BASE LAYERS
 

As a base layer you may need thermal underwear if cold weather conditions prevail. It is usually more comfortable to wear a two piece legs and top rather than a one piece. I used to wear a one-piece Musto thermal suit but it felt a bit like a ‘baby-gro’ and was too restricting for scrambling – but very warm! Not of course I remember what wearing a baby-gro – as a baby - was like(!) Too old.

It’s the Team’s experience that quality makes give better performance than those that can be found in M&S, BHS etc. though they’re ok for one-off expeds perhaps. They do get a battering as next-to-the-skin layers. Thus they need to perform as good as new after washing. Sam’s used a set of North Cape thermals for years without much deterioration in the garments’ performance.

One of the many advantages of thermal long-underwear is that the thighs are protected. We wear socks and boots (two layers), underwear and trousers (two layers), Base layer tops and fleece jackets (at least two layers) but often leave the thighs with just one layer – and yet apart from the head it radiates heat from the body the quickest. Look after your thighs’ heat, especially in winter.

[ In my early days of walking in the late 60s, early 70s I wore a T-shirt as a base layer, saved up for a ‘Moac’ woollen shirt (Black Watch tartan) which I cherished and wore for days on end without washing (weeks actually in Iceland in ‘77), originally wore thick cotton trousers but soon progressed onto a pair of moleskin breeches and red Norwegian loopstitch ‘stockings’ a second pair of Derby Tweed breeches were added a couple of years later; I actually wore Dr. Marten boots for walking for a number of years because they were the best I could afford. My wet weather gear was a heavy cotton-duck over-the-head anorak, and my sac was a heavy duty cotton-duck Brown Best H-frame about 35 – 40 litre in today’s money. This was a total innovation in 1969 when I bought it, as all sacs were A-frame [see photos]. I used a Blacks Kara down sleeping bag bought originally by my parents in 1958 – which I subsequently ‘borrowed’ – and which is still going strong and in use today. ]

Leg wear today has generally returned to trousers – although there are some who wear tighter fitting Ronhill Tracksters; I never see breeches worn on the hill anymore – although I do – a pair of Rohan Super Striders which for winter can’t be beaten; no need for thermal underwear.

Multi-pocketed, lightweight, trekking trousers are relatively cheap: Craghopper, Berghaus, The North Face, Rohan (the orginals) are all quality makes; however the age old problem of ‘mud-creep’ will occur to cover the inside lower legs of the user unless gaiters are worn, partly because the trousers will flap a little and pick up the mud carried by the boot, which consequently brushes against the aforesaid trouser leg.

Your choice!

Hunter’s Choice        

Craghopper Kiwi Trousers

Rohan ‘Backpacker’ range – or their equivalent

 The North Face Paramount Pursuit Cargo Pant

 For value : Regatta

Much of the above is concerned with cold, wet, and windy conditions. In hot conditions however the concern is to cover skin to protect from harmful rays: UPF 25-40+; clothing has to be light cotton; sleeved (and collared) shirts, possibly ¾ length trousers – but lightweight, and a hat – brimmed such as a Tilley T3 or TNF Class V Brimmer.

HAT, GLOVES, SCARF/ HEADOVER

Hats will be carried – in the plural; you will need to conserve body heat in cold weather; up to 75% of body heat that is regularly and naturally lost in a day can be lost through the head; thus removing the headgear can cool you down; also you will find that at night in your sleeping bag you may need to keep your head warm if you are tall and not fitting into the ‘headsac’ at the end of the bag. I pull a balaclava type hat right down over my eyes leaving my mouth unimpeded – guaranteeing a good night’s sleep.

In hot weather leaving your head uncovered is dangerous and can lead to heatstroke. Beware. Thus a good ventilated baseball cap (with a shemag or cotton ‘kerchief to protect the neck) will do the trick; recent trends have been to wear a brimmed hat such as the Tilley T3; they are very expensive but worth every penny – basically protecting the head from a high sun factor and shielding the eyes from glare and the neck too.

