Kit for a thousand mile walk
Travel light, freeze at night
Distance is proportional to the amount of weight carried over time. The less weight I'm carrying the longer I'll be able to walk therefore the further I can travel. There ought to be a mathematical formula out there to demonstrate this...if you know what that is, please comment with a link.
The ruling principle of kit selection has therefore been: TRAVEL LIGHT.
A simple and effective rule is:
"You can reduce the weight of an object 100% by not taking it."
That includes spares of ANYTHING. There are many excellent websites and videos about ultra-light thru-hiking made by thru-hikers which are available free online, particularly from the USA* - so I won't labour the point. But I will explain where I am and how I got here.
* There's a lot of decent lightweight gear on the market right now, a lot of which comes from the States. There's some good work going on across the pond, weight-wise. Here's a reputable UK reseller.
Footwear:
Depending on the terrain, I'll be carrying one of these:
- Addidas running shoes = 697g
- Meindle Kansas leather hybrid boots = 1,754g
Navigation:
- Map bundle Land's End to Tiverton (7 strip maps plus SAEs) = 318g
- Silva compass = 60g
Total = 378g
Grand Total = 10,491g
Base weight** (big 3, med kit, boots and essential items that I'm NOT wearing) = 7,215g.
** Note: this is the "heaviest" base weight because I'm including the boots; if I was wearing the boots, I'd save 1,057g, meaning my "lightest base weight" would be 6,158g. And this is the major sacrifice I'm making weight-wise to preserve my feet.
- Digital radio and charger: I'll be on my own without a smart phone for 6 or more weeks. The FM radio on my cheapo phone is crap. I need Planet Rock and Radio 4. The radio lasts for over 17 hours after a full charge. If I could find a radio with replaceable batteries I'd take that, but there aren't any anymore. I have no choice but to take the heavy charger as well.
- Lighter: this is a grey area item. Ultimately I don't need it but it's only 10 measly grams. My original thinking was, if I need to light a fire at night for whatever reason, boredom/for company/to keep the gnats away, I could buy a lighter en route. Then I found a miniature clipper in Poundland that weighs 10g. That to me is a negligible kit addition. If it turns out I need to ditch 10g, I can ditch this item. No problem.
- Penknife: this 20g miniature penknife has scissors. I'll need those for cutting nails, beard hair, sewing etc.
- Umbrella: there is an anti-umbrella party and an umbrella sympathiser group. After my experience of relying solely on "water proof" clothing, and then simply walking under an umbrella, I wouldn't go out without one. It means I don't have to change into waterproof clothing on top of my walking clothes; I'm walking mid-summer, it'll be too hot for that and it takes too long. If it starts raining the umbrella goes up; - job done. As long as I'm wearing boots and gaiters I don't need to wear waterproofs at all.
- Gaiters: ever walked through long dewy grass? Boots and socks get soaked from the top which means blisters. Is the path or verge overgrown with nettles and brambles? Are they wet? With gaiters it doesn't matter. Is it raining and too hot to wear waterproofs? Gaiters with boots keep feet dry and shins protected. Gaiters stop debris from being heel-kicked into the open tops of boots, debris that will work its way down to the most sensitive areas of the underfoot necessitating an unscheduled stop and unlacing. They also bounce off ticks. They're a must. Thru-hikers who walk in trail shoes in all weathers get wet feet. Some of them seem to be okay with that. Good for them. For me it's a no-no.
- Rain cover: the general consensus of the ultra-light hiking community is, don't take a rain cover. It weighs too much and you don't need it if you pack gear inside a trash bag inside the pack. But...what happens when it rains? The pack gets wet...which makes it weigh more. Water gets inside, which doesn't matter if the gear is stored in dry bags, but...water inside a pack, all over dry bags, in hot weather...smells like mold to me. For not many more grams, a high visibility rain cover keeps the pack dry from the outside and is useful for traffic safety; with the addition of an umbrella protecting the exposed area between back and pack, to me it's daft not to take one.
