Monday 4 March 2019

TGO Challenge 2019 Preparations: Gear Choices

My Tarptent Scarp 1 on the Challenge in 2015 - One of my favouritist wild camp pitches, ever

My thoughts are turning to the annual TGO Challenge in May.  For the uninitiated this is a two week backpack, west to east, coast-to-coast across the Scottish Highlands.  Actually, this statement is incorrect.  My thoughts are not turning to it. It has been almost constantly in my mind since I submitted my entry five months ago.  That's one of the reasons I swore in June 2017  that I'd never do it again - it can become all consuming.


An Idiot
Only an idiot would say he was never going to do the Challenge again after experiencing this sort of setting for a fortnight.

Anyway.  The three naughty boys have invited me to walk with them.  I am still not certain why, and at the back of my mind I worry that ulterior motives will become clear on the Challenge at a time of their choosing.  Perhaps Mad 'n' Bad will suddenly tear my Montane Beanie from my head and produce a gimp mask for me to wear, whilst the Stringpuller and Lord Elpus dance around chanting "We're twenty miles from civilisation and we've caught ourselves a bitch", followed by the order "Now get our tents up and fill up our water containers.  And make it snappy or you'll be carrying all of our cheese and wine up Stob Poite Coire Ardair tomorrow ready for the evening's convivialities". 


A Stringpuller

With Lord Elpus in his natural environment

Mad 'n' Bad on a Mission to find a wild camp spot

It's a well known fact amongst less experienced Challengers such as me (this will only be my fifth crossing) that the most essential part of the preparations is using a set of scales to weigh your gear choices and then setting out the results on a spreadsheet.  Indeed, my experience of blogging about the outdoors is that any post with the word "gear" in the title gets far more hits than anything else that I write. Thus, I have set out my list below.  I am sure things will change before May, and probably choices will still be being made the day before I set off for my train journey up to Lochailort.

The list assumes that the weather forecast immediately before the Challenge is for Scottish mixed wet and dry conditions, with average temperatures, and that most of the snow has gone.  

The items most likely to be subject to further thought are:

1. Shelter - Either the Tarptent Stratospire 1 or the Tarptent Scarp 1.  The former is 500 grams lighter and has much better vestibules and headroom, but is more fiddly to orientate for a good pitch.  My Scarp 1 is, by me, more tried and tested, and has been with me on three previous TGO Challenges.
My Tarptent Stratospire 1: Palatial for a one person backacking tent, but, oh the geometry is weird for pitching

2. Footwear - Almost certainly trail shoes - either my Inov8 395 Roclites or my Salomon Ultras non-GTX shoes. But just possibly my Salomon Ultra GTX Mids.

3. Shell Jacket - I'm minded to take my newish Paramo Velez Jacket rather than the Rohan Elite Jacket I used in 2017 and 2015.  If the former, which is heavier, I can get away without taking a windshirt.

4. Sleeping Bag - I sleep very cold and normally have several uncomfortable nights on the event when using my Z Packs 20 Degree or Rab Neutrino 400 bags, and often end up in the early hours putting my down jacket on and still not being able to warm up.  I have wondered whether it might be worth carrying my Rab Alpine 600 bag despite the extra 4 or 500 grams this would involve. I could, though, then ditch the silk liner. I will probably stick to a lighter bag but...

5. Hip Flask and Scotch - it's not on the list on my doctor's orders. But then again, what do doctors know?

Without further ado, apart from apologising that the cutting and pasting of my list has messed up some of the formatting of what follows, here it is.  Oh. PS. As I have quit Twitter this week it would be rather lovely if somebody would post the link to this on Twitter or hardly anyone will see it. Humble pie is so yummy!


