hrXXLight

Just wanna inform you that there is running a very interesting project on Kickstarter at the moment. You like Fatbiking & Packrafting and trips through the Artic. Then check this here out. Andrew Badenoch wants to cross the Artic by bike and packraft.

• 7000 miles
• 7 Rivers
• Zero Fuel
• 2 Oceans
• 4 Mountain Ranges
• ANWR

This is an fantastic adventure and it is hard to realize those trips without a sponsor. So if you like Andrews idea sign in and help him with some bucks to realize this epic trip.
If you spend $25 you get a high definition documentary of the trip and if you wanna spend some more bucks you can get more for the money. This project will be founded if at least $7700 is pledged by Friday Feb 17 at 12:03am est.

Here is a short video by Roman Dial to get an impression of this fantastic area.

Just wanna inform you that there is running a very interesting project on Kickstarter at the moment. You like Fatbiking & Packrafting and trips through the Artic. Then check this here out. Andrew Badenoch wants to cross the Artic by bike and packraft. 7000 miles 7 Rivers Zero Fuel 2 Oceans 4 Mountain Ranges ANWR This is an fantastic adventure and ...

The year 2011 is coming to an end and 2012 is imminent. We should have a closer look at the small cottages which are very important for the ultralight hiking scene and their news for the upcoming hiking season. I tried to contact some of these cottages and have summarized their news in this article.

______

Some days ago Alpacka Raft released an article on their forum where they presented their new spraydeck configuration. The new spraydeck is similar to the kayak cockpit. The paddler wears a skirt which goes with him and the spraydeck is permantly connected with the boat and can not be removed. Furthermore the cockpit has a frame of aluminium poles. These poles a secured with a waterproof zipper. Packrafting.de was kind enough to send me some photos of the new spraydeck. Thanks for that. A detailed report with some first impressions can your find here.

Photos by Packrafting.de

Terra Rosa Gear plans to release two or three designs of inner tents for use under tarps. The big difference to other UL inners is that these new ones will be bigger that people who are 190cm or taller have enough space. Furthermore it is planned to expand and to have a bigger focus on custom made gear. So if you need a custom made bivy, tarp or inner feel free and contact Terra Rosa Gear.

Black Rock Gear comes along with a new warm UL down vest made with the SevenD nylon. It is filled with 2oz of the finest 900fp goose down and has a total weight of 4oz in size M. Meanwhile there is only size M available, but the sizing chart will be updated for 2012.

Joe from ZPacks has no detailed plans for the year 2012. He has a few designs on over-mitts and bivys made with the Waterproof Breathable Cuben Fiber, but he does not know when or if he will list those items. A new tent design is also planned, but it is still in work.

Enlightened Equipment is back with a new homepage. Hope you all know this. But that’s not all. The RevelationX is back. There will be one version with 1.1 rip and 750fp down and a higher quality RevelationX with 20d fabric and 850fp down. Furthermore Enlightened Equipment announced new quilts for spring 2012. A new hammock quilt with new style of vent-able head hole and a short underquilt which is usable as half-bag or camp pants. A longer and wider hammock for the best comfort will also be available in spring and the UL version later in the year. Another plan is that the customer has the option to plan is own custom made quilt with any fabric and filling materials and cuts he need. Last but not least the fine Cuben products will be available only three times a year.

Tarptent has no news for 2012. The reason for this is that they released the new tents in late 2011. The Notch and the StratoSpire 1 & 2 are the new tents for the upcoming hiking season.

The new Tarptent Notch Shelter

LocusGear expanded his range and offers a tyvek bivy called Pneumy Bivy Tyvek. This is one of the first commercial available tyvek bivies. You can get it in three different sizes. It offers s short zipper and a no-see-um window to keep midges out in summer. The bivy also has a gear loop to attach it under your tarp and it weighs 287g in size M.
Furthermore the LocusGear carbon trekking poles got an update. The CP2 are now the new ones. They are extensible from 61-135cm and weigh 137 per pole. Every pole is 50g lighter than the prevous model that you finally save 100g weight.

Gossamer Gear starts with a redesigned Murmur into the new year. The new Mumur Hyperlight got a tougher look, is more comfortable and has a minimum of weight. They used a 30D silnylon for the main body and a 140D dyneema gridstop for extra stressed areas. Additionally the pack has gotten some new features. It has now an Over The Top closure instead of a roll closure, more ergonomic shoulder harness and a vertically adjustable sternum straps.

Minimalist is the  name of another new pack from Gossamer Gear. This pack is a small daypack and also made with the 140D dyneema gridstop. For the pack panel they used a special new fabric that is soft, a bit slippery, very tough. It is used also for lining shoes and for putting on Superfeet and other shoe inserts. Furthermore it also has a removable pad and a loop for hanging a water bladder. The Minimalist has a weieght of round about 12oz.

Jacks ‘R’ Better wanna introduce the Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock in a single bottom ultra light version and the JRB body contouring radial baffled under quilts will see two new models in torso length that will reduce the weight over traditional full length under quilts by approximately 30%.

TrailLite Designs has some interesting projects for 2012. The Single Track is a DXG hydration pack made for trail running and mountain biking. It has an internal hydration sleeve, a hang loop, two exterior storage pockets and a removable web belt weighs 9oz and has a volume of 750ci The counterpart to this pack is the Stream Pack. This pack is similar the Single Track, but the design includes a rod sleeve on each side to store your Tenkara rods for fishing trips. A modern fishing basket and a new larger TiNet are also in planing. If you wanna follow the progress check ou the Area 51. TrailLite Designs is also cooperating with other cottages like ZPacks or GooseFeet.

Mountain Laurel Designs thinks of the women. The Exodus and Exodus FS packs will be available in a women version.For all those who think that the MLD TrailStar is too small for them, can look forward to the larger BigStar with a weight of 24oz. And for all those who think that the MLD TrailStar is too heavy, can look forward to the TrailStar in Cuben Fiber with a weight of 11oz. Furthermore the eVent Soul bivy got an update. Now it is made with the lightest 3L eVent and a 1.2oz style Cuben bottom.

Cuben TrailStar

Katabatic Gear released the Blackwelder 0°F in 2011. This quilt gets an update in next year. New to the 2012 Blackwelder will be Side Block Baffles for improved down control and all quilts will feature 900fp goose down in 2012.

Six Moon Designs announces the Feather Pack for the first quarter of 2012. This is an SUL pack and now the lightest in their range and the development took over four years. It was tested on hundreds of trail miles. The Feather Pack comes along with a weight of 11oz and has a volume of 2300-2500cu/in depending on size. Furthermore the top of the pack has a zippered pocket to store maps or some small things. The pack also offers a waterproof zipper on top for a clean look if you do not want to carry much gear. If you have some extra gear you can expand the pack by several cubic inches and close the lid via a roll top.

The Lunar Solo has been also revised. The floor was extended up to 90″ and the canopy was increased and the end walls were set vertical to get more space. Furthermore the height was extended by 3″. The get more stability in the new designed Lunar Solo the reduced the depth of the tent by 12″. Now taller hiker have enough space in this tent and the good thing is that they did not raise the weight, in spite of the modifications.
And finally the SMD Heaven will be available in Cuben Fiber in the 1st quarter of the new year.

Trail Designs has no news for the new year, but some ideas. They try to extend their current offerings as fast as possible. So stay tuned if something new on the way.

Tenkara USA finest fly fishing gear has some small things for the year 2012. One small update is the complemation of the first Tenkara booklet. Another one is that there will be no new rods. Instead of publishing new rods they improve the rods in their range. One modification is that they wanna offer an add-on handle that can shorten the Iwana 12ft to either 11ft or 10ft. This will give users a shorter rod if they want one without having to buy a brand new rod. Furthermore the fly selection got also an update. Instead of a big selection of flies in different colours and sizes they have figured out which are the most used flies and listed them in the catalog.

2011 was a busy year for Hyperlite Mountain Gear. The released their new expedition pack the “Porter” and their new “Ice Pack”. One big new for 2012 is that HMG wanna move into a larger facility. Because time was limited in 2011 they have not really a new product which can be launched at the beginning of 2012, but they are working on finalizing the first generation of the Traverse Shelter, the perfect shelter for packrafting trips and expeditions.

