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| View from Beinn Lair |
Last year I began an occasional series of trip reports with the emphasis on the key gear used for The Great Outdoors. I posted the first one on this blog in January. This is the second one, an early summer three-night trip in the Fisherfield area. I've edited it slightly and updated prices.
My walk started on the path from Kinlochewe to Loch Maree. This is a well-used path as it leads to the main ascent route up Slioch. After the turn-off for the mountain the path continues above the loch, rougher now as it’s less walked.. There are magnificent old oak woods here and I was pleased to see many young trees inside fenced regeneration areas established by the Letterewe estate. My first camp was above one of these, looking over Loch Maree to the Torridon hills. A breeze kept away the midges and I was able to sit outside, as was the case at every camp on the trip.
The next day I followed a good path up to Loch Garbhaig and then struck off uphill to Beinn Lair. This is a fine big hill but pathless as it only reaches 859 metres, well below Munro height. On the climb, going up the boggy tussocky slopes was quite arduous but once on the wide ridge short grass and stony ground made for easy walking and I strode along admiring the splendid views. I had thought of a high camp but thickening dark clouds, a strengthening wind, and some big spots of rain kept me moving all the way down to the Fionn Loch, where I made my second camp. The incipient storm came to nothing though, the wind dwindling to a light breeze.
So far I’d seen no-one. The next day there were others on the excellent twisting path leading up from the Fionn Loch and the Dubh-Loch to the col between Ruadh Stac Mor and A’Mhaighdean, both Munros, the latter said to be the most remote of all. For much of the ascent I was able to admire the huge, long cliff that makes up the north face of Beinn Lair, something unsuspected from its summit.
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| View from A'Mhaighdean |
From the col I went up A’Mhaighdean, to be rewarded by clearing skies and superb views and the summit to myself. After sitting a while gazing at the mountains and the sea and the lochs and the sky, I set off down the mountain’s south-west slopes. These are wide and gentle, a total contrast to the steep rock faces to the west and north, and I was soon down by Lochan Fada and pitching my tent for a third night. The mostly cloudy weather cleared here, and I had lovely evening and morning light. Then there was just the long walk-out beside the lochan and down Glean Bianasdail to the outward path and Kinlochewe.
Camp beside Lochan Fada
Planning and preparation
The forecast was for warm weather, mostly cloudy with the chance of showers and a strong breeze. I hope the last would keep away the midges (it did) but I still wanted a tent that would keep them out if it didn’t (and I packed head net, mosquito coils, and repellent). However, tents can get stuffy on warm nights, so I also wanted one with good ventilation. For sleeping a light mat and a bag that could also be easily vented seemed sensible.
Light clothing seemed best to prevent getting too sweaty but as always I wasn’t going without waterproofs and a warm top, though I reckoned light ones would do. The wind meant a windshirt might be needed - I usually carry one in summer anyway.
Recent hot weather had stripped away most of the snow. The ice axe and crampons were packed away until the first snows next autumn. It was time for trail shoes rather than boots too. In summer I prefer getting my feet wet from the outside rather than from sweat inside hot boots. As it was my feet stayed dry until the rain that feel for the last twenty minutes of the walk.
My gear was the usual mix of well-proven favourites, new test gear, and gear on long term test. At 16kg the pack was quite heavy for a four-day summer trip but not so much that it was a real burden. If I hadn’t been testing it I’d have taken a lighter weight pack with a simpler design. I could have taken a lighter sleeping bag too, but I don’t have one that’s as versatile as the one I took. I think I should have left the foam pad behind and saved 200 grams and I could have taken ultralight waterproofs. Overall though my selection worked fine for this trip.
EQUIPMENT
PACK
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| The pack beside Lochan Fada, Slioch in the background |
Montane Yupik 65 £160 1.76kg ****1/2 Recommended
Having had this pack on test for a while now I thought it time to take it on more than an overnight trip. With camera gear including a tripod as well as four days food along with my camping gear it weighed 16kg when I set off. The pack is capacious and easily swallowed all this stuff. I reckon 65 litres is conservative, especially given the excellent large very stretchy front pockets. I liked having nine pockets and two compartments as they made it easy to organise gear. The back system and well-padded hipbelt made the pack comfortable to carry, though on the roughest terrain I noticed it wasn’t quite as stable as more body-hugging packs. I also found the harness straps slipped a little more often than on other packs (they always seem to slip a little at times), though not enough to be very annoying. Overall, the Yupik 65 was fine for this trip. It’s quite light for a pack with so many features.
Note: in September 2022 this pack no longer appears in the Montane website so it may be discontinued.
TENT
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| Camp above Loch Maree |
MSR Hubba NX 1 1.26kg £455 ****1/2 Recommended
With the likelihood of warm nights and also midges if the wind died down I wanted an airy tent that provided good protection. The Hubba NX 1 fitted the bill. It’s large mesh panels on the inner and flysheet that doesn’t come right down to the ground makes for good airflow whilst the porch is big enough for cooking with the doors closed if the midges are bad or it starts raining. For a two-skin tent that’s roomy for one the weight is quite low. It packs up small too. It does pitch inner first, but I wasn’t expecting much rain and I knew I could pitch it very quickly if necessary. As it was there was no rain while I was camping nor any midges, so I never fully closed the flysheet door. The breeze that blew every night was enough to prevent any condensation from forming while the tent kept enough of the wind out to stop it disturbing my sleep. Overall, it was an ideal tent for the trip.
