Hiking, backpacking, trekking, mountaineering...

robj20 · 27 Sep 2018 at 09:30

touch said:
My down jacket is one of the most important bits of kit for me. At 200g it weighs about the same as a cotton tshirt and doesnt take up much pack space. As well as wearing it as a normal jacket, I also wear it inside my sleeping bag on cold nights or just wrap it around my feet if they need it. You can just stuff it down your top and keep your chest area warm without overheating.

It would be a complete waste of space and money for me, never ever been cold while hiking, I must run extremely warm.

Burnsy2023 · 27 Sep 2018 at 10:35

Hades said:
A group of us are off to hike Dartmoor this weekend. I'm a bit of a noob at this although they know what they are doing.

It doesn't look like the forecast is too cold or wet but it's Dartmoor so I dont want to assume it will be dry. I'm not sure whether to take a light fleece or thin soft shell jacket as a mid layer.

I will be wearing a synthetic t-shirt as a base layer, have a light down jacket for warmth and a waterproof overjacket. But for times when I'm too warm for the down jacket I'm not sure whether a fleece or soft shell would be better. I don't want to take both.

The fleece is a very thin one. The soft shell is also a budget o e (£25 from Decathlon) and is fleece lined so warmer than the fleece. I am leaning towards the soft shell as it's warmer and wind proof.

As I'm new to this then any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Dartmoor has it's own microclimate. It can feel like you have all four seasons in the same day. It can go from sunny and hot, to sideways rain in under an hour. Make sure you are prepared for that.

Hades · 27 Sep 2018 at 11:06

Burnsy2023 said:
Dartmoor has it's own microclimate. It can feel like you have all four seasons in the same day. It can go from sunny and hot, to sideways rain in under an hour. Make sure you are prepared for that.

Will do. Thanks.

Hades · 7 Oct 2018 at 03:26

Well I was very lucky last weekend with the weather on Dartmoor. It was like a summers day and not only did I not need my waterproofs, I nearly got a sunburnt head

Anyway I had a great time. Really enjoyed it although it was a tiring weekend. I now fancy a winter coastal walk so am looking at that. I might have caught the bug.

robj20 · 7 Oct 2018 at 05:50

Going up over Black Ashop Moor today started doing bits of the Pennine Way recently. Some lovely walks.

Blackvault · 8 Oct 2018 at 15:22

I went up Slieve Donard in the Mournes, for the first time on Saturday and it was such a lovely view at the top. One thing I noticed was about 3/4 way up I could barely open my mouth and it felt that I got "lock jaw". It must have lasted about 20-30 minutes. Has anyone else experienced that or what it might suggest?

robj20 · 3 Jan 2019 at 07:48

Anyone got anything planned for this year. I'm aiming for at least one hike a month, starting with High Street via Kidsty Pike in January.

Aiming to also do 150+ miles, 10,000+ meters of ascension in 2019.

Jokester · 3 Jan 2019 at 10:35

Just more Munros for me, try and get at least 10 hikes in if possible.

matt100 · 3 Jan 2019 at 10:36

I'll be taking another chunk out of the south west coast path.. we managed to get as far as St Ives last year.. started at Minehead in August 2016.. love it

Didn't get anywhere near as much as I'd like done last year but jobs and newish house etc took over.. I hope to hit it this year, say goodbye to Cornwall and hit the Jurassic coast

To be fair it taking 2 years to get halfway would suggest that's unlikely but you never know!

touch · 3 Jan 2019 at 10:38

I was considering a wee bothy trip this weekend. GF got herself a fancy new sleeping bag and is excited to try it out. Looks like it might be a bit cold now though. The past couple of weeks have been very mild but it dropped below -10 in some places last night.

