I have listed all my gear at the end of this post, below. How did it perform?
Did anything break? Yes, one of my Komperdell carbon walking poles broke - the end fell off while walking along level ground. This is the second time that has happened to me, so I do not recommend Komperdell poles! I will stick with the Fizan aluminium poles instead. They are lighter than the Komperdell carbon poles anyway! And a third of the price.
Anything else? Yes, my beautiful new Samsung Galaxy S8+ phone fell out of a pocket of my rucksack half way up Snowdon. It damaged the screen and effectively stopped it from working. It is currently in for repair and it will be expensive. In some ways I like this phone - the display is truly magnificent. But the phone is easy to drop and it is definitely fragile. My previous phone, a Samsung S5, is still fine despite having been dropped a dozen times or more. If you get and S8 or S8+, I recommend you take out insurance for it, and buy a protective case too.
Anything more? No, everything else held together well. I was especially pleased with my new Berghaus Supalite boots, similar to the older Brasher ones, but with Vibram soles which are a definite improvement. Harder wearing and better grip. My Zpacks ArcBlast rucksack and Hexamid Duo tent performed flawlessly. They are absolutely the very best. My Rohan clothing was also excellent, especially the Ultra Silver base layers and the Escaper trousers.
After finishing the HRP I sent the ArcBlast back to Zpacks for refurbishment and repair. They did this free of charge - they are an excellent company - but it was still an expensive exercise, partly because of the postage, partly the exchange rate, and partly because I bought some other stuff from them at the same time. In particular, a Zero backpack, not suitable for long treks but ideal for a weekend away or up to a week or so perhaps, it is a weight thing really, it is best with no more than 5-6Kg rather than the 8-10Kg or even more that the ArcBlast can handle.
So nothing to replace, then? Hmm, well, my Berghaus Paclite waterproofs have done very well over almost ten years - four trips to the Pyrenees, two Pennine Ways etc etc... but I think they are nearing the end of their life now. Even reproofed they are no longer totally waterproof (too many barbed wire, or bramble, incidents!) and they are not as breathable as I would like. I suspect that it might be possible to find something which is both lighter and more breathable.. I will look around for something, anyway. Also my Suunto Core watch is now unreliable, its altimeter says silly things. I will try sending it back to Suunto, but it might need replacement.
My Paramo cap is the first piece of proper walking gear I ever bought, and it has had a good innings but is faded and worn. I would replace it - I went to the Paramo shop in Wadhurst to do that very thing - but Paramo don't make caps like it any more, and I didn't like what they sell instead nearly as much. So I shall stick with it for now.
Frankly I think that is pretty good going - only the Komperdell poles have turned out to be a bad buy. If you have any queries on any piece of kit, some of the other posts here may say more about it, or feel free to ask me..
 |
| Most of the above kit on display, on Crib Goch |
| Snowdonia Gear List July 2017 | |||||||||
| g | oz | ||||||||
| Bits & Bobs | |||||||||
| Basics | Rucksack [Zpacks Arcsoft] | 591 | 20.8 | spare CR2032 battery | |||||
| Rucksack Belt Purse | 28 | 1.0 | head torch | ||||||
| Sleeping bag [Zpacks] | 788 | 27.8 | spare bootlaces | ||||||
| Sleeping mat [neoair] | 274 | 9.7 | spare matches | ||||||
| Cuben liner sack | 65 | 2.3 | sewing kit | ||||||
| Cuben small sack | 27 | 1.0 | earplugs | ||||||
| Tent [Zpacks Hexamid] | 663 | 23.4 | spare rubber bands | ||||||
| duct tape | |||||||||
| Basics: | 2,436 | 85.9 | aspirin | ||||||
| ballpoint pen | |||||||||
| Cooking | Pot cosy | 25 | 0.9 | antacid tablets | |||||
| Caldera cone | 35 | 1.2 | phone earpiece | ||||||
| Meths fuel | 210 | 7.4 | cod liver oil pills | ||||||
| Titanium mug | 58 | 2.0 | rucksack elastic cord | ||||||
| Spork | 10 | 0.4 | |||||||
| silverpoint lighter | 65 | 2.3 | |||||||
| Pot, stove, matches, fuel measure | 189 | 6.7 | |||||||
| Cooking: | 592 | 20.9 | Toiletries Bags | ||||||
| Toiletries | Toiletries bag (inner) | 133 | 4.7 | Inner | |||||
| & Sundries | Toiletries bag (outer) | 68 | 2.4 | Mirror/brush | |||||
| Lightload towel | 16 | 0.6 | toothpaste | ||||||
| Suntan lotion | 64 | 2.3 | tepe brushes | ||||||
| Foot cream | 43 | 1.5 | razor + 1 blades | ||||||
| toothbrush | |||||||||
| Toiletries & Sundries: | 324 | 11.4 | soap bar | ||||||
| Equipment | Bits & bobs bag | 165 | 5.8 | Outer | |||||
| & Documents | Sunglasses (inc. hanky) | 77 | 2.7 | comb | |||||
| Suunto Core | 63 | 2.2 | waterless soap | ||||||
| Credit cards | 23 | 0.8 | tissues | ||||||
| Samsung S8+ phone | 174 | 6.1 | plasters, dressing | ||||||
| 25.6 Ah charger + lead + stuff sack | 511 | 18.0 | Eurax | ||||||
| Samsung S5 phone (spare!) | 155 | 5.5 | |||||||
| Steripen Freedom | 93 | 3.3 | Food | ||||||
| Equipment: | 1,261 | 44.5 | |||||||
| roasted almonds | |||||||||
| Fleece | Campagnolo light fleece (red) | 273 | 9.6 | dry roast peanuts | |||||
| Trousers | Rohan Escapers | 294 | 10.4 | instant coffee | |||||
| Waterproofs | Berghaus Paclite jacket/trousers | 599 | 21.1 | bars & biscuits | |||||
| Base layers | Rohan ultra silver knicks | 43 | 1.5 | miso & mushroom soup | |||||
| Rohan Ultra Silver T (royal blue s/s) | 76 | 2.7 | bananas | ||||||
| Rohan liner socks | 26 | 0.9 | rice | ||||||
| Clothing: | 1,311 | 46.2 | |||||||
| Base weight: | 4,347 | 153.3 | |||||||
| Food & Drink | 500ml water bottle | x2 | 50 | 1.8 | |||||
| 750ml water bottle | 30 | 1.1 | |||||||
| 1750ml water | 1,750 | 61.7 | |||||||
| food total: | 1,500 | 52.9 | |||||||
| Food: | 3,330 | 117.5 | |||||||
| Carry Total: | 7,677 | 270.8 | |||||||
| To Wear | Rohan socks | 38 | 1.3 | ||||||
| Rohan liner socks | 26 | 0.9 | |||||||
| Paramo hat | 64 | 2.3 | |||||||
| Bam knicks | 120 | 4.2 | |||||||
| Rohan Ultra Silver T (black l/s) | 113 | 4.0 | |||||||
| Rohan Escapers | 294 | 10.4 | |||||||
| French belt (brown) | 29 | 1.0 | |||||||
| Rohan microgrid fleece | 370 | 13.1 | |||||||
| Step counter | 37 | 1.3 | |||||||
| Suunto Core | 63 | 2.2 | |||||||
| Penknife | 102 | 3.6 | |||||||
| Berghaus Supalite boots (new inc shockstoppers) | 1,383 | 48.8 | |||||||
| Komperdell walking poles (pair) | 350 | 12.3 | |||||||
| To Wear: | 2,989 | 105.4 | |||||||
