Lightweight

Trail talk: Fjällräven Classic Sweden- heading west to the Kungsleden. Nikkaluokta to Sälka

Three Points of the Compass hits the trail in Swedish Lapland, participating in the annual Fjällräven Classic, a 110km walk above the Arctic Circle.

Gear

Gear talk: converting a 42mm neck HydraPak bladder to fit a 28mm water filter- Plug-N-Play

HydraPak have produced a number of accessories to fit their wide neck bladders and bottles. Three Points of the Compass has a glance at two of these, that permit a 28mm threaded water filter to be fitted.

Gear

Gear talk: converting a 42mm neck HydraPak bladder to fit a 28mm water filter- the hack

In the first of two posts, Three Points of the Compass looks at two ways to fit a 28mm thread Sawyer Squeeze water filter to a 42mm neck HydraPak water bladder.

Gear

Gear talk: Mountain Laurel Designs Bug Head Net

Midge ridden evenings on the Cape Wrath Trail, clegs on an evening walk through Kielder Forest to a bothy on the Pennine Way, mosquitoes on a lakeside section of Sweden's Kungsleden, these are amongst the times I have scrambled for a bug headnet and been relieved to pull it over my head to distance myself from the wee beasties.

Electronics

Gear talk: the Pad-Pal v5.1 sleeping pad inflator

Following trials, a 'final' production version of the Pad-Pal electric sleeping pad inflator is now available. Weighing less than ten grams, including valve adapter, this bit of luxury on trail is now an ultralight option for all.

Cooking

Gear talk: a Primus Micron retrospective

Twenty years ago, Primus released an innovative new stove on to the market. In the intervening years the Micron has undergone design changes, refinement and had features added. How is it holding up in 2023?

Gear

Gear talk: some thoughts on gear used on the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails

a quick glance at the gear I carried for a summer hike of the two trails, with some brief thoughts on it

Trail talk

Trail talk: Iceland’s Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails. Básar to Skógar

Three Points of the Compass rounds off his 56km hike of the Laugavegur Trail with the 25km Fimmvörðuháls Trail, passing high between two glaciers, to then descend to the sea, following the Skóga River and one of the finest collections of waterfalls in the world.

Trail talk

Trail talk: Iceland’s Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails. Álftavatn to Básar

Three Points of the Compass continues his Icelandic adventure. Two more days of hiking will see me finish the Laugavegur. But will the notorious changing weather conditions permit me to continue to the coast, on the Fimmvörðuháls Trail?

Trail talk

Trail talk: Iceland’s Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails. Landmannalaugar to Álftavatn

Three Points of the Compass takes a walk from Iceland's southern Highlands to the sea, across a landscape continually shaped by the forces of nature. Both Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails are exceptional.

Gear

Gear talk: the Fire Maple Polaris Pressure-regulator Gas Stove

Polaris is the name that Fire Maple has given to their series of stoves that each feature a pressure regulator. There are three stoves in this range- a remote canister stove, a canister top stove and an integrated 'cooking system'. Three Points of the Compass has a look at their Polaris Pressure-regulator Gas Stove

Electronics

Gear talk: Nitecore Carbo 20000, the world’s lightest 20000mAh powerbank

Most backpackers are carrying a powerbank on multi-day trips. As the need for additional power for a multitude of electronic devices increases, so does the search for the lightest and most efficient of high capacity 'bricks'. Three Points of the Compass has a glance at a 20k mAh option from Nitecore.

Cooking

Gear talk: Heat Exchanger pots

What do heat exchanger pots have to offer the lightweight backpacker? Are they any more efficient, and if so, does this compensate for the increased weight, bulk and expense? Three Points of the Compass takes a glance at some of those available.

Cooking

Gear talk: my backpacking gear for spring in the UK

A glance at the gear Three Points of the Compass has packed for a weeks wander across Lowland Scotland. I have a mix of official campsites and wildcamping, and because this is in May, I can anticipate low to mid-high temperatures and dry or wet conditions.

Cooking

Gear talk: looking at canister top ‘stove systems’ and stability

Many backpackers will simply buy what is reviewed as the […]

Electronics

Gear talk: USB-C coupler adapters, they don’t come much smaller or lighter than this!

It can be surprising how much weight a cable can add to electronics carried on trail. Here is one of the lightest alternatives available. This USB-C coupler has it's limitations, but could be a handy primary or back-up connector.

ditty bag

Gear talk: repair tape and patches carried on trail

Anyone who has been backpacking a few years will have invariably accumulated a plethora of repair tapes and patches along the way, be it a roll of tape from the local hardware store, self-adhesive flashing tape when making pot cosies, or repair kits supplied with shelters or sleeping mats. But what, if anything, to actually carry on trail? This is what Three Points of the Compass is packing along.

Electronics

Gear talk: Pad-Pal, the world’s smallest and lightest electric pad inflator is getting smaller and lighter!

This is an update on the progress that Tyler Reeves is making in further reducing the size and weight of his home-grown pad inflator. It isn't available yet, and may differ substantially from the prototype shown here, but watch this space...

Electronics

Gear talk: my 2023 electronics

It is three years since I did a dedicated post on the electronic gear I carry on backpacking trips, so here is the 2023 update. Do note that this selection is peculiar to me. I am a UK lightweight backpacker who still enjoys a bit of luxury. As always, there is also a little experimentation underway at present so one item at least will be dropped later in the year.

Cooking

Gear talk: Fire Maple Blade, Blade 2 and Volcano remote canister stoves

Three Points of the Compass looks at three similar remote canister stoves from Fire Maple- the FMS-117T Blade, FMS-117H Blade 2 and FMS-118 Volcano. These stoves range from three-season, to lightweight four-season, to heavier weight four-season options. There isn't a bad stove amongst them.

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