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| Page Views: 1,902 | Preparing travels and hikes – some general remarks by Trekki - last update: Mar 28, 2008 |
| My sweet little green "flat" - Hilleberg's Akto |
As we have more albums now and as I often get questions about my hiking equpiment, I thought I’d share it here and also add some general notes on my travel preparation.
I am hiking (or trekking) since almost 15 years. Most of my equipment is from these days and amazingly – or unamazingly – still does its job properly. This is definitely the result of long term research and questions among other hiking pals and of my excellent and helpful outdoor shop Kleine Fluchten in Darmstadt (oops, I need to write about them for Darmstadt….).
Generally said, there is never THE equipment but all should be bought upon one’s own preferences. If you are hiking in more desert-like regions, then you would need a different equipment than if you go to rainforests. My stuff was selected for my first trip to Patagonia, a marvellous but very windy and rainy region of our planet. And as I knew I would be hiking for several days in a row, weight was my other concern.
Tent(s):
These days I bought a tent as well, but I gave it away in the meantime as I did bought myself the queen of tents, and even own two of those gorgeous “flats” of Hilleberg. My tents are Akto and Staika of Hilleberg, depending on how I travel. With only 1,2 kg, the Akto is the perfect tent for solo trips, and it mastered the “Patagonia test” very bravely. Even during heavy rain I stayed comfortable and dry inside. It has a little apse, big enough for cooking or dropping the backpack in the night, inside it has room enough for me and my stuff and I can sit upright as well (haha, easy, as I am only 160 cm…). I had the Staika with me twice by now and am also happy with it, although it is heavier with 3,3 kg. But both tents have a fantastic well-thought-out concept, erecting is easy and done in 5 minutes (perfect if it rains) and I like all the little things, Hilleberg thought of, like thick plastic covers for the zippers, little plastic hooks inside to hang things and also the ventilation is perfect.
Backpack:
Sadly, the backpack I have is no longer available as out of a reason I don’t know, MacPac does no longer exist. With 75 + 10 l, the Cirrus is a perfect pack, and was said to be the only one where female bone anatomy was considered while constructing. I needed approximately 4 hours to decide, while I wore it in my shop, with 10 kg of sand bags in it to simulate weight. I never regretted it up to now and my pack has walked some thousand miles with me. It is made of very firm Cordura and doesn’t have any frills, like extra bags or tons of zippers – this would be very much uncomfortable in thick woods. In Patagonia I had a cover with me, so it was well protected in the rain and never got wet. I even take it with me on city trips or on business trips (yes, I get strange looks – but who cares…), as I simply cannot imagine anymore having a suitcase in my hands if I can throw the pack on my shoulders and don’t have to drag things behind me. If I should recommend a backpack, I’d suggest Bach Capacity, Gregory Palisade or Arc’teryx Bora. If I pack, I put my things in different coloured bags like the ones of Tatonka and I have developed a system of what kind of stuff I pack in which bag colour. This helps me finding things quickly, as I hate to rampage through the pack and search things for hours. |
| My best of all backpacks - hope he lives forever! |
|  | Hiking boots:
Now to my maybe most important gear – the boots. Remember that during hiking they are in constant move, they protect our feet while we hike over different terrain, stones, meadows, up and down. They are our second set of feet and that’s why it is important to spend hours and days looking for THE right shoes. Our feet will be thankful in the long run. My second feet are of Meindl, the Borneo Pro (and then shoes/classic/lady) and I needed 3 weeks to find that they are the ones. I never regretted it so far, they recently got their 4th sole and are still in proper shape. Made of leather, they need special treatment with wax before and after trips. That’s essential and it makes them waterproof or at least water repelling.
Sleeping equipment:
When hiking around with a tent, special attention is needed to the sleeping equpiment, as it needs to be warm enough in the climate we are in and soft enough to rest our tired bones in the night. I have a self-inflatable sleeping mat of Therm-a-rest, the Prolite 3 and like it a lot. And together with my sleeping bag of Western Mountaineering Antelope, weighs 1,1 kg, has a filling of 735 g 90/10 goose down and a temperature rating down to –17°C. Luckily I never had to test it at this low temperature but it keeps me warm in just below freezing. At home I store it in a pillowcase and air it from time to time. I keep the sleeping mat also inflated if I don’t use it. This is said to keep it in good shape and doesn’t damage the pores inside (they would be if folded).
Cooking:
Ah yes, cooking – the most important or life saving part! I have a nice stove, the MSR Whisperlite International, but… I need to practice a bit more (haha). That’s in my opinion the best stove to travel with, as the gas cookers always have the question of availability of the cartridges abroad (and it is impossible = forbidden to transport them on a flight). The Whisperlite runs with almost every fuel (benzene, white gas) and needs approx. 1 litre of fuel for 2 persons in 2 weeks (and normal cooking behaviour = morning tea and pancakes, evening soup or pasta). Oh yes, the food of course. I am not a fan of these dried things, outdoor shops want to sell to the hikers. I prefer soups and pasta. Usually I bring along some of the pasta types, Barilla offers for soups and dry broth. Or pasta, as most of the supermarkets worldwide sell ready-made pasta by now (Maggi and Knorr brands). Some fruit bars for hiking breaks, apples, salami, cheese and marmelade and tons of tea bags, that’s what I mostly bring on my hikes. Yes, marmelade and honey and other semi-liquid food can be perfectly stored in the squeezing bags of Coghlans (at the bottom left). Often I also bring flour and make pancakes in the morning. I have the Primus LITEC cooking set which weighs almost nothing (660 g) and is perfect for everything. I don’t use water purification pumps but only Micropur tablets or liquid. The pumps might be nice but they are too much in volume for me. For water storage, I have a 4 l water bag of Ortlieb. |
| My second feet (the oven is not heated!) |
| | more to come |
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 Comments for Trekki about World | | | | |
travelinxs Tue Nov 10, 2009 20:09 UTC
Thanks Ingrid. Had a great day, ta. Still working on C.Asia trip, but the news out of Pak. isnt very promising. Hope it settles over the next few months. Any plans yourself? Cheers. Chris. | richiecdisc Tue Nov 10, 2009 13:18 UTC
Thanks for weathering the many beers, Ingrid. Seattle is very popular with German immigrants and would be even more so if it was not so damn far! Yes, caffe too though you might have to take it in a paper cup. ;) | Nobby1 Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:01 UTC
travelmum!! i miss you mum, but dont worry, im also having sooo much fun at wonky's house. australia continues to be beautiful, you should come and visit perth one day especially - its lovely! :) | willy_wonka Tue Nov 10, 2009 07:52 UTC
is your computer packing it in? maybe too much vt time? ;-) // lol my computer at home is just about this old too. time for upgrade... but would prefer to spend on holidays :) // work? blah! have a good day! |
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