Boss adorned with a Tilley T3 

The bobble-hat / tea cosy version of headwear mercifully went out of fashion in 70’s but they were revolutionary in their own way replacing the flat cap of the 30’s in the times of The Kinder Trespass; woollen clothing whether sweaters, hats or breeches was really the baby thrown out with the bath water. My mentor Pete Bradley who trained with Martin Epp told us young apprentices once that in the later years only woollen clothing was allowed on Epp’s northern Sweden (Arjeplog) expeditions. Sadly my oiled wool Herdwick jumper has long since gone to meet its creator but I wore it for remote area walking for 11 years and it didn’t wear, was pretty much waterproof and smelt of sheep. The wife finally disposed of it I think, whilst I was away on an extended exped. somewhere. The material is incredibly hard wearing and arguably still the best all-round material for remote area work. I’ll be slain by the modern mountaineers for this.

The point here is…..wool is not useless for expedition work; used properly it can be of great advantage – Smart Wool socks are sold by all major outdoor shops. Lightweight woollen tops are warm when wet and if oiled they repel water better than DWR. Sam wears an 'Icebreaker' Merino woollen base-layer top for all activities - a quite remarkable piece of kit by all accounts.

Gloves or mitts? The latter will keep you warmer but are a real pain to operate most compasses with….the former are more user-friendly but usually land up lost / the poorest quality piece of kit in the sac / not usually pure new wool – thus they’re not waterproof and most of us want gloves to be / almost everyone uses gloves that are too short and do not cover the wrist effectively. Buff produce probably the best glove we've seen in our professional life. [See their website. Check Links at top of this page]

Hunter Advice:

Get the best pair of gloves you can afford.

Cold hands or hand / finger  dexterity that’s zero because the gloves don’t work for you can mean at best that you are placed at a disadvantage on the hill – at worst you can't lead / nav.  / people and have placed yourself and them in danger.

Tip: in winter if your nose starts running, take your gloves off. The wrist is one of the body’s thermostat areas – you’ll cool down and the condensation wont drip down your nose.

The Rucsac

The sac is going to be carried. This totally obvious fact is lost on many people buying their first backpacking sac; colour, shape, friends opinion all seem to come before the comfort and function of your 'life-support-system'.

You can carry light-weights uncomfortably and heavy weights comfortably - it takes effort and time all well spent therefore to get it right - get the acquisition right, the fit right, and understanding the function and packing right. Thus get a sac which works for you and should you find that it is doing its job, and you're are comfortable wearing / carrying it - then keep it.

History shows us that sacs used to be 'A' framed (left) especially WW2 ones - and these flooded onto the market after the war. They were replaced in the '60s by an 'H' frame due to the sciences and arts  of ergonomics proving that weight parallel to the spine  is better carried, rather than pulling the neck as in an 'A' frame. External pack frames where the sac hung on a lightweight aluminium frame - developed initally by Karrimor with their 'K2' frame were 'in' until the start of the 80's. Mine had an 'Expedition' sac of some 85 litres which made it the largest sac of its day. By 1981-82 internal frame sacs were in - my K2 being replaced by a prototype sac designed by Geoff Lowe - still in use after an astonsihing amount of use (and dare I say abuse) over 20+ years. It was the Special Forces sac of choice until replaced by the Berghaus Cyclops bergen; I still maintain that the back system on the Lowe was the best ever invented - even better than the current Berghaus Bio-Flex.

The volume needed by the average backpacker for lowland and hill use in three season work is around 65-75 litres. This is large. However space unused weighs nothing and your sac management will be easier if you dont overpack.

The 70 litre Rucsac

A: Top lid outer - pocket for items that need to be immediately accessible eg brew kit, snack food, kfs, teaspoon (keep it attached on a very long length of bootlace), spare batteries, small torch etc. B: Top lid inner - pocket for spare maps (wrapped) spare compass, overtrousers, hat gloves scarf, leaders iteams such as strobe, cyalume stick, group medical details etc. C: main compartment - with waterproof liner in winter - for tentage, stove (near the top and to the back), fuel (if the sac has no side pockets, spare clothing (doubling as nightwear eg tracksuit), food ration eg Wayfarers or Raven, plus your personal food box containing (for BJH and most of the Team: Rich Tea biscuits [carbs.], cheese spread [fats], nuts and raisons [roughage and protein], chocolate, jam sachets, further brew kit, further water purifying tablets, plus neutralising tablets.] Storm jacket (which may be worn of course) or fleece jacket...headtorch, Thermarest or equivalent [or Karrimat on the outside of the 'sac], first aid kit [Group Kit for leaders], mug, water bottles....and what we carry in a 'bits bag' : small survival kit of knife, paracord, lighter, and matches, pacing cord, spare gloves, 1x50,000 map of the whole area between the group, a few bungees and anything else that over the years we've personalised our sacs with. D: compression straps - for 'streamlining' the sac so as to prevent it being too bulky; also these can hold you walking poles secure with their base in H: the pocket. E: hip belt - that actually tightens up to sit firmly on the pelvis. F: Ice Axe / pole  holder these are rarely used for axes unless one is doing something like the Haute Route. G: base compartment of the sac where your sleeping bag should fit; if it doesn't it's too big! H: see above; I : padded shoulder straps - do ensure that you spend time adjusting these correctly. You will save much time later in the exped - and not a little pain and suffering if you get it right before you go on the fell.