TGOC 2019 Gear List
Pack
Non-Pack
(Grams)
(Grams)
Pack

GG Mariposa
1015
Packliner
54
Pack Cover
110
Shelter and Sleeping

Stratospire 1, extra guys, polycro
1170
Tent pegs (surely I can take fewer!!!)
270
Sleeping Bag Z Packs 20 degree
660
Rab Silk Liner
116
Down Socks
90
Compression leggings
250
Silk Liner Gloves - Lowe Alpine
30
Exped REM Pillow (weight guessed)
100
Thermarest XTherm (large)
580
P Bottle
62
Lightload towel (for pre-pack drying tent)
17
Small Cuben stuff sac for tent tidy
5
Cooking

Jetboil Minimo
475
Evernew 0.4 litre mug (Titanium)
28
Long spoon (Titanium)
11
Fire steel
28
Classic Swiss Army Knife
21
Water Purifying Tabs
10
J Cloth
12
Water Kit in DCF stuff sack
Sawyer Filter + Medium Pouch
110

Sawyer Syringe
20
Platypus 2 litre
39
Platypus 1 litre
42
Evian bottle
10
Wine Platypus
30
First Aid Kit
290
First Aid Kit Dry Bag
Elasticated knee bandage
Tick remover
Safety Pins
Scissors
Sudacreme
Plasters and compeed
Wound Dressings
Micropore tape
Paracetamol
Ibuprofen
Imodium
Hayfever tablets
Gehwol Foot Cream
Lanacane Anti-Chafing Gel
Sunscreen
25

Sunscreen Lipsalve
15
Wash Kit in UL Dry Bag
350
Mini toothbrush and paste
Comb
Dr Bronner's
Mini Deodorant
Towel - Lightload Mini *2
Contact lenses
T Roll, lighter in zip lock bag
Hand Sanitiser gel + sanitiser wipes
Ear plugs
Tissues
Trowel - MSR Blizzard with tent pegs
0
Navigation/Tech
Silva compass
40
Ortilieb A4 Case + map printouts + 2 half OS maps (rest sent ahead)
270
Galaxy S7 Phone with Viewranger
156
Lightproof Phone case
60
Phone charger
45
Power pack
125
Spot Messenger
60
Repair Kit
70
Duck Tape
Spare Batteries CR2032 *3,  (watch and headtorch)
Spare Batteries *4 AAA lithium for Spot
Thermarest puncture kit
Velcro tapes *2
Tenacious tape
Accessories
Thermarest sitmat
90
Whistle
15
Headtorch - Petzl e lite
30
Midge head net
40
Notebook and pen
52
Watch - Suunto Core
64
Camera - Lumix DMC TZ60
400
Reading glasses in case
40
67
Black Diamond Trail Pro Poles (or the much better Pacer Poles if Scarp 1 tent is taken)
560
Wallet and cash
70
Rail tickets and Rail Card
10
Exped UL Dry Bags *3 for clothes etc
90
Pod Dry Bag (waste)
25
Z Packs CF Dry Bag (food)
25
Clothes

Trail Shoes Inov8 395 Non-GTX
740
Dirty Girl Gaiters
50
Pants Under Armour Boxers
72
Pants Helly Hansen Boxers
88
X Socks Exped (2 pairs)
62
62
Bridgedale Coolmax Liners (3 pairs)
40
20
Seal Skinz Socks???
Trousers - Montane Terra
357
Rohan Merino Shirt
286
Rohan Silver Core Zipped Base
255
Berghaus Extrem 7000 Hoodie
440
Montane Prism Gillet
284
PHD Minimus Down Jacket and Hood
480
Rohan Silver T??
Montane Beanie
60
Outdoor Research Cap
Buff
38
Montane Prism Gloves
60
Waterproof Overmits
41
Paramo Velez Jacket
670
Berghaus Paclite Overtrousers
250
Hi Tec Zuuc Shoes
450




Total Base Carried
8890
Total Non-Pack
4364
Food, Drink and Fuel
Gas
380
Dehydrated Main Meals (3 days)
1500 (Estimate)
Total other food (3 days):-
1500 (Estimate)
Soups
Packets custard and semolina
Tea bags
Nido dried milk
Condensed milk(luxury item!) - tube
Instant porridge
Cereal bars
Trail mix
Chocolate
Primula and wraps
Food bags
Water
750
Total Fuel, Food and Water
4130
Total Pack Weight,at start
13020