Fritz from Bushbuddy has also some news. A thing to begin for all who are waiting for the titanium BushBuddy. He cannot give a confirm date for introducing the titanium model. But he will discontinuing the regular model of the BushBuddy. He is working together with a craftsman in the U.S. which will make a stove identical to the regular model under his own trademark. This one should be available directly from him at the beginning of the new year. But Fritz also has a replacement for the regular BushBuddy. He offers a slightly more rugged model of the BushBuddy Ultra. The difference to the BBU (0.004″stainless steel) is, that he uses a thicker material on the outside (0.006″ stainless steel).

GooseFeet and TrailLite Designs had a great cooperation. They designed the CloudVest. The CloudVest is an wearable insulation layer that can be opened flat to use as a blanket adding warmth to aan ultralight sleeping system. It is made with Momentum 90 & 55 and filled with 900fp goose down. A lighter UL CloudVest is also available. The normal vest weighs 6.4oz and has a filling of 3oz and the UL version weighs 5oz and has a filling of 2oz.

Rota Locura wants to conquer the market with a new bivy. The Wasatch Bivy is an ultra lightweight bivy. It is made with two different SevenD ripstop. One hydrophobic on top and a silicone coated and waterproof on the bottom. Furthermore the bivy has a no-see-um hood and titanium D-ring attachment points. The Wasatch bivy comes along with a weight og 4.35oz (123g).

Warbonnet Outdoors has planned some new things for 2012, but they don’t wanna go into specifics before a product actually comes out. We will see what will come next year. I will stay in contact with Warbonnet Outdoors and keep you up to date.

Mateusz from LAUFBURSCHE is working hard in the last month. He changed his headquarter and has now bigger rooms for his nice packs and tarps. Furthermore he is working tirelessly at his new online shop and on his homepage LAUFBURSCHE-Gear. The planned start for the shop is February 2012. So stay tuned if you wanna buy the first huckePACK from the shop in the 2012 design. In the meantime you have the chance to buy the first huckePÄCKchen which is available in a shop.

Photo by LAUFBURSCHE

Sanpo from Japan produces well designed alcohol stoves. He send me a photo of a new prototype which he wanna release 2012. The stove has a height of 20mm and a width of 50mm. The main part is made with iron, can carry 1oz of fuel and weighs 15g. If you use the stove with the Sanpo CF stand you need 4 minutes and 10 seconds to boil 400ml of water. The design of this trial production can change in the next time to make it more efficient, but I did not wanna hide this interesting stove from you.

_____

I also contacted Northern Lites and Light Heart Gear, but they have nothing planned for 2012.

Anyway I also tried to contact Nunatak, Four Dog Stove. Lawson Outdoor Equipment, Anti Gravity Gear and Titanium Goat, but I got no reply if there are any news for 2012.
Finally I hope that I have not forgotten any interesting cottage. If there should be some interesting news, please feel free and write a comment and I will add it to the article.

UPDATE 1

Yama Mountain Gear comes along with a new Cuben Fiber tarp called Cirriform. It is a sub 7oz tarp with a front zipper at the beak. This starp ist perfect for solo hiker and harmonices perfectly with the Yama Bug Shelter 1.25. The tarp should be available in early February.
Meanwhile Yama Mountain Gear wants to leave the commerical market. It is planned to offer DIY kits with building instructions like videos.

If you are looking for a new bivy you can find one at Oware. They made the first bivy with the ‘waterproof breathable’ Cuben Fiber which Joe Valesko from ZPacks also uses for his rain jackets and his new waterproof mitts. The bivy has fully tapes seams, a waterprof zipper and has a weight of 3.5oz on the scale. That’s incredible light.

The year 2011 is coming to an end and 2012 is imminent. We should have a closer look at the small cottages which are very important for the ultralight hiking scene and their news for the upcoming hiking season. I tried to contact some of these cottages and have summarized their news in this ...

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

Let’s talk a bit about the LAUFBURSCHE Lavvu. Meanwhile the Lavvu is some month old and an article worth. My first contact with the LAUFBURSCHE Lavvu I had on the TUL Winter Meeting in Schierke and our overnighter before the meeting and I can say that this great piece of gear is phenomenal.

After the monoLOGE and the tanzPALAST,  the Lavvu is another masterpiece of workmanship from LAUFBURSCHE.
I don’t wanna talk about the specifications of the Lavvu, because Mateusz wrote on article some time ago with all details which you can find here.
Basti from Beute(l)tiere had the great chance to test the Lavvu on his Scotland trip.

Photo by Beute(l)tiere

His trip was very helpful for Mateusz to improve the new and first Lavvu in black Cuben Fiber.

At our TUL meeting both Lavvu’s where there and we took the chance to show you how many people have space in this fantastic shelter.

Watch the video and enjoy!!!

Let's talk a bit about the LAUFBURSCHE Lavvu. Meanwhile the Lavvu is some month old and an article worth. My first contact with the LAUFBURSCHE Lavvu I had on the TUL Winter Meeting in Schierke and our overnighter before the meeting and I can say that this great piece of gear is phenomenal. After the ...

TUL Meeting VII was fantastic. Lots of new people found the way to the Edersee. Thank you for coming. It was a great meeting with good old friends and newbies.

There is no TUL meeting without these fantastic Thuringian sausages. Thank you so much quasinitro.

Photo by LITE MOUNTAINGEAR

A splendid overview over the campsite in the early morning

Photo by quasinitro

Hot water for a coffee made with the BCB 1.0

Photo by LITE MOUNTAINGEAR

Breakfast

Photo by LITE MOUNTAINGEAR

MLD Cricket and the new TAR NeoAir. Ron made ones more a fantastic shelter with a splendid workmanship.

The LAUFBURSCHE Lavvu is a real palace.

A classic from MLD. The Trailstar in beautiful brown.

My old blue ZPacks Hexamid wasn’t sewn pretty well. Meanwhile Joe von ZPacks could improve the processing and the Cuben Hexamid looks fantastic.

Arjun II. A roomy tarp with inner made by LITEMOUNTAINGEAR

The guys from packrafting.de arrived on Saturday afternoon with all the boats. Thank you Sven & Marc for coming.

In the afternoon we made a small flea market with gear and other great things. It was really funny, because one of us started to open the trunk lid an everybody ran to him to be the first to get the bargains.

Cuben fiber for free

Photo by LITE MOUNTAINGEAR

A perfect day ended with a campfire and a big barbecue

Photo by LITE MOUNTAINGEAR

The weather on the next morning wasn’t perfect, but we made the best.

After breakfast we tested the Alpacka Rafts. We had the older and new boats in different sizes.

Photos by LITE MOUNTAINGEAR

The packraft train is coming.

The diva with the umbrella (Hofnarr) enjoys the trip without paddling.

Packraft tower

BPL Beartooth Merino Hoody Turtles

Every meeting I fall in love with a new interesting piece of gear. At the last TUL Winter Meeting it was the packraft. Now I have found a new splendid handmade piece of gear which I ordered. It is my Christmas present and I hope it arrives just in time.

Cya  at the Winter Meeting.

TUL Meeting VII was fantastic. Lots of new people found the way to the Edersee. Thank you for coming. It was a great meeting with good old friends and newbies. There is no TUL meeting without these fantastic Thuringian sausages. Thank you so much quasinitro. Photo by LITE MOUNTAINGEAR A splendid overview over the campsite in the ...

