an unusual post... our friend Ryan aka Rhino http://thechargingrhino.blogspot.com/ is a top moutain biker. He has raced on the Australian team at the World Marathon champs and is currently in Europe racing and having a fun time.
Forever looking for a challenge he was wondering about a race called the Great Divide Race in the states - a 2 weekish odyssey that starts in Canada and finishes close to Mexico along the western range. So knowing my obsession with ultralight kit for bushwalking he popped me an email looking for ideas... I like my effort so I have decided to share the email I sent back...
It is a great look at what you can do with light gear and applies to bushwalking, mtb'ing, canoeing etc
Warning... if you don't like gear, or bushwalking, or multi stage racing - look away now!
Ryan,
Here are some ideas about ultralight techniques and equipment you may find useful…
The context is racing a pushie thru a mountain range that will have variable weather conditions BUT because you are very mobile you can choose where you camp - which won’t be out in the open at the top of a 2500m pass with 60knot winds and sideways sleet – leave that for when you are making a summit assault. A quick look (and it was quick) suggests camping would be lower down with min overnight temps around 0 to 10 in the north and 10 to 20 in the south. Precipitation looks to be wettish in some areas but fine in others. The wind is fine. In other words - not really inclement conditions. (ie more days 20 to 40knot wind than not, constantly well below zero, snow load or heavy precipitation eg Iditarod race) And you’ll be passing thru towns every 2 or 3 days aren’t you?
the idea of ultralight is less stuff and lighter weight but get the job done... . And there lies the rub you might say… your reasonably comfortable may be my survival exercise… however…
Quick but important …
Keeping body temperature in a good range… warmth comes from loft because it traps the warm air your body produces and stops it floating away thereby creating a warm layer next to your skin… , loft can be wool, feathers, synthetic fibres or lofts… water soaked clothes are cold because water conducts heat away (if it is cold rain) and also flattens wool fibres, feathers etc so that they no longer have loft. Trapped sweat also has this effect hence WB jackets are not a good option for hard physical activity. You merely get wet you’re your own sweat rather than the rain coming in… (eVent is by far the best material though if you must have a WB jacket/pants e.g. cycling over a freezing pass in the rain with a 30knot breeze blowing)
Shelter system
key function… to stop wind blowing warm air away trapped in your sleep system, to stop precipitation killing the loft in your sleep system.
hardcore – Gouge out hip and shoulder sleep holes and line the body area with grass, leaves etc, wrap a 6’ by 8’ polycro/cuben/silnylon groundcloth or tarp around you by putting 1/3 on the ground, put sleeping bag/ just you with every piece of clothing you have, get into bag, wrap the rest of the groundcloth around and tuck under the edges, feet end first top next and put pack/kit by your head. You will want a synthetic bag with more protection than just a coating of DWR ... and get a hotel every 3rd or 4th night…
weight about 150-250g
My choice… A tarp bivvy with a tarp
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/bpl_vapr_bivy.html a tarp bivvy as opposed to a bivybag has a very breathable pertex top half with DWR finish but definitely not waterproof with a very water resistant bottom layer.
The tarp I would go for would be either a cuben fibre catenary curved 8’x9’ tarp 218g http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=132 with carbon fibre poles Or a cuben fibre poncho tarp http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=32&products_id=53 like this but in cuben fiber is 120g – a tarp that can be a poncho and a tarp. I would use a mixture of ti and carbon fibre stakes - 6 of each.
Pros – mostly you would not need a tarp over you… just roll out the tarp bivvy with your bag in it (if it is not wet) – so simple!! But… if there was rain about then you can cook, dress, wait out rain under a tarp, it is very quick to put up once you get the hang of it - unlike a tent. Very versatile you can use this in very hot weather or very cold weather, when it is raining you put the tarp up first and sit underneath to sort the rest of your gear. You can also put your bike under a big 8’x9’ tarp. Very packable – each stuff sack packs to about 9” x 3” tube size and squashable. The tarp you can either put in a small stuff sack or stuff into a pack pocket
Weight ½ zip tarp bivy 240g, or a lighter small zip model from BPL. I have this one but I would go for a ½ zip next time like the one that MLD do.