- Nutrition in the form of supplements: 1.5 KG of SIS supplements give me all the proteins, BCAAs, carbs, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, caffeine and additional calories I'll need for walking and recovery for 5 days. To obtain the equivalent amount of the above from whole foods would require consuming and carrying significantly more. I will buy additional food from the three main walking food groups (cafe food, trail mix and whole food) en route.
If someone says "I've got my pack down to 7 KG" you can confidently reply: "Actually you haven't because it changes over time."
It may at one time weigh 7 KG, but at other times it will weigh more, and other times less. In my case a lot more, and a lot less.
To be truly ultra-light, I'd need to ditch the extra footwear, ditch the electrics (going primitive), ditch the hygiene gear ("embrace the smell"), ditch the rain cover and gaiters and probably several other non-essential items including excess body fat, hair etc. But I'm not going to do that. So at the start of LEJOG I'm left with a pack oscillating between the 8.5 to 10.5 KG range. Which will just have to bloody well do.
The light approach to hiking is one of three strategies I can make to covering longer distances - a quote from Henry Rollins illustrates them all:
"Go long, go alone, go without."
* There's a lot of decent lightweight gear on the market right now, a lot of which comes from the States. There's some good work going on across the pond, weight-wise. Here's a reputable UK reseller.
The evolution and dissolution of objects
It costs money to have nothing, perceive a need, finance it and learn I could go back to doing without. I don't keep track of this wastage so it doesn't depress me. Ignorance is bliss, right? You don't have to make the same mistakes unless you're like me and you can only learn from muscle memory.
It starts with identifying a perceived need, for example, cooking equipment.
STAGE ONE: I'll definitely need a stove, fuel, a lighter, a pot to cook in, a spoon, a bag to keep it in to stop my pack getting dirty, and maybe a brillo pad for cleaning. I buy a gas stove, extra butane canisters, a lighter, mess tins from the army surplus store...I then haul it out to the county and quickly realise this stuff weighs a frickin ton and ask myself, do I really need it all? No, I don't.
STAGE TWO: sod the gas stove, let's go cheapo and make a beer can stove, swap the gas for meths and the bulky mess tins for a lightweight titanium pot and a titanium spoon. Nice. I cook my porridge, eat it, and I'm then left with several pieces of otherwise useless equipment that I then have to carry.
STAGE THREE: I go stoveless, taking just the pot, the spoon and the oats. I eat the oats cold in the pot. Then I have to carry the pot and the spoon, plus the rest of the oats I don't need.
STAGE FOUR: I ditch the pot and the spoon and just carry enough oats in a disposable water bottle which I can soak, drink and ditch - leaving nothing.
STAGE ONE is stuff you take camping with your girlfriend. TWO is when you spend a night in the woods with your best mate and a bottle of whisky. THREE is the missing link between the above and going light. FOUR means you're free from the shackles of unnecessary kit and can wander merrily along in your enlightened, comfortless, cold, possibly miserable state without even a pot to piss in, yet nevertheless warmed by the knowledge that you will be able to cover more distance in less time than your evolutionary ancestors whom you will leave far behind.
If you are at STAGE FOUR, good for you. I'm not quite there.
If you are at STAGE FOUR, good for you. I'm not quite there.
Save your grams for the important stuff
Important stuff is a shelter, sleeping bag, one set of dry clothes, sturdy footwear, navigation, medical kit, enough water and food until the next supply point, a rucksack to carry everything in and a whistle. Everything else is surplus to requirements.
Most grams are saved on the big three (shelter, sleeping bag, backpack). And most of the lesser grams are saved by not taking the item at all.
