Category Archives: Gear

Twenty days to my ‘Big Walk’

“In omnia paratus”

As mentioned in my last post, I was expecting a couple of items in the post for my upcoming Big Walk. Both arrived over the past few days. One is a luxury item that I regard as an essential part of recording my forthcoming experience, the other is simply to keep me warm.

Three Points of the Compass has used an Olympus Tough TG4 on my past few walks, be they short or long. This has proved to be a fantastic camera and is still going strong. With wrist strap, battery and SD card fitted, it weighs 252g. Though annoyingly, it requires a proprietary charge cable to be also carried, adding a further 49g to pack weight.

Sony Cybershot DCS-RX100M5. A truly portable compact camera

For this little adventure of mine in twenty days time I decided that the quality of the photographs I take is of greater significance than before so decided to step up in camera quality and use a Sony DSC- RX100M5. I want the best possible memories so I am taking the best possible camera I can that is still relatively lightweight and of small dimensions. I won’t bore you here with the detailed specs but important to me amongst a number of desirable features are the build quality, the 1″ sensor, 20.1 Megapixels, 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 lens, fast focus, capability to film in 4K and its small size. Oh yes, and you can charge it with a standard USB/micro USB cable.

The camera comes with a fixed Zeiss 24-70mm lens

The camera comes with a fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-70mm lens

I have made no great weight advantage by switching to this camera, with the thinner wrist strap fitted, and battery and SD card, the RX100M5 weighs 298g. I do wish it had some degree of weather protection like the Olympus Tough, but no, it isn’t going to take kindly to precipitation. If it is wet and I want to record something, I shall have to put my RugGear RG730 phone in to action. That is IP68 and pretty much laughs at any sort of punishment.

Black xoac VX07 X-Pac camera pouch from Tread Lite has a water resistant zip

Black xoac VX07 X-Pac camera pouch from Tread Lite also has a water resistant zip

I normally keep a camera in my packs hip belt pocket but have decided to offer a little more protection for this camera. It shall be kept in a poly ziplock inside an 18g camera pouch fixed to the shoulder strap. This is made by Tread Lite and is yet another recent arrival with the post.

Olympus Tough TG4 and Sony RX100M5. The two cameras are very different beasts when pulled in to action. Image taken with RG730 rugged phone

On many an occasion, I have finished a day’s hiking in the rain, tent up and climbed inside with soaked through trousers. It is important, nay, vital, to get out of those wet clothes and warmed up. Sometimes climbing inside the quilt is required. Like most long distance hikers, Three Points of the Compass carries a puffy jacket. For this upcoming trek I am taking a synthetic jacket, the Rab Xenon X Hoodie. I don’t like to rely exclusively on down in the UK. We frequently have wet weather for days on end and even with the hydrophobic down available today, and my Katabatic Palisade quilt is stuffed with it, synthetics will still handle a real soaking much better. I have decided to add to the jacket and take a pair of trousers with synthetic insulation. For these, I turned to one of the best suppliers of down and synthetic clothing I have come across- Peter Hutchinson Designs, or PHD. A week after my order, a package arrived at Mrs Three Points of the Compass’s work place. If she was expecting a sweet little gift, she was probably disappointed.

The large size of the mailed order initially caused my heart to sink. No worries, the contents were barely compressed

Insulated Sigma trousers from PHD

The Sigma trousers from PHD are fairly simple in design. Inner and outer fabric is black 15 denier MX. The insulation is provided by Primaloft Gold 60gsm edge stitched synthetic filling. There is a chunky draw cord at the waist, elasticated ankles to keep the draughts out and the only pocket is a small inner security pocket to the right of the waist. The trousers themselves weigh 360g and also came with a 16g stuff sack but I’ll be able to find something lighter than that to keep them in.

