I just spotted 2 Vango Force Ten Nitro Lites on Ebay, one with the extended porch and one without. I have not slept in a Vango since the days when a Force Ten had A poles, but the modern Nitro design looks sensible. They might be worth considering if the bidding stays within your budget. |
A very sensible suggestion, MK. What typically happens is that I try to reach the summit of Corn Du about sunset because it is nice and quiet then. By the time I get to the gully it is dark, and I am getting tired so I head straight down in the moonlight because it is quicker and I just want to get home. |
I'm not sure I am tough enough to endure and enjoy 2 week trips or to carry 15kg very far. Each one to his own. You should evolve a style that suits you. I tend to spend only one night at a time away from my car. This means I can resupply the next day. If I head up the hill in the afternoon I can camp high up and enjoy the sunset after everone else has gone home. The next day I finish my walk and come down in the afternoon. I also tend to alternate big mountain days with more relaxing days. In Wales there isn't really enough space to walk for more than a day without encountering civilisation somewhere, except possibly in the Elenydd. In Scotland longer trips make more sense. If you are on your own the evenings can be quite long, especially in September. You can pick up a paperback from a charity shop for a few pennies and tear it into sections so you don't carry it all at once. On a nice day it can be fun to relax with a book on a sunny hillside. Or take a Kindle or an Ipad mini. An efficient ice box in the car can stay cold for a long weekend. A comfy folding chair is a nice thing to keep in the car too. There are plenty of places in Wales where you can park your car beside the road and then wild camp 15 minutes walk away. It doesn't need to be extreme unless you want it to be. |
This is my list for overnight trips in summer. You'll know you are taking things seriously when you find yourself shortening the handle of the toothbrush to make it easier to pack or cutting a pencil down to size. The list excludes whatever I am wearing or normally carry in my pockets. If it looks cool and damp I substitute a Paramo jacket and maybe warmer overtrousers and add a light pair of gloves. Don't forget the small stuff like sunscreen, midge repellent, matches. You'll discover how important they are if you forget them. +0010 Map, book(?)
+0109 Water bottles (2)
+0202 Minimus jacket
+0185 Paclite overtrousers
+0295 Xenon jacket
+0120 Sonic shorts
+0024 Dry sack
+0086 Steripen
+1050 Osprey Exos 46 rucksack
+1150 Terra Nova Solar Competition
+0761 Sleeping bag, dry sack
+0361 Neoair Xlite, pillow case
+0297 Pot, stove, base, opener, knife, spork, soap, scourer, paper
+0161 Gas
+0027 Water tablets, insect repellant, plasters, patch, batteries, flint, pencil
+0041 Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant
+0060 Alcohol gel, paper, trowel
+0089 Head torch, compass, sunscreen
+???? Food, water
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=5028 |
TheAdrian
