Answer

By GrahamThompson

Walking long distance paths is all about efficiency. So ‘take what you need and need what you take’ is my motto. It is easy to take too much gear, but really all you need is clothes to wear plus an extra set of dry clothes to allow for washing or drying of wet gear. A few practice trips are the best way to sort out what you think you need and what you really need. If you don’t use something then consider ditching it from your kit list. Most people end up sending gear home part way through trips, which just goes to prove we all tend to overpack!
As far as particular items go for backpacking. I did lots of long distance paths with a Trangia meths stove. Other people prefer gas stoves, such as the popular MSR Pocket Rocket; and others prefer petrol stoves such as the MSR Whisperlite. This is mainly down to personal preference. There is a review of stoves in the July issue of Trail. These days some people also backpack with exceptionally lightweight gear and may choose a tiny gas stove such as the Optimus Crux for example or a Caldera Cone Stove.
For a tent when backpacking a similar range of options are available. It is a case of weighing up what you want in terms of performance and space, and what you can carry and pay for without shredding your bank balance. Again there is a review of backpacking tents in the June issue of Trail that would be useful. Some classic options include a Vaude Hogan, Lightwave G1 Ion, Hilleberg Nallo and Terra Nova Superlight Voyager.
Sleeping bags and sleeping mats are important as we all need good sleep on a backpacking trip. A down insulated sleeping bag is ideal for summer backpacking as it is lighter than a synthetic option. Some models to consider include the Mountain Equipment Lightline, Macpac Sanctuary and Alpkit Pipedream. These were reviewed in the April issue of Trail and are all 3- season bags with a comfort temperature rating down to –5 deg C, which is ideal. Again if you get bags that are rated as comfortable down to 0 or even +5 deg C, they will be smaller and lighter and less bulky to carry.
A sleeping mat is very important as you can lose a lot of heat through the ground. The popular mats are self-inflating Therm-a-Rests, and the Ultralight is ideal for backpackers. However, I also like the Therm-a-Rest Ridgerest as it is lighter, while I was happy for many years with a standard low-priced closed cell foam Karrimat too! Again, it depends how comfortable you want – or need – to be!
In terms of food, the Coast-to-Coast path passes through lots of resupply points. You could post some food ahead to collect on route. You could even base all your eating around the local pub. If you are carrying food then the dehydrated options are ideal as they are light and some versions are very tasty too, so try Expedition Foods at www.expeditionfoods.co.uk for dried food. You could then alternate between this and buying rice and pasta meals en route with tuna, various types of beans and vegetables added to the mix.
Carrying all this lot will require a rucksack of course. The classic size for backpacking is a 65-75 litre sack, such as a Vaude Astra, Berghaus C7-1 Series 65+10 or Macpac Cascade 65. However, if you choose the lightest tent and the lightest stove you can reduce the weight and bulk of your gear, and you’ll be able to squeeze everything you need into 50 litre sack or smaller.
As you may have gathered there is no single answer to these questions, and it is really a case of choosing what works for you.