Gear Review

What follows are some comments on my gear. Kate's stuff was pretty similar.

ULA Catalyst Pack

The Catalyst is a heavier pack than the one I normally backpack with in the UK these days. At just over 1 Kilogram this is quite a load carrier and has bags of space. It is also comfortable, having seen me through two 2 TGO Challenges. I took the bigger bag mainly because of the need to get everything into the pack — including poles — when flying. This pack has a great system of pockets which make it very handy to use. Nevertheless I did feel it was heavier than I needed. My Conduit pack (also from ULA) is half the weight. I reckon I could have got everything sorted in this pack if I'd been more careful at packing. Next time!

Terra Nova Super Solar 2.2

A great two person, backpacking tent, which weighs in at just over 2 kilograms. You'll find a full review of this on the blog. The main feature of this tent is that it has two individual vestibules, each of which has tons of space for packs, food, etc. The almost hexagonal shape means that it sheds wind easily and is very stable in bad weather. This time around the tent had to stand up to two dramatic Pyrenean storms (and these are not to be messed with). I almost took a single skin tent with me but was glad for the Solar. There are no mosquitos that high up but there were lots of nasty, biting, flies.

White Box Alcohol Stove

As there were two of us we took two stoves. The White Box is a very light and very simple alcohol stove, which works very well with a pot cosy system. With a little care it can be used in the vestibule, as it was on this trip during the dreadful, early, weather.

Bushbuddy Ultra Wood Burning Stove

Just a fantastic piece of design and construction. This stove really adds another dimension to camping. It was in its element in the warm weather of the Pyrenees. When fuel is in easy supply this is a very versatile stove, allowing you to almost cook properly!

MSR Titan Pot 1.5 litre

One pot is all you need!

MSR Titanium, single, skinned mugs

Light but tough.

Inov 8 Terrocs

Not everyone's cup of tea, but I love these light trail shoes. I do feel very safe in them particularly on rocky, uneven, ground. They were ideal for the warm weather of the SW of France and Spain. They took a bit of stick, more than boots would have done, but I'm still wearing them!

Clothing

Base Layers

I took two shirts with me. An Icebreaker Polo shirt came with me mainly for use in the evenings and in restaurants, etc. But it was useful in the cold weather at the beginning of the trip. These are great shirts, made from fine merino wool, that are more stylish than most pieces of walking kit.

For walking most days I relied on a Paramo Kea Light shirt. These are very light and remarkably effective in very hot weather. I really like this system which makes the most of any little bit of breeze. It also washes out easily and dries quickly. I've used Paramo light shirts for all of my hot weather walking over recent years and this new model is the best yet!

I relied for most of the time on a pair of Icebreaker 200 merino wool boxers. These were very comfortable in very hot weather. A pair of Paramo boxers played a backup role; these are very light.

Trousers

Most of the time I wore a pair of Paramo Meru Shorts. Fantastic, comfortable, shorts. I also took a pair of Paramo Merapi Vent full length trousers. These are light and very comfortable. Worn mainly in the evenings the Merapis were very comfortable when worn during the day when I wanted to give my legs a rest from the sun.

Socks

X Socks are the best hot weather socks I've come across. I stared with Trekking Light and replaced them with Trekking Ultra Light — amazing socks.

Protection Layers

Both us took our Montane Dynamo jackets and were very grateful for them. Kate reckons these are the best garments we have every bought. These just add the right amount of warmth for the summer and yet are very breathable when walking hard. They are pretty windproof and remarkably water resistant. And they look quite nice too.

My waterproof was a Montane Quickfire jacket made out of eVent fabric. This is very breathable and worked pretty well during the early part of the trip when the weather was very wet.

For leg protection I carried a pair of Montane Windproof over trousers. These are very light and although not waterproof offer welcome protection when the weather is bad. In the mountains I wore these over my shorts during one bad day and they gave me just the right amount of extra warmth.

Warmth

We both took PHD down jackets. This may seem like overkill but these are so lovely and comfortable. And we were glad of them on more than one evening. Very light and pack down easily.

Sleeping Bags

We both used PHD Minimus bags (standard down to 5 degrees). Great, light and very comfortable.

We also both used Torso Lite inflatable sleeping mats. These are light as they are smaller than most mats. But they are very effective and comfortable. For shorter trips I use a Gossamer Gear egg shell mat, but two weeks sleeping on hard rock is just a little too much for this.

Pacer Poles for walking. They really do work differently than most poles — I love them. These were the standard aluminium versions.

Conclusions

All in all this was not a bad kit list. It was a shade heavier than I would have liked. My sack weighed in at the airport at just about 9 kilograms, and that included some food.

The trick to walking and backpacking in this kind of heat really is to carry as little as possible. Walking in a pair always means a little compromise over weight. If I had been doing this trip solo my gear would have been a fair bit lighter.

All of the kit worked well but I'd certainly look to pack more carefully next time, to ensure I could use a smaller pack.

You can find fuller reviews of all of this kit in the Review section of the blog. If you have any queries please feel free to email at:

andy.howell@mac.com