Notes on our gear & gear list
Tent Terra Nova Laser
This is just big enough for 2. It must be the lightest 2 person double wall tent. We have added 4 extra guys to the available points and we are now confident in it in strong winds, although we still try to find shelter for a quieter night. We have added elastic to pull out the sag in the inner by our heads. We draw back the groundsheet to an extra loop on the tension band, to give more safety room for cooking. The tent does not stand well under snow; you must get out and remove the snow.
Rab 400 Sleeping bag converted to a double top bag
We have taken the rab 400 bag and added a zip across the footbox so the bag opens completely. Rab sent us a matching zip and some pertex quantum and we have zipped in a basesheet about 2/3 the width of the opened up bag. This makes a double top bag for 150 grams more weight than the 900 gram original bag. The base sheet has a down panel to complete the "sole" of the footbox. The down fits under our bodies by about 100mm all down the sides. Ellie being taller gets the "hood" side of the bag. Because there is no longer a mummy hood we need good hats to sleep in.
Neoair short mats
This was the first long trip with these mats they are very light but camping high in May we thought we needed the insulation boost of a 3mm double foam mat. We may manage without another time. We use our empty rucksacks and foam sitmats to insulate under our feet. We use spare clothes and 30 gram double chamber air pillows under our heads.
Clothes
I avoid fleeces and use synthetic fill or down for warmth, because you get more warmth for the weight. I use Merino for base layers for its lesser smell. I always go for the thinnest as Merino is relatively heavy. Power stretch tights are durable and quite warm for their weight. In winter we use Furtech waterproofs. In May, even high, I decided it was just too warm, so it was back to event and goretex.
Footwear
We wear inov8 running shoes with goretex socks. A very light relatively dry system.
Jetboil
We have cut down our jetboil until it only weighs 300 gram and has a pot volume of 800ml. We often have to cook dehydrated meals one at a time but that is still quicker than our alcohol stove.
Rucksacks
We are keen on Aarn front pockets. Research shows being more upright uses less energy, more than is lost by the pack being a little heavier. The access to stuff on the move is valuable. To keep our pace similar, and to make Ellie more agile for scrambling, Ellie carries less weight. We have added 12 litre Aarn front pockets to an OMM 32 litre mountain marathon classic. This makes a smaller sack for her that weighs about 1 kilogram.
Food
Our muesli, our dehydrated evening meals and our homemade flapjack are all laced with olive oil. This pushes up the calories we carry with minimum weight. We try not to carry any food that has less than 4 calories per gram. We carry about 3200 calories at a weight of about 700 gram per person per day.
Ice Axes
Our ice axes weigh about 135 grams each. That is hardly any weight, as they work to dig toilet holes saving the weight of a trowel, and are strong enough to lever the odd stone out of that nearly perfect camp site. They are made of a Carbon Fibre handle and titanium head and spike. They are not graded but they are strong enough for support and self arrest. They have not been tested for things like a belay for crevasse rescue. They are too light to be quick at cutting steps. They are fine for winter walking. They are made in Canada. They are part of a batch of 30. They are not in production.