Instead of the headline ‘The Beautiful Berner Oberland’ I could also call the trip ‘An Untrained Person Tries To Walk In The Swiss Alps’. But one after another. My last three months were very busy. I had to work very much and we also have a small farm with three horses where is also a lot of work to do especially in the summer month. There wasn’t really time to write blog articles or something else. So I was really happy to have an time-out of three weeks from work. Since a time I had planned with my fiancee a ten day trip to Switzerland. She wanted to visit some friends  in the first days and I wanted to use the time for a 5 day hiking trip on the Via Alpina in the Berner Oberland from Meiringen to Adelboden. That was the plan two months ago. Two weeks before we drove to Switzerland I checked the forecast for my trip. It was snowing at that time in the alps. This was not the weather I had expected. After this I changed my three season setup into a warmer winter setup with sleeping bag and tent instead of tarp an quilt. Two days before we leaved Germany I checked the forecast again. Now they had a great Indian Summer. I decided to put several setups in the car to make a decision in Switzerland. You never know. The weather in the Alps is very changeable. We arrived on Monday afternoon and the conditions were perfect. I started to pack my LAUFBURSCHE huckePACK with the three season setup for my trip an the other day. It was a splendid feeling to go out for a trip after such a long time of work and I couln’t sleep in the night before I started.

Day 1 Meiringen – Schwarzwaldalp – Grindelwald – near Kleine Scheidegg

After a big breakfast in the morning my fiancee brought me to the starting point at the Reichenbachfall near Meiringen. The first kilomnetres were very boring, because the trail crossed several times the street up to the waterfall. On my way to Rosenlaui I met another hiker. It was David from the USA. He wanted to walk the same like me, but the stayed for the night in hostels. We decided to walk together on this first day, but our common path should be separated in Grindelwald, because David stayed there in a hostel for the night.

Slowly our way became more and more interesting. Along small rivers and old cattle huts we walked through the forest. Every now and then an avalanche had torn a large clearing into the forest. At the end of this forest we reached a valley. There was a big mountain with a glacier at the end. The view was perfect and it was a nice spot for a campsite, but it was really early in the day.

We mad a short stop there for some photos, snacks and refill the water bottles. Then we followed the track up to Große Scheidegg. The landscape began to change slowly. We reached the treeline an it got warmer and warmer. An Indian Summer had founds its way in these nice Swiss Alps.

After one and a half hour walking through blueberry bushes and undergrowth we arrived at Große Scheidegg. There we made a longer break with a cold beer until we continued our way down to Grindelwald. The first metres of the descent were beautiful. Lonely small trails and the Eiger ahead.

This should be changing rapidly. The trail ended and we walked some kilometres on the street up to Grindelwald. Arrived in Grindelwald in the afternoon, I said goodbye to David. He stayed for the night in a hostel and I decided to walk some hours because it was four o’clock in the afternoon und not yet time to rest. I started to follow the way in the hope to find a campsite for the night. But it should still become a hard and long way along many cattle pastures.

I passed Brandegg and Alpiglen, two small villages. The trail was very steed. My legs were burning and I couldn’t walk. I got cramps. Then I stopped and ate some chocolate to give my body new energy. Finding a campsite in that area was not possible, because it too steep there. Finally I took all my strength together and walked for another half an hour until I reached a beautiful campsite under a tree near Kleine Scheidegg.

I pitched my HMG Echo 1 for the night and made a delicious meal with porchini mushrooms and a warm tea. After dinner I went into my warm quilt before I fell asleep very quickly.

Day 2 Kleine Scheidegg – Wengen – Lauterbrunnen – Rostockhütte – Serfinnenfugge

The night was very relaxing. I woke up at seven o’clock in the morning and had a fantastic view at the Eiger Nordwand. After a fast breakfast with muesli and a cup of Starbucks Via coffee I packed everything and was ready for the day. My legs were in perfect conditions and ready for the next kilometers. It took me only half an hour until I reached Kleine Scheidegg.

Life was starting there at this moment. The first trains with tourists arrived there and I decided to leave this location very quickly. The descent took me via Wengen to Lauterbrunnen. One highlight was the descent along the race track of the Lauberhorn Ski Race. It is amazing to see where some people go down. They are completly crazy and adrenaline junkies.

The other way to Lauterbrunnen was net useful. Lauterbrunnen is the target point of the second stage from my journey, but I never had planned to stay there at noon. I followed the Via Alpina signs and they brought me to Mürren. The ascent there was anything but easy. However I could  walk the steep ascent in the shadow what it makes a bit easier. Mürren is a small village with a train station and lots of hotels.

Nothing what I would call beautiful. After a cold drink I continued my way and walked towards the Rostockhütte. This is a small SAC hut in die middle of the mountains. I arrived there in the late afternoon.

From that point I had two options for my trip. Walking via Sefinenfurgge down to Griesalp and from there up to Bluemlisalphütte on the other day or I had the chance to walk over the Serfinenfurgge an then over a glacier.  To make a decision I asked the hut tenants for advice. He told me that the way via Griesalp is safer, because the other hut in the valley of the glacier is closed and the way is not really easy.

Once more I had a look into my card and started to walk in direction to the Serfinenfurgge (2612m) to get my own impressions. When I arrived there at 6:15 in the evening it was getting cold.

On my way up there I passed the first new snow of the year. At the top I ate some nuts and an energy bar, because I was really tired and exhausted, but I decided not to walk via Griesalp. Even if the trail was safer I chosed the glacier route.

Now it was time to find a campsite for the night and I began to descend. This wasn’t really easy because the way was slippy and some mountains goats triggered rockfalls on me. I had to be very careful at this passage.

After another hour of descent I arrived a perfect campsite. A small water source was near me and some chamois grazed on the slopes. The HMG Echo 1 was pitched quickly and I put on my Montane Fireball Smock, because it was getting cold. I filled up my water bottle and made some hot water for dinner and a warm tea.

My dinner was disappointing. These Fuizion is not my taste. Somehow it all tastes the same. Instead of a delicious dinner I had some chocolate and nuts. After that I made some photos of the setting sun before I went to bed.

Day 3 Gamchigletscher – Bluemlisalphütte – Oeschinensee – Kandersteg -  Usser Üschene

The night was very restless. There were several glacial terminations in the night. Every time there was a thunder and I could not sleep very well so I decided to get up early in the morning.

A warm coffee and a splendid glacier view were a great start up and after packing I followed the trial. The Gspaltenhütte was on my way, but this hut was closed since some days. It was a perfect day, because the rising sun enveloped the glacier in a wonderful light. Only two big blisters on my feet clouded the mood. However, I could not go back. The way down to the glacier was very slippy and I had to be very careful.

One at the bottom I saw some glacial terminations of the night. You could feel how the glacier works. I used a short break for some photos before I followed the path. It was a constant up and down. After an hour I met two beautiful girls. We got into conversation and made a break with coffee, cacao and snacks. They told me that they spent the night in a hut and now they were on their way to the glacier. After the break we said goodbye and I continued my way.

Some marmots next to the trail prepared the caves for a long hard winter. I reached the ascent to the Bluemlisalphütte (1956m). Oh my god what an ascent. Two and a half hour steeply uphill on a slippy ground in the early morning to the Bluemlisalphütte (2840m).

What could be better???? I accepted my fate and started to walk. It was very exhausting so that decided to make a break after an hour walking. What could be better than a mouthful of cold water out of the platypus bottle? Finally I reached the last meters. Narrow and precipitous stairs led to the summit. Only secured with some cables.

It was not easy for me, because I am not afraid of heights in such a situation. But I did it. After three hours oh walking I arrived at the Bluemlisalphütte. As a reward I bought myself a cold Coke and a sandwich. Meanwhile it was time to leave this beautiful place. Time was running away and I had to do a descent down to 1132m to do.

Sun was burning really hot and I decided to make a sun hat out of my TAR Z-Lite, because I used my poles for the descent and it was not possible to use my umbrella as sun protection. Downhill was even more strenuous than uphill, but the excellent landscape compensated everything.

A highlight of the descent down to Kandersteg is the way along the Oeschinensee. It is a fantastic panorama to see this beautiful lake in front of the big mountains.

Exhausted and with legs full of pain I arrived at the train station in Kandersteg in the later afternoon. I could not walk any meter. Just sat there and asked me why I do all these things. Instead of pain I could have a relaxed trip. But in the end I was happy that I did it. Because I did not want to give up at that point, it was time to find a camp for the night.

After some chocolate I followed the signs of the Via Alpina in direction to Üsser Üschene. There I found a splendid campsite near a stream. On this day I went early to bed after dinner. There was no time for everything on that evening. No notes or photos of the landscape, only sleeping.

