I’m 5’2.5″ and 126 lbs.  I have the bottom half of  a creaky old troll and the top half of an anemic fairy . This is due, in part to genetics (short stature, arthritis), too many microbrews, and not enough time in the kayak.

Backpack: ULA Catalyst or Deuter ACT Lite 45+10 SL?

My first hurdle was finding a pack that was comfortable.  Nigel chose the ULA Catalyst for me, which is an absolutely gorgeous pack.  It has a coolest “sock” on the outside for stuffing gear, easy-to-reach-while-wearing side pockets, is a breeze to pack, has maximum room, minimum weight, and, when fully-loaded, was well balanced.  Unfortunately, after at least 4 miles pacing up and down our driveway, I realized that even the S-Curve straps were not going to cut it for me – rather, they were just going to cut into my shoulders.    

Instead, I chose a women’s Deuter pack ACT Lite 45+10SL (The SL stands for Slim line):

• The front “sock” pocket is stingy and useless for anything more than a windbreaker.
• Total pack size is only 3500 vs. 4600 cubic in. (ULA)
• At 53oz, it’s 5 oz more than the ULA  
• I don’t like how high it rides; it wobbles just a tad

But, in my “driveway tests,” the arm straps proved to be way more comfortable.  The hip belt was, much to my amazement better than the ULA,  and I  had to consider how I would feel after 10 or so hours hiking, per day, over 14 days.   

My first modification was to give my pack a functional sock.  I tried putting on some elastic cord, but it didn’t hold gear very nicely.  So, I fashioned my own “sock” from an old bathing suit.  It’s not attractive, but is certainly functional!   

Sleeping Pad

The other big weight bit of gear I have chosen is the Exped Synmat 7S with a 4.9 R. value.  I’m not a happy camper when I’m cold, and the NeoAir was just a tad  too chilly for my liking (2.5R).   The Exped weighs in at a whopping 1.3lbs (570 g) vs. the  NeoAir medium at 13 oz or 370g.  I know I’m going to love it! The Synmat has slightly larger baffles on the ends to keep you from rolling off and is 64″ long.  

We’re off on our TGO hike next week – I’ll report back how my gear faired when we return home in three weeks.

Lynn

$12 from http://thestickpic.com/

Available for purchase online at the bargain price of $12.50 from http://butterflywallet.com/

I took a Neoair “small” and Lynn took a Neoair “regular”.  They were very generously sized and extremely plush and comfortable.   The small comes in a 47” with the regular a whopping 72”!   I’ve included a comparison picture below.   

We really liked the Neo air for comfort during our trip.

Pros

• Treated with non-slip compound which helps ensure you stay on the pad – I never slipped off at all.
• Super light weight – 9oz for a 47” pad is amazing
• Easy to inflate (the small is super fast though Lynn complains it takes her a while to inflate the regular)

Cons

• Can be a little cold due to low “R” value (R2.5) – we found ourselves a little cold on some nights.   I would not recommend this mat alone for four season camping.    Thermarest recommends pairing it with the Z-lite pad which will add R2.2 making a very respectable R4.7 pad at only 19oz (size small).
• Does not ship with a puncture kit – this is absolutely essential

In short I would highly recommend the Neoair to ultralight backpackers. Like most ultralight gear, there’s a tradeoff – with the Neoair, it’s with the R value; the comfort is very plush and much nicer than other mats I’ve slept on.  There was a lot of Neoair’s on the TGO challenge and almost everyone was raving about the sleep experience.    On sizing I find the small to be fine and stuff extra clothes/backpack under my feet to ensure they stay warm and elevated off the tent floor.  

Unless you’re fanatical about weight, you might consider the size medium which weighs in at 13oz but gives you a very generous 66” of length.  An alternate (which I’m thinking of doing) is to buy the Thermarest Neoair seat which is 10” x 20” (2.5oz).   This could easily double as a foot rest giving you an extra 10” to your Neoair small.   Plus you get a plush seat mat out of the deal too.

