Equipment for 250 km Backpack Across Scotland

[Tarrel]

Quite a bit of chat about bug-out bags and what to carry in them on the forum at the moment.

Last year I backpacked coast to coast across Scotland self-supported. Thought I'd share what I took along. Although not strictly a bug-out bag as such, hopefully it will give a sense of what's needed to be mobile, sheltered and fed for an extended period (13 days in this case).

Wearing:
Merino wool base layer top
Micro fleece - long-sleeved - green
Rain-repellant walking trousers - brown
"1000 mile" double layer socks
Goretex-lined leather boots
wide brimmed hat - green
phone

In Pack (Eurohike 45 litre in green):
Vaude Taurus ultralight tent - green
Lightweight tarp
Self-inflating sleep pad
Synthetic sleeping bag
Trangia meths stove with one pan and frying pan / lid
spoon
plastic mug
swiss army knife
Half litre meths
Matches and fire steel
1 spare pair socks
1 spare pair walking trousers
1 spare base layer
spare underwear
compact synthetic down jacket
waterproof coat (Paramo) - green
Beanie hat
waterproof gloves
maps - laminated
compass
compact camera
garmin GPS
small wash kit
fold up bowl for washing
water bottle
hip flask
pair of sandals for around camp and river crossings
2-litre Platypus water container (empty)
small repair kit (Gaffer tape, cable-ties, paper clips, para cord, cord-locks)
small 1st aid kit (blister plasters, reg plasters, pain killers, scissors, bandages. relied on gaffer tape for major lacerations, and had cling-film for covering major wounds / burns - not needed fortunately)

Food:
various supermarket packs of dried noodles, cous-cous, etc
home-made instant porridge (needing only water)
dried fruit
nuts
instant custard

All-up weight in the pack was 14kg, inc. food, fuel and water. I had enough food and fuel for 5 days, having forwarded food-parcels to myself at various points en-route. If I was doing the journey without this facility I'd have needed more food, a bigger pack and an alternative cooking method (I'd have taken a home-made wood burning stove made out of an old soup can).

Water was no problem. Drinkable from streams high in the hills, drinkable with boiling lower down, available from cattle troughs (mains water) in the agricultural areas further east.

Temperatures en-route ranged from highs of 15c to overnight lows of -4c. Weather ranged from wet snow to dry,cold and clear with a strong headwind. Time of year was early May. Start point Torridon, end point Stonehaven.

Lessons learned:
1. It's extraordinary how far you can walk in Scotland without seeing another person
2. It gets f*** cold camping at 2000 feet
3. Having a tent, or other shelter, gives you complete freedom about when and where you stop for the night
4. If you've got the means to boil water, you really don't have to worry too much about finding it (in Scotland, anyway!)
5. 250 km is a long way, but not as tough as I expected it to be
6. Every gram of weight counts (especially towards the end of a long day)
7. It's quite hard to get enough calories inside you to make up for those you are using (I lost 10 pounds over the 13 days - no bad thing!)

I realise that a bug-out situation would present its own challenges over and above those experienced on this trip, but I can recommend getting into this kind of walking, even if it's only for a few days, as a way of practicing self-reliance.

[clv101]

Sounds like a good trip. We did something similar, but not as far in 2010. Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness (~120km). I think it was 4 nights.

Photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7600596@N0 ... 931033869/

[Tarrel]

Cool. I passed through Fort Augustus on my trip, and met quite a few Great Glen walkers. The paths crossed at that point.

[DominicJ]

Wow.
Impressive.

[snow hope]

Yes, both trips impressive. Well done all.

[CountingDown]

Excellent list Tarrel - thanks!

[mobbsey]

Quite a bit of chat about bug-out bags and what to carry in them on the forum at the moment.

I have the ore low cost/low impact equivalent: 1-person bivi tent, 8'x5' tarp, mat sleeping mat and sleeping bag (2-season hollow fibre or 4 season down depending on weather); 1 pint Kelly kettle, petrol Primus if its Winter; a few kilos of nuts, rice, lentils and dried grains (greens can be foraged for) and small bottle of oil; basic first aid and repair; change of clothes; book; wet gear; rucksack. I've started going without matches (can light Primus with firesteel), torch and electric gadgets. Real basic simplicity.

Generally I try not to camp between May and September as I find it too hot for backpacking. Last June I walked from Dent to York (although that was luxury as people put me up on route) -- over the Pennines, down Wensleydale and across the Vale to the Hambletons and down; it was roasting!

As part of a project for the Free Range Range Network I wrote-up some of my favourite past-times as part of a workshop series on "learning the skills of low impact living through camping". You might all find some interesting tit-bits in there.

[SleeperService]

Hi Tarrel

Any recommendation on the self inflating sleep pad please?

Getting on a bit now so I need a little comfort

[mobbsey]

Any recommendation on the self inflating sleep pad please?

You can get air pumps for air beds which are made from two cardboard tubes, one fitting inside the other. Light, effective, but they do take up a lot of space if you want to carrying it.

If you pull the two halves apart you can store things inside -- that way it fits in your rucksack without taking up a lot of space. When you need to use it, pull apart, remove contents, fit back together and pump (but don't pack anything inside which might knacker the valve).

[woodpecker]

Thermarest are widely used and do the job. They come in different lengths and depths.

[Tarrel]

Agree on the Thermarest.

The problem with self-inflating pads is that, if they get a puncture, you're screwed, with no insulation. They do come with repair kits, but not easy to use well. Therefore you need one which is durable, and Thermarest fits the bill. I've used cheaper ones, but they do seem more prone to punctures.

I bought my Thermarest Ultralight in 2003 in Vancouver and its been all over the place with me, and never leaked. Recently sold it because I wanted a warmer one.

Being not especially tall (5 foot , I recently replaced it with a Thermarest Prolight Plus (Womens Edition). This is a little shorter than the standard one, but has additional insulation around the small of the back, which is the area most susceptible to feeling the cold. The Prolight Plus is a bit thicker than the standard Prolight, with a significantly higher R-value. The Women's version comes in a dainty lilac colour, but you can't see that in the dark!

[Tarrel]

Dunno where the smiley face in the sunglasses came from. It was supposed to say "five foot eight"!

@Mobbsey; I remember as a kid we had a pump like that in the Christmas Decorations box, for blowing up balloons. I didn't know you could still get them. We had it for years.

[RenewableCandy]

It turns an "8" followed immediately by a close-bracket, into a cool-shades smiley automatically. I just leave a space between the "8" and the ")" .

[emordnilap]

It turns an "8" followed immediately by a close-bracket, into a cool-shades smiley automatically. I just leave a space between the "8" and the ")" .

Or click "disable smilies in this post" below the text box when composing the message.

[Tarrel]

Thanks folks.