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme expedition participants are given a kit list which in our opinion, as a professional expedition team, is impossible to fit in to a 55-65 litre sac. We would be very happy to be proved wrong but no-one has ever done it - packed the quantity into a standard 65 litre Karrimor Panther. [We've thrown the gauntlet down now!]  Quite obviously the bigger sac the more you are tempted to fit into it. Beware.

The requirements you have from your sac include that it must fit your body length. Thus you must spend time trying the various sacs on in your local friendly outdoor shop; try to avoid buying mail order unless you have used the exact same type before. Seek advice from the shop's Technical Manager - that is, talk to those who use backpacking sacs regularly (not all shop staff backpack) - if in doubt contact Hunter via our email address: huntertraining@hotmail.com Ensure the sac has a well padded hip-belt; you are going to take a lot of the weight on your pelvic girdle transferring it away from your shoulders, so your hips must be protected. Backpacking sacs should have pockets on the outside of the sac and deep pockets in the lid. Some sacs have a small but strong chest harness to pull the straps into your chest line for comfort.

Lady's sacs have been around for quite a while - and should be tried out; they have narrower margins between the top of the main straps.

The sac needs to become 'part' of you - you need to be content carrying it, and comfortable with it on; it needs to limit you as little as possible from your task of walking (not climbing) on all sorts of gradients and terrain.

Packing the sac includes ensuring that weight distribution is undertaken effectively; 'bulk low weight high' is the traditional maxim but also try to pack the weight as close to your back as possible; your mobility will be that little bit easier. We recognise these things are not always easy to achieve - with practice comes efficiency.

We tend to pack different items in different coloured plastic (carrier?) bags in the sac; if you are emptying your sac in the dark (very possible), in the wet (likewise), inside your tent when you look in the sac and see just a black void - then the coloured bags makes it easier to distinguish what's what; preparation time spent well helps on the expeditions. And you cease to be an embuggerance to your mates.

Also, when planning before the exped. takes place  think ahead - what will be the procedure / order once you decide you are going to camp in a particular place on the first afternoon?  What is going to come out of the sac first / last?

If it's tipping it down with rain (ah! your'e in the Lakes then !!) do you want to empty the contents of your sac to get the tent outer / inner that you're carrying? The contents of your sac on the wet grass on the side of Skiddaw above Glenderraterra Beck just ask to be blown away or roll down hill (the Beck is a long way down there); you would not survive descending in the dark (check the map: Explorer NW Lakes -NY 2927: we normally camp on a narrow shoulder at 292270...check the contour spacing!)  to retrieve your kit because you decided to take everything out of the main compartment.

Think first. Always a good idea.

Sleeping Bags

Your sleeping bag is your comfort zone. It's has to provide you with that much needed rest in the best way possible at the end of a long and maybe arduous day; a bag that gives you an uncomforatble night is working counter productive to your needs.

The bag you buy has to be suitable for your activity. Thus think about what you'll be doing on your expedition re: season and altitude (altitude affects temperature of course) and make that need for warmth your number one priority. Don't fork out two or three hundred pounds for a bag that you'll need only for spring in The New Forest; however spring in Snowdonia may need a bag that has a temperature rating down to around -10° C ; always get a 'rating' a little lower than you need because there is (still) no parallel rating system across all the manufacturers. Remember that how warm you are in your bag will also depend upon how well fed you are, what clothes you are wearing, how much extreme exercise you have done that day, and what the weather conditions are like.

