Author Topic: Make my camping trips a bit lighter  (Read 5983 times)

bricam2096

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Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« on: 09:39:27, 04/10/15 »
I've walked 4 National Trails this year and setting off next week to do the Speyside Way.

I found the prices for accommodation at some of my intended stays to be too expensive (over £70 a night in some places) and can't justify spending that kind of money just for somewhere to sleep for a few hours so I've decided to camp at sites and wild camp one night, which will save a small fortune.

I'm hoping next year to do more camping on long distance routes so I could do with getting the pack weight and size down so I'm hoping for some suggestions so i can look when there are sales on and maybe grab a bargain before the spring/summer O0

My camping kit WAS a Vango Banshee 200 tent (2.35kg), vango ultralite 200 sleeping bag (925g plus liner), Vango trek mat (860g) and a choice between 2 rucksacks a 65L one at 2.64kg or a 45L one at 840g.

I know some of the above aren't that heavy but am looking to reduce pack size also. I have bought a NeoAir Xlite sleeping mat which is incredibly lite and much smaller and comfier than the vango trek mat so I'm looking for suggestions for a different tent (do I really need a 2 man tent for backpacking?), sleeping bag lighter in weight and pack size but also warm enough and a 55-65L backpack around 1.5KG

All suggestions welcome from personal experience.
LDWs done - 32 in total including 16 National Trails and 3 C2C

Wainwrights 176
www.brians-walks.co.uk

thomasdevon

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #1 on: 10:16:04, 04/10/15 »
I wild camp using DD 3x3 tarp at 790g excl. pegs & lines, plus trekking poles for uprights. Variety of ways of rigging this incl. fully enclosed for rainy nights.

youradvocate

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #2 on: 10:56:55, 04/10/15 »
I am always looking for ways to improve my gear and to lighten my load. I find that a 50L rucksack is fine for me and cannot understand why people would something bigger? I wonder what people are carrying which I am not? I do not carry cooking stuff but if I did this would easily fit in my present bag.

To improve my personal hiking experience I stopped using a sleeping bag and now use a quilt, I use a rain skirt now instead of waterproof trousers and carry less water and use a filter more often. I am also hoping to use a Vaude poncho next trip (just waiting for delivery) and I will see where that leads me in my pursuit of having the most effective gear at the lowest weight.

I like to sleep comfortably so I have used a thicker Thermarest inflatable mattress for some time, I then tried to save weight this year by buying a thinner and lighter model. It did not work, so next time I will be happy to go back to my thicker and heavier mattress.

Boots are another item, I have just bought myself some lighter ones so hope that these will also help my hiking experience?

I must also discipline myself to carry less sundries.

FOX160

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #3 on: 11:39:41, 04/10/15 »
Budget would help.  But you could start with heaviest weighted items or what you can find cheaper in the sales.

I have just bought a new tent 2 person tent from these http://www.trekkertent.com/home/ this weighs in at 1.230kg saves me 670g against my Zeph2XL at 1900kg But i also now have a much larger foot print drift.jpg and not in a coffin.(ignore the different end heights I had these made equal). And instead of poles this uses trekking poles. Would I use it on my own yep.

Do you need a 2 person tent ? Basically No and take a look at the http://www.trekkertent.com/home/home/3-stealth.html more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU0fZMs8pWY    .My sleeping mat is the Multimat http://www.simplyhike.co.uk/products/Multimat/Superlite25SelfInflatingMat-RedandBlack.aspx?gclid=CK_q9IzKqMgCFcOv2wod3PICHQ[ This weighs in at 490g. My sleeping bag is roughly the same weight has yours but i have been looking at the https://www.alpkit.com/products/pipedream-250 which weighs in at 650g.

If you have the money I would kill the tent and buy the Trekkertent Stealth 1 or look at the http://www.trekkertent.com/home/home/7-stealth-2.html in which will half your Tent weight and give you a massive sleeping space and vestibule for bad weather. And then change the 65L Rucksack in the sales as that is very heavy. And then change the bag later.
« Last Edit: 11:43:36, 04/10/15 by FOX160 »

FOX160

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #4 on: 11:52:07, 04/10/15 »

fernman

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #5 on: 16:00:33, 04/10/15 »
Take a look at the thread Define "lightweight" in The Hikers Bar (it should be in here in Gear!). I posted a lengthy reply on 26 September, I'm not going to duplicate it here, in which I detailed how I examined my kit and came up with lighter items. Silly things, such as leaving a nail file out of my wash kit, and replacing one of the lightest penknives there is with a disposable craft knife and shortening its handle.

But bit by bit the fewer grammes here and there add up to make quite a difference, although the largest saving was from replacing a synthetic sleeping bag with a down one (a Vango Venom 600 that is plenty warm enough for me, though the half length zip is a bit of a disadvantage, you can't open the far end for ventilation if you overheat. I paid £180 but it's currently £145).

What I suggest is you use my ideas as inspiration, and go through each and every one of your items and do something similar. You might also get some hints from this kit list: http://snowdoniabackpacking.freevar.com/gear_list.html

Lygonos

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #6 on: 17:30:07, 04/10/15 »
Top tip number one: Don't buy any new gear until well into December/January as that's when you'll see 2015 stuff at 50% off.
 
