Gear Reviews
On this page I am going to review various pieces of kit that I actually own that I have paid for with my own cash and choose to carry or not on my own back.
Therefore my criteria for the reviews will be based on what I actually do with it and not what some marketing department thinks that I do with it.
Pack reviews
Berghaus Arete 45 (1300g / £50)
I bought this pack to be used as a climbing sack for day climbs with long walk-ins. In practice I have found myself using it as my pack of choice for overnight stops in the hills. At 1300g it does not compare weight-wise with some of the ultralight packs that you can buy but it is comfortable, it is tough and I already own it. More...
Golite Jam (41-45L) (608g / £60)
After carting the Berghaus around on several trips I began to wonder if it justified the extra 700g of weight for a walking sack. Since I also had some cash left at the end of the month I thought I'd buy a Golite Jam (Large). This is the same size as the Arete 45 but less than half the weight. It does everything I want in a walking / backpacking sack but at a fraction of the weight of many other packs. More...
KIMMLite AR 25L / OMM MM25L (515g / £40)
This pack was bought as part of my foray towards ultralight gear. It is big enough for me for Summer backpacking - just! Compared with normal packs it feels very light and flimsy but in practice is pretty tough. It is well thought out and as with all the KIMMLite (now OMM) is designed for ultralight use. More...
Shelter and Sleep systems reviews
Thermarest Prolite 3 Regular (570g / £60)
I was a reluctant convert to a classic Thermarest from Karrimats. The thing that sold me was the comfort that these things offer. It was only when I had to carry the bloody thing that I started to worry about how heavy it was. After a lot of prevarication I finally bought the much lighter version which is the Prolite 3. More...
Snugpak TravelPak Lite Sleeping Bag (700g / £35)
When I bought this (over a year ago now) it was called the Snugpak Travelpak 650 but everything else is still the same. It is a light 1-Season sleeping bag that is ideal for summer weather or in cooler weather when used inside of a bivy bag. More...
Vargo Storm Shelter 100
The Vargo Storm Shelter 100 is a simply bothy bag that is big enough for one person or two at a push. More...
Seyntex Army Surplus Bag (700g, £10)
This bargain bag is a little heavy as it comes but can be chopped to make a great bivvi bag for tarping. More...
Army Surplus Gore-Tex Tent (1380g, £40)
A little on the heavy side for this site but actually not all that heavy for what it is with great potential for wilder camping.
Stoves and Cookware reviews
Vargo Triad Titanium Alcohol Stove (28g / £25)
This is probably the lightest and most attractive titanium alcohol stove on the market. The big question is how realistic is it for cooking a meal when camped in the mountains? More...
Vargo Decagon Titanium Alcohol Stove (33g / £25)
Their third attempt at an Alcohol stove. Is it any better? More...
MSR Pocket Rocket Stove (76g / £30)
This must surely be the market leader for an ultralight gas stove. More...
BPL Esbit Titanium Wing Stove (13g / £10)
One of the lightest and simplest solid-fuel stoves that money can buy. Should you buy it? More...
Mini Trangia (330g / £20)
The Mini Trangia was designed to be an ultralight stove for adventure racers doing the KIMM Mountain Marathon race. At 330g it may seem a little heavy but it really depends on the nature of the cooking that you are doing as to whether or not this is heavy. In reality it compares quite well with other stoves. Since it includes a pot and a pan in the price it is actually excellent value for money. More...
Light my Fire - Spork (10g / £2)
The search for Spork is over. This little beauty will do all that you need from a Spork and it is cheaper and lighter than Titanium. More...
Orikaso Flatworld Dinner Set for 2 (224g / £15)
Imagine two bowls, two cups and two plates. Now imagine that when packed away they from a bundle that is 20cmx20cmx0.6cm. That's right everything is stored pancake flat. It sounded so unreal that I just had to find out if it would work. More...
Salter 5Kg Platform Scale (£25)
In order to go lighter you need to start to weigh everything. For this you will need a reliable set of digital kitchen scales. These fit the job perfectly. More...
Clothing
Montane Featherlight Windproof Smock (108g L / £40)
This has got to be one of the lightest weather resistent tops that you can buy. It is not designed for extreme weather but for wind and light showers it will do just fine. If you don't actually need the performance of Gore-Tex then this will be one way to save at least 350g from your pack base weight. More...
Montane 200 Waterproof jacket (254g L / £90)
Life being what it is, I was in another part of the country the day after I bought the smock and saw this jacket in a sale for £70. The quality of the construction on it was so good for a jacket at this price that I just sighed and bought the thing. More...
Other Gear
Ultralight Head-Torch Shoot-out
A ring torch weighs 10g and a proper head-torch weighs maybe 80g. That's 70g of weight that could be saved but is it a wise saving? I've got together a few torches and taken them into the countryside for a proper test. See how they compare and where the weight goes. More...
Travel Bottles (Various)
One way to shed weight from your pack is to take fewer hygiene essentials and only take what you need of those that you do take. This can mean buying smaller versions of your normal products or decanting them into smaller bottles. I take a look at 3 sets of travel bottles on the market and also at how you can assemble your own set for almost free. More...
Ortlieb A5 Document/Map Case (35g / £10)
I like my map to be folded so that it is easy to handle and shows the route on one side. This means that I want a map case that is also small and easy to handle. The Ortlieb A5 case fits the bill and is basically bomb-proof. More...
Leki Makalu Titanium Ultralite Trekking Pole (212g / £30)
This pole is a Titanium alloy version of their pole which appears to be just as strong and reliable as the alum ilium poles but with a third less weight. More...
Leki Makalu Anti-shock Trekking Pole (322g / £30)
Leki are the market-leader in the Trekking pole market and rightly so. They produce some very tough and reliable pieces of kit. The Makalu Anti-Shock is probably the one that most experienced walkers buy - either in the plain Alum ilium or in the lighter Titanium (alloy) version. More...
Petzl Tikka Plus (78g / £30)
Petzl have been making headtorches for so long now that their name is ubiquitous in this market. The early torches that used filament bulbs and 4.5v batteries were good but used to burn batteries at a depressing rate. These torches have now all but disappeared and only remain in some niche markets. They have for most people been completely replaced with LED headtorches that weigh less, last longer and are much more practical. The Tikka Plus is great as both a camp light and as a light for navigation. More...
Leatherman Micra (50g / £30)
At first it seemed like an expensive luxury to buy it but in practice it has served me very well. Unlike most of the Leatherman range the Micra is designed to help with personal hygiene - things like maintaining fingernails and toenails. It also includes a small but useful knife and some screwdrivers. For a multi-day trips it will find a place in my pack. More...
Ultralight Camping Knives
If you are camping for more than a few days it is likely that you are going to need to carry a knife or a pair of scissors - if only as part of your emergency kit. There are lots of options and I have explored a few in the range of 4g - 50g. More...
Kathmandu Compact Tripod (442g / £11 (sale) MRP £22)
If you are into Ultralight Camping then you may well be interested in Ultralight Photography. A Tripod is one of those things that are on the essentials list for any pro or semi-pro photographer. Tripods can be massively over-engineered and for many cameras a simpler one will do. More...
Light/Ultralight Tent Pegs (4g-19g / 10p-£3)
A review of the various of tent pegs available on the marketplace showing you what you get for your money and how saving weight is not always the best thing to do. More...
Adventure Medical Kits - Ultralight .3 (80g / £10)
AMK have created a set of medical kits for the outdoors enthusiasts. This is the smallest and lightest version. Is it of any use? More...