I haven’t used them in anger yet but am more than confident in their usefulness. I had previously wondered if I might simply replace my lightweight (174g) Rohan Ether town trousers with these but have decided not to for now. It may be that further down the trail I decide they can, but the warmth of the Sigma trousers is such that I think they would prove too uncomfortable for that purpose

So how am I feeling as my walk approaches? With less than three weeks left, I must confess to a degree of trepidation. While excited and really looking forward to the off, I am suffering twinges in the back, foot pain and am left wondering if recent manual handling at work and arthritis linked to recent weather are to blame or I really am a crocked old git that won’t make it a hundred miles down the coast. But, I have prepared, I should not be surprised by much that I encounter in the first month or two of my walk, in the words of the Latin phrase quoted above, I am…

“Ready for anything”

Thirty days to my ‘Big Walk’

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The picture above shows Three Points of the Compass and daughter hiking Hadrian’s Wall in 2014. Together with Mrs Three Points of the Compass we experienced a typical mixed bag of weather on that six day April walk.

An important factor for me to consider when I set off on my ‘Big Walk’ in thirty days is the weather. In Britain, at that time of the year, I can encounter just about any type of weather. I may hope for cool days with little wind, but will almost certainly be presented with cold, wet, or hot (well, very warm) conditions. Such changeable weather means that my clothing and equipment will have to be capable of handling extremes.

As I write this, much of the UK is gripped by the ‘Beast from the East’. This is simply a polar vortex spiralling in from Siberia. Much as I would dearly have liked to go hiking, I have had to work over the past few weeks. Commuting has been ‘interesting’ to put it mildly. Temperatures haven’t risen above 0°C for most of the week and have usually been a fair bit below this, especially taking wind chill in to account. I could have dug out my battered old Brashers for the commute but instead decided to see how the new Altra Lone Peak 3.5’s tackled ice and snow. I am pleased to find that the sole pattern and grip on these is as good as any other trail runners I have had in the past, possibly with the exception of my Inov8 330s. While I don’t expect to have to contend with snow in the West Country in thirty days time, I do expect to encounter slippery conditions.

Altra Lone Peak 3.5. Three Points of the Compass will be wearing these on the forthcoming trek

That said, it is just as likely to be sunshine I experience in the early weeks of my hike. So despite the snow outside, I spent a few minutes this week decanting sunscreen from a larger plastic container into two smaller plastic bottles.

I frequently wear a Tilley Airflow hat when hiking, whether sunny or raining. However I do find the backs of my hands especially can catch the sun when hiking with Pacer Poles.

The 50ml bottle of 50 SPF sunscreen from Lifesystems weighed 67g when purchased. When I set off from Poole on the south coast of England on 1st April this year, I’ll be carrying one small 5g bottle containing 18g of sunscreen (total weight 23g). I also have another bottle with 24g of sunscreen ready to be posted to me as, when and if I require it. This is a pretty good sunscreen, with one application lasting up to six hours. I usually prefer Piz Buin as I find that less greasy but the one from Lifesystems offers added protection from Jellyfish stings, I am sure that will come in handy….

Prism Mitts from Montane are a fantastic option for lower temperatures. Three Points of the Compass will also be carrying one small bottle of sunscreen in is pack, hopefully neither item will be required

Prism Mitts from Montane are a fantastic choice for lower temperatures. Three Points of the Compass will also be carrying one small bottle of sunscreen in his pack, hopefully neither item will be required

I am still waiting for just a couple more items to turn up in the post. I’ll write a little on these once they materialise. In the meantime, I am still playing with maps and routes and getting to grips with OS Maps online and App. Roll on the next month…

Three Points of the Compass walked the Norfolk Coast Path in April 2017. A Tilley Airflow hat protects head and neck, however the backs of hands and forearms frequently catch the sun

Three Points of the Compass walked the Norfolk Coast Path in April 2017. Tilley Airflow hat protects head and neck, however the backs of hands and forearms frequently catch the sun

Thirty five days to my ‘Big Walk’

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“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail!”

Benjamin Franklin

Thirty-five days until I set off and I am still umming and ahhing over a small number of route choices. Occasional evenings are spent in firming up these choices, while also including a handful of more direct or low level alternatives in case I am running slow or the weather is absolutely foul. It is my walk, my route and I am attempting to include many places of interest to me, either for their historical aspect or natural beauty.

