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Thursday 17 December 2015

A Kit List for Winter Backpacking




Having been asked for a winter backpacking kit list from someone about to visit the Highlands for wild camping later this month I thought I'd post one from an overnight trip in the Cairngorms a year ago. I wrote about that trip here. Many of these items were on test but the list is typical of the gear I take on winter trips.

Pack:      Lightwave Ultrahike
Shelter:  Mountain Laurel Designs Duomid XL + Nest
Sleeping Bag: Salewa Fusion
Insulation:  Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Regular/OMM Duo Mat
Kitchen :    Optimus Vega gas stove/foil windscreen
        :      Primus Eta 1 litre pot
        :      Insulated mug
        :      Go Outdoors long plastic spoon
        :      Sea to Summit spoon       
        :      dishcloth                           
        :      FireSteel/lighter                            
        :      GoLite 700ml water bottle           
        :      2x Platypus 2 litre bottles    
        :      250 gas cartridge
Footwear:  Ecco Biom Hike boots
Clothing: Wigwam Merino Comfort Hiker Socks
       :       SealSkinz Midweight socks
       :       Mountain Equipment G2 Windstopper trousers
        :      Montane Primino Zip Neck base layer
        :      Didriksons microfleece top
        :      Sherpa Nangpala Primaloft Down Gold jacket
       :       Patagonia Ultralight Down Vest
        :      Paramo Fuera windshirt
        :      Montane Further Faster Neoshell jacket
        :      Mountain Hardwear Stretch Plasmic overtrousers
        :      Smartwool boxer shorts
       :       Montane Primino long johns
        :      Smartwool Woody Creek Hat
       :       Paramo Cap
       :       Buff
       :       Smartwool Liner gloves
       :       Montane Sabretooth Powershield gloves
       :       The North Face Windstopper gloves
       :       Extremities Tuff Bags overmitts
       :       Bandanna       
 Snow:    Camp Corsa ice axe
        :      Hillsound trail crampons          
       :       Snow shovel 
Accessories:  Pacer poles
        :      Petzl Tikka XP & RX+ headlamps            
        :      Compass & whistle               
        :      Notebook, pens        
        :      Harveys maps
        :      Reading glasses
        :      First Aid Kit                   
        :      Repair Kit    
        :      Sony Xperia SP smartphone, ear phones, battery charger                 
        :      Suunto Ambit watch
        :      Kestrel 4500 Weather Station
        :      SAK knife
        :      Mini binoculars
        :      Wash kit/loo paper
        :      Sunscreen     
        :      Salomon Dark glasses    
        :      Ski goggles          
        :      Kindle e-reader
Cameras :     Sony NEX 6 & 7 cameras
        :      Sony 10-18mm, 16-50mm & 55-210 mm lenses
        :      Smartcards, batteries & filters
        :      Velbon V-Pod tripod


13 comments:

  1. Thanks for article. What's your preference, clear or tinted goggles?

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    1. Tinted. Yellow or orange for better depth perception in mist and white-outs.

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  3. Thanks for posting this list Chris,

    Just wondering which material is your Duomid made of and what influenced your choice.. I'm thinking of buying one and may go for the XL one as there is more room for two people.

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    1. Silnylon. It was a test item so the choice wasn't mine. I would have chosen silnylon anyway as it's a material I know and trust.

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  4. Thanks Chris I have a silnylon Trekkertent Stealth for solo use but am thinking getting a Duomid or the XL version for the other half and myself.

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  5. Thanks for the article Chris. I am on the verge of buying a MLD Duomid (not XL) and was going to go for the cuben fibre version, so I'm interested in your comments re silnylon version being your choice. I'm also encouraged to see you were using the nest, which I was concerned may be too cool? Let condensation drips in etc.? But if it's OK for you in the Cairngorms, I'm happy with that.

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  6. Thanks for the article Chris. I am on the verge of buying a MLD Duomid (not XL) and was going to go for the cuben fibre version, so I'm interested in your comments re silnylon version being your choice. I'm also encouraged to see you were using the nest, which I was concerned may be too cool? Let condensation drips in etc.? But if it's OK for you in the Cairngorms, I'm happy with that.

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    Replies
    1. I was using the Nest because I was testing the whole unit. Actually I wouldn't otherwise use it outside midge season. I'd just use a groundsheet. The nest adds a little warmth but not as much as a solid inner. As to cuben fibre I have tried a cuben fibre Trailstar and a cuben fibre Duomid. Because the material doesn't stretch it works much better in a fixed shape like the Duomid.

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  7. Great advice Chris, thanks.Along with your tests and Andrew Skirka's expeditions using the MLD SoloMid, I hope the Duomid will be OK.

    Jay

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  9. Hi Chris,

    Hope you don't mind a comment on an old post. I was wondering if you could answer a question on the sil nylon Duomid XL? I'm still on the verge of buying one with the inner and amn keen on the sil nylon version rather than the cuben version. Its cheaper and I have a shelter made of that material.

    My question is about the pole connector strap that MLD supply. Do you use it and if so is it effective/ resilient? My poles are Fizan compacts with an extended length of 132 cm. I'd be grateful for any advice/info you can give on this method of pitching method

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