Mountain Equipment Firewalker II

[ On display at Hunter's Promotional Day for Blacks ]

Second comes cost. Of the 126 bags researched by Hunter marketed in the UK by 27 manufacturers the prices (at early 2005) ranged from £28 - (Coleman Fusion Lite) to £360 for a Terra Nova Zeus Minus 30. You have to weigh cost against your need. Is it cheaper to have two bags for different seasons? Do the rounds of the shops to check prices for your bag. To be able to do this you must....

....look for a  bag which fits you. You need therefore to get into it; this might be unpopular in the shop but if they know what they're doing they'll encourage it. Check the drawcord system around the shoulders and neck, and the hood - how easy is it to adjust when you are in the bag?! 

The insulation material will not primarily affect you because you are concerned about comfort first - but secondarily it will control the cost; eider down is best - and most expensive but the lightest, goose down is second best - and very good -l ight, and feathers do a passable job; but then this infilling has to be coupled with the construction of the bag itself - and unless the stitching is put togther in such a way as to limit the loss of body heat you'll have an under-performing sac. Synthetic insulation has replaced quite a lot ( but by no means all ) natural insulation filling: check for Polarguard insulation - amongst the best. Polarloft and Thermalite also very good; if in doubt email Hunter for advice on huntertraining@hotmail.com

Pack size is going to be important for the itinerant expeditioner. Use the compression straps when you can (ie when actually on the exped. - otherwise never store your bag with them tightened) to make the whole package smaller. Then wrap the bag in a poly bag to keep it dry when you get deluged at Stickle Tarn or in The Rhinogs. You'll want to see the bag packed in the shop before you buy.

A sleeping mat will be needed; these can be of the closed cell foam type or if you have the money - and will be backpacking enough to warrant the outlay - a self-inflating mat.

The closed cell mat, introduced as a revolution by Karrimor in the 70's as the 'Karrimat' is virtually 'bomb-proof' : it is inexpensive, easy to clean, has a number of functions, and comes in a range of lengths and thicknesses. We would advise against those that are laminated ie have two colours / types sealed together  as everyone we've bought regardless of make - from Karrimat to Stormlite Fell Mat has split. You may find different.

The self-inflating mat is made by Thermarest and works on the principle of foam being able to regain a predetermined shape once air is allowed in through a narrow vent; you simply roll the mat up expelling air as you go to store on you sac for the journey.

The advantage of these mats is extra comfort; the disadvantge is cost from around £30 to £80.

Tentage

Terra Nova Quasar

This is an expedition - backpacking - and as lightweight as you can safely and comfortably get it, so your accommodation is critical to your survival. The shelter has to perform a number of functions not least of which is one of allowing you to look forward to out-of-the-wind, dry, spacious respite at the end of your mountain or remote wilderness day.

Your considerations must be:

1. Ease of pitching; so ask advice if you are buying from scratch in your local friendly outdoor shop. (If they're not friendly walk out and don't go back. Call us!) Remember when you might have to pitch in an emergency - darkness, exhausted, gale, steep gradient, with novices, injured.....so relative simplicty should be considered.

We attempted to use a Phoenix Phreeranger for a couple of years but gave up - the erection of the inner into the outer was just over the top in terms of complexity; it still languishes in my tent cupboard. [ Going cheap at £50 - contact us! ]

Pole extraction, when you have shock-corded poles (most common these days), must be learnt - always push poles out of the sleeve, and never pull, otherwise the elastic will stretch and the lifetime of the pole will diminish rapidly.

An interesting little tent:  this 'Escape Valley 2' uses 37 pegs, and 11 guy ropes but is only 5' 9" long in its sleeping area; it's also a heavy tent; thus beware when purchasing - check pack weight and ease of pitching. This took total novices just under nine minutes to pitch, following an instruction sheet.

2. Cost;  get the best you can afford - for the purpose you plan...winter lowland? winter upland / mountain? summer lowland? summer upland? Team backpacking? Solo backpacking - in the mountains or on lowland? Once you have an idea of useage then catalogue search or shop search or email us for advice at huntertraining@hotmail.com  Add information into your 'melting pot' re: bell ends for storing kit overnight (or putting your dog in) for cooking in bad weather, storage facilities in the tent? as well as your body frame size; I'm 6'5" and Gary my exped. partner was around 20 stones and tall so our Quasar's volume was always 'used up' but the bell ends were very useful as was the double entrance facility.

