Just beginning to plan three weeks in the Pyrenees in August, backpacking and wild camping for much of the time.
This is the time when I begin to think about kit, keeping it light and checking out new stuff.
Are there any new must have thingies that people have begun to use.
I could do with replacing my MSR Blacklite cookwear and was wondering about titanium - any feelings as to how MSR titanium stuff compares against Snow Peak.
I don't spend my life buying new stuff, but it is nice to think about it from time to time :-)
I can't compare the MSR titanium with the Snow Peak, but I can confirm that I really like my MSR titanium kettley thing.
The holiday sounds fantastic. I've never walked there, but I thought I'd read that wild camping wasn't encouraged in that area? If it is then maybe I'll look at it for next year.
It's the way the French describe wild camping. You are allowed to camp, within the national park, so long as you pitch your tent after 19.00 and take it up again before 8.00. This they call a bivouac. 'Camping' is something that involves you leaving your tent in one place for a couple of days. That being said, it seems to be OK to do pitch a tent for a couple of days next to some of the bigger refuges. THe Spanish side is more difficult, especially in the busier areas
There is nothing like pitching the tent for the night, high up and alongside some mountain lake.
They're worth trying the Pyrenees. It is now easy to get there and the mountains themselves seem, somehow, more magical than a lot of areas.
I recently bought some MSR Titan titanium pots and I'm pretty impressed, I've been using titalium pots for a number of years now and they are definately lighter in weight and pretty tough. Only problem I've found is that food can burn quite easily unless you keep an eye on it and stir regularly. I guess this is because titanium is so light. On weight alone they are worth the huge amount of money they cost...
Ummm Pyrenees – nice big mountains Roll on august, flights are booked, gears all purchased, now I’m just fidgeting and pining - waiting for the off. Andy Get your flights booked as soon as possible the prices are rising – I dropped the Easyjet flight to Barcelona and changed to Ryanair flying to Zaragosa because Easyjet was almost £200 return (to Newcastle), Ryanairs significantly cheaper. As for weight, my biggest concern is the food I’m going to have to carry.
Hadn't thought about rising prices - I shall get on to it shortly. Food is a pain in the bum. There's not much you can do to make it any lighter. make sure to supplement your dried stuff with the fresh local stuff. And you can get some great dried meals in French and Spanish supermarkets. As for munching during the day, Pyrenees sausage goes a long way.
Cameron, thanks for just convincing me to spend more than I really should on some pans - and ones I have to watch like a hawk at that :-)
Last summer's weather in the Pyrenees was crap - hoping for a better time this year. Mind you I will be warming up on a no doubt soaking Pembrokeshire path at the end of June!
I can feel those mountains, just calling me on ....
Don't miss the Oddessa Canyon - take the high level routes running above it as ways of heading to wild lakes for camping beyond the head of the canyon. Look out for the wallcreepers, they look just like big moths when they fly off.
