Sunday 5 August 2007

So Long and Thanks For All The Fish

I've gone and done it. Joined the Trail (on Country Walking in meantime) forum, just so I could ask if they could give ptc* some column inches. In the magazine.

Well, I am subscribing, so it'd be good to see articles that are of use to me. As folk know, anything to do with scrambling, or mountaineering is no use to this wimp. And I'm tired of gear. Endless gear. Lets see some information about the little things in life, the wee items that get added to a rucksack "just in case", and then some more, and, "well, I've some space, so I might as well add in ...." - what really needs to be taken in a repair kit, or a first aid kit, or a shtkit.

People seem to think lightweight kit is expensive, but I spent more money on synthetic sleeping bags, trying to get warmer and smaller until I bought my down bag. That's all I've used since getting it. It is probably not going to last years and years, but it is going to be used for more nights than any other bag I've owned. And probably already has.

Your own gear list is as personal as you - maybe fun to read and see photos of people's kit, with rationales as to the strange bit of kit that is never being left at home. Ever.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey! I probably walked past you at Derry Lodge on Saturday morning - me and the Mrs were on our way to get blown up Carn A Mhaim - it was certainly windy, but the sun was good to feel. Earlier in the year we camped just out of shot of your "path to Devils Thingy" picture - at about 915m high, on a flat bit a little NW of the Satanic appendage. We had to do the boulder field in pouring rain the next day - a fun day if I remember right. All the best. Keep blagging!

AktoMan said...

There were a few folk when we walked out - you couldn't mistake the lasses with their 'glamping' gear.

If we were still encamped, there was a couple in shorts that I recall.

Anonymous said...

We were at Derry Lodge about 11am - perhaps you'd gone by then; don't think I remember passing you. One guy I do recall meeting by Bob Scotts was a chap carrying a huge pack with an enormous saw and a wood chopping axe strapped to it and his two young kids - a boy and girl mebbe 3 and 4 - the lad with a fishing rod really really happy; not for them exotic wood burning stoves and a few miserable twigs warming a handful of gruel, but fires and fish and frying pans and proper baked beans I bet.

AktoMan said...

We caught up to the chap and the boy and girl between the bridge over the Lui and the turn-off into the woods. Aye, the wain was happily trekking along, enjoying life.

We'd have been packing up by the time you got to the Lodge. Off to the south side of the river, before the bridge.

We passed a few cyclists and a few groups of walkers out.

I've still to get up Carn A Mhaim. I'm waiting for a day with good views. Honest.

As to camping high on the Devil's Soft Underbelly - sheesh! There's no cover there that I can remember. You did well, Jerry and Mrs J (Margo?)