TGO Gear Recap
A brief review of some of the new gear I used on this trip and also some of the systems I changed for this particular adventure.
What can I say about this pack? It's simply the best pack I've ever used. This was the first long distance hike I carried it on, and it really was flawless. For starters, the pack is light (about 28oz.), tough, and comfortable. My max load was around 23 lbs, but it never felt like I was carrying that amount of weight. This pack just carries weight so well. Some other nice features are the outside pockets: one on the back, two on the sides, and two on the waistbelt. I carried my compass, snacks, and camera in the waist pockets. On the sides I carried a water bottle and my tent poles, and the back pocket I carried my water filter and rain jacket or fleece (depending on the weather). Another amazing thing about this pack is that it's waterproof. Now, it can't be submerged because the bottom seams aren't seam sealed, but I went through the Lairag Ghru in driving wind and rain and my pack was totally dry inside and my camera in the waistbelt pocket was dry as well (the rest of me was soaked through). No more pack cover or trash compactor liner for me again. The only negative I can think of is that the white color shows mud and dirt stains. It doesn't bother me personally, since I feel like a backpack should be out there getting dirty. All in all, this is by far my favorite pack of all time.
Tent: Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 (2011 model)
This is an older tent that's nearing the end of it's life. The reason I'm including it is to talk about how it handled the Scotland conditions as opposed to conditions on the Appalachian Trail or other US trails. This is a 2 person tent (really more like 1.5 person, but it's the perfect size for me and all my gear and pack to fit in there) and weighs about 3.5 lbs. including the groundsheet and the extra stakes I carried in Scotland for my guy lines. For the size and weight it was tops when it came out in 2011, now I believe there's some lighter tents. This is a bomber tent, I've never gotten wet in it, and I don't have condensation problems. The only issue I've had is a couple tiny pinhole size holes in the floor from pine needles poking through, but that's to be expected from the lightweight material that the tent is constructed of. The only place this tent is lacking in is the ability to pitch the outer rainfly before the inner. It seems like all the manufacturers in the UK give people the ability to do this, which makes sense because it's so much wetter over there. On the plus side, tents manufactured in the US tend to have much more surface area of mosquito netting, which also makes sense since it's typically not as cold in the US. Other than getting a little wet when pitching the tent in the rain, this was a great tent for use on the TGO Challenge.
Sleeping bag: Z packs 30 Degree 900 Fill Down Sleeping Bag
At almost exactly 1 lb (including stuff sack) this is one of the lightest sleeping bags out there. I just replaced an old 30 degree bag with this one for this trip. The old bag was definitely on its last legs and not 30 degrees anymore, so I was carrying a liner as well. All in all, I cut almost 20 oz by purchasing this sleeping bag. The first night of the challenge the temperature dropped to 29 degrees. Honestly I didn't even realize how cold it was until I got out of my sleeping bag in the morning as I was toasty warm in there. This is the first time I've gone without a hood on a sleeping bag, so in addition I used my Turtle Fur Fleece Hat at night. Also of note, the stuff sack included from Z Packs is cuben fiber, so it is also waterproof.
Pillow: Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow Ultra Light
I needed to replace my pillow as my previous one sprung a leak on the first night of my last backpacking trip. I know most people use clothes in a stuffsack as a pillow, but I've never been comfortable when doing that. At 2oz, this pillow is totally worth it for me. It has a multi-funtional valve. All that means is it has a large plug with a smaller plug built into the center of it. If you open the small plug you can inflate it (single direction valve so it doesn't deflate when you take a breath) and when you're ready to pack up in the morning you open the large valve and it deflates quickly. This pillow is very comfortable. The only problem I had with it is that the material slides on my sleeping pad easily.
Navigation Device: Moto G cell phone with OS Locate app installed
I am including this since it's the first time in a while I've needed to do off-trail navigation. I decided to use my phone as my backup navigation device (primary was paper map and compass) rather than a dedicated GPS. I put the phone on airplane mode, which still allowed me to get the GPS reading quickly. I would have to say that when compared to people with their dedicated GPS devices, my phone got the coordinates roughly 3 times as fast. And it was always accurate. So rather than spend money on a GPS device for the UK, just download the OS Locate app.
Pillow: Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow Ultra Light
I needed to replace my pillow as my previous one sprung a leak on the first night of my last backpacking trip. I know most people use clothes in a stuffsack as a pillow, but I've never been comfortable when doing that. At 2oz, this pillow is totally worth it for me. It has a multi-funtional valve. All that means is it has a large plug with a smaller plug built into the center of it. If you open the small plug you can inflate it (single direction valve so it doesn't deflate when you take a breath) and when you're ready to pack up in the morning you open the large valve and it deflates quickly. This pillow is very comfortable. The only problem I had with it is that the material slides on my sleeping pad easily.
Navigation Device: Moto G cell phone with OS Locate app installed
I am including this since it's the first time in a while I've needed to do off-trail navigation. I decided to use my phone as my backup navigation device (primary was paper map and compass) rather than a dedicated GPS. I put the phone on airplane mode, which still allowed me to get the GPS reading quickly. I would have to say that when compared to people with their dedicated GPS devices, my phone got the coordinates roughly 3 times as fast. And it was always accurate. So rather than spend money on a GPS device for the UK, just download the OS Locate app.
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