weight of Cuben Fiber grace tarp 8’x9’ + spectra guylines 218g, carbon poles 56g, 6x ti stakes 42g, 6x carbon stakes 40g. approx total 356g
You may like to have a polycro groundsheet 20” x 96” long to spread your gear also weight 48g,
Bivy made from eVent… http://www.integraldesigns.com/product_detail.cfm?id=693 Pros… put your sleeping bag in and sleep. Cons… This is not 100% waterproof also you do need experience in using one as you can get wet from the inside. You also need to manage down loft by drying your bag a lot. You can’t cook in one if it is raining outside (may not be a problem if you just eat cold and catch up with hot food at towns) you will also need 4 stakes for this cause you need to keep them still. Bulky Package
weight 630g
big Bivy you could kinda cook in… http://www.integraldesigns.com/product_detail.cfm?id=859&CFID=2108124&CFTOKEN=59941161
weight 1330g
cuben fiber stuff sack for bivy 8g http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=63
cuben fiber stuff sack for neoair 8g
cuben fiber stuff sack for stakes 7g
total 619g
Sleep system
key function… warmth baby
sleeping bag
notes… high loft down 800+ is light (500g for a 4in bag) up to half the weight of a 600 loft bag (at least 1kg) , you cannot moisten it or use a compression cover and expect it to retain loft, you cannot wash it normally and expect to keep your bag in one piece, it won’t last as long as 600 loft down.
When I say 3in or 4in bag I mean the measurement of how high the bag lofts off the floor. Measurement taken at the chest and knees and divided by 2. quest what is warmer a 3in 800+ loft down bag or a 3in 600loft down bag? Ans. it is how much air that is trapped not what traps it that counts so both the same.
I would go a 3in 800+ loft ½ zipper bag eg Mountain Hardware Phantom at 480g. By using your lofted jacket, merino clothes, gloves, beanie and socks it would good for 0 for me. I have used a 4in bag like this to -5 … if you are a cold sleeper or you think you will be a cold sleeper after riding all that feckin way you may want a 4in bag at 580g I reckon a 4in is the shot – less stuffing around and you know its warm.
sleeping mat
function… ground insulation, some comfort,
I wouldn’t use a ¾ thermorest here cause it is a little fiddly in getting the pressure ok and you will be stuffed at night anyway. Instead I would go the new Neoair at half the weight (but puncture risk – so care needed) http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/mattresses/fast-and-light/neoair/product or a cut down foam Z rest… this is a closed cell foam pad, rugged, but not as comfortable, same weight as Neoair
Small neoair 260g
I would also carry a small BPL collapsible pillow at 30g you can’t rely on clothing in your stuff sack as a pillow cause it may be wet or being worn and a pillow is comfort!
cuben fiber dry bag 34g http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=148 dry bag is used here because the penalty for failure of a down sleeping bag is high
total 904
Clothing system… just the after ride stuff.
key function… warmth, to stop wind replacing warm air with cold air, to stop precipitation killing loft,
wind shirt to stop wind weight 110 to 140g wind shirts are the ducks nuts in protective gear. Ultra breathable, very warm for the weight cause it totally blocks any breezes. Mine is an Outdoor Research http://www.montane.co.uk/products/men/windproof/lite-speed-jacket/46 here is a hooded one from Montane
long sleeve merino t-shirt 180g comfortable, non smelly (fine for a month if used as night/after riding gear)
long johns merino 190g having long sleeved and long legs with socks, beanie and gloves is very warm, comfortable and protects the down bag from body grease/dirt which will kill loft eventually. Night/Day clothes system is so you only have 2 sets of clothes. Though you will have more knicks etc
Rab or Montane or Berghaus or BPL lofted jacket maybe even a hooded one but with synthetic loft 300g… only if you think you will need to extend your sleeping bag range or you think you will need to keep/be warm once off the bike. Otherwise just hop into your night clothes and get straight into your bag and cook/eat from there. Remember with nightclothes + windshirt + WB jacket you can be quite comfortable down to 10 or so… http://www.rab.uk.com/clothing/primaloft/xenon_jacket---269/ this one is hooded from Rab
spare cycling socks for night 48g nice to put all new kit on once you are of the bike
macpac merino beanie or polar fleece beanie 38/50g
light gloves or cycling gloves 51g
cuben fibre stuff sack x2 7g each http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=63 lofted jacket in one, clothes in the other - will pack to about the size of a biggish apple.