Demands of work

The daylight hours are spent at work. There are a number of things I need to finish off, pass to someone else, or put on hold until my return. I finally received official sanction to include some unpaid leave alongside an extended holiday and include days I have been able to bank over the past decade.

Part of my letter from HR. I am now ‘officially’ allowed to depart

This is an important aspect of planning. I may be away ‘enjoying’ myself, traipsing up and down the country, while also spending money on food, fuel and some overnight halts. But back home there are still bills to be paid. Budgeting is something not to be forgotten when planning an extended hike of significance. I am fortunate that not only do I have an understanding and supportive manager, but also still have a job I enjoy to return to afterward.

Dirty Girl Gaiters have proved indispensable with my choice of footwear

New gear

I ordered a couple of new and replacement items. One was a new pair of Dirty Girl Gaiters. I have used these for years and wouldn’t go hiking in trail runners without them now. I find them an easy fix to the previous issue of bits of grit, twigs, and any other trail debris finding its way into my shoe. They stop a lot of dust too, though the finer particles can still make their way through the fine breathable mesh of my Altras. My previous pair have covered thousands of miles and have rather too many holes in them now and are a tad frayed around the edges. Most runners seem to like one of the lurid colour schemes these come in, I am more sober in my tastes. However I couldn’t get replacement for my previous Urban Struggle design as my size were out of stock. Instead, I went all English Middle Class and ordered XL Blackout, flying in the face of Dirty Girls’ entreaty to-

“keep the debris out of your shoes with ultralight style and sass. And you’ll have something fun to look at while you hang your sorry head and shuffle your tired feet”

For some unknown reason the weight has crept up, now 36g rather than the 31g of my previous pair.

A new pair of Dirty Girl Gaiters. Made in the USA by Goddesses apparently

It was also time to replace my battered Montane Lite-Speed windshirt/jacket. My old one that I have used on just about every UK hike over the past six years was beginning to fray at the edges, a fair bit of hem stitching had come adrift and even though there are quite a few miles left in it. I still felt a new replacement would last a good deal longer.

The 2018 Lite-Speed from Montane comes with a more capacious stuff sack than the previous mesh offering

The 2018 Lite-Speed from Montane comes with a more capacious, yet lighter, stuff sack than the previous mesh offering

I ordered mine through the Cotswold Outdoor website for collection in store and descended on their Maidstone premises yesterday. I reckon this windshirt is a cracking piece of kit and find myself often wearing one, especially when setting off in the cooler temperatures early morning, or on breezy ridges where simply cutting the effects of windchill is all that is required. I find it also often works well as a mid-layer, trapping an insulating layer of air.

Three Points of the Compass and Daughter on the Dales Way. Montane Lite Sped windshirt was the perfect layer over a thin baselayer on this spring walk of 81 miles. April 2012

Three Points of the Compass and daughter on the Dales Way. Montane Lite Speed windshirt was the perfect layer over a thin baselayer on this spring walk of 81 miles. April 2012

The 2018 Montane Lite-Speed is a fairly simple garment, constructed from 20 denier Pertex Quantum Mini Rip-stop, this dense weave nylon is both light and 100% windproof. It has an adjustable roll away hood with some stiffening in the brim. The hood doesn’t now roll away as well as it previously did. My 2012 garment had it folding away into the collar while the newer model simply rolls up to make a fairly loose collar in itself. There is a full length front zip with internal wind strip and zipped hand pockets. These are an improvement over my earlier model that only had a single chest pocket. The earlier shirt was made from Pertex Microlight and the previous 9g mesh stuff sack (always a squeeze to get the jacket into this) has been changed to a slightly larger 6g Pertex Quantum stuff sack. This is so light and handy that, at least for now, I shall be keeping it stowed in this if not in use. The weight has dropped a little too- from 196g to 167g for my size XL.

My new Lite-Speed windshirt,, on the left, shows off the added hand pockets that have replaced the single napoleon pocket on the earlier version. The fold down hood is a poorer replacement to the neater and more comfortable previous version on the right

A few grams here, a few grams there… packaging

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This is a wheeze for those who cut tooth brushes in half to save a few grams. What I have done here is pull a few medicines from my First Aid kit with a view to cutting their weight.

