www.steveslongwalk.org

KIT REPORT

The following kit was used during my 1,200 mile John o’Groats to Land’s End walk that took place between 13^th July and 9^th October 2009. The route largely avoided roads and included The Great Glen Way, The Pennine Way and the Cotswold Way. The trek is fully described in www.steveslongwalk.org

Clothing System

Cotswold recommended a clothing system appropriate for the wide range of weather conditions and temperatures I would experience on my trek, bearing in mind that I had to carry everything (hence weight was important) and I would be sleeping mainly in a tent (hence night-time temperatures would be experienced).

BASE-LAYER: Icebreaker Ultralite T-shirts, two short sleeve (each 160g) and one long sleeve (230g)

These were a joy to wear - soft against the skin, warm in low temperatures, cooling and breathable in higher temperatures, never sticky or uncomfortable even when wet with perspiration due to heavy exertion and quick to dry. They didn’t pong even when they hadn’t been washed for more than a week. My only criticism is that the merino wool from which they are made is not as hard wearing as cotton, and my rucksack hip belt wore small holes in two of the T-shirts after a couple of months, although this didn’t prevent them from continuing to giving good service. I always tried to keep one clean for ‘smart’ wear in Youth Hostels. The long-sleeve shirt enabled me to cover my arms in strong sun.

MID-LAYER: Mountain Equipment Shroud Jacket (330g)

This 100-weight fleece garment was worn as an outer garment on cooler days or inside the Rab Bergen outer layer on very cool days. I was also handy during the evenings or even inside the sleeping bag on a cold night (the hood keeping my head warm). Excellent general-purpose garment although, being fleece, it does start to smell sweaty after a while so needs more frequent washing than some things.

OUTER SHELL: Rab Bergen Jacket (460g)

The Rab Bergen is an excellent lightweight windproof, waterproof and breathable outer layer that kept me dry in all but the most relentlessly wet conditions. It is made from eVent 3-layer fabric that enabled the sweat from exertion to be quickly transported away from my body. It is perfectly comfortable worn over just the Icebreaker T-shirt in dry but windy conditions. Otherwise, it is roomy enough to be worn over all my other layers should extreme weather conditions demand it. The fabric is starting to roughen in places where my rucksack has been rubbing against it, but it looks good for many more miles yet.

EMERGENCY LAYER: Rab Generator Vest (230g)

This lightweight vest uses Primaloft sythetic insulation which maintains a good level of performance even when wet. It was carried to provide extra warmth when needed and would normally have been worn as an additional mid-layer in very cold conditions. In practice, it wasn’t required for this, but it made excellent smart attire in Youth Hostels when worn over an Icebreaker T-shirt and, on one very cold night, as an additional layer inside the sleeping bag. It made a comfortable pillow too.

TROUSER: Craghoppers Nosquito walking trousers (0.41kg) plus leather belt (0.16kg).

These lightweight walking trousers were comfortable and hardwearing. I am a great fan of Craghoppers and have several pairs of Kiwi trousers, but this is the first time I had used the Nosquito. They are treated to make them insect repellent and antibacterial, and they block over 97% of the sun’s UV radiation from reaching the skin. I use a leather belt with my walking trousers rather than the common plastic one because I find it more comfortable under a rucksack hipbelt. The zip-up pocket ensured that my wallet remained safe and the thigh pockets were useful for maps and other things that I needed to access easily on my walk. The trouser zip-off at the knee to convert them into shorts, but I didn’t use this feature.

OVERTROUSER: Berghaus GOR-TEX Pac-Lite shell pant. 220g

There are quite a variety of waterproof, breathable trousers available. I chose the brand that fitted best, and these also turned out to be about the lightest. Zips that go all the way up the thigh enabled me to put the trousers on or take them off without removing my boots. If I managed to get them on before it started raining then they kept me dry. Even if my Nosquitos were already wet, I still donned the overtrousers as they protected my legs from the cooling effect of the wind. Furthermore, the GOR-TEX breathable fabric still enabled the Nosquitos to dry quickly underneath.

TOTAL WEIGHT OF CLOTHING SYSTEM ABOVE: 2,360g

Other important items not to be forgotten:

HAT – I wore a Lowe Alpine Cool Cap most of the time. I have in the past worn ordinary cotton golf caps, but these usually result in an excessively sweaty head. This type of cap has a habit of blowing off when it is windy, in which case I either attach it to my T-shirt using a special clip or simply lift my bandana over it (see below). When it is cold I switch to a North Face Beanie hat that covers my ears.

BANDANA – I love these things because they are so versatile. When not required, I keep it handy by wrapping it around my wrist. If it starts to get chilly then it goes around my neck. If it gets really cold and windy I lift it up over my ears and if necessary over my mouth and nose. 

GLOVES – Outdoor Designs Wind Pro gloves kept my hands warm in cold, wet and windy weather, but were still thin enough to enable me to operate equipment without removing them. Note that they work a bit like a wet-suit and do not actually keep your hands dry.

BOOTS, SOCKS AND GAITERS – I’ll leave this to a separate report.

Steve Hughes. 18/10/09