One nit is that the mattress does not ship with a puncture repair kit.  For an inflatable mattress, this should really come as standard.

Rating: Highly Recommended

If you zoom in, you’ll note a couple of things:

1. We didn’t always follow the plotted route – this was because we were following our “low level foul weather” route since the weather was pretty poor.
2. On day 4 when leaving Cougie Lodge, we went via. Hilton Lodge rather than trying the “rough path” over the top.  This was longer but saved us a great slog as we found from other Challengers.
3. On day 6 our route from Laggan to Kingussie avoided the heavy “A” road and instead took the military road that paralleled it.   It was a lovely walk in glorious sunshine!

Enjoy!

[Large Map]

I added a few new pieces of kit for this trip.   With the weather likely to be wet, I focused on lots of warm clothing, good dry layer and a great “sleep system”.

I’ve previously blogged about my OR Celestial paclite jacket.   Here are some other editions to my kit list.

	Montbell Ultralight Down Jacket At a whopping 6.5oz, this jacket is offers an amazing weight to warmth ratio.    I plan on using this as warm layer around camp plus as an emergency layer under my jacket.
	Marmot Precip Pants These pants rock, I’ve had them for over a year; they’re super light (7oz) and take up almost no space in my pack.
	Roclite 318 GTX Just got these shoes a few weeks ago and they are really great.   Given that Scotland will be cold and wet, I’m hoping the addition of Goretex might keep my feet a little drier than usual.   At 11oz, they are about half the weight of my regular Soloman shoes.
	Thermarest Neoair Sleeping Pad The new Neoair from Thermarest has redefined “ultralight luxury”.  At 9oz for the small (which is a whopping 47” long) it’s more than half the weight of conventional pads. Brett has a review here.
	Western Mountaineering Megalite This bag is simply amazingly warm for the weight.   It’s 24oz and rated to 30F.   I’m a very warm sleeper and have slept naked in freezing temps without feeling cold.    On this trip I’m bringing along a silk liner just in case we get arctic winds for our hike.
	Six Moon’s Lunar Duo The LunarDuo is a great single wall two person tent.  It’s light at 39oz and has a great deal of floor space for two – 54” x 90”.   Weight is saved by the lack of an integrated pole system instead relying on hiking poles for support.
	ULA Conduit Backpack This is my favourite piece of kit – it’s super light at 17oz and is sooo comfortable.   Everthing about the pack has been well thought out including the side pockets which are reachable with ease even when the pack is on your back.
	Snopeak LiteMax This stove is small, super light (2oz) and works really well provided there’s no wind.  Like all canister stoves, gas can be a problem if the canister is too cold.  This is easily solved by sitting the can in cold water for a few minutes to “warm it up”.
	Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets I no longer carry a water filter and instead use simple water purification tablets. No mess, simple and leave no nasty aftertaste.
	Easy Showily GPS Tracker This is a great little device that’ll record your trek as you hike along.   Works like a charm and is super simple to use. Brett has a nice review here.

So, what to do? While browsing my local REI for last minute goodies, I stumbled across the GSI Ultralight Javadrip.    At a measly 0.5oz it definitely doesn’t add any significant weight.   The price is great too at $10!   No more instant coffee, no more filters – now that’s not bad :-)   We gave the gizmo a trail run on Sunday and it works pretty well.

What’s the coffee of choice for the trip?  Deadman’s Reach by Raven’s brew in Alaska. The preferred brew to “jump start” your morning.  Available from your local Whole Thief.

“Clumpy, musty odor, like drinking beetroot juice spiked with cheap vodka that has spoiled at the bottom of the ocean for three hundred  years.”

Alas, surely there must be something better?  Enter the PlatyPreserve from our friends at Cascade Designs (the makers of Platypus):

Platypus employees claim to have kept wine in the PlatyPreserve for up to six months without noticeable taste degradation

Are the claims true?  Does this really do the trick?  Wunderbar! [sic]

Details available from http://www.platypreserve.com