Three Points of the Compass carries a veritable arsenal of tablets and due to the fact that many tablets in the UK come in blister packs, it was time to remove some of that bulky packaging that is simply adding needless weight to the pack.

Take a look at that packaging above- Before I removed the tablets from the blister packs, it totalled 21.4g. That rubbish in the top picture formed 17.6g of that total. Once decanted in to little baggies, together with small slips of paper detailing the contents and any relevant dosage recommendations, my tablets came to just 3.8g. A worthwhile exercise in reduction.

Repackaged medications, a respectable saving in both weight and bulk easily made

So what medicines am I carrying on my Big Walk? Loratadine and Chlorphenamine maleate (first and second generation anti-allergy), Aspirin and Ibuprofen (painkillers), Loperamide (anti-diarrhoeal) and short courses of Doxycycline and Flucloxacillin (broad and narrow spectrum antibiotics/penicillin).

Similar reductions can be made throughout your gear if you take a careful look. I recall reading of one chap a few years back recording a fifty gram reduction from the simple expedient of cutting out the care and material labels from every item of clothing he took. I haven’t gone that far… yet. And no, I don’t cut the handle off my toothbrush.

Another delivery… trail shoes

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I’ve been waiting for this delivery. I won’t say that I was worried, but I have certainly been very conscious that time is ticking down to the start of my hike. As I write this I have 52 days to go. This morning I emailed a company from whom I had ordered (and paid) for three pairs of trail shoes some weeks back. At the time, they had quickly told me that there were supply problems not only to the UK, but Europe in general. I’ll wait I replied, as I say, I’ve been waiting a while for this delivery.

Three Points of the Compass wore Brooks Cascadia 8’s when hiking Hadrian’s Wall in 2014

Inov8 330 were worn when hiking in Crete in 2013. Samaria Gorge

Inov8 330’s were worn when hiking in 2013. Samaria Gorge, Crete

I have worked through a number of different types of trail shoe over the past few years since I made the switch from boots. I couldn’t get on with the Salomen XA Pro 3D, the heel cups fell apart after less than two hundred miles. Inov8 did me well for a while, the 295’s and 330’s were good, with lovely traction, but they messed around with the design and they proved less suited to my feet. Again, the heel cups fell apart after too short a period. Then I switched to Brooks Cascadia 8s. I loved the wider toe box and the heel cups were more robust, never wearing out. But the material across the top and sides of the feet wore through after less than three or four hundred miles. I expected better.

So I made the change to a pair of Altra Lone Peak 2.5 and thought ‘at last’, I’ve found them! I loved the wide toe box, even if it did look like I was wearing a pair of shoes designed for a circus clown. I could get five hundred miles plus out of a pair with no splitting of uppers, the heel boxes held together. Traction wasn’t fantastic, but I could live with it. Also, I found the zero drop to my liking. So I happily changed to the 3.0’s when I had to. They were just as good and the changes had not detracted from the shoes. I have found that the inner sole starts to wear at the ball of my foot after six hundred miles, so I need to be careful to switch out prior to that.

Three Points of the Compass hiking in Fuerteventura in March 2017 wearing my ‘Clown Shoes’- Altra Lone Peak 3.0

The Altra Lone Peak 3.5 continue to provide good ro in the two box for feet and toes to spread

The Altra Lone Peak 3.5 continue to provide good room in the toe box for feet and toes to spread

When I was making my final gear choices for my upcoming hike, it was toward the 3.5’s that I turned. However they have proved somewhat difficult to source. After more weeks that I am strictly comfortable with, I received a text from my wife this morning to inform me that they had arrived at her work place. I am now set with three pairs of Altra Lone Peak 3.5’s in UK size 12 (US 13). Each pair weighs 730g, or 805g including my orthotic inserts.