Street · 3 Jan 2019 at 11:14

I'm just booking up a couple weeks in Chamonix for the summer. I'd love to get either the Frendo Spur or Kuffner Ridge done but that will be dependant on conditions. Hopefully it won't be as warm as this year as the heat was making most routes a no go. I was hoping to have had a few trips up to Scotland under my belt by now too but winter doesn't seem to have hit properly anywhere yet.

jpaul · 11 Jan 2019 at 14:37

(this thread has the best pictures ... )

Looking for a headtorch for combined duties mainly trail-running, also camping,
was considering from these <£30

petzl tikka https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01KYTQKBE
black diamond spot https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Diamond-Spot-Headlamp-Size/dp/B06W54SBSL

I like the Powertap option on the black diamond to quickly get full power, but wonder if it will work with gloves, so is a gimmick ?

both less than 100g , tikka is usb charge, whilst the BD has 3xAAA batteries
will probably change for low discharge ones from ikea/eneloop/vapextech (current choice ??)

gort · 11 Jan 2019 at 15:05

I've got a Petzl with a slider across the lense that changes it from flood to spot and it's a great little feature. I only use it when camping though. Don't know best features for trail running.
How light do you want to go? I'm not an ultralight camper/hiker so don't even consider the weight.
Mine uses 3 x aaa batteries (eneloop) and suppose it's only used for two max per trip as I use a hanging mini lantern for the tent's ambient light. I charge before each trip so don't know how long the Eneloops actually last for though.

Skillmister · 11 Jan 2019 at 15:24

I've got a Black Diamond Storm. I've had it for about 3 years (so the older version without blue light) and I have to say it is fantastic so I imagine the Spot is pretty similar given there is only 50 lumens difference. If I remember later I'll try the power tap with gloves on...

The only negative and one I've seen on a lot of the reviews is it does have a slight whining noise. I don't think mine can be as bad as some people say because I can only really hear it if there is no background noise and if I'm not wearing a hat. The Spot doesn't seem to have the same problem in the reviews but they instead mention a yellow tint/dimmer patch in the centre.

Skillmister · 11 Jan 2019 at 21:32

@jpaul can confirm power tap works with both my mtb gloves and my thick padded waterproof ones. Admittedly both work with my phone too so that might help?

jpaul · 11 Jan 2019 at 23:19

Skillmister said:
can confirm power tap works with both my mtb gloves

Thanks that's good to know .. hoping to use power tap too, for better warning to motorists, who seem content to dazzle me whilst I run on unlit A road pavement with high-viz tabbard.

gort said:
I've got a Petzl with a slider across the lense

Thanks ... an AAA petzl would probbaly be a better bet than usb petzl tikka, for mountain safety (a few additional AAA'a in resreve in the rucsac, need to look up which battery type is most resilient to low temps )

Street · 12 Jan 2019 at 13:08

jpaul said:
Thanks ... an AAA petzl would probbaly be a better bet than usb petzl tikka, for mountain safety (a few additional AAA'a in resreve in the rucsac, need to look up which battery type is most resilient to low temps )

I use one of the old Petzl Tikkas, not sure which one but it takes AAA. I use Eneloop rechargeables in it. I keep a spare set in my pack and make sure the ones in the torch are freshly charged and have never had a problem in low temperatures.

thegreysquirrel · 14 Jan 2019 at 15:56

The Petzl Tikka is not USB but rather has the option to insert a battery (Petzl Core) that is recharged via USB. It takes 3x AAA batteries like most other ones. I have the green tikka pictured a few posts back with the red light option and love it. I use it for running at night in the countryside and it's fine for that. Doesn't project much but gives a nice flood of light for the first 20ft or so.

On Holiday · 31 Jan 2019 at 18:31

Dup · 31 Jan 2019 at 20:13

Sprts Direct can be good for some offers on walking boots. Salomon boots for ~£60 aren't bad, in fact they're my go-to. I'd rather ruin £60 boots up the mountains and replace after a couple years then over spend and ruin them anyway. But for more casual stuff they are up to the task. They also do cheaper Karrimor stuff. Just make sure what you buy deffo states it is waterproof and breathable, not everything is.