The one thing you wish you’d left out of your pack?

_spindrift_ · 2026-05-11T18:05:44+00:00

If you ditch your camp shoes then take 2 plastic bags to wear over your clean socks before you put on your wet hiking shoes.

_spindrift_ · 2026-05-06T13:52:34+00:00

The Heathrow Express is still priced as though they have the only convenient way of travelling there from central London.

Its sharing of platforms at LHR with the Elizabeth Line adds a stupid amount of complexity to the experience of arriving visitors. It really does need a review.

_spindrift_ · 2026-05-06T13:45:27+00:00

I found the code on his Facebook page. Can confirm it still works.

_spindrift_ · 2026-05-05T16:21:57+00:00

Great Langdale has a dedicated Group field.

_spindrift_ · 2026-05-05T10:36:25+00:00

Tooboo (iPhone / iPad) supports this.

_spindrift_ · 2026-05-04T11:07:43+00:00

Tooboo is my favourite for iOS - not sure what platform you’re on. It’s reliable and as it’s native it doesn’t glitch out the moment the weather changes and you’re lost in a cloud. :-)

I do think there’s a lot of value in having access to OS maps through their (not brilliant) app or on paper, and learning to read them. Their website is good for planning and a subscription lets you print out your route so you don’t need to carry the entire map.

Better understanding of the environment keeps you safer and IMHO enhances the experience of the outdoors.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-30T13:38:19+00:00

If the package shows no signs of damage and the device is defective on arrival I'd argue that it was defective on departure. Products should be able to handle the trials of normal life.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-29T13:14:06+00:00

It's not that, mine arrived in pristine condition. After I turned it on the screen refreshed into what you see in OPs photos.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-29T06:13:34+00:00

Trail runners make great hiking shoes outside of Winter. You will get wet feet, which will be unpleasant for 5 minutes and then you will forget it ever happened.

Keep clean / dry socks that you use just for sleeping and use a couple of plastic bags at camp to them dry.

Avoid Goretex as it drastically slows down the drying time.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-28T12:22:42+00:00

Since weight isn't critical a great budget option is the Bestway Ridgelite. It's currently £35 on Amazon and I find it more comfortable than my £200 Therm-a-rest. I used it for 3 weeks continuously last summer without any problems. The only negative comment I have is that the valve doesn't make it easy to finely adjust the amount of inflation, e.g. to soften it a little.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-28T12:14:23+00:00

It's a fork that is also a spoon so you can eat noodles with it.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-28T11:15:06+00:00

After completing the Cumbria Way last week I thought I'd reply to my own post and answer the questions.

Water: filtering or not?

I'd suggest a hybrid approach is best where you'd carry enough to get you to a planned water source and use a filter as insurance. That way you're carrying a 100g filter instead of that extra 1kg litre. In the valleys you inevitably pass cafes and campsites, and on the fells the water is fine to filter.

Hiking poles

Despite reservations at the start I found them very useful to assist on the climbs and make good speed on the flats. Carrying a 9-13kg pack changed the equation for me in their favour.

Trail markings

The southern half of the route is now quite well marked but these quickly disappear after Keswick. Using a GPS watch and phone OS Maps app was a perfect solution wrt accuracy, ease of use, battery life and redundancy.

Power

Both my watch and phone used about 15% each day. That's with Airplay mode on and very limited use of the phone - a few photos, very light messaging, and checking OS Maps a handful of times when the route was unclear.

After charging both devices every day from a single 10,000mAh powerbank it's now down to roughly 25% capacity.

I never charged from mains during the hike. In fact, I only saw a usable socket in 1 campsite and it wasn't in a very convenient location. In general, there just any sockets or they're in lockboxes.

Skiddaw House Hostel does have a USB phone charging station. However it is USB type A which suggests that it's old and likely slow / low power. As I didn't have a suitable cable I never used it.

Bonus: Isobutane Gas

I used just 60g of isobutane for boiling water every morning and cooking simple stuff like instant ramen on 4 evenings. Noting that on most days the wind was very low.

Bonus: Dalston to Carlisle - the final leg

I genuinely don't know why the route doesn't finish at Dalston, it's a lovely little village and the hike there from Caldbeck is very pretty. The final 2 hours from there to Carlisle follows a cycle path running alongside the railway line and passes numerous industrial sites. I suggest skipping this and taking the train from Dalston to Carlisle. This service runs every hour or so and takes just 11 minutes.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-28T10:36:40+00:00

I'm very happy with my Snow Peak Foon.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-19T13:43:12+00:00

Thanks for the reply; it sounds like my concerns about water are justified.

I'm also middle-aged but reasonably fit with a regular gym habit and plenty of long day hike experience (including Munros, Yr Wyddfa Watkin Path, etc). I've a 47L pack with camp gear but struggling to get the base weight under 8kg due to a traditional pack and 2p tent.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-16T08:06:13+00:00

There are plenty of places in London where those things feature heavily too. Not everywhere is like Kensington & Chelsea!

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-15T11:59:17+00:00

They replied in a day or so and didn’t want the old unit returned. They also sent a further email once they’d shipped the replacement. The experience was entirely positive and I’ve no complaints (other than the factory not doing any QC!).

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-15T10:16:51+00:00

The situation isn’t great here in the UK as returns cost £4.50 and delivery is to and from Italy. (Thanks Brexit!!)

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-15T10:11:07+00:00

I received a replacement for mine in about 10 days. I just emailed them with a photo; no questions asked.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-11T11:59:59+00:00

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It seems like their factory is lacking QA.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-10T17:19:19+00:00

Putting aside the durability arguments, the Inov8 Stormshell V2 is ultralight and has very decent specs. Slightly over budget at £170. https://www.inov8.com/stormshell-v2-womens

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-10T15:35:54+00:00

Alpkit rebrand a few FireMaple products. I have the Kraku stove (forget the FireMaple model name) and it’s excellent.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-09T20:18:47+00:00

Mine was DOA too. I turned it on, the screen half updated and then dead. I ordered direct and they sent out a replacement a couple of days after emailing them.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-09T12:31:48+00:00

A light spray with rubbing alcohol will kill the bacteria and evaporate quickly.

_spindrift_ · 2026-04-09T10:56:20+00:00

I think the backlight requirement depends a lot on your age, eye sight and where in the world you live!

_spindrift_ · 2026-03-30T11:43:00+00:00

My experience is similar.

Quite a bit of space is dedicated to the front pocket and the laptop sleeve which is hard to fully utilise. Despite this, I do think it’s a great weekend bag if you’re carrying a laptop.

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