Four sections of maps and a digital scale
Base weight plus disposable items for Land's End to the re-supply at Tiverton
Sleeping gear, shelter, med kit and boots
Crown VC60 backpack, 3 litre reservoir, maps
5 days of nutritional supplements plus luxury items
The gear I'll be wearing (imagine clothes, please...have some decorum)
The Big Three:
1) Granite Gear VC 60 rucksack (Long) plus frame, after trimming = 839g
2) Sleeping gear:
- Mosquito net minus stuff sack = 178g
- Xero 200 down sleeping bag plus stuff sack = 738g
- SF Bivvy bag minus 14g stuff sack = 319g
- Thermarest plus stuff sack = 326g
Total: 1,561g
3) Shelter:
- DD Superlight tarp (small) minus stuff sack, with attached guy lines = 296g
- 6 x MSR Groundhog stakes with attached guy lines = 101g
Total: 397g
Big Three Total = 2,797g
Clothing & wet weather gear:
- Clothing plus Exped drysask = 898g
- Black Diamond full-size gaiters = 266g
- Sun Hat = 81g
- Soft shell gore-tex jacket = 417g
- Euroschirm umbrella = 220g
- Osprey rain cover = 100g
- Osprey rain cover = 100g
Total: 1,982g
Footwear:
Depending on the terrain, I'll be carrying one of these:
- Addidas running shoes = 697g
- Meindle Kansas leather hybrid boots = 1,754g
Hygiene & medical:
- Medical kit plus small Exped drysack and spare laces = 183g
- 1 anti-blister gel toe sock tube = 5g
- Avon SPF30 chap stick = 9g
- 1 anti-blister gel toe sock tube = 5g
- Avon SPF30 chap stick = 9g
- Avon factor 50 sun cream 50 ml plus container = 60g
- Dove soap bar = 99g
- Miniature toothpaste 25 ml plus container = 36g
- Miniature toothpaste 25 ml plus container = 36g
- Colgate folding toothbrush = 15 grams
- Miniature deodorant = 42g
- 1 toilet roll = 105g
- Travel towel (dry) = 146g
- 1 emergency electrolyte tablet = 4g
- 1 emergency electrolyte tablet = 4g
Total = 704g
Accessories:
- anti-mosquito backpack attachment with tablet = 7g
- Osprey 3 litre reservoir = 297g (empty)
- Osprey 3 litre reservoir = 297g (empty)
- Whistle = 7g
- Black Diamond 2017 spot headlamp plus 3 AAA and headband = 90g
- Nokia 130 mobile phone/FM radio/music player = 70g
- Phone charger = 46g
- Phone charger = 46g
- Digital radio with earphones = 134g
- Charger = 115g
- Charger = 115g
- Lumix camera plus battery and soft case = 146g
- Spare camera battery = 14g
- Charger = 146g
- Dictaphone with 2 AA = 74g
- Dictaphone with 2 AA = 74g
- Cotton strip = 40g
- Notepad + 2 biro refills in a plastic food bag = 42g
- Miniature clipper lighter minus metal guard = 10g
- Victorinox SD penknife minus miniature metal keyring = 20g
- Passport = 34g
- Cash: 20g
- Wallet with stamps, addresses and cards = 42g
- Passport = 34g
- Cash: 20g
- Wallet with stamps, addresses and cards = 42g
Total = 1,354g
Nutrition for 5 days
- SIS recovery powder x 5 = 278g
- 10 SIS ISO gels with caffeine (66g each) = 660g
- BCAA powder x 5 = 100g
- 2 x chocolate bars = 194g
- SIS electrolyte powder x 5 = 225g
- 1 x whey protein powder (48g protein) = 65g
Total = 1,522g
Nutrition for 5 days
- SIS recovery powder x 5 = 278g
- 10 SIS ISO gels with caffeine (66g each) = 660g
- BCAA powder x 5 = 100g
- 2 x chocolate bars = 194g
- SIS electrolyte powder x 5 = 225g
- 1 x whey protein powder (48g protein) = 65g
Total = 1,522g
Navigation:
- Map bundle Land's End to Tiverton (7 strip maps plus SAEs) = 318g
- Silva compass = 60g
Total = 378g
Grand Total = 10,491g
Base weight** (big 3, med kit, boots and essential items that I'm NOT wearing) = 7,215g.
** Note: this is the "heaviest" base weight because I'm including the boots; if I was wearing the boots, I'd save 1,057g, meaning my "lightest base weight" would be 6,158g. And this is the major sacrifice I'm making weight-wise to preserve my feet.
Disposable weight = nutrition (1,522g), map bundle (being sent home in the self-addressed envelopes) 318g, items from the hygiene & med kit (385g) = 2,225g
Which means my pack will be 2.2 KG lighter after (the first) 5 days.
Which also means I'm carrying 1,051g of non-essential accessories - some of which will decrease in weight over time, such as pages from the journal and cash.
