KATE ON KIT ....
Comfortable clothing and really lightweight gear can transform your experience on a long walk
1 Maven 65 rucksack, Gregory, 1.56kg, £175. There are lighter packs on the market, but I went for this because I wanted something robust, fully
adjustable and more padded than some of the super-stripped down packs. It was a good decision. This pack fits really well and feels stable and secure. It has one big compartment that can be separated into two, small pockets on the hip belt, adjustable pockets at the side and two in the lid, making it easy to keep stuff accessible. A little
day-sack is also packed away inside. Well designed and comfortable, it ticked all my boxes. eu.gregorypacks.com 2 Mountain House and Firepot dried meals. These are much lighter than canned food and super-convenient – just add hot water. The dishes by Mountain House (01666 817349,
cotswoldoutdoor.com) were both pretty good, but the Firepot meals (01308 911009,
outdoorfood.com) won hands down. Really good flavour and texture. 3 Bamboo walking socks, Bam, £15. Comfortable and naturally stay fresh for longer. bambooclothing.co.uk 4 Hubba NX2 tent, MSR, £390, 1.72kg. I wanted a tent for two, because my dog Teg deserves space, too. I like a tent with two doors and two vestibules, which I can sit up in without having my head pressed against the roof; and one that is easy to put up and down on my own. This met all those requirements, and weighs well under 2kg. I could live in this tent for months. 00353 21 4621445 (Eire), msrgear.com/ie/ 5 Travel & Trek Pack, MSC, £79.95. This solar-charging kit provides a 13w, lightweight solar panel that can clip on to the outside of your rucksack, as well as two LED lights (brilliant in a tent) and a torch, which run off the included power bank. Excellent stuff. 01935 825914, mobilesolarchargers.co.uk 6 Eta Lite+ stove, Primus, 390g, £90. This all-in-one gas stove is neat and cleverly designed. It takes the form of a large mug with a lid. The gas burner can be stored inside, so it all
packs up small. It comes with a stand, or you can also hang it up. It boils water incredibly quickly (quicker than my kettle at home!). It is better for
heating liquids than cooking, but ideal if you are living off dried meals and tea. The ignition didn’t work, but I wouldn’t let that put you off. This is an excellent lightweight, easy-to use and practical stove. Just don’t forget your matches. primus.eu
7 Micro First Aid Kit, Lifesystems, 135g,
£16.99. A good, comprehensive kit that had everything – blister plasters (though I needed more), regular plasters, safety pins, ibuprofen... 0118 981 1433, lifesystems.co.uk 8 Sleeping Bag: Featherlite Sleeping Bag, Montane, 860g, £180. It’s certainly light, and packs down small in its stuff sack. It’s also a very comfortable. Mummyshaped with a hood, it has a Pertex outer shell, so it is tough and breathable, while a down filling makes it feel luxurious. Clever zips glow in the
dark, which is a great and truly useful innovation. But the comfort rating is 9ºC – a bit optimistic – and I just didn’t find it warm enough for a British summer. 01670 522 300, montane.co.uk 9 Ultralight Mat, Sea to Summit, 395g, £90. What a find! Some inflatable sleeping mats can be exhausting to inflate, even worse to deflate and impossible to get back into their stuff sacks. This mat was a revelation. It has a two-way valve that makes it easy to inflate with just four or five puffs to a full-length, mummy-shaped mat.
Incredibly comfortable, it never deflated during the night and was super-easy to pack away. I’ll never use anything else now. 0191 296 0212, seatosummit.co.uk 10 Air Pillow UL L, Exped, £30. I wouldn’t normally bother, but this inflatable pillow weighs just 60g and was absolutely worth carrying. 015396 2404, exped.com
11 Abisko Trail T-shirt, Fjallraven, £45. Cool-feeling fabric comprising nylon and 15% wool. fjallraven.co.uk 12 Women’s Trail Shaker Short Sleeve Shirt, Columbia, £25. Made from a soft fabric designed to wick sweat away from your skin. columbiasportswear.co.uk 13 Amfibie II shorts, Haglofs, £70. Stretchy, tough, quick-drying and stylish. haglofs.com