I am assuming you will take Macpac eVent WB jacket in your ride gear
Total 933g
Cooking system
key points… can you do without? Hot dinners every 3 or 4 nights at towns
only for heating water… ie all cooking would be hot water added to breakfast cereal or freezies or tea/coffee etc. reason.. little washing up
usage based on 600ml of water heated twice a day which is brekky + hot drink and dinner + hot drink
ti alcohol stoves 11g with a ti windshield 9g fuel about 500g per 10 cooking days… pros: light… cons: fuel is messy, easy easy easy to have an accident - especially if you are stuffed or rushing. The penalty for failure if you spill on your kit or spill onto flame or tip burning stove is not worth it IMHO but tons of guys love it…
ti hexy stoves 11g with a ti windshield 9g fuel 250g for 10 cooking days pros:… light, easy to use, safe… cons: esbit http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/esbit_pocket_stove_fuel.html is what they use over there and not as easy to come by as alcohol, leaves some residue on cook gear need to put kettle in own cuben fiber bag 8g
isobutane gas stoves 70g with a ti windshield 12g fuel a 363g cylinder can easily last 15 -20 cooking days…. Pros, simple, easy, quick, no mess, very efficient fuel which means the weight is waaay less over the course of a few weeks …. cons a little heavier but not over the long term, need to use either small or large isobutane (eg red MSR)cylinder at 224 and 363 respectively, harder to come by in the small towns not that this should be a problem anyway
you can also get a ti double pass wood burner to fit an MSR ti kettle that is very efficient etc but you have to gather some kindling and a little bit of fussing so it is not really race worthy I don’t think
tough choice here… between hexy or gas… nah I’d go gas I think… ummm maybe the hex it is bombproof… umm…
1 ti pot , MSR kettle 122g
1 ti spoon 11g, you shouldn’t be using food that needs a fork or knife
Small scrubber 4g
Small vial of wilderness wash or similar 16g packed with cook kit so it is easy to use when washing hands before cooking about 1cm x 4cm
Bic lighter small 12g
Water treatment tabs in small vial 10g about 1cm x 4cm
All packed in ti kettle except where large gas container is used in which case it goes in personal stuff bag
Total 452g
Backup kit
When you have an OTB and no-one is around…
1st aid kit. Sheet of red nurofen, sheet of panedeine forte, (maybe add a sheet of Imodium and a sheet of stemitol for nausea), dropper bottle of Betadine, 1m of that sticky stretchy gauze that I have forgotten the name of (use it to stick wounds together or bandages on or wrap ankles etc) , 2x 10x10non sticks, 4x small eyewash vials, in 6x6cm aloksak 50g
Flint, striker and tinder balls 15g easy to use, reliable fire
Brunton compass 12g
1.5m Duct tape 14g
Flat whistle 6g
Zip led torch 7g
All packed in Aloksack and in personal stuff bag. This links to balm jars, dropper bottles, aloksaks and stuff http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Packing%20Systems/index.html
Total 104g
Personal kit
Mobile phone 80g
Small camera 200g
Airline toothbrush and paste 17g
Small container of alcohol hand antiseptic 20g small container means a balm jar measuring 1” across and ¾” deep from Backpacking Light
Lipcream stick 11g
Lipcream sunscreen 11g
Small container sunscreen 15g
Small led microlight 7g
…or …Petzl zipka (head torch) 65g dump this as you will have AyUps
Spyderco Jester (small folding knife) 14g about 1 ½” long for opening freezies etc, cutting bandages
TP x 4 days 25g
Cuben fiber stuff bag 7g packs to about 2”x 7” and squashable
Total 486g
Total weight carried 2646g !! brilliant weight for a huge range of weather conditions!!
carry system
a normal hydration/backpack will put weight on your shoulders… wingnut style packs will keep the weight over your hips better… Wingnut have sewn in hip ‘wings’ that are meant as stabilisers and the harness takes the weight. Good if you are only carrying med weight. But if you plan on putting 6 - 8kg or so in it then you have to tighten the hip harness to get effective weight transfer - if you are carrying lots of water for example, it inhibits your up and down leg movement, so even better is a Wilderness Equipment Control Freak http://www.wildequipment.com.au/daypack_detail.php?Code=WECONTROLF if you plan on carrying +kg in your pack. They use independently rotating hip harness with foam stiffeners to stop foam creep. But importantly it rotates with your cycling leg movements. Amazing weights can be carried with this. 1.1kg
Amazingly I have all this stuff (except the duo tarp – we use a Golite Hex 3 pyramid tarp) so if you want to check it out fly up to Qld and say hi…
Packability…. The lofted vest will easily fit into a small stuffsack to be carried in your frame bag – as will all the other stuffsacks of stuff except the sleeping bag which goes on your handlebar bag and the kettle with cook gear in it which goes in your seat bag. WB gear is carried on your pack or stuffed somewhere close… a windshirt can go in a jersey pocket…
This stuff forms the basis of what we use everywhere – above the Arctic Circle (add wet gear, mountain axe, crampons, ski gloves, higher loft jacket), 4 to 5 thousand metres in Bhutan, add a lofted jacket, wet gear, more gloves and beanies. So it works well, though you will need to work out what is best for you and practise with that.
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