Gelert Extreme (left), Mountain Designs one-man Gore Tex Bivvi tent (centre), Terra Nova Quasar (right) A range of different qualities and costs here - but they all functioned well on this training course, seen here at Left Lake, Dartmoor.

3. Weight; along with the tentage itself are poles and pegs - but assuming your are in a team you will presumably be sharing the weight; check peg numbers and add a few extra - and maybe of a different type. Any backpacking tent more than around 4.5 kgs maximum is heavy.

4. Function; The uses to which you are going to have to put your tent are manifold - see above; however you must also consider living in the tent with someone else...assuming they don't snore like Gary...who was eventually kicked out to a Terra Nova Solar 2 on his own which he (on his own admission) much preferred. Can you sit side-by-side? Can you sit upright but tandem? Is the tent stable whilst you are in it? Does moving around cause the inner to touch the outer creating condensation? [Implications here then for which pole type the tent uses. ]

Gelert (left) Vango Hydra 200+ (centre) Terra Nova Solar II (right and at head of Expedition section in Norway)

5. Pack Size; not a problem if you are sharing but going solo can mean you have to think creatively in packing the tent - in its own sac? or split and packed in different parts of the rucsac? I use a Terra Nova Solar 2 for solo work and carry the whole tent together inside my rucsac (Berghaus Extreme Alpine 7000) - it's what suits me and you'll have to work out what suits you.

BJH using a Mountain Designs Gore Tex bivvi tent whilst instructing teenagers on a lightweight three-day, two night backpack across the Carneddau 1992. This location: the alpine meadow just west of Foel Fras summit.

6. Shape; there are a bewildering array of tent shapes - and all the information above will be getting you thinking as you read what shape will suit you. This is where you need to see the tentage erected. Ridge tents were / are stable but quite limiting in their working space inside (but more than acceptable), geodesic tunnel tents are the fashion and technically that bit more superior - The North Face, Terra Nova, Vango, Mountain equipment all produce these; wind resistance is affected by shape, so if you are remote area or altitude camping this may be a consideration.

1980s: Instructing Winter Mountain Skills Course in the Brecon Beacons - Black Mountains. Early February snow;  9am breakfast with Hunter Auxiliary Mark Beaumont and a Vango Force Ten ridge tent which withstood 40 mph winds overnight and a blizzard.

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Hillmen 

" Not for these men the plaudits and praise of the assembled multitude. Their acclaim is that they have been with nature, ‘up-country’, for weeks on end. Now ruddy, honed, fit, and still at peace with themselves, they are totally at one, whether solo or not – working with nature, moving and living in the high barren moorlands, ranges, and glacial deserts. Coming down from the ice, the peaks or from the utter remoteness of the far north, do they need the public acclaim of applause to spur them on? Their deeds, achievements and successes are witnessed by few but by many corries, spurs, plateaux, and peaks. Their striving, their discipline, their contentment, matched only in scale and awe by the perfection of the mountains. "

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Basic Kit List

for Backpacking Expeditions
 

Boots

Socks x 2 pairs for boots

Thermal underwear if cold weather

Base layer if no thermal u/wear

Spare base layer

Mid layer (sweatshirt equivalent)

Fleece jacket

Legwear

Spare legwear

Rucsac 70 litre

Kippmat or Thermarest

Sleeping bag

Tentage (shared between tent partners?)

Stove

Fuel

Lighter / matches

Mug, Knife, Fork (do you need this?) Big Spoon, Small Spoon.

Brew Kit

Bowls / plates ?

Food

Waterbottle[s]

Water purifying tablets

First Aid Kit (shared?)

Watch

Compass

Map

Map Case ?

Whistle

Torch (plus spare bulb and batteries) small

Torch: headtorch (+sb&b) if nav’ing in winter conditions

Wash kit inc small towel (size of a flannel)

Underwear

Nightwear

Wet-weather gear inc. overtrousers

Gaiters

Hats, gloves, scarf (headover)

Sun barrier cream

Plastic bags (multi-use eg rubbish).

