M n B - what was your best kit and most useless kit?

[slarge]

There were some good kit lists before the event, so now, looking back, what did you carry that you would have struggled without, and what did you carry that you didn't even look at using?

My best bit of kit - toss up between dry socks and laserlite tent

Most useless kit - waterproof trousers - they're not even waterproof, just a bit windproof, only used as they are light and meet the minimum requirements for emergency kit (but I got them 30 years ago and they were crap then).

[Nick]

My Alpkit Filo, as my PD400 bag was no way enough even at just above freezing, was great, and allowed me to stand around chatting without getting cold. My Whitby Handwarmer was nice and warm for 6 hours and my solar charger (pre-charged) meant I could listen to music all night without worrying about needing my phone and finding it flat.

I took a few bits of food that I didn't eat and didn't bother putting on the clothes I took for sleeping in (silk liner in bag excuse), but if I had got wet I would have, so they were worth carrying.

My tarp was a bit crap and flapped about all night, but that was my fault, good job it didn't rain, need to practice putting it up a few times I think.

[valleydaddy]

for me best bit of kit was the hammock, lovely and comfy however I need to sort out some insulation as was a tad cold throughout the night as Flatfish advised me I would

My Tesco bag was OK but a bit tight for the larger lad leading me to fix the zips at 2am as all my wriggling to keep warm split the zip.

I used everything I took apart from a pack of supernoodles but that was taken as a 'spare' food stuff.

So I guess my useless kit was not thinking through my sleeping system properly, time to order an Alpkit Pd400/600 and/or some more hammock gear such as a under and top quilt and a lighter compact hammock

[Taylor]

Best bit was a hand warmer thingy that I put between my legs overnight against my femoral arteries and I could feel my toes warm up within a couple of minutes.
OR
My new palatial tarp to go with my hammock. It's huge for not a lot of weight.



Worst bit was my water filter breaking. Got a new part ordered already.

[valleydaddy]

My new palatial tarp to go with my hammock. It's huge for not a lot of weight.

That was a great set up to be fair to you, did you take some pics??

Worst bit was my water filter breaking. Got a new part ordered already.

Phew

[griffdowg]

I dont think I would have slept without my Rab neutrino endurance plus down jacket. It was vaguely exciting.

Useless? change of clothes to sleep in (didn't bother) tarp, no rain, just flapping in the wind.

Grippier shoes would have been nice.

Ow and I need some lower gears and slightly fatter tires for the WRT :)

G

[Taylor]

Didn't get any pics of it, sorry Pete.


£43.40 worth of parts though.

[adjustablewench]

My favourites were my merino leggings toasty, worse (but my own fault) were my glasses that vanished somewhere at the end of Saturday - anyone see a pair of cheap glasses lying around.

Slight kit envy of the lad with the fairy lights with valleydaddy!

[Taylor]

Just for you Adjustablewench,

http://www.play.com/Gadgets/Gadgets/4-/ ... d:26541788

:D

[adjustablewench]

Brilliant, all I could remember was something like 'bobs backpacking' - which is where you get the wine carrier wasn't it?

I will shut up now - all this talk of fairy lights and wine carriers - hardly touching it!

[adjustablewench]

Stupid phone - should read 'hardly roughing it!'

[Taylor]

Uncle Bob

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/produ ... ?PageID=40

[valleydaddy]

Feck

£40+ for a plastic dooby thingy?????

ouchers

[Blackhound]

Best was an Alpkit Pipedream 800 kept me really warm just lying on a laid down tarp. Never used my spare clothing or tent so that was a waste.

Enjoyed a cold Starbuck's doubleshot when I got up, drank these regularly in the USA last summer and this was a nice reminder when I saw them on the shelf last week.

[Anthony]

Best kit- PHD Minim 600, so incredibly warm for it's 5L packsize it was a tough one getting out of it! Ipod kept me entertained from about 1am-5am whilst as usual I couldn't sleep.

Stuff I didn't get out- Montane waterproof, Lifa LS top- evening wear, spare merino socks, buff, 150mls meths leftover, spare evening gloves.

Wishlist kit GPS with OS mapping.

[99percentchimp]

Good - GPS with planned track loaded, new Hope lights (very light in both senses of the word, but only used once my night vision went completely), Hilleberg Akto (kept the wind off), iPod with the News Quiz and some tunes, riding with Alan and his Powerlink on the way back, MYOG pot cosy - cooked dhal in 15mins on one quick simmer and still too hot to eat after.

Bad - snapping a chain tool pin (ham-fisted in the cold?) - potentially no drive train - spare pins ordered and more Powerlinks to add to tool kit, too much food (some not used!!), gas stove refusing to produce gas in the cold until canister kept inside down jacket after every brew/cook up (missed MSR petrol stove - not carrying that much weight solo). Forgot the single malt!

Loads learnt on this trip - great experience.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Good - Morphy Richards 1.7L electric kettle, wasn't sure how it would go on given the mammoth task it had to deal with but it did me proud.
Lidl tea bags, 80 in a box for not a lot. Not the strongest brew but they don't stew too much when left in the pot.

Bad - Tesco value toaster, had high hopes but there were just too many niggles for it to be a contender.
Some sort of generic milk jug thing, although it appeared to have a well defined pourer/spout, it dribbled unless you had a very steady hand.

[valleydaddy]

where did you find plug sockets Stu?????

Don't tell Taylor he's got enough gadgets already

[bigrobracing]

Best Kit Decision - The pint of milk I carried around all Saturday for properly nice porridge and milk in our coffee on Sunday morning. Yes, we could have carried dried milk powder, but I'd still have had to carry the water to turn it back to milk up the last hill.

Worst Kit Decision - carrying a pint of milk around with me all day! Having tried to get as much weight off my back and on the bike as possible, I then added a pound of weight in a pointy cornered cardboard container to the same, briefly light, back pack. D'oh!

If I'm feeling decadent next time, it's dried powder for sure!

[Anthony]

That reminds me of a trip a few yeras ago. We were feeling particularly decadant and decided to take a small pot of cream to indulge in after dinner's fresh coffee. Even after what was only a short ride it had shaken itself solid into whipped cream and was useless If only we had taken some scones & jam.....