finally like all Paramo garments it requires more maintenance to keep it working well than with other waterproof materials, by that I mean it needs to be kept clean and reproofed with Nikwax regularly or it could end up leaking.
Overall this jacket performed brilliantly and I think it has found a permanent place in my Challenge kit. If like me you like Paramo but find it just too warm then take a long look at this jacket.

Well done Paramo for trying something different.

Star Rating 9

Some good stuff here obviously, but not so much luck with the socks!

Inov-8 Merino debris socks 73g

Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish.

You can probably tell I didn’t like these socks. They did have good points. The fit was excellent, the merino was comfortable and worked well, the debris gaiter did its job BUT… they fell apart after less than 50 miles! The merino wool came out in huge clumps leaving them bald and consequently totally useless as a sock. I have already mentioned about the quality of Inov-8 products and these are by far the worst yet. Don’t waste your money on this expensive piece of junk.

Star Rating 0

But the shoes from Inov-8 were still fine?

Inov-8 Flyroc 310 645g

I only wear trail shoes nowadays. I like Inov-8 footwear as it fits my foot shape well, I have narrow heals and quite a wide toe area and can have real problems finding comfortable footwear. Comfort and grip are the most important factors for me when choosing footwear and it’s here that the Flyroc’s excel. The Flyroc’s have little underfoot padding so aren’t idea for hard trails but are perfect for the kind of off-road walking I enjoy, for harder trails the Roclites would probably be a better option. Having such little padding makes you feel more connected to the terrain and therefore more confident when placing your feet, that along with the phenomenal grip of the Flyroc’s on all but smooth wet rock gives you confidence on tricky terrain. Inov-8 footwear isn’t perfect and I find that the quality of the products isn’t all that great. Stitching of the uppers has failed on every pair I have owned (I must remember to keep receipts in future) after only around 300 miles or so. It has never been so bad that I’ve had to throw them away at that point and I estimate I get around 500 miles out of a pair of Roclites and 700+ miles from the Flyroc’s which isn’t bad for such a light product.

Star Rating 7 (9 if the quality was improved)

 

And, finally, what about other key accesories?

Gloves

I get cold hands easily so carry two pairs of gloves on the Challenge, the first pair are Coolmax liner socks that I’ve modified to be liner gloves when not being used as my dry socks around camp. They work as well as any other synthetic liner glove I’ve used but look a little daft. But hey who cares? I will probably make a pair out of Merino as I think they will work even better when wet but will also most likely be slightly heavier and slower to dry. My second pair is from Mountain Laurel who make a very light eVent glove that is fully waterproof and work really well. They do look very fragile but after two Challenges I don’t see any reason why I won’t be using them for another two. The combination of both pairs is effective and keeps my hands warm in the coldest weather expected on the Challenge.

Star Rating Coolmax liner 30g 8
ML eVent 34 9

Gossamer Gear Lightrek II Poles 188g

Yes that is the weight of both poles! At less than half the weight of normal carbon fibre poles surely there has to be a compromise? Well actually none that I’ve found. Last year Bob from Backpackinglight.co.uk asked me what my favourite piece of kit was and he was surprised when I said it was these (thought it would be the Bushbuddy). This is the one piece of kit that goes with me on every trip without ever any thought of alternatives.

John Manning commented on day one of the Challenge whist on the Five Sisters ridge that he didn’t think I should put much pressure on the shafts because they looked like they would snap. However in use they have proven to be very strong and have saved me from many falls over the time I have used them, they do flex but without problems and I have total confidence in them. The light carbon/glass fibre shafts are fairly stiff and as said very strong, after over two years and thousands of miles use I don’t see them needed replacement anytime soon. A simple cork effect but very comfortable synthetic handgrip is used without any wrist straps which some won’t like but when carrying such light loads and with such light poles I don’t find that a problem. Gossamer Gear has since upgraded these poles with the Lightrek III model which have full carbon fibre shafts and they say are even stiffer/stronger. Being of one piece construction keeps the weight down and strength up but makes travelling with then a little awkward. I would like to see a folding pair made like Titanium Goat has done.

Star Rating 9

Nokia N95/case/spare battery with Viewranger software 145g

Viewranger mapping software has been around for a while but until phones came with built in GPS receivers I didn’t bother using it. Now GPS is quite common in mobile phones you really may as well turn your phone into a full colour OS moving map device. Having your route and real time position displayed on a real OS 1:50000 or 1:25000 map can be a very useful navigational aid and made finding the tricky Shielin of Mark bothy that much easier. You shouldn’t use a device like this to make up for poor navigational ability but use it like any other navigational tool you have. The Viewranger software has a very useful facility for broadcasting your position called “Beaconbuddy”, this allows anybody to log on to the Viewranger website and see your position in real-time (assuming you have mobile coverage). This can be handy for friends/family back home.

The N95 has a good GPS receiver in that it will lock on pretty fast but when I compared it to a Garmin Geko standalone GPS unit in a steep sided valley the Garmin locked on much faster than the N95. You do also have to open up the keyboard on the N95 as the receiver is located under the keypad which is a pain should it be raining. I have since used a Nokia N82 and the GPS in that is way better than that in the N95. That’s not to say the N95 is bad but like everything improvements are made with every generation of devices. Sounds perfect? Well battery life can only be described as poor on all these phones, used constantly you are looking at about 4-5 hrs use before needing a new battery. I took one spare battery on the Challenge but no charger and found that even with the odd phone call that was more than enough for a two week trip and the amount of time I actually used the GPS.

Star Rating 9

Colin, Thanks for that. You've given us a very comprehensive assessment of all of the gear that you carried on the 2008 TGO Challenge.