Ok, this isn’t something for the Winter months, but i’ve got to have something to look forward to once there’s no chance of snow.

Looking online for a rough definition of what pack weight is classed as i’ve found the following. <9.1 kilos is lightweight (this is probably around what i carry on a winter camp!) <4.5 Kg is Ultralightweight <2.3 Kg is Superlighweight

These are base pack weights - so they include all your carried equipment (tent, spare clothes, stove etc.) but exclude what you’re wearing and consumables (food and fuel)/ Of course, one can wear all of the clothing and cook the books in that way (unless you leave the stove at home). Walking poles are often counted as ‘worn’ as well - so there’s a lot of number juggling involved.

So my mission, if i choose to accept it, is to superlightweight in Snowdonia sometime in the spring/summer. With that sort of packweight though, something’s got to be sacrificed be it cooked food, comfort or a lot of money. I’m determined to do so without spending a fortune as i could easily buy a sleeping bag 300g lighter than mine. The weather’s also got to be pretty fine, as I’ll not be carrying much in the way of spare clothing. So around 4 degrees at night should be OK.

The pack’s been bought, only £15 and a decent little thing at 305g. I’m getting my shelter next, for not much more. So far I’ve got the pack weight to just over 2kilos, to which I’ll add a few odds and sods (i can fit all those into the 200g I’ve got spare!). The weight also assumes that I’m not sharing any gear - it’s going to be a solo weight. Splitting it in 2 is far too easy! Likewise, I’ve got to be able to prepare hot food.

To test this - i reckon that a 3 day trip - medium level, in late spring should be a sufficient test. Something like the Eryri Way from Penrhyndeudraeth to Conwy, around 75km should do the trick. In fact, if rain is promised then I’ll be even more comfortable as I’ll just wear Paramo waterproofs for the duration (worn = don’t count!)

I forgot to put the weights for my new toys in.

Pepsi can stove, weighs less than 30g, with the plastic box it lives in, wire pot stand and foil windscreen.

The Tarp weighs 650g, not including 600g for my walking poles and the pegs that are needed.

So, how do these compare to my usual gear? The alcohol stove is 60g lighter than my MSR Pocket Rocket, plus the fuel bottle weighs less than an empty gas cannister. You can also see exactly how much fuel you''ve got left. No amount of weighing gas canisters seems to get me any closer to finding out ther ultimate dilemma for an overnight camp. Is there enough gas in here? Fuel is also very cheap, £12 for 5 litres of the stuff. I''ve paid £3-4 for a gas canister - with the savings becoming much more apparent for short trips when i''d carry a 100g canister (expensive, if you can find somewhere that sells them). On the down side, i wouldn''t want to use the alcohol stove in the porch of my tent and the stove does seem to be rather heavy on the meths - but i reckon that''s more down to operator error than the stove.

The case for the tarp is a bit more complex. Total weight for the shelter will be about the same as my Laser tent. 650g for the tarp, 600g for the poles plus pegs and so on. Add 350g for a Rab Survival Zone bivvy bag and you''ve gone over! A bit of jiggery pokery with the stats, like all backpackers who claim their pack weight was "THIS LIGHT!", means that i get the walking poles for ''free'' as they're effectively worn. So, the weight is just about a kilo for a servicable shelter. I could easily cut the tarp down to a few hundred grams and have enough shelter to cover my torso in a bivvy bag, but how low do I want to go? I''d just skip the tarp altogether for ultimate lightweight, or take a tent if the weather looked a bit iffy on multiple day trips.

Share the tarp with another and the weight savings really become apparent. You could easily sleep 3 or 4 in bivvy bags in there, who would probably just sleep in the open if it was fine weather.

The main thing for me with the tarp is that it''s not just about weight. It''s a lot about the way we approach sleeping in the outdoors. I can''t see it replacing my tent, but it''s definately going to be used as shelter for a few select trips this summer.

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Who would have thought that a simple little alcohol stove, made from the bottom of a can of pop would be so effective. I wonder who invented it? Whoever, i''ve made good use of the stove over the last few weeks.

Trying quite urgently to work out the best method of windshield manufacture too. Foil works great, but isn''t durable enough. Going to try a hacked down curry take away carton, possibly wrapped in foil to make the vent at the front a little more flexible. The foil is pliable too, so it makes a better fit, but not so good as to stop air circulating.

Next step is to find out how much meths i need to boil each kettle up. I reckon i''ve been overfilling the stove, and now the windshield is reasonably effective (if not durable) i find i can boil a kettle and a half on a filling (40-50ml?). So, i''m going to get scientific on this as a next step.

Watch the Videos to see the stove boil water and to see whow long it takes to get going (but with a crap wind shield).