*Update 02/02/2015: I have since come back from my section hike with the gear described below. I will add some additional notes such to this post and give some additional thoughts below.
In the past I have done several gear list breakdowns by season, and I have been itching to do another one for this winter's kit. However it has been a warmer winter than usual, plus I was forced to push back my January section hike to the end of the month, so I had not finalized my gear until recently. Early spring is often nearly or just as cold as winter here--especially further up north, where I will be continuing my E1 hike--so this set up should still get put to good use in spite of the warm start of the year.
As usual, I will note that this gear list (as well as any other gear list of mine) is not static or set in stone. I always keep a keen eye on weather reports, which of course can have a big impact on what I may or may not take with me. This particular section hike the estimated low temperatures were supposed to be around -6 to -8 C (21 to 17 F), but this of course can change significantly (and did!). In the end the lows only got down to around -3C, most of the time temps hovered around 0C, and rather than one day of snow flurries and two days of sun there was steady snowfall nearly the entire trip. There was at least 50cm more snow by the time we left than when we started the trip.
Please note that I have rounded to the nearest 5 grams to make math easier and have nice, round numbers--just a personal preference now after creating so many gear lists.
First, here is all the base gear all packed up in my pack of choice, a Zpacks Arc Blast 52 with two hip belt pockets.
Hey all, in case you haven't seen it yet, just a quick announcement to let everyone know that Back to Back Episode 4 is complete and up on Youtube. The topic is one that I find fascinating, as do many outdoor enthusiasts, which is knives. However this discussion is from the perspectives of two lightweight backpackers, with one having the unique (and very cool) distinction of happening to also be a knife maker.
I kicked things off with Part 1
And Jason recently responded with Part 2.
You can also check out Jason's wonderful text on the subject in question here, which he wrote at the same time as we were doing the planning of this episode. The knives you see in his video are the ones he documents in the text. It's a great companion to this episode, and I highly recommend reading it if you are at all interested in knives and especially the finer details of how they are made. The passion he has for this craft really comes out in the text (and video too), and as I mentioned to Jason via email after reading it, to me it almost reads like a short story. Readers get to closely follow a narrative of a dedicated craftsman transform a piece of metal into a knife, and Jason makes some bold choices in his unique version of a knife to have while out in the wild.
Thanks again to Jason, it's been a pleasure working with him, and hope that we can collaborate again in the future.
That's about it, go check out another episode of the Back to Back series, and I hope that you find it helpful and/or enjoyable. As always, please feel free to give feedback via email, comments below, or on the Youtube comments. And let me know if there are any subjects related to backpacking that you would want to see explored in a Back to Back episode.
Peace out and happy holidays!
I recently got myself an early holiday gift, which I spoke about in a first impressions video. It's a 6ft x 9ft (1.8m x 2.7m) Zpacks flat tarp, and I opted for the 1.0 Cuben fiber in a nice translucent black for reasons I discuss in said video. I finally got a chance to get out and test it out on a short day hike, and am very excited about what will be my new go-to shelter for the colder half of the year.
Before I get into different pitches and configurations of this tarp, let me first explain the method to my madness for my two go-to shelter systems for the upcoming year. One will be used roughly between late spring to mid autumn (the "warm" kit), and the other between late autumn to mid spring (the "cold" kit).
Hey all, just wanted to write an update with what's going on, what's in the works, and briefly discuss some new gear I recently bought. I am excited about both some new projects in the works and also my new gear, and looking forward to both. First thing I want to get out of the way, is that as some of you may have noticed I have not been very active online as of late (this blog, Youtube, forums, etc.). I've just been very busy with life at the moment, but mostly positive stress, so it's all good.
I'll spare the boring details of why I've been so busy, but suffice to say that I was not so busy that I couldn't go on my usual one a month section hikes or do a lot of research on a few pieces of gear that I eventually bought for myself as early holiday gifts. I have noticed that I have been getting a bit more views on my blog and subscribers on my Youtube channel, so hello, welcome, and thanks to you new readers/viewers out there. And don't worry, new content is on the way, and here is what I have planned:
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This is Part 3 of my 6 part series of trail guides for Bergslagsleden. Please read my introduction and epilogue to this trail here if you haven't done so yet. This entire trail is also a part of the E1 trail system, and you can read more about that in my E1 trail guides here. Please keep in mind it is still a work in progress. And you can find the official trail website here if you haven't already.
This report covers stages 11-8, or from Leken/E18 highway to Mogetorp.
The Leken area is right next to the E18 highway and has
daily bus connections to the town of Karlskoga in the west and the city of Örebro in the east.
Örebro is about 28km from Leken (about 25-30min bus ride), is a bigger
city (sixth largest in Sweden), has train connections to many parts
of Sweden, and will of course have more to offer as far as resupplying and
luxuries go. The Mogetorp area is on the 50/68 highway and has daily bus connections to Örebro in the south and the town of Nora in the north. There is also a restaurant and hotel near the bus stop.
Hiking southbound on the E1 you continue on Bergslagsleden, and you can check out my previous guide from stages 14-12 here. Hiking northbound you continue on Bergslagsleden, and you can check out my next guide from stages 7-5 here.
Now on with the show!
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The gloomy weather from my last trip followed me and got even worse on this trip. I don't mind gloomy weather that much, and in fact at times can really enjoy it (I like spooky things), but it does complicate things like navigation--especially at night, and nights are longer this time of year. It also can ruin good views and vistas, which this area is full of, unfortunately for me. So my photo documentation is not going to highlight the beauty of this area as much as I would have liked/hoped. There were several times that I was at places marked on the map that apparently have nice views--there are 9 such symbols for viewpoints in total for these four sections--but didn't bother to take pictures due to the weather.
Yet as before, the conditions did not prevent me from having a successful, memorable, and overall enjoyable hike. This marks yet another time I say to myself, "I need to come back here again." Especially considering that I'd like to actually see the beauty of all these viewpoints! Bergslagsleden has become one of my favorite trails now that I have hiked a fair share of it, and hope that it continues to impress me as I hike the rest of it. As before, lots of interesting things to see, convenient things like fresh water taps and shelters abound, and mostly good trail markings and sign posting.