Altra Lone Peak 3.5’s only have moderate cushioning and zero drop between heel and toe. However my orthotic inserts mean that I retain a very small drop

Needless to say, some changes have been made- new drainage holes, I am fine with that. 4-point gaiter system, I only require the two for my Dirty Girl gaiters so fine, that doesn’t bother me. Also an upgraded upper mesh, I am pleased with that change. The soles are unchanged. These trail shoes will do me well I believe. Manufacturers seem to revel in messing about with the design of successful products, especially trail runners, but the 3.5’s seem to have retained all that I like with a couple of OK upgrades. The design has also changed in that they don’t look so ‘clownish’ now. They still have the same width in the toe box, as evidenced by comparing the insoles from 3.0 and 3.5, but devilish things seem to have been achieved by the designers in the latter shoe’s appearance.

All ready for my Three Points of the Compass walk- three pairs of Altra Lone Peak 3.5’s in UK size 12

Still looking at my gas stove choices

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Beside the MSR Windburner and Jetboil Flash that Three Points of the Compass pulled from the gear boxes to play with recently, I already have four other, mostly smaller, gas stoves that I could consider for my long walk beginning in April. There are two from Primus- a multifuel stove and a remote gas canister stove, also a couple of wee little canister top gas stoves.

Three Points of the Compass and family car camping in Exmoor, 2009. One or both Primus Stoves were used on these trips

Three Points of the Compass and family car camping in Exmoor, 2009. One or both remote Primus Stoves were used on these trips. Primus Omnifuel running on White Gas on left, Primus Gravity running on canister gas on right. Both of these stoves were capable of ‘proper’ cooking, hence the chopped mushrooms in the foreground. Note that we had a penchant for the folding Orikaso ware at that time, the earlier popper type not seen here were the better option

Primus Omnifuel 3289

This stove has been taken on many car camping trip over the years as my family grew up but has never accompanied me on any more than the odd day hike. The Primus Omnifuel (8000 BTU) is an almost bomb proof, well made stove that can also be disassembled in the field if necessary to service or repair. While it is actually a multi-fuel stove, capable of running on petrol, paraffin or even diesel, I have tended to use Coleman Fuel (White Gas) which is a very pure 100% liquid petroleum naphtha. If not Coleman Fuel, then I have run it on canister gas, with which it works very well. It is a very stable, low to the ground stove with three wide pot supports. It is possible to get a fine simmer or roaring flame with the control knob, it sounds like a rocket when fully on. This type of stove should NEVER be used inside a tent as the fireball occasionally produced can be ‘interesting’. There are newer, more compact versions of this stove available now but mine works fine. While I have no idea what the new versions weigh, mine weighs a whopping 352g. It is a terrific stove but I don’t think this monster will be coming with me on my long walk later this year.

Primus Omnifuel in use with gas canister. Note that jets had to be changed for use with liquid fuels and the fuel bottle and pump are not shown in this image

Primus Omnifuel 3289 in use with gas canister. Note that the jet has to be changed for use with liquid fuels (a simple task) and the fuel bottle and pump are not shown in this image

Primus Gravity 3279

My other Primus stove, that has been taken on similar car camping trips, a couple of cycling jaunts and a lone canoe trip, is the Primus Gravity 3279 (10500 BTU). This is a slightly more spindly, less robust product than the Primus Omnifuel. Factors that are reflected in its lower weight of 261g. This despite it also having a preheat coil, four wide pot supports and a piezo ignition. The latter is as useless as all of these eventually are, every piezo ignition I have ever had has eventually failed.

The stove has a good fine control knob and the legs can be pinned down to the ground if desired, though it is a very stable affair that will handle large and heavy pots. The legs on this stove fold up and it is a less bulky affair than the Omnifuel, however you could never says it packs small. This stove has always worked faultlessly for me and I have never felt the need to dispose of it despite it rarely seeing the light of day in recent years. There was/is also a Primus Gravity MF version that can burn multi-fuels, not the model shown here. Again, there are newer variants available today.

Primus Gravity 3279. The pre-heat coil enables low temperature use

While excellent products, I really want to keep the weight and bulk of my stove of choice down. It was time for me to pull the smallest gas stoves I own from by gear boxes and see what they have to offer.

MSR Pocket Rocket 2

MSR know their stuff when it comes to making good stoves. It is no surprise that I have one of their Pocket Rocket stoves. I held off for many years from buying the original Pocket Rocket. Not for any particular aversion, it was just that I was undecided as to whether to buy the MSR Micro Rocket instead. I dithered so long, that in the interim, MSR took the best features of each of their canister top stoves, combined them, and released the Pocket Rocket 2.