Day 4 Bunderchrinde – Bunderalp – Adelboden

This day started with the same procedure as the days before. Waking up early, packing and a coffee for a good start in the day.

But the start into this day was not to my expectations. I did not find the trail and walked over an hour on a wrong way. After a while I realized it and I saw the right far far away. However, I did not want to go back and finally I decided to cross the slope. This was the shortest way, but not the easiest. It was very steep and stony and I was a bit tired. After all I reached the right trail after half an hour and started my further ascent.

The trail was very small, stony and closely intertwined and I could not believe that I met some biker on this trail. I had some problems to walk there and they rode on their bikes down to Kandersteg. Crazy guys. One hour later I reached one of these nice alpine cabins. A hunter was there and he spent me a coffee. He told me the he wanted to hunt some chamois in the afternoon and that was time to prepare the cabin for the long winter.

We had a fantastic conversation and he told me good tips for some upcoming trips, so I must come back again. I really forgot the time and meanwhile it was time to continue the trail. Bunderchrinde was my first target of the day and I reached the pass after 45minutes of walking on scree. My next target and the end of my trip was Adelboden. The descent down to Adelboden claimed a further two hours.

There were no big highlights to which I can remember. I was really happy to reach Adelboden after such a short time. My fiancée waited there for me and she was really happy that I have arrived there without problems.

Conclusion:

Switzerland is a fantastic country for trips. I really love the Alps and this was not the last time that I stayed there for a trip. The decision to walk the distance in three and a half day was OK. I started untrained in this trip, but everything was possible for me. With this tour, I have made round about 12000m (ascent and descent together). Maybe my next trip would be a bit longer and in another season, because flora and fauna of Switzerland is worth seeing.

Some short Gear Reflections:

HMG Echo 1: On this trip I used the Echo 1 complete with the inner, because the weather in the Alps can be fickle. The conditions on my trips were perfect and I had no problems with condensation or something else. The only problem in my opinion is the big packsize of the inner.

Golite Ultra 20: This is still my favourite quilt for thhe three season setup. Warm enough to -2°C and very light. For winter trips I will combine it with a MLD Spirit or a MYOG synthetic quilt.

60g Cook Set: It  was my first time that I used this set on a trip, because I built it for this trip. The performance was OK. I only have to cannge the 1g stakes. They are too small and I have to improve the stove a bit.

BPL Merino Hoody: A fantastic piece of gear. Kept me always warm, although it is so thin.

LAUFBURSCHE huckePACK: Still a class of its own. It is my favorite pack and I like it really much.

Montane Fireball Smock: One of the best synthetic smocks, but I purchased a Mont-Bell Thermawarp Parka with a hood for cold winter and autumn trips.

Inov-8 Roclite 315: Perfect grip and still my favorite shoe.

Panasonic Lumix GF2 with 20mm Pancake: I took a long time, but I bought it. The touchscreen handling of the camera is fantastic and the combination with the 20mm Pancake is light and makes splendid photos. The cam fits without problems in a small LAUFBURSCHE hip belt pocket.

Fuizion Food: What a dissappointment. This food is not really my taste. Ordered some packages, but now I have to sell them.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UJl0y5rZ1OE/Tps7QeGJH4I/AAAAAAAAFTM/lOw9q0qcLPw/s720/P1010352.JPG

Instead of the headline 'The Beautiful Berner Oberland' I could also call the trip 'An Untrained Person Tries To Walk In The Swiss Alps'. But one after another. My last three months were very busy. I had to work very much and we also have a small farm with three horses where is also ...

Luc Mehl is an adventurer from Alaska and he is the winner of the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic 2011.Congratulations to that great performance. He made lots of interesting trips during the last time with ski/bike/packraft and shares them with us on his great homepage thingstolucat.com. I’m really happy that Luc wrote this great article where he tells us that also adventures can be art. Let’s go.

—

Adventure as Art

It is tempting to fill this essay with disclaimers, so let me at least state that there are countless adventurers with more experience and insight than me. My ’success’ as an adventurer, whatever that means, has more to do with strong partners and bad weather than anything else.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Some people satisfy the need for self-expression through art or music. Although not recognized as artists, we, as adventurers, can fulfill that same need through interactions with the landscape.

People are different in the woods. You have probably experienced it yourself; playing outside strips away urban layers of stress, status, routine, and brings our core, our essence, closer to the surface. That essence always seems to be a beautiful thing, a sense of power, invincibility, and strength. When I recognize it in myself I often think, “This is who I am. This is where I’m supposed to be.” It is a glow. I see the glow in my partners as well, irresistible, drawing me toward their energy and confidence.

This summer my mom convinced me that adventuring is art. I had been aware of how rewarding wilderness trips are for years, but I hadn’t recognized my need to play outside, and how similar my need is to an artist’s need to express themself. My need to interact with rock, snow, or water, is similar to an artist’s need to paint or play music, the need to create something from within, self-expression. Recognizing adventure as art has helped me understand some of my life decisions, but more importantly, recognizing adventure as art makes me want to get more creative with future trips.

My mom and brother are both artistic, and I’ve always felt left out. But with my mom’s prompting, I am excited to accept adventuring as my artistic expression. Adventuring is an incredibly creative process. We choose routes from drainage patterns, ridge lines, and shades of green in the vegetation. And like traditional artists, we make sacrifices that allow us to pursue self-expression. I’ve taken part-time jobs, ended relationships, and quit graduate schools to pursue my passions in Alaska. And if we don’t make time for our art, we are unhappy. When I don’t make time to adventure, I starve, I cave in.

When everything clicks in the mountains, I have moments of euphoria. Roman Dial describes these moments as ‘going mindless;’ the body just knows what to. I think of these moments as a glow, something primal that reflects an essence of being. The glow often stays with me for several days, during which I feel invincible and magnetic. I attract attention and can do no wrong, even if I’m trying to talk to girls! I was glowing in the grocery store in Anchorage after my first Summer Wilderness Classic when a cute girl with a southern accent started flirting with me. But then she looked at my feet and said I need to take better care of my toenails (oh the sacrifices of an artist!).

My most creative trips, the trips that give me the most glow, have been Alaska’s Summer and Winter Mountain Wilderness Classics (unsupported, multi-day, 200-300 km-scale races). Participants that finish the courses often say something like, “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done… and also the most rewarding.” The Classics have been life-changing for me, largely because each year I learn more about how my body handles rough conditions. My body seems to excel when conditions degrade, and in that state I begin to glow.

In this year’s Summer Wilderness Classic we chose a 190 km glaciated route through the Alaska Range. Conditions were wetter and colder than expected, and traveling without sleeping bags or tents meant that we never had a good opportunity to sleep. Nobody on the team got more than 30 minutes sleep during 2 days and 16 hours on the route. Despite the sleep deprivation and cold, all four of us maintained an incredible pace and attitude, we absolutely glowed. We floated ‘mindlessly’ through loose landslide debris and fog-hidden ice. In an unspoken dance we took turns leading when someone else started to fade. I kept thinking, ‘This is so human, this is right!’ Wet, cold, and breaking through a crevasse every few hundred meters, John Sykes, our 22 year-old ace just kept smiling and pushing, glowing with appreciation for his body’s strength, route-finding skill, and contribution to the team. It was a hugely empowering experience for him, life-changing.

I encourage you to consider yourself an artist; plan your next adventure as an artist. Recognize the elements that give you that ‘mindless’ or glowing state. Choose the most interesting route, even if it is inefficient. Put yourself in the position to have raw interactions with the land: go without a tent, without sleep, without warm food. Getting cold? Start moving. Our bodies are incredible tools. They don’t need much comfort, a fact easily overlooked with puffy jackets and 3 oz. stoves. Create something beautiful, then share it with the rest of us!

Luc Mehl is an adventurer from Alaska and he is the winner of the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic 2011.Congratulations to that great performance. He made lots of interesting trips during the last time with ski/bike/packraft and shares them with us on his great homepage thingstolucat.com. I'm really happy that Luc wrote this great article ...