It's also worth bearing in mind that water is not included in this weight. If it was, it could be .5 KG to 3 KG additional weight, depending how far away I am from the nearest supply point, weather conditions/how hot it is, etc.
Why I am I carrying certain items?
- Dictaphone: as an independent author determined to write a detailed and accurate account of my journey, I will need to capture information on the go. Stopping and writing stuff down is not viable.
- Running shoes and boots: I cannot under any circumstances walk with wet feet. My feet will blister terribly and I will be unable to continue without being in considerable pain. Been there, done that, never again. Running shoes are necessary for the amount of tarmac walking in this LEJOG attempt. Boots are essential for all other circumstances. This means I pay the weight penalty. I can live with that. - Digital radio and charger: I'll be on my own without a smart phone for 6 or more weeks. The FM radio on my cheapo phone is crap. I need Planet Rock and Radio 4. The radio lasts for over 17 hours after a full charge. If I could find a radio with replaceable batteries I'd take that, but there aren't any anymore. I have no choice but to take the heavy charger as well.
- Lighter: this is a grey area item. Ultimately I don't need it but it's only 10 measly grams. My original thinking was, if I need to light a fire at night for whatever reason, boredom/for company/to keep the gnats away, I could buy a lighter en route. Then I found a miniature clipper in Poundland that weighs 10g. That to me is a negligible kit addition. If it turns out I need to ditch 10g, I can ditch this item. No problem.
- Penknife: this 20g miniature penknife has scissors. I'll need those for cutting nails, beard hair, sewing etc.
- Umbrella: there is an anti-umbrella party and an umbrella sympathiser group. After my experience of relying solely on "water proof" clothing, and then simply walking under an umbrella, I wouldn't go out without one. It means I don't have to change into waterproof clothing on top of my walking clothes; I'm walking mid-summer, it'll be too hot for that and it takes too long. If it starts raining the umbrella goes up; - job done. As long as I'm wearing boots and gaiters I don't need to wear waterproofs at all.
- Gaiters: ever walked through long dewy grass? Boots and socks get soaked from the top which means blisters. Is the path or verge overgrown with nettles and brambles? Are they wet? With gaiters it doesn't matter. Is it raining and too hot to wear waterproofs? Gaiters with boots keep feet dry and shins protected. Gaiters stop debris from being heel-kicked into the open tops of boots, debris that will work its way down to the most sensitive areas of the underfoot necessitating an unscheduled stop and unlacing. They also bounce off ticks. They're a must. Thru-hikers who walk in trail shoes in all weathers get wet feet. Some of them seem to be okay with that. Good for them. For me it's a no-no.
- Rain cover: the general consensus of the ultra-light hiking community is, don't take a rain cover. It weighs too much and you don't need it if you pack gear inside a trash bag inside the pack. But...what happens when it rains? The pack gets wet...which makes it weigh more. Water gets inside, which doesn't matter if the gear is stored in dry bags, but...water inside a pack, all over dry bags, in hot weather...smells like mold to me. For not many more grams, a high visibility rain cover keeps the pack dry from the outside and is useful for traffic safety; with the addition of an umbrella protecting the exposed area between back and pack, to me it's daft not to take one.
- Nutrition in the form of supplements: 1.5 KG of SIS supplements give me all the proteins, BCAAs, carbs, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, caffeine and additional calories I'll need for walking and recovery for 5 days. To obtain the equivalent amount of the above from whole foods would require consuming and carrying significantly more. I will buy additional food from the three main walking food groups (cafe food, trail mix and whole food) en route.
Conclusion
It may at one time weigh 7 KG, but at other times it will weigh more, and other times less. In my case a lot more, and a lot less.
Blurb
The light approach to hiking is one of three strategies I can make to covering longer distances - a quote from Henry Rollins illustrates them all:
"Go long, go alone, go without."
More blurb
As an independent author I have to use completely unrelated blog posts like this one to promote my books; historical fiction and call centre fantasy. I'm also writing a book about my LEJOG experience. You are welcome to ask me for a free copy of any of the above which I can send to you. Please email me: lejog2017@outlook.com
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