Choosing a rucksack

Oh don't worry, there's no way you'll need to spend that much, these guys just had more money than sense!

Had a space blanket in my first aid pack Rroff :)
 
Vargas said:
The Dall Estate is nice, had a place up there for just over 3 years. I'm not that far from the zoo, a few streets behind the BBQ chippy.
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That's where we were in Rannoch. Well worth the slog through the bogs on the way up. :D I'm assuming you probably won't be far from there.

I know where the BBQ chippy is. I'm just at the start of Carrick Knowe behind the Forestry Commission building.
 
Darg said:
Apparently they changed skin so soft, took out whatever it was that was working against midges. Probably halved their sales in Scotlands :o
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Ah. That would explain it. People still recommend and buy it a lot which is unfortunate though.

GiraffePencils said:
I'm gonna try and gather everything up that I need for the trip,
I'm slightly abusing your image Darg, using it as a quick check to see if I've missed anything :p
god starting at 0 for camping equipment leaves a dent in the wallet haha
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Can't argue with that list from Darg. That's a really good way to check the essentials. The water filter on his list is, in my opinion, essential. Don't be fooled into thinking the water is good because of where you are and how clear it is. You never know what's in the water around the next bend. You could pick up a Sawyer mini from the rainforest place for £20....well worth it.

I notice he also mentions having a foam mat instead of a self inflating mat which is a good call. Before moving to hammocks I'd been through a good few different self inflating mats of various thicknesses, weights and prices and to be honest some of them are ridiculously priced for what they offer. A reasonable thickness foam mat is cheap, dependable and until you get a s.i.m. thicker than 2.5cm the comfort difference is negligible.

For stoves....check out the Alpkit brewkit. It is pretty decent for the price and gets some good reviews. I personally use a honey stove and evernew alcohol stove combo but I realise that's not to everyone's tastes.

Darg said:
Glad I can help Giraffe :)

It certainly does, I went shopping with three friends that pretty much had to buy everything and another friend who had everything she needed already. Me and her spent about £50 between us on gas and some other bits, the other three spent £1200 between them, it was painful to watch. In fairness they did go a bit overboard on getting super high quality stuff for one trip. Just going to have to make sure we go on more so they get their moneys worth!
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Ouch! It's pretty helpful to buy certain items second hand to begin with. My wife picked up a Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre for £50 on the bay. The initial starting costs can be pretty pricey so make the savings where you can. A second hand pack and foam mats knocks a large chunk off your start up costs. ;)
 
DJ_Switch said:
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That's where we were in Rannoch. Well worth the slog through the bogs on the way up. :D I'm assuming you probably won't be far from there.

I know where the BBQ chippy is. I'm just at the start of Carrick Knowe behind the Forestry Commission building.
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Not too far from there. Another good place to camp is where the two small lochans are, about 1.25 miles up the hill from the school. Or head up Glen Lyon footpath, plenty of open ground and you can see Ben Nevis in the distance, not many tress for canopies though :D
 
Vargas said:
Not too far from there. Another good place to camp is where the two small lochans are, about 1.25 miles up the hill from the school. Or head up Glen Lyon footpath, plenty of open ground and you can see Ben Nevis in the distance, not many tress for canopies though :D
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Thanks for the tip about the alternative site. I know where you're meaning but haven't been to it before.

I've quite fancied doing the Glen Lyon path before however it will take a lot to coax me away from my hammock and back to a tent. ;)
 
I've had a berghaus jalan for about 10 years, using it several times a year for quite full on trips, many of which are camping/slumming it. It's been to 13 US states, 20+ European countries, the West Indies and to various central African rainforests (for work), through almost every kind of weather know to man. I also used it while in the army for a few years and this was my go-to rucksack for non-pattern expeditions.

Absolute banger of a rucksack, and still going strong.
 
No way is a foam mat as comfy as a bog standard thermarests. Yes it's more expensive but I've had mine for a fair few years (and borrowed my sisters prior to that) and never had a leak. It's smaller as well as way comfier than a foam Matt. If cost is an issue then the foam may be the best option, then you can upgrade later.
 
I've been traveling for 2 years now and been using a Lower alpine Appalachian 65:85. And swear by it. it's been through numerous airports, asia, Aus, NZ.
Before that I hiked the Penine Way and again it's like being hugged from behind. Strapped up properly I didnt notice the weight at all and i'm far from super fit. can hit 15+kilos and you barely notice it. yes not cheap but its definitely worth it.
a lot have commented on Osprey and a lot of travelers have them and they seem equivelent in build quality and design
 
If you haven't bought yet, I'm going to throw in a budget vote for Alpkit. I've got their Gourdon 30 litre roll top drybag which I bought for occasional hauling on my bike, but I actually use it quite a lot because it's such a useful size. Their other kit gets good reviews on the hiking/touring section on a cycling forum I use. Can't tell if they do a bigger bag because their site is a bit difficult to navigate...

https://www.alpkit.com/
 
I've not bought yet, waiting till I've got all my other kit before I try some out.
Their bag selection looks a little light, but they've got some nice looking other kit!
Thanks
 
Amp34 said:
No way is a foam mat as comfy as a bog standard thermarests. Yes it's more expensive but I've had mine for a fair few years (and borrowed my sisters prior to that) and never had a leak. It's smaller as well as way comfier than a foam Matt. If cost is an issue then the foam may be the best option, then you can upgrade later.
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Not as comfy no but lighter, and tbh I couldn't justify £50 on a mat. I keep mine strapped to the outside, doesn't affect the balance as it's so light.

Not going to lie though, I am tempted by the thermarests as my tent buddy on the last trip had one and it sounded good!
 
Street said:
That's one of the packs I have and it's great.. My only gripe with it is that the hip belt isn't detachable!
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Sounds like a comment you'd get from Trusted Reviews - given the intention of the pack why in the name of god would the hip belt be removable??
 
Jonny69 said:
If you haven't bought yet, I'm going to throw in a budget vote for Alpkit. I've got their Gourdon 30 litre roll top drybag which I bought for occasional hauling on my bike, but I actually use it quite a lot because it's such a useful size. Their other kit gets good reviews on the hiking/touring section on a cycling forum I use. Can't tell if they do a bigger bag because their site is a bit difficult to navigate...

https://www.alpkit.com/
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I've looked at those before. If they had put a proper back harness on it then it might have worked, but otherwise it's just a dry bag with straps...
 
I got my rucksack from the Army Surplus - cost me £25 and is fully waterproof and I got some inner waterproof sacks for added protection. Might not be to everyone taste, and they are quite big. But they hold a lot of stuff - and especially for the bike they are great.
 
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