Joe Newton’s last blog entry deals with a great tip of Mike Clelland’s book ‘Ultralight Backpackin’ Tips’. This book is so outstanding that I also decided to write some words about one of these great tips. Meanwhile it is getting colder and colder and summer is over. In some areas there are quite frosty nights. You all know the problem when you wake up after a cold night outside. After breakfast you wanna clean your teeth, but is not possible, because the toothpaste is frozen in this small tube and don’t wanna come out. Mike Clelland has the best solution I think in his book. So I decided to make my own toothpaste dots, because they are not available in shops near me.

Here are some pictures of my first approach.

First of all you need some baking paper. On my first attempt I have squirted some short snakes of toothpaste on the baking paper.

To dry the toothpaste you can put the baking paper into your dehydrator. I decided to put it on my oven in the living-room to save power.

Cutting the dry toothpaste into small parts is a bit difficult, because it breaks down into bigger chunks. These chunks are ok and if they are too small I take one more too clean my teeth.

You can store the toothpaste in a small ziploc or in a tube.

Enjoy making your own toothpaste dots for your winter trips.

Joe Newton's last blog entry deals with a great tip of Mike Clelland's book 'Ultralight Backpackin' Tips'. This book is so outstanding that I also decided to write some words about one of these great tips. Meanwhile it is getting colder and colder and summer is over. In some areas there are quite frosty ...

Mr. Joe Newton is a blogger from Norway and a member of the Nordic Lightpacking group. I think you all know his great blog Thunder In The Night with fantastic trips in Norway, interesting gear reviews, excellent photos and articles with lots of humor. Now he is back from his splendid trip on the Jotunheimstien Trail and it is time to release his Guest Article on my blog.

—

This post has been floating around in my head for a while now. There is, thankfully, a trend towards people reducing the amount of gear they own for outdoor adventures. The search continues for versatile and adaptable gear that can cover a wide range of conditions, seasons and elements of backcountry travel such as skiing, snowshoeing, bike touring and packrafting. While we all make space for super ultralight summer outfits or bomber winter options I got thinking about what items of gear I would pick if I could only have one. If space, money or other commitments forced me to REALLY pare down my gear closet to the absolute minimum. Could I manage with one pack, one shelter, one sleeping bag, one stove, one pair of trekking poles instead of several options for each that I have lying around. Packing for a trip would be far quicker for sure. Have a look at my thoughts below and let me know what your ‘Highlander’ choices would be.

The Pack

This is one area which I still don’t think I’ve nailed. I love my Gorilla but at 45litres capacity it’s not big enough for winter. Conversely my go-to winter pack GoLite Pinnacle is far too big in summer. Something in the middle with good compression, reasonable weight and a durable fabric? The pack I still suggest to most people looking to take their first steps towards a lighter packweight is the GoLite Jam. Still far from perfect but it’s cheap, ubiquitous and ticks a lot of boxes. I know people who have used them in the Scandinavian winter as well as overnighters and week long summer trips. More money and currently less readily available the Laufbursche huckePACK in DXG fabric is a European alternative that could be customised to carry various backcountry tools. My search continues.

The Shelter

Many of us enjoy the low weight, simplicity and communion with nature afforded by tarps. They’ve been used is some pretty horrendous conditions by skilled proponents but I would look for something a little more substantial in my one shelter. Light, adaptable, durable, stable in adverse conditions. Hmmm. My bias opinion would be to reach for my Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid. Sleeps one or two people. Can be left open for maximum views or battened down in the clag. Wind-shedding, proven design. Combined with a bivy bag this gives me everything I need in a shelter in all but mountain top deep Scandinavian winter.

The Sleeping Bag

To be honest I’m not even sure I would have only a sleeping bag. I’m a convert to quilts and I’d be happy to use them exclusively year round. I still have a down bag. A Western Mountaineering Ultralite that I use in winter, augmented with my Mountain Laurel Designs Spirit 30 quilt on top. Could I use only one quilt all year round though? A quilt has one major design feature that sets them apart from sleeping bags and that is the ability to use them wide open in warmer weather on snugged around you in the cold. Sure, you can unzip a sleeping bag but I find them awkward to use in that configuration. The zip gets in the way or you’re suffocated by the hood that is now on top of your face. No, a quilt would be my choice. Something rated to maybe between -5C and -10C. It still wouldn’t be too heavy in summer and could be used in milder winter conditions with plenty of insulated clothing and a super-duper pad under you. Maybe a Katabatic Sawatch would fit the bill.

The Stove

Cooking over wood is instinctive and satisfying. Cooking over a 6g home-made cat can stove with alcohol fuel is rewarding and ultralight. But can I use them in my tent? Are they easy to use when the weather is bad?Would I rely on them in winter cold? The answer is simply no and for that reason I would still pick a simple gas canister stove if I could only have one way of boiling water for that well earned mac’n’cheese at the end of a long day. Efficient, quick and relatively safe I would have no compunction about selecting something like an Optimus Crux or an MSR Pocket Rocket.

The Trekking Poles

I added this category as it’s the piece of equipment that I can’t seem to stop buying. It spawned this post in a lot of ways. I have half a dozen different pairs stacked up in the corner of my gear cupboard and I’d really like to get down to one pair. OK, maybe two I am impressed and overjoyed with my super light and comfortable Gossamer Gear LT4s  but they don’t pack down too good and I couldn’t ski with them. My Mountain King Carbon Compacts are a good compromise of weight, packability and practicality but the grips suck, the locking mechanism isn’t foolproof and again I can’t use them for skiing. So I’m left with my Black Diamond Traverse poles. Excellent ‘flicklock’ adjustment, comfortable handles, durable enough for snowshoeing and can ‘scope out to 155cm which is enough for me to use them for cross-country skiing and as a shelter support without the need for additional extenders.

So what would you choose? What would you be happy to take out with you on every single trip you have planned for the coming 12 months? Can there even be ‘only one’?

Mr. Joe Newton is a blogger from Norway and a member of the Nordic Lightpacking group. I think you all know his great blog Thunder In The Night with fantastic trips in Norway, interesting gear reviews, excellent photos and articles with lots of humor. Now he is back from his splendid trip on the ...

The OutDoor Show finished on Sunday and there were not really much news. It was interesting to meet all the new people behind the companies and meeting good old friends and talk with them about new gear and ideas. But it was also a pleasure to take an out time during the fair to go paddling on the Argen with Q. Now it is time to show you some of the news in detail.

Terra Nova was the first company who conquered the market with Cuben Fiber in 2010. Now they are back in 2011 with a new tent and an improved processing. Ok it is not a complete new tent. They used an existing tent and changend some Silnylon parts against Cuben. Voyager Ultra 2 is the name of the new two person Cuben tent. It is 50% lighter than the standard Voyager tent and has a maximum stability for a minimum weight. The Voyager Ultra 2 has a flysheet made with Cuben Fiber. Even the floor is made with Cuben. This is in my opinion not the best solution, because Cuben is not really abrasion resistent and you need a footprint when you don’t wanna gestroy the floor. It has a weight of 880g. Over the last year they were able to improve the processing. Last year the seams of the TN Laser Ultra were completly sewn, now they are glued. Finally I would say Terra Nova is on the right way to design ultralight Cuben tents. They learn from year to year how to work with the fabric. Let’s see what we can exspect next year.

Mountain Hardwear introduced also a lightweight tent at the OutDoor Show. It is a 4-person tent with the name Hoopla 4. The tent has a height of 127 cm and a diameter of 292cm and weighs 738g. You can use one trailpole to pitch it. On top of the tent Mountain Hardwear uses a Trussring to get mor space. The design is very interesting and the space is superb. Perfect for longer trips with packraft.

Easton is also back with the same, but lighter tent. Kilo 1P was the name of the tent which they presented last year and it weighed less than one kilo. The Kilo was revised during the year and has now a faantastic weight of 846g. For those who like more space there is the Easton Kilo 2P with a weight of 997g and the Easton Kilo 3P with a weight of 1,4kg available.

For those who like superb tents from Sweden please have a look at Hilleberg. They introduced three new tents. The Anjan 2, Anjan 3 and the Rogen. For more details please click here.

