Hiking, backpacking, trekking, mountaineering...

ShiWarrior said:
but now the weather forecast is heavy rain !!
does this mean i wont be able to walk it ?
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Do you know which route up you're taking?

Snowdon is very well pathed so heavy rain shouldn't make a huge difference, just take extra care in certain parts. Wind could be more of an issue. There is a board out just along the start of the Pyg Track path with the weather for that day so take heed. Someone may be in the office where the toilets are (opposite the YH) if you have concerns.
 
Dup said:
Do you know which route up you're taking?

Snowdon is very well pathed so heavy rain shouldn't make a huge difference, just take extra care in certain parts. Wind could be more of an issue. There is a board out just along the start of the Pyg Track path with the weather for that day so take heed. Someone may be in the office where the toilets are (opposite the YH) if you have concerns.
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Thanks Dup !! :)

Pyg Track UP / Miners Track DOWN
 
im back !!

Horrendous Weather on Snowdon on Saturday, winds up to 60 mph+, all day heavy rain and hail

Being a complete beginner, i am amazed i did it, was a big achievement for me, due to my hip/back i didn't think i would be able to do it, and in that weather, nearly got blown off so many times, but i survived in one piece !!

I could not face going back down pyg track or the miners path, so went easy route down the Rangers route by the rail line, even then it was hard to walk at the top as it was exposed to the wind, so had to fight it most of the way down and it was foggy as hell couldn't see 2 feet in front of us, thanks to low cloud
 
We went for a wee walk up to the Lookout bothy on Skye on Friday night.
Amazed to get the place to ourselves, the bothy book was only 8 days old and already had 20-30 entries in it! It's a busy place (probably because it's so easy to get to) but I think most people tend to visit during the day for the views rather than stay overnight.
We got there quite late on Friday night just as the sun was setting. Great view in person but a bit dark for photos:
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It had clouded over a bit by morning.
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ShiWarrior said:
im back !!

Horrendous Weather on Snowdon on Saturday, winds up to 60 mph+, all day heavy rain and hail

Being a complete beginner, i am amazed i did it, was a big achievement for me, due to my hip/back i didn't think i would be able to do it, and in that weather, nearly got blown off so many times, but i survived in one piece !!

I could not face going back down pyg track or the miners path, so went easy route down the Rangers route by the rail line, even then it was hard to walk at the top as it was exposed to the wind, so had to fight it most of the way down and it was foggy as hell couldn't see 2 feet in front of us, thanks to low cloud
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tahts some pretty crappy weather for a first outing. but did you enjoy it? have you caught the bug?


Started the quilt today. Mum suggested using iron on hem tape to tack the baffles on before sowing, worked great and made it so easy, despite never using a sewing machine before. Obviously far from perfect but more than happy so far. Sorry about the last pic, didn't realise at the time it came out so bad. Should be going back tomorrow and sowing them to the other side.


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Glaucus said:
Fabric arrived so I can attempt to make a hiking quilt. This is going to save me many hundreds or be a total failure.

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The green and purple is the shell and the black is actually mesh for the baffles. All are downproof. The shell is 1oz per square yard and the mesh is 0.5oz per square yard, not quite the lightest fabric but not far off, and got enough for two if all going well I'll make a summer one alter on, if it goes badly I can have two attempts. Haven't brought the down yet in case it all goes wrong from the start.

if anyone wants to know more then

2sabds8.jpg


So down flll power is how many inches cubed per oz. So 860 down, 1 oz will ill 860 cubic inches. Most places over stuff by 20% so you just need to work out the volume of each baffle area, then add 20%.

and the best video I've found so far is.


I'm just doing a quilt no fancy stuff, i'm a side sleeper, move around a lot and like rolling myself up in it. Will be going for 1.8" baffle and probably a double duvet size or a bit smaller, need to work out the exact weights and decide how much comfort/weight.
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Alright there,

Good shout on the quilt. I love my quilt and it's far superior to a sleeping bag. A few questions though and forgive me if I've missed the answers in previous pages. You might find that double duvet width is too wide. My quilt is wider than average at 145cm and it's plenty wide for side sleeping and moving about at night even without using any pad straps. I got it that wide to cover ground use as well as hammock use and it's been a good width for both...wider than necessary for the hammock though.

What kind of closure are you going for at the foot end? Sewn closed or cinch with poppers/zip?

It looks like you're off to a flying start however if all goes badly then Hammock Gear have just launched their Econ quilt line using duck as opposed to goose down and fabric ever so slightly heavier than the usual argon to save costs and they are ridiculously cheap for quilts from arguably the best quilt makers going. I'm very tempted to grab a Summer one while they're so cheap just now. They also suit ground use and have attachements for pad straps.

One thing to consider with the width is how much it adds to the bulk as the extra weight won't be too much but don't underestimate the bulk. My Winter quilt is only 700g (-15c rated) but it takes up a fair amount of pack space without overcompressing it and risking tearing internal baffles etc.

You might already know this place but if you've still to order down then most folk here seem to use extremtextil.de. They're reputable and you don't have the customs charges that you would from the states.

Looking forward to seeing the end result.
 
ShiWarrior said:
it was my second time up Snowdon, first time was in good weather about 6 years ago

I really enjoyed it , even if it was BAD weather !
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I've been up 4 times and each time had zero visibility at the top despite 3 being sunny at the bottom :( 3 of those times were with rain and winds too. And one with pretty bad snow from half way up.