I collected a whole kit-out of items at the start of the year for huge discount that I've not seen since, but expect will reappear in early 2016.


However, here's some suggestions (assumptions being you need a tent suitable for 1 man and aren't massively huge) -


Tent: F10 Helium 1 - 1.23kg (maybe 1.3kg if you put in some chunkier pegs as the titanium ones are like nails) - £190 - saves 1kg http://tinyurl.com/o5q22sz

Sleeping bag: F10 catalyst 250 - 630g, slightly better rating than the Ultralite (comfort 7c, extreme -13c) - £150 - saves 0.35kg http://tinyurl.com/pu95jhw

Rucksack: Karrimor Alpiniste 45+10 - 1250g, quality kit unlike some Karrimor items - nylon rather than cheaper/heavier polyester - £53 - saves 1kg I imagine on current pack http://tinyurl.com/p3949h6


There's 2kg or more saved for £400 (you didn't mention a budget!)
« Last Edit: 19:14:13, 04/10/15 by Lygonos »

FOX160

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #7 on: 15:34:27, 18/10/15 »
bricam  unsure to how far you have got with replacing your kit.  But I have just ordered this for Solo walks £ 51.16p
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ultralight-Double-Layer-1-2-Person-Potable-Waterproof-Tent-Shelter-For-Hunting-Fishing-Camping-Tent-Outdoor/32461947177.html Meant to be approx. 880g.


This is the Material spec.

Specifications: two layer ultra-light weight tent,suitable for 1-2 person
]Outer tent: 15 D siliconized nylon(color army green,khaki),waterproof index PU 1500mm
Color: army green,khaki
Inner tent size: 200*130*80*105 cm /78.8*51.22*31.52*41.37 inch (length*front width*back width*height
Outer tent size:300*150*110*115 cm /118.2*59.1*43.34*45.31 inch (length*front width*back width*height
Net weight : about 0.78 kg
« Last Edit: 18:28:38, 18/10/15 by FOX160 »

scaryfeet

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quixoticgeek

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #9 on: 19:38:11, 18/10/15 »



Vaude Power lizzard 1-2P SUL for the tent.


Exped Lightning 60 for the backpack.


J

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Http://b.42q.eu/ - Beer, Bikes and Backpacking.

FOX160

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #10 on: 20:03:27, 18/10/15 »


Vaude Power lizzard 1-2P SUL for the tent.


Exped Lightning 60 for the backpack.


Two good items above.  I have the first Exped lightning 45L and love it. A really underrated Rucksack. Simplicity is the hardiest thing to Design. I can carry Three days hike in this pack including full change of clothing food etc and still have space.

NeilC

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #11 on: 09:44:33, 21/10/15 »

If money is tight then right now Decathlon are selling their Speed 50 rucksack for £30 and it's 1080g.




bricam2096

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #12 on: 17:31:40, 24/10/15 »
still reading replies.

I've bought a 2nd hand Zephyros 1 but keeping my eye out for a cheap 2nd hand Laser Competition 2.

Got a cheap Karrimor Superlight 45+10L backpack which might not be the most stylish or have lots of pockets etc but it's a lot lighter than my Vango Sherpa 65L so why pay more?

I get the feeling I'll struggle to get a better and lighter sleeping bag than my vango ultralite 200 sleeping bag (925g)

Also realised that maybe I can get lighter waterproof trousers as the Berghaus Deluge ones seem quite heavy to me.
LDWs done - 32 in total including 16 National Trails and 3 C2C

Wainwrights 176
www.brians-walks.co.uk

Lygonos

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #13 on: 18:23:50, 24/10/15 »
I get the feeling I'll struggle to get a better and lighter sleeping bag than my vango ultralite 200 sleeping bag (925g)

Pretty much unless you want to go to down or shell out £150+. There are synthetic bags around the 500gm mark but they aren't cheap and probably aren't any better at keeping you warm unless you want to do without a zipper. The OOM Mountain Raid range are relatively cheap but certainly suitable for summer use.
 
If you want synthetic 2+ season then this looks pretty decent:

http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/sleeping-bags-c21/sleeping-bags-c88/oscar-synthetic-sleeping-bag-p3857
 
review: http://www.myoutdoors.co.uk/sleeping-bags-and-mats/synthetic-sleeping-bags/774-nordisk-oscar-5-sleeping-bag-tested-and-reviewed

 
It is rated under the 2012 regs rather than the more generous 2002 so I'd expect it to be comparable to the Vango Ultralite 600 in practice.
 
Vango make a down bag equivalent to the Ultralite 350 in performance but weighing 650gm - £80 online for Venom 200

http://www.sleepingbagsoutlet.co.uk/vango-venom-down-150.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjw2KyxBRCi2rK11NCDw6UBEiQAO-tljdEB4Je-vWDgGEZ7M5Ppd3xHX2eqXHUbDNOTmErEWGcaAgS48P8HAQ

 
« Last Edit: 21:25:35, 24/10/15 by Lygonos »

christer

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Re: Make my camping trips a bit lighter
« Reply #14 on: 14:47:39, 25/10/15 »
As others have said it comes down to budget and requirements in terms of performance. I would recommend a Wildtrek 70 rucksack, it is big but weighs 1550g and you dont have to fill it up but have flexibility:)




 

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