Not lightweight but a crazy project from Germany. Heimplanet is the name of this group of young entrepreneurs. The presented their new tent the Cave. It is a tent without any poles. Instead of poles they only use small tubes which are filled with air. Tge tent has a geodetic form and offers space for three people. You can inflate the Cave within one minute and is really stable. Only the weight of round about 5,3kg is not acceptable for hiking, but is a really crazy project and I hope they can reduce the weight in the next time.

Last but not least another photo of an interesting tent. I found it at the Hyperlite Mountain Gear blog. It is made for cycling, packrafting and hiking trips and offers enough space for three persons. You can pitch the tent with your 4 piece paddles, trailpoles and even with the bike. The tent will be presented at the OutDoor Retailer Show ins the USA next week. At the moment the HMG prototype weighs 25oz.

Photo by Hyperlite Mountain Gear

The OutDoor Show finished on Sunday and there were not really much news. It was interesting to meet all the new people behind the companies and meeting good old friends and talk with them about new gear and ideas. But it was also a pleasure to take an out time during the fair to ...

Vibram Five Fingers has new colours.

Mountain Hardwear windshirt with 50g made with 7 denier nylon.

Quasar the new Cuben Packs from Terra Nova

Top Bag from Carinthia. The bag weighs 700g and has a comfort of -4°C

MSR Microrocket 73g

New down jacket from Carinthia with a fantastic weight of 450g

Not light but crazy. A new tent from Germany.

Mountain Hardwear Hoopla 4, 738g, diameter 292cm and a height of 127cm

New barefoot shoe from Leguano

Hot merino underwear for girls made by Icebreaker

Sea to Summit mesh stuff sacks

Packrafting trip on Saturday after two hard days at the OutDoor Show

Vibram Five Fingers has new colours. Mountain Hardwear windshirt with 50g made with 7 denier nylon. Quasar the new Cuben Packs from Terra Nova Top Bag from Carinthia. The bag weighs 700g and has a comfort of -4°C MSR Microrocket 73g New down jacket from Carinthia with a fantastic weight of 450g Not light but crazy. A new tent from ...

It was a long and hard day yesterday and here now some impressions of the day.

Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XTherm for winter hiking with a R_value of round about 5.7

Terra Noa Voyager Ultra 2

Montane Prism Pant with Primaloft Eco 40 and a weight of 290g in size L (available in late summer)

Montane Minimus Pants with a 25000MVTR and a weight of 125g in size L

Montane Slipstream GL Smock weighs 80g in size M

The lightest crampons I could find at the show.

Meeting with Kari from Kupilka

It was a long and hard day yesterday and here now some impressions of the day. Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XTherm for winter hiking with a R_value of round about 5.7 Terra Noa Voyager Ultra 2 Montane Prism Pant with Primaloft Eco 40 and a weight of 290g in size L (available in late summer) Montane Minimus Pants with a ...

He guys my time is very limited at the moment. I have a full time job in a big foundry and at home a small farm, where I have to do lots of things in summer. So I’m very busy. It was not possible to write my second part of the packrafting trip in the last weeks. Sorry for that. I promise improvement. Now I’m very happy to have some free days to regenerate.
Like the most of you know we have July and July is the month of the OutDoor Show in Friedrichshafen. I will be there, but not for the whole four days. Also wanna use the free days to go packrafting with a good friend. Such a show is no fun when it runs excessively. But I’ll be there to meet some other bloggers and looking forward for new lightweight gear. But new innovations become less. So let’s see what to exspect.

Last year Terra Nova was the first year which conquered to market with Cuben Fiber. Now they have a new tent and packs with Cuben. I’ll see if they have learned to work with that lightweight fabric and improved their quality.
Further I will have a look at Montane if they have new and interesting clothing.

If you are interested you can follow my twitter account, if you wanna see some photos of the new gear. I also wanna keep it like last year that I write an short article with some impressions of the day here on my blog. Detailed articles will follow after the OutDoor Show.

He guys my time is very limited at the moment. I have a full time job in a big foundry and at home a small farm, where I have to do lots of things in summer. So I'm very busy. It was not possible to write my second part of the packrafting trip in ...

My trip was slightly longer than I exspected. So here is the first part. The other part will follow next week. So take a coffee or a tea and some cakes an enjoy my packraft experience.

___

Actually, I have planned a trip in the Pyrenees on the HRP, but my trip partner became ill and we canceled the trip because I did not want to go alone. Time was very short to find a new trip, but then I received a mail from Sven. He is a packraft hero in Germany. A kind like of German Roman Dial. Sven told me that he and some friends would meet at Pentecost at the Salza in Austria for packrafting and I could also come along. These were fantastic news for me because I got the chance to test my new Alpacka Yukon Yak in white water and not only on lakes near my home. A detailed report about the boat will follow.

After this good news I started to complete my paddle gear, because I needed a wetsuit for the cold water in the alpine rivers, a light all round helmet and a life jacket. The complete gear arrived just in time so I had no problems. Everything was packed in my car and I went on to Wildalpen in Austria. Planned was to go on a hiking trip in the first days before I meet Sven and the others. After a long journey with the car I arrived in Wildalpen late Sunday evening. The campsite was closed and I decided to spend the night in the woods near Wildalpen. It was very warm that night, but I slept very well. In the next morning I wanted to start my planned hiking trip when I received a mail from Sven. He told me that they will arrive on Thursday evening, because they still wanted to paddle on another a river that day. I was very interested to paddle on that river, but I had no experiences with white water at that point. So I decided to cancel my three days hiking trip to make myself familiar with the white water on the Salza. But I still wanted to use the complete Monday to explore the region around Wildalpen.

An inchworm near the trail.

Aquilegia alpina

After I had repacked my huckePÄCKchen I started to explore the region. I took a really long time to leave Wildalpen behind because lots of houses were widely distributed on a road. I followed a small trail after the road. This trail led me on the mountains. The mountains around Wildalpen are not very high, but the landscape is so beautiful.

One of these beautiful houses.

Everywhere were blooming meadows. The weather on that Monday was perfect. Sun was shining and we had round about 26°C. At lunchtime I made a short break near a stream. After refreshment with the cold water from the stream out of my Kupilka 21 and some cereal bars I followed the trail again. I passed some lonely cabins and cattle pastures. The further way led me to a small trail along the Salza. It was unbelievable. The water of that river is so clear and everything was filled with rare flowers. It is a splendid place on our earth.

Cold water out of my Kupilka 21

I followed this trail. Sometimes he fell so steeply that these passages were secured with ropes. The noise of the water was like music to the ears. After some kilometers I reached lovely place at the Salza where I decided to stop for another break and a sun bath. I had a perfect view on some rapids and could see how other passes them. Ok it was late in the afternoon and only four boats passed this section. Meanwhile it was time to continue to the trail. Lots of orchids adorned my way to the campsite. I started to collect some wood for a fire in the evening. The evening ended with a great meal, made with my Trail Designs Ti-Tri, cold beer and a campfire in front of my tent.

A view from the trail along the Salza

Aconitum lycoctonum & Dactylorhiza maculata

Class I white water

A perfect combination. LAUFBURSCHE huckePÄCKchen & Kupilka 21

On Tuesday I got my packraft into water. After a troubled night at the campsite I woke up very late in the morning. It was 10 o’clock when I opened the door of my tent. I had a fast breakfast with two cups of Starbucks Via coffee to get up very quick. Then I decided to pack everything for the first packraft trip. Packraft, paddle, life jacket, rain jacket, helmet and wetsuit fit perfect in my LAUFBURSCHE huckePACK. I took the wetsuit with me because I had no experience with capsizing in such cold water and on that day I was on my own. The water had a temperature of round about 10°C. My Vibram Five Fingers Bikila was the first choice footwear for paddling.

I followed the small trail along the Salza, which I had already gone yesterday. After 8 kilometers I found a good entry point. The packraft was quickly inflated with the help of the inflation bag. Then I put on my paddling and safety gear and stored all the rest in a drybag. It was time to start the adventure. I entered the boat and closed the spraydeck.