Only 30 mins drive from Pen y Pass, I'm going to start going up regularly until I can get up in good weather and see the view..
 
DJ_Switch said:
You might already know this place but if you've still to order down then most folk here seem to use extremtextil.de. They're reputable and you don't have the customs charges that you would from the states.

Looking forward to seeing the end result.
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yeah i'm going to use them for the down, i would like it higher but i cant find it other than usa and its expensive then import fees.

Decided to go with the width of the fabric 66" so probably 64-65" wide when seams are allowed for. So in-between single and double duvet and it'll drop the weight down a bit. Side sleeper and a turner so need to add extra width compared to coffin sleepers.
Its also a true quilt so i'm not going for a foot box at all.
I cant stand sleeping bags, I like to be able to to stick a foot or leg out if to hot, and i'm a hot sleeper, and if it's cold its large enough to roll your self up into and long enough to tuck the end under the feet as well. Since I started hiking what was it 3 or 4 years ago I've always had trouble sleeping whilst out, hopefully this plus a klymit luxe at 30" wide will help massively.

Not relay worried about space, i'm getting to the ultralight mark. So other stuff doesn't take up much room.

Also got spare fabric, so assuming it carries on like this and works, probably make a summer quilt and try Karo-Step baffles instead.
 
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Glaucus said:
yeah i'm going to use them for the down, i would like it higher but i cant find it other than usa and its expensive then import fees.

Decided to go with the width of the fabric 66" so probably 64-65" wide when seams are allowed for. So in-between single and double duvet and it'll drop the weight down a bit. Side sleeper and a turner so need to add extra width compared to coffin sleepers.
Its also a true quilt so i'm not going for a foot box at all.
I cant stand sleeping bags, i like to be able to to stick a foot or leg out if to hot, and i'm a hot sleeper, ad if its cold its large enough to roll your self up into and ong enough to tuck the end under the feet as well. Since i started hiking hat was it 3 or 4 years ago I've always had trouble sleeping whilst out, hopefully this plus a klymit luxe at 30" wide will help massively.

Not relay worried about space, i'm getting to the ultralight mark. So other stuff doesn't take up much room.

Also got spare fabric, so assuming it carries on like this and works, probably make a summer quilt and try Karo-Step baffles instead.
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If you're using 860fp then it's the highest. The European down fill power measurement is different from the American one. Our 8**fp is the same as what they call 9**fp and their 750 being our 850 etc. That's why you can't find the higher nember fill power here but it is exactly the same.

Sounds like you're just about to sort everything in the sleep system that's been an issue until now. I was exactly the same when it came to sleeping bags and sleeping pads. I now have a sleep system that gives a better sleep than my bed at home. Well worth it to sort that side of things out....especially when you have to get up and start hiking again.
 
Skillmister said:
I've been up 4 times and each time had zero visibility at the top despite 3 being sunny at the bottom :( 3 of those times were with rain and winds too. And one with pretty bad snow from half way up.

Only 30 mins drive from Pen y Pass, I'm going to start going up regularly until I can get up in good weather and see the view..
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30 mins away, you lucky ****
 
DJ_Switch said:
If you're using 860fp then it's the highest. The European down fill power measurement is different from the American one. Our 8**fp is the same as what they call 9**fp and their 750 being our 850 etc. That's why you can't find the higher nember fill power here but it is exactly the same.

Sounds like you're just about to sort everything in the sleep system that's been an issue until now. I was exactly the same when it came to sleeping bags and sleeping pads. I now have a sleep system that gives a better sleep than my bed at home. Well worth it to sort that side of things out....especially when you have to get up and start hiking again.
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Thanks, I had no idea, don't suppose you got a link which explain this in more detail have you?
 
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Glaucus said:
Thanks, I had no idea, don't suppose you got a link, which explain this in more detail have you?
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http://www.lightwave.uk.com/articles/polish-goose-down
http://www.facewest.co.uk/Down-Fill-Power.html

They seem to suggest that it's only a difference of 50 but I've also read it being higher in other instances. The measurement isn't very standardised so there are definite variations in how it is marketed and what it's sold as between us and the States. The US always state the fill power as being higher than we do for the same down though.
 
DJ_Switch said:
http://www.lightwave.uk.com/articles/polish-goose-down
http://www.facewest.co.uk/Down-Fill-Power.html

They seem to suggest that it's only a difference of 50 but I've also read it being higher in other instances. The measurement isn't very standardised so there are definite variations in how it is marketed and what it's sold as between us and the States. The US always state the fill power as being higher than we do for the same down though.
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thanks, thats great news.

Unfortunate couldn't do much today, didn't realise my dad wasn't at home, and i need some extra hands to measure and chalk where I need to sow the baffles to on the other side. However after sleeping on it, I decided to add some extra open baffles that will reduce the down sliding down to the side when sleeping.

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Ive been getting into hiking for the last couple of years. Started off with the Seven Sisters then a couple of weekends away in Cornwall and Exmoor and then last week I completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks, Scafell, Ben Lomond and Ben Nevis :)

Have yet to try any multi-day hikes though. Hopefully next year after i get made redundant!
 
I had the same **** experience on Snowdon back in March.

For your boots hitting the front; either they don't fit properly or you could try some heel locking lacing techniques, your heel should be secured right into the cup of the boot so it can't slide forward or lift - if it does there are good chances of getting blisters and broken nails.
 
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