Current equipment - main items

Here are some of the main items of backpacking gear we currently use.

Gossamer Gear Gorilla 40

Gossamer Gear specs (medium pack):-

Pack body: 18.4 oz / 521g
Pack frame: 3.0 oz / 85g
Sitlight pad: 2.1 oz / 60g
Total with small belt: 29.8 oz / 844g
Total with medium belt: 30.5 oz / 865g
Total with large belt: 31.2 oz / 884g

The 40l capacity includes the large stretch mesh back pocket, side pockets and hip-belt pockets, giving the impression that the main body must be as small as a daypack, but it is illusory. All I can say is that some 40ls are bigger than others!. This very light pack seems cavernous and is ideal for all solo trips outside winter and short joint trips too.

Provided the weight is kept down to around the 10kg to 11kg mark as recommended, the metal stay system works well and the close-fitting pack is highly stable and comfortable.

The Gorilla passes my two crucial pack tests: 1) Whilst walking I can stash and retrieve a water bottle very easily from the side pocket and 2) The hip-belt pockets are roomy enough to take my Sony RX100-Mk3 compact camera without pressure.

Gregory Paragon 48

Gregory specs (medium pack):-

Back system: Aerolon Suspension, adjustable, Matrix breathable mesh
Body: 210D cryptorip nylon & 100D high-tenacity nylon
Adjustable hip-belt pockets
Dimensions: 18 x 66 x 36 cm
Max Carry: 18kg
Weight: 1350g without supplied rain cover

This pack has a more solid back system for heavier loads on multi-day solo trips and many joint trips.

The side pocket required a bit of cutting and sewing to make access easier to pass the water bottle test. The hip-belt pockets held the camera easily.

I also have the lighter 1150g Gregory Optic 58l pack that is an excellent performer, unfortunately the bones at the base of my spine stick out and catch the quite hard bottom edge of the pack causing pain after a few miles.

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 and HV-UL2

Big Agnes Specs for UL1 (2014 model) as supplied:-

Packed Size: 11.4cm x 42cm
Packed Weight: 1135g
Head Height: 94cm
Flysheet: HH1200
Groundsheet: HH1200

The UL1 is my solo tent and the HV-UL2 is for joint trips. These superb tents are incredibly simple to pitch, the only aspect that bothered us was the extremely thin HH1200 20D groundsheets. Remembering some of our very rough pitches over the years, we replaced them with tougher HH5000 groundsheets that gave complete confidence but kept the weight low. The weights of the modded versions including tent bags but excluding pegs are:-

Copper Spur UL1 - 1330g
Copper Spur HV-UL2 - 1530g

Lightwave sleeping bags

Lightwave Specs for Firelight 350 / 650

Firelight 350: Comfort limit: +3°C, Lower limit: -2°C, Weight: 620g
Firelight 650: Comfort limit: -5°C, Lower limit: -12°C, Weight: 940g
Manufactured wholly in Poland and filled with Polish white Goose down that is 100% ethically recovered. The down has a fill-power of 900 (EU standard) or 970 (US standard).
Full length zip that lies on the top of the bag and is protected by a double baffle. There is a full neck collar that can be adjusted to close completely around the neck
The Firelight comes in three sizes and is supplied with a compact stuff sack and a large mesh storage bag.

These bags are superb and ooze quality, packing a great deal of 900 fill-power warmth into a low weight. The lightweight zips run along the top edge of the bag and are very easy and smooth to open and close, the best we've ever seen.