Starting my first white water experience

After some paddle strokes I reached the first rapids with some rock blocks. They were a little harder than it looked from the shore and I started to row. Maybe it was a Class II white water. I nearly capsized, but everything went well and I passed this section without further problems. It was a great feeling. First, the river became quieter. I drifted with the flow and enjoyed the splendid nature around. Some trout swam around me and a deer grazed on the shore. Everything was perfect. Passing the next rapids was very easy. It was some kind of Class I white water and I had a lot of fun in my boat when I passed this section. After a while I stopped for snack. Paddling makes you very hungry. The last kilometers were easy to paddle, but there was one barrier in front of the campsite, a roller. Afterwards this roller was not difficult as it looked.

Aqua Bound Manta Ray Carbon

I was really happy when I reached the campsite without any big problems on the water. I finished the day with a cold beer and a dinner at the river. Later I made a small campfire unitl I went into bed. After reading some articles from Michael Clellands new book “Ultralight Backpackin’ Tips” I slept deeply. The weather during the night was not good as on the nights before. We had a heavy storm and lots of rain, but my Golite Shangri La 2 performed very well. Some other tents at the campsite where blown down from the storm.

Getting up at the other morning was hard, because I had muscle strain from paddling the day before. But whining will not help. It was time to come into the boat. After a delicious breakfast I started packing. I walked along the same trail as on the day before only a few kilometers more. On that day it was a bit easier to handle the boat and everything went well. The rest of the day I have used to make some photos of the flora around me. In the evening I went very early to bed, because the next day should be exhausting.

On Thursday I woke up at 7 o’clock. It was cold and rainy and I did not want to get out of my sleeping bag, but it was time to start, because I had to travel 65 kilometers to the river where I wanted to meet Sven and the others. I arrived there at 9.30 o’clock and the others came some minutes later. After a brief welcome we started to repack the cars. We put the kayaks and the rafts in one car and left one car at the exit point. It took a really long time to travel to the entry point. It would have been no problem to walk there with our packrafts, but a big problem with the heavy kayaks.

Starting the trip on the Erlauf

After reaching the entry point we put on the paddle gear and started our journey on the Erlauf. On this trip, we were four. Martin and Willi, two local kayakers, and Sven and I in the packrafts. Martin and Willi knew the river very well and could give us good tips. First of all Sven showed me some skills in the packraft. He showed me how to paddle against the flow and how to use eddies. After this lesson we followed the river. The landscape was also perfect as on the Salza. Furthermore the rain stopped and the sun came out. After some kilometers of paddling we reached a slightly heavier section.

Photo by Sven’s gf

We stopped at the bank and had a look from a bridge to see what the best way to pass this section is. This section was a bit too difficult for me and I decided to convert my boat, because I did not to risk anything. The others passed the passage without any problems.

Photo by Sven’s gf

After that paddling was easy until we arrived the entrance to a gorge with bursting water. Martin and Willi had no problems. I tried this section, because I could not convert the boat.  And then it happened. I came into the bursting water. It pressed me with enormous force against the rocks. Sven gave me some instructions how to paddle, but it was not possible to get out of this predicament. After a time of struggle I capsized. I was pushed under water for a short time before I showed up again with the paddle in my hand. Sven stopped my boat. It was an unknown feeling and I was a bit confused, but after some minutes I climbed back into the boat and then I saw that my spraydeck was broken.

The water was very cloudy, because of the rain the night before.

A short break after some class II rapids

Shit happens I thought in that moment. Life goes on and it was important that I was ok. We continued our way through the gorge and I had to stop constantly because water came into the boat as a result of the broken spraydeck. After a while we reached a big tree that lay in the river. All others had no problem to pass the tree, but I came a bit slanted towards the tree and threatened to capsize. The pressure of the water was too large. Sven and Willi helped me to get out of the boat. Many thanks for that. Afterwards we paddled through some class I & II white water until we arrived at a canyon.

Sven passing the canyon with his Yukon Yak

Photo by Sven’s gf

This canyon was very difficult with class II-IV white water and I stopped my trip there. I took my boat out of the water and carried to the end of the canyon. They arrived after an hour and I was already cold. I climbed back into the boat to paddle the last kilometer to hour exit point. 200m before the exit point I saw that Willi and Martin stopped at the bank. Willi cried that I have to stop because it is another heavy rapid. I could not because I was too fast. I summoned up my courage and started to paddle. Surprisingly, I had no problems with this section and I was glad that I did not capsize again. After that we reached the exit point and put on our dry and warm clothing. We finished the day with a cold drink until we started our way back to the campsite. The evening ended in a get-together an we went early in our sleeping bags.

___

To be continued

My trip was slightly longer than I exspected. So here is the first part. The other part will follow next week. So take a coffee or a tea and some cakes an enjoy my packraft experience. ___ Actually, I have planned a trip in the Pyrenees on the HRP, but my trip partner became ill and ...

Three interesting jackets were presented at the Outdoor Show last year. A first look of the Golite Malpais Trinity can you find on my blog. Meanwhile another package with the Berghaus Mount Asgard Smock arrived. This is one of the lightest fully technically equipped GORE TEX tops in the world. The smock was developed by the Berghaus Mtn. Haus team in cooperation with the climber Leo Houlding.

The Mount Asgard smock is not as light as the Golite Malpais Trinity, but the jacket remains under 300g.  Exactly 294g for size L on my scale.  This is an acceptable weight for such a technical smock. The cut is close fitting without restricting. It feels like a second skin. For more freedom of movement Berghaus uses some stretch applications under the arms of their new jacket. The fabric of the smock is a lightweight version of GORE TEX Pro Shell and as you know the quality of Berghaus all seams are fully taped and the waterproof zipper is extra long for an excellent fitting.

Coming now to the hood, one of the most interesting part of the Berghaus Mount Asgard Smock. The hood has a sophisticated design. All hood cord adjusters are at the front for single hand adjustment. The cord locks are incorporated into the jacket so that they nowhere get stuck and break off. A helmet for climbing or packrafting fits perfect under this roomy designed hood.

Meanwhile the smock has some other nice details. The waterproof front zipper has a big storm flap to protect you. At the end of the zipper there is a perforated reservoir which directs the water away that comes along the zipper. The pocket next to the front zipper offers space for small things and is made with mesh on the inner.

First Impressions:

The first impression of the Berghaus Mount Asgard Smock is really good. I really like the athletic cut of this smock. The smock offers enough space for an insulation jacket or something else. Furthermore I can say that the breathability of the GORE Tex Pro Shell is splendid. I have had some problems with the breathability of GORE TEX fabrics in the past,  but this smock works well. The cord looks are strong enough and fix the jacket in position without slipping, even when you are biking or running. I also like the design of the fantastic hood. It fits perfectly to the head and offers at the same time enough space for a helmet. These are my first impressions so far. I will take the jacket with me on my upcoming packraft trip in Austria next week. After this trip I hope that I can write some more impressions.

Now you can guess which is the third jacket that I will present on my blog .

Three interesting jackets were presented at the Outdoor Show last year. A first look of the Golite Malpais Trinity can you find on my blog. Meanwhile another package with the Berghaus Mount Asgard Smock arrived. This is one of the lightest fully technically equipped GORE TEX tops in the world. The smock was developed ...

Another TUL meeting is over. We had a great time in Cologne. Thanks all for coming, LAUFBURSCHE for the perfect organization and Nitro for these yummy Thurigian sausages.

The huckePÄCKchen made with black Cuben Fiber and a special huckePACK made with lemon grren X-PAC and Cuben pockets.

Hip Belt pockets made with different facrics. The lemon green one is my favorite.

You can use the Hip Belt pocket also as purse.

Ultralight alta

A view into the green and cozy backyard.

PACK model

We spent the Friday and half of the Saturday in the backyard with gear talk and grilling. The weather was excellent. On Saturday afternoon we moved to the campsite for the night.

MLD Cuben DuoMid. It is splndid shelter, but too small for me.

This low budget tent offers space for three people.

Big mat test (Klymit, Kooka Bay, POE).

A one  finger knife made by Markus Keppeler.

Use the MLD Momentum 50 Quilt liner and you are looking like a carrot.

LAUFBURSCHE tanzPALAST in black Cuben Fiber.