MSR Pocket Rocket 2, with home-made tyvek baggie

I purchased my Pocket Rocket 2 in 2016 so have had very little opportunity to put it to use, relying instead, on my various meths/alcohol stoves for my backpacking trips. That said, I have still managed to put it to use on a small number of occasions and have got on well with it. For someone who appreciates the unhurried silent manner of a meths stove, the apparent frantic haste that a canister stove such as this presents means a complete rethink on my setting up process. Normally, I can get to camp, drop the pack, select and clear my pitch, tent up. Then put a boil on to quietly do its thing to one side while I sort out sleeping mat and extract my quilt to allow it to decompress and pull the trail shoes off and let the feet breathe a little. By the time that is done, I have water reaching a boil ready for a hot drink. With a canister stove, it deserves and requires undivided attention.

My favourite pan for some years has been the Evernew 900ml shallow pan. This wide bottom pan is a great size for one hiker and very suitable for the wide spread of flame from most meths stoves. With the tighter, narrower flame pattern of the Pocket Rocket 2 stove, for no other reason than curiosity, I have looked at some choices of pan in my gear set that could prove more functional.

MSR Pocket Rocket 2 with MSR Titan Kettle. Note the directed flame. Less spills from the sides of the pot as lost heat, but care has to be taken so as to not burn any food in the centre of the pot

MSR Pocket Rocket 2 with MSR 900ml Titan Kettle. The pot supports are wide enough to provide a firm support to the pan. Note the directed flame. Less spills from the sides of the pot as lost heat, but care has to be taken so as to not burn any food in the centre of the pot

The 75g Pocket Rocket 2 comes with a handy little plastic holder with flip top lid, sized just right for the stove and provides great protection from knocks etc while in transit. However this holder alone weighs an additional 31g and reduces the practicality of packing the stove inside many pots or pans. Instead, I either wrap the stove in a small cloth, Lightload towel etc. or inside a little home made 1g tyvek baggie.

MSR Pocket Rocket 2- a quite fantastic, ultra reliable product

MSR Pocket Rocket 2- a quite fantastic, very reliable product

BRS 3000-T

While the Pocket Rocket II is a pretty small piece of kit, I snapped up one of the Chinese made BRS 3000T stoves when I heard of them just to try one out. I could afford to take a punt on one of these as it cost me less than a tenner on eBay. This is truly tiny stove measuring around 35mm x 50mm when folded or some 63mm x 90mm maximum width when unfolded, including the protruding wire valve control. I doubt that it is actually possible to get much smaller or much lighter than this and still be a functional item.

Tiny 25g BRS 3000-T stove

The BRS 3000-T is advertised as being made of titanium, but there are other metals in its construction as well. The design is such that it weighs just 25g and it comes with a little nylon carrying pouch that adds a further 2g.

The BRS 3000-T is delivered from China in simple packaging and comes complete with a little green carry pouch

The BRS 3000-T stove is delivered from China in simple packaging and comes complete with a little carry pouch. This stops it rattling when carried inside a cook kit

The stove is perfect for carrying inside a titanium mug along with a small gas cartridge for midday hot drinks or food on day hikes. That said the pot supports on this ‘Bumblebee’ stove are pretty narrow and I have to take care to ensure my pots sit on it square. I am not over keen on using this stove with my wider pans. While the largest pot I use is around a litre, I wouldn’t like to use anything larger, or more accurately, heavier on the pot supports. I am loathe to use it on longer, multi-day hikes but I am well aware that many hikers have used one of these stoves for weeks on end with no problems other than struggling to work with it in windier conditions. Some users have also experienced problems with the pot supports bending.