Additionals – if you’ve space: 

Camera

Binoculars

Notebook & pen

An ‘empty space’ for wallet, car keys, etc.

Mobile phone

Pocket knife

NB: This is not a Leader’s sac; the Leader would be expected to carry more. [see Home Page : Menu : ‘Leaders Page’]

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The phrase that says ‘Proper Preparation and Planning Prevents P*** Poor Performance’ is true. Training does not just include physical fitness, important though that is; it includes ensuring that you can apply what you’ve learnt through experience to a [another] ‘real’ situation.

Thus you must revise compass work, double check your kit that you’ve listed from that last exped. – with comments about what was useful to take and what was a waste of time, space, and weight – and don’t be tempted to overload your sac. With reference to the EVNAR on  - www.huntersafety.zoomshare.com a large proportion of youth expedition accidents, unplanned benightments, and accidents have, as their origin, overweight sacs which lead to a faster rate of energy attrition, thus impairing judgement leading to the group or individual moving out of a place of reasonably predictable outcomes ie a safe conclusion to the day, to a place of totally unpredictable outcome. This may result in, at best / least worst, being lost on the fells, at worst being in danger of lives being under threat.

Training also must clarify its own existence – the more you train you more you realise that without it you go stale and lose your ‘edge’ to tackle potentially dangerous environments and conditions safely; if you are a leader there is no excuse.

Your team may see some of the training you set for them as more or less pointless unless they are involved with the regime. Communicate to them – and understand yourself if you are a team-member – that training is a corporate thing, in that one depends on all, and all can suffer as a result of one.

Writing this I notice in this months 'TGO' magazine that there is an article on the importance of understanding blood pressure and the complications of it being high in individuals. It is this sort of thing that an expedition member, outdoorsman / woman, may think it is not for them – because they are fit; no harm in checking then! 30 minutes of reasonably strenuous exercise per day will increase your overall fitness, but also prepare you well for the demands of your load carrying on that 40 miler you plan across The Southern Uplands – or where-ever.

Trained, honed, and in the company of friends....

Training for expedition work can largely be done undertaking expedition type carrying of 'sacs, walking up steeper gradients (around town?) with your pack on; however if you are serious about this form of outdoor pursuit  [ and you have to be at least in the short term - to backpack  - as going from zero exercise to a full exped, say 30 miler carrying 17-20 kgs over a couple of days in Autumn is going to put your body under considerable physical stress..... ] then you should aim to maintain a constant level of 'exped-fitness' throughout the year.

It is our experience in instructing that the average person leaves physical training too late before a land based expedition takes place, probably does not do enough training, and then almost certainly does, in part at least, the wrong sort of training. Train in plenty of time but make sure you then undertake the expedition at the end of the training - not three or four months later.

The American 12 Minute Tests

The basis of the test:

In 12 minutes if you cover less than one mile your level of fitness is very poor.

Thus:

1 to 1¼ miles in 12 mins:  poor level of fitness

1¼ miles to 1½ miles in 12 mins:  fair level of fitness

1½ miles to 1¾miles in 12 mins: good level of fitness

1¾ miles or more in 12 mins: excellent level of fitness

These times are for males aged 18-24. Proportionately reducing distance for an increase in age is not too difficult; we have always used this as a guide to our Instructors' fitness levels - although few of them are ever aware that we've checked them!

The age old question of whether jogging or swimming are good for training can easily be answered, at least for us who've been 'out there' all our adult lives - in the affirmative - yes!; the key question really is "...have you pushed yourself hard enough to be out of breath, sweating - and knowing it hurts somewhere?!"

Train with someone - they need not be doing what you are doing but having them there to time, encourage, check, chivvy, and encourage is essential - don't ignore this advice.

For many expeditions I have run up six flights of stairs every other morning with a 20 lb pack on my back - strengthening the cardiovascular system with great results. Just make sure that you can justify why you're doing it when you see the early morning cleaners !!! ALWAYS remember to warm up - and undertake a cooling down period after the exercise. 

Instructor Sam Howard winter solo mountain 'walking' in Snowdonia on the Glyders ridge just east of Glyder Fach: visibility < 50 metres and high wind speed.

Your fitness level must not be such that it is going to let you down when you most need it - this coupled with concentration, experience, technical skill, and that all important common sense must all come into play here.

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