LAUFBURSCHE monoLOGE in black Cuben Fiber with a length of 3m for really tall person.

MYOG Cuben Fiver rain skirt.

Testing the Bushcooker LT1. I was not satisfied with the flame. The BB Ultra is still my favorite and my next purchase.

Enjoying the campfire on the banks of the river Rhine.

The morning after. Relaxing at the campsite.

Still my favourite cup Kupilka 21.

See ya at the next meeting.

Another TUL meeting is over. We had a great time in Cologne. Thanks all for coming, LAUFBURSCHE for the perfect organization and Nitro for these yummy Thurigian sausages. The huckePÄCKchen made with black Cuben Fiber and a special huckePACK made with lemon grren X-PAC and Cuben pockets. Hip Belt pockets made with different facrics. The lemon ...

Now we have spring and the gear which was presented at the OutDoor Show 2010 in Friedrichshafen is now available in outdoor shops and for the customer. On this way I received a new jacket from GoLite, the Malpais Trinity and here is the name of the company program. The new jacket from GoLite is one of the lightest 3-layer waterproof jackets on the market and comes along with a weight of 193g in size M. OK the weight of the series production jacket is a bit heavier than the prototype at the OutDoor show, but the it is also excellent.

OK let’s start with some technical infos of the jacket. Golite used for the Malpais their own waterproof Trinity fabric. This fabric has a waterproof level of 17000mm and a breathability level of 15,000g/m²/24 hours. The jacket comes along with fully taped seams and waterproof zippers.

Meanwhile the GoLite Malpais has a simple big hood. Big enough to use a helmet or something else under the hood. There is only one small draw cord to adjust the hood and instead of heavy cord locks they used a small piece of shaped foam to fix the draw cord. At the backside of the hood you have a small piece of velcro to put the hood more narrowly.

Another nice feature of this jacket are the gummed tapes of the zipper. You have a better grip when you are wearing gloves or when it is wet. Furthermore the jacket has two hand pockets with waterproof zippers. The inside of the pockets are made with mesh for better ventilation if they are open.

First Impression:

Normally I wear size L in my rain jackets, but the Golite Malpais Trinity was a little too closely so I decided to choose size XL. This size XL weighs 239g on my scale. Now I have a jacket with plenty of space for a lot of insulation clothing. The arms are long enough and my sweet ass is well protected. It only disturbs the space in the abdominal area. The small velcro dots are strong enough to secure the hood and the cuff closures. I really could not use the jacket under rainy conditions. The weather in the last weeks was still perfect with no rain or something else. But there will be enough rain during the year and I will test the jacket and compare it with other jackets and smocks on the market. S0 stay tuned and have a look at my blog for news of the jacket and other interesting articles.

Last but not least if you are interested in this jacket UOG has it in stock for a great offer.

Now we have spring and the gear which was presented at the OutDoor Show 2010 in Friedrichshafen is now available in outdoor shops and for the customer. On this way I received a new jacket from GoLite, the Malpais Trinity and here is the name of the company program. The new jacket from GoLite ...

First of all I want to say thank you that so many have participated in my spring raffle to win the fantastic Cuben Fiber HipBelt Pocket made by LAUFBURSCHE. 108 participants are a lot for such a small raffle, but it is fantastic and we have a winner. With the help of random.org I have determined the winner this morning.

Because my comments are not numbered, I have gone forward in the following way so there is no confusion. The first comment written by Jonas is number 1 and the last comment written by Andrew Conrad is number 108.

TATATATATATATATATATATATA

And the winner of my raffle is number 27.

Here is the winner comment.

Congratulations Chobo. Please contact me for your address.
Thanks to the rest of you for participation. There will other raffles in the future where you can try your luck.
Last but not least have a look at Lighthiker’s blog, if you have won the LAUFBURSCHE Cuben Fiber Stuff Sacks.

First of all I want to say thank you that so many have participated in my spring raffle to win the fantastic Cuben Fiber HipBelt Pocket made by LAUFBURSCHE. 108 participants are a lot for such a small raffle, but it is fantastic and we have a winner. With the help of random.org I ...

Beef Jerky is one of my favorite trail snacks. I like it really much, but the biggest problem is the high price. So I decided to make my own Beef Jerky. The advantage is that you can put everything into the marinade what you want, to get a delicious and tasty jerky.

You need perfect beef for the jerky. I prefer organic beef from a farmer near me, but we also have a good butcher which processes the meet from other good farmers around me. The best beef for the jerky is the fillet, because it has little fat, but it is the most expensive part of the beef. You can also use Roast Beef, Beef Shoulder or rolls. If there is too much fat you can cut it away. Another important part is to cut the beef in very thin slices. This works best if the meat is slightly frozen or you make it at the butcher. After that you can cut the beef into small pieces. Important is to cut the beef against the grain, to bite it better.

Now you could spice up the meat and dry it, but this would not taste very good. So I made a marinade where I’ve placed the meat for 24 hours that it takes the good taste. For the marinade you can use different sauces, herbs, vinegar etc. Important is to use no oil or something similar because it can become rancid. Here is my recipe for the beef. It is made for round about 1kg beef.

• 125 barbecue sauce
• 100 soy sauce
• 125 teriyaki sauce
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 20g ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Fleur de Sel
• 1 tablespoon honey
• a bit mustard
• 50ml single malt whisky (preferably a whisky from Islay, because they are so smoky. For this batch of jerky I used a Bruichladdie Octomore)

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix it. Then put the beef into the marinade and mix everything again, so that the whole beef is covered with the delicious marinade. After that put everything in a freezer bag and close it with elastic or something else. Put everything in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours.

The next step is to separate the meat from the marinade. Pour everything in a sieve so that the marinade can proceed. With slight pressure on the meat you can get more marinade out of the beef. Last but not least dry the beef with the help of some kitchen paper. Now you can put the beef into your dehydrator for round about 4-6 hours, depending on how thick the beef is.

After the drying process the meat must cool down at first. Then the beef jerky can be stored in normal Zip-Locs. I still let this jerky rest a little bit, so that the rest-humid can steadily spread. You can store the jerky for about 6 month.

Enjoy making your own Beef Jerky.

Beef Jerky is one of my favorite trail snacks. I like it really much, but the biggest problem is the high price. So I decided to make my own Beef Jerky. The advantage is that you can put everything into the marinade what you want, to get a delicious and tasty jerky. You need perfect ...

Today is April Fool’s Day. This day is celebrated in the whole world. People play jokes with each other or release funny posts or homepages. I am not a big friend of this day and the jokes which will be played. Most of these are not very funny.
Instead of playing hoaxes or something else, I start a raffle today and boycott the April Fool’s Day. Yes you read correctly. You can win something today. Another reason for the raffle is the first birthday of my blog hrXXLight.com.

Now you will ask you what there is to win.
My good old friend LAUFBURSCHE from Cologne send me one of his Hip Belt Pockets made with the new black Cuben Fiber. The LAUFBURSCHE Hip Belt Pocket has a volume of 1,5l and weighs only 26g.

What you need to do???
Not really much. Just leave comment and you are member of the raffle. It is so easy.

The raffle will finish on Sunday the 17th of April at 12:00 am. With the help of random.org I’ll pick up the winner and contact him for the address. I ship worldwide and shipping is free. Everyone of the world can try his luck.

But that’s not all. The grandfather of UL in Germany Lighthiker also starts an interesting raffle today. There you can win a set LAUFBURSCHE Stuff Sacks (S,M,L) also made with black Cuben Fiber.

Have a look at his blog and try you luck. The Stuff Sacks are fantastic.

This is not everything.

LAUFBURSCHE wants to invite you to the next TULFT in Cologne on May, 1st.
The invitation to this meeting can you find on LAUFBURSCHES BLOG.
This meeting is legendary, although it took place only once. You can have a look at the workshop of LAUFBURSCHE and enjoy the weekend at a beautiful campsite near the river Rhine.

Today is April Fool's Day. This day is celebrated in the whole world. People play jokes with each other or release funny posts or homepages. I am not a big friend of this day and the jokes which will be played. Most of these are not very funny. Instead of playing hoaxes or something else, ...