The flame from the BRS 3000-T is pretty narrow and directed. The pot supports obstruct and flare the flame quite badly and the titanium supports glow red even with quite modest flames. Some users have reported that these soften as a result with disastrous results

The flame from the BRS 3000-T is pretty narrow and directed. The pot supports are close to the flame and obstruct and flare this quite badly, the small titanium supports glow red even with quite modest flames. Some users have reported that the supports soften as a result with disastrous results. The pot is a simple 1 litre titanium pan with no lid or handles from MSR. This 140mm wide pan has an indentation on the underside in which the pot supports fit and centre well

I think the BRS 3000-T offers around 9200 BTU, it is advertised as giving out 2700W but works better and less frantically with less flame spilling up the sides of pots if not on full, which does, of course, mean a little longer to boil. But speed isn’t everything, hence my affection for meths/alcohol stoves over the years.

The BRS 3000-T stove does not perform well in even light wind. It pairs well with the 68g Primus windscreen but requires quite a narrow pot to prevent dangerous overheating of the cartridge. This windscreen inverts when not in use and nests around a 240g/250g gas cartridge

There are alternatives- The BRS 3000-T is almost certainly modelled on the the 45g titanium Fire Maple Hornet. This is a stove that also has its fans, or one of the badge engineered copies such as the Alpkit Kraku, Robens Fire Midge or Olicamp Ion. You pays your money and makes your choice, they are all the same stove, which is no bad thing. But I don’t own any of those stoves. I see no reason to buy another stove when I can use the excellent Pocket Rocket 2…

… or the MSR Windburner!

Sixty days to my ‘Big Walk’

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I recently did a brief post on how I was getting on with cleaning knives and multi-tools at home, while struck down with minor illness. In a response to this, one reader, Sam, asked a number of questions on how my plans are progressing in the remaining days leading up to my setting off on my Three Points of the Compass walk. Rather than have my reply buried elsewhere, I have done a dedicated response here should such things be of any interest to anyone else.

Three Points of the Compass, Brecon Beacons, 2012

You’ve got three and a half months left until it’s your turn. You must be looking forward to it…

As I post this, I have just sixty days until I set off. Naturally, as my start day approaches, there are a mixture of emotions. I am nervous about my arthritis in feet, knees and hips and my lingering plantar fasciitis, I am exhibiting slight apprehension over my gear choices- have I ‘packed too many fears’, I am questioning of the weather that I will encounter in the spring, worried about leaving my wife and family for so long, concerned at being absent from my work for such an extended period, doubtful that my order of three pairs of Altra Lone Peak trail shoes in size 13 will turn up in time, and yes, I am very excited at my approaching adventure.

Do you have a specific goal in mind, as in, for example, the number of days you would like to complete the walk in? Or each section of the walk?

It might seem to many that I have over planned for my walk, whereas in reality, I do not believe that is the case. I have attempted to develop my required skill set and experience over the years. I have a route in mind, but I have deliberately permitted myself some leeway. I have allowed four months for my walk, it may be over in far less than that if my body breaks down, but I intend to ease myself in to my hike and not set myself targets that I will worry over. What I will try and achieve is walking toward a set of staggered goals- to my first ‘point of the compass’, to Lands End, to leaving the coast, to reaching Wales, to leaving Wales and so on, and so on…

Do you plan on going all out each day, walk till you drop, see where you end up, and repeat?

When I was a younger and stronger hiker, I would walk as far as I could each day. In my twenties, thirty to forty mile days were not unremarkable. In my thirties and forties, this had dropped to seldom above twenty-five mile days. With dodgy knees and other issues, I cannot carry on like that. I have to rein myself in and complete shorter days. Most definitely when I set off, otherwise I will not complete this walk. I am anticipating that I will complete between fifteen and twenty miles most days. Some will be shorter than this, some will be longer.

Or have you planned it methodically like Andrew Martin; he booked accommodation a year in advance for every single day of his 30 day LEJOG walk

In my head, I have a regime of a majority of wild camps, interspersed with occasional official camp sites where I can shower. I plan on the occasional bit of luxury, perhaps a B&B or cheap hotel or hostel. I am hopeful that these can more or less coincide with a day off from hiking roughly once a week. Nothing at all is booked beyond friends of mine in Somerset expecting me to pitch up on their lawn for a night or two at some point.

Do ask if you have any more questions that you would like answered.

Three Points of the Compass on West Highland Way, 2013