SLEEPING BAG
Sierra Designs Cloud 800 875g £300 ***** Best Buy
SLEEPING MAT
Klymit V Ultralite SL 293 grams (420 grams insulated) £100 **** Recommended
I also took an OMM DuoMat (200 grams, £22), which I intended to use under the Klymit mat if the latter felt chilly and which would do as an alternative if the Klymit sprang a leak. Neither of those happened and I just used it as a sit mat on wet ground.
STOVE SYSTEM
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| View from the camp beside the Fionn Loch |
Trail Designs Classic Ti-Tri with Kojin burner 156 grams $80 ***** Best Buy
I’ve used the Ti-Tri system on long walks for over a decade now. Consisting of a titanium cone that forms both windscreen and pot support with a meths or solid fuel burner inside it’s simple to operate. For many years I used the little aluminium 12-10 meths burner, taking great care not to crush it as it is somewhat fragile. Recently though I’ve replaced this with the even smaller Kojin burner, which weighs 19 grams, and is much tougher as it’s just a screw-top tin full of batting that absorbs the fuel. This design also means that any unused fuel can just be left in the closed burner, which doesn’t leak. I find it more efficient than the 12-10 too, boiling water faster and using less fuel to do so. Simmering isn’t easy – I use tent pegs through holes in the top of the cone to hold the pan higher above the flame – but I didn’t have any long simmer meals on this trip. The cone does have to be the right size for your pot. This one fits my Evernew 0.9 litre titanium pot, which I’ve had well over twenty years.
FOOTWEAR & CLOTHING
TRAIL SHOES
Merrell Moab Speed 624 grams (size 9) £110 ***** Best Buy
This was my second trip of several days with these shoes and again I was impressed. This was a tougher test than previously as I was carrying my full pack the whole time and there was plenty of rough, steep terrain to ascend and descend. The shoes felt secure and comfortable throughout and my feet never got hot and sweaty in the heat and I had no blisters. I wore the shoes with light merino/synthetic mix ankle socks and the combination was excellent. The uppers are mesh for breathability with a wide rand to protect against abrasion. So far, the shoes show little sign of wear despite much scraping on rocks and tough vegetation. The Vibram sole hasn’t started to wear either and provides good grip on every type of terrain. For me these are great trail shoes for warm weather, especially as they fit me perfectly, being quite wide at the forefoot whilst narrow at the heel so my feet don’t slip in them. They’re lightweight too.
T-SHIRT
Columbia Zero Ice Cirro-Cool T-shirt 145 grams (L) £45 ***** Best buy
Four days backpacking in mostly hot weather is a tough test for a base layer claimed to keep you cool and dry fast. I’m pleased to say this Columbia t-shirt came through with flying colours. I may have been sweat-soaked at times, but the t-shirt wasn’t. Sweat just passed through it and evaporated and the fabric always felt cool. Where it did get damp, under pack straps and hipbelt, it dried amazingly fast as soon as it was exposed to the air. It was still working fine on day four too. Many synthetic base layers I’ve tried start to go stiff and feel sticky after a couple of days use. On the third day a cool breeze meant I wore a windshirt over it. The t-shirt was just as comfortable. The fabric is soft and comfortable and feels great against the skin. It’s one of the best synthetic base layers I’ve worn in hot weather. It’ll be coming on more trips.
WINDSHIRT 
Paramo Fuera Smock £80 300 grams (M) £80 ***** Best Buy
Good designs last. I’ve had this old favourite windshirt for over fifteen years now and I still find it as good as ever. Paramo has brought out several windproof tops since the Fuera but happily has kept it in the range. With a forecast for windy but mostly dry weather it seemed ideal for this trip. In fact, I only wore it on one day but then it was just the right garment to keep off the cold wind. I also wore it in camp when the breeze was chilly. The design is functional. The hood has a wired peak and drawcords and doesn’t blow off your head in strong gusts, as too many more basic hoods do. The big chest pocket is excellent for map, phone, and other items. The neck zip is long enough for reasonable ventilation. I love the wide cuffs which are great for airflow and allow the sleeves to be easily rolled up if your arms do get hot. The fit is roomy – the Medium is bigger than some current Paramo Large sizes – and getting the Fuera on over the head is no problem. The fabric is soft and comfortable against the skin. It’s tough too, the garment showing little sign of wear after all these years.
Other clothing
Camp beside Lochan Fada
I wore Mammut Runbold trousers throughout. These stretchy
nylon trousers are cool in the heat and proved just wind resistant enough. For
warmth I had the Patagonia Micro Puff insulated jacket. I only wore this in
camp when it was a little chilly. My waterproofs – the 66 North Snaefell jacket
and Berghaus Paclite trousers – were never worn, though they could have been if
the rain that fell during the last twenty minutes of the walk had started
earlier. As it was, I just got damp. I also had a Smartwool Beanie for warmth
in camp and an old baseball cap with a neck cord for the sun (it stays on in
the wind). Neither saw much use.
Well,I understand that it is many years now since I was able enough to go backpacking,but I have to admit that the price tags for most items i see nowadays being reviewed is quiet frightening! When I was a lad i went to the local town's army and navy shop,where i kitted up with clothing,maybe a stove and some sort of shelter,although I did have my own tent.As the years pasted on i was working and would purchase some proper gear,but still not the most expensive items.I did have other commitments in life after all.Now,due to several chronic illnesses i cannot get out at all,but I can look back on my memories,some cherished memories,and you know what?The most cherished memories where when I was using my army and navy shop items!😀.
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