stephenjubb
Über Member
Hi All,
I really need a tour where it is desolate, beautiful, not touristy, tough, scenic and cold. I've done lots of tours in scotland with wild camping in summer/autumn, temps down to minus 11. I've camped in winter in Lake district but none of it really tested me or my equipment.
I did want to get to Scotland this winter bicycle to camp at bases of mountains and see stunning winter scenery but due to work, family accident wasn't possible and it has not been really cold enough. Camping at the Lake District at christmas though raining and extremely windy was just like scotland in a bad storm in winter.
I might sound a little bonkers to some, but to summarise it is just like going to Mars somewhere like Scotland in winter (or somewhere remote), compare to England it is like going to another planet.
So decided on Iceland for aug/sep for six weeks. That should give enough toughness to satisfy me. Have been before in 2007 but was inexperienced. Wrong kit etc. Since then done lots of tours mostly in Scotland in hilly windy, rainy terrain at all times of year (except winter!)
I have a selection of tents and sleeping bags to take but can't decide, some are for winter use, some free standing, some heavy, some light.
The tents are
1) Terra Nova Laser Large 2 - http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/tents-and-spares/all-tents/laser-space-2-tent/
3.3 kilo, plenty of space, 3 season, not great in winds, large.
2) Golite sl5 (outer only) http://www.golite.com/Shangri-La-5-Tent-P46714.aspx
with Terra Nova Solar Competition and tarp
http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/tents-and-spares/all-tents/solar-competition- 1-tent/
Total weight 2.7 kilos, two tents effectively, very flexible, normal tent pitching, but can use the competition seperately free standing. Takes longer to setup, small living space but have used this combination for 3 months in scotland and worked well but in bad weather up there at durness had to peg the Golite 5 down really well, add extra guy lines and it just survived. Its zip went so for a while I just used the solar competion so it is like taking a spare tent.
3) - Coleman phad x 3 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coleman-Phad-Three-Person-Backpacking/dp/B000PEN1VG
With groundsheet 4 kilos, heavy, but completely free standing but poles not overly strong.
Would it survive an icelandic storm? Bought to test out winter camping (rather than waste money if did not like).
Hard to put up in wet windy conditions.
4) - Finally could not resist, a hilleberg nallo 4 gt for winter. a little big, but figured in winter would need plenty of space.
http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/nallo/nallo4gt.php
With groundsheet about 4 kilos, you really can put these up in the cold, wet and windy with gloves on. They go up
easily. Need say nothing else about it except no free standing. Problem in Iceland wild camping?
I think 1 would be unsuitable but which to take out of 2,3,4?
Sleeping Bags
1) - I have a western mountaineering alpin lite, 900g good to -5c but no water proof shell. Would not work with option two
above if get heavy condensation
http://www.westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm? section=products&page=sleeping%20bags&cat=ExtremeLite%20Series&ContentId=28
2) Western Mountaineering Kodiak, 1.2 kilos -19c low (though given its size probably lower than that) and water proof
outershell. Probably over kill but for 300g more it is water proof and more resilient if down gets damp (more of it so can
get damp for longer).
http://www.westernmountaineering.co...eping Bags&cat=Microfiber Series&ContentId=38
Bike is an easy one, Dawes super galaxy, tubus logo rack, dynamo with usb charge, spa handbuilt wheels. Cooker is Primus omnilite ti, small and light and runs on most fuels.
Got down jacket. So only quandary is which tent and sleeping bag would you take? I'm probably favouring the Hilleberg (option 4) and Kodiak Sleeping bag (option 2). However this is largely influenced in that I have not had a good old freeze your b?ll??ks off tour and want to use this equipment! But is this overkill?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Regards
Steve
I really need a tour where it is desolate, beautiful, not touristy, tough, scenic and cold. I've done lots of tours in scotland with wild camping in summer/autumn, temps down to minus 11. I've camped in winter in Lake district but none of it really tested me or my equipment.
I did want to get to Scotland this winter bicycle to camp at bases of mountains and see stunning winter scenery but due to work, family accident wasn't possible and it has not been really cold enough. Camping at the Lake District at christmas though raining and extremely windy was just like scotland in a bad storm in winter.
I might sound a little bonkers to some, but to summarise it is just like going to Mars somewhere like Scotland in winter (or somewhere remote), compare to England it is like going to another planet.
So decided on Iceland for aug/sep for six weeks. That should give enough toughness to satisfy me. Have been before in 2007 but was inexperienced. Wrong kit etc. Since then done lots of tours mostly in Scotland in hilly windy, rainy terrain at all times of year (except winter!)
I have a selection of tents and sleeping bags to take but can't decide, some are for winter use, some free standing, some heavy, some light.
The tents are
1) Terra Nova Laser Large 2 - http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/tents-and-spares/all-tents/laser-space-2-tent/
3.3 kilo, plenty of space, 3 season, not great in winds, large.
2) Golite sl5 (outer only) http://www.golite.com/Shangri-La-5-Tent-P46714.aspx
with Terra Nova Solar Competition and tarp
http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/tents-and-spares/all-tents/solar-competition- 1-tent/
Total weight 2.7 kilos, two tents effectively, very flexible, normal tent pitching, but can use the competition seperately free standing. Takes longer to setup, small living space but have used this combination for 3 months in scotland and worked well but in bad weather up there at durness had to peg the Golite 5 down really well, add extra guy lines and it just survived. Its zip went so for a while I just used the solar competion so it is like taking a spare tent.
3) - Coleman phad x 3 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coleman-Phad-Three-Person-Backpacking/dp/B000PEN1VG
With groundsheet 4 kilos, heavy, but completely free standing but poles not overly strong.
Would it survive an icelandic storm? Bought to test out winter camping (rather than waste money if did not like).
Hard to put up in wet windy conditions.
4) - Finally could not resist, a hilleberg nallo 4 gt for winter. a little big, but figured in winter would need plenty of space.
http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/nallo/nallo4gt.php
With groundsheet about 4 kilos, you really can put these up in the cold, wet and windy with gloves on. They go up
easily. Need say nothing else about it except no free standing. Problem in Iceland wild camping?
I think 1 would be unsuitable but which to take out of 2,3,4?
Sleeping Bags
1) - I have a western mountaineering alpin lite, 900g good to -5c but no water proof shell. Would not work with option two
above if get heavy condensation
http://www.westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm? section=products&page=sleeping%20bags&cat=ExtremeLite%20Series&ContentId=28
2) Western Mountaineering Kodiak, 1.2 kilos -19c low (though given its size probably lower than that) and water proof
outershell. Probably over kill but for 300g more it is water proof and more resilient if down gets damp (more of it so can
get damp for longer).
http://www.westernmountaineering.co...eping Bags&cat=Microfiber Series&ContentId=38
Bike is an easy one, Dawes super galaxy, tubus logo rack, dynamo with usb charge, spa handbuilt wheels. Cooker is Primus omnilite ti, small and light and runs on most fuels.
Got down jacket. So only quandary is which tent and sleeping bag would you take? I'm probably favouring the Hilleberg (option 4) and Kodiak Sleeping bag (option 2). However this is largely influenced in that I have not had a good old freeze your b?ll??ks off tour and want to use this equipment! But is this overkill?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Regards
Steve
trouble is hotels are so expensive over there
