Where do you lie on the 'hardiness' scale below? I'll admit i need at least a 6 if i'm going to get a good night's sleep - though have been known to get away with a 2 on occasion (the single malt helps).

1 - Rock. Where there's no other option but to pitch on bare rock. The least comfortable of any method, plus the insecurity that you might tear the ground sheet at every turn. And did you tie the tent to enough rocks??? You'll need a really thick sleeping bag and/or a good dose of single malt to sleep through this one.

2 - Any other natural surface (bar water in the liquid state). For real hard core uber-lightweighters who scoff at the soft pansies who need a sleeping mat of any description, including No.3. Of course, you could be talking about compacted soil that's nearly as hard as rock, or knee deep heather. I'm not going to be too picky.

3 - Bubble wrap. You want to go really lightweight but don't want to risk going without a sleeping mat... Also useful for posting off those last minute Duran Duran memorabilia you've just sold on EBay.

4 - The Traditional Karrimat. Barely a molecule thick, this is a staple of DofE expeditions everywhere. Sometimes surprisingly heavy for what you get. Great for extending the height of your pack so it's well above head height, when a low, discreet pack just won't cut it. Doubles up as a sledge or a yoga mat. Arguably though as comfortable as a bag of spoons.

5 - The Thermarest and all it's copies... Alpkit do a decent, cheap self-inflating mat. Usually the next step from those who decide that No.4 isn't enough for them, and usually lasts one trip as it's strapped to the top of the pack and ends up snagging every barbed wire fence on the trip. Gives a good night's sleep if it doesn't move about too much during the night and you again end up on surface No.2 for 3 out of every 4 hours. Best use is for those who like to take inflatable companions with them on the hill, they can just shout, "Just inflating the Thermarest... Wink wink".

6 - The Down Mat... mmmmm... Exped do down mats like no other. As good as sleeping in a bed. Absolute luxury, and only a kilo. Might not want to get up in the morning though. They're also a faff to inflate, so after a hard day on the trail there's every chance that you'll be so tired after filling that you end up sleeping on No.2 anyway. If you're a restless sleeper, you'll possibly fall off as well. Can induce vertigo if you're used to sleeping on No.5 and means you're sleeping with the tent roof in your mouth for most of the night.

7 - A bed - bugger the camping. The YH might be a better bet if you want this sort of comfort.

You may have gathered that the Walk Eryri Blog is part of the wider family of Walk Eryri sites... Other than the walking in snowdonia guides, we also run weekend hill skill courses and walking breaks.

There's some places available on our August Bank Holiday 3 day expedition. Whether you want a 3 day active holiday in the quietest surroundings, or fancy taking the first few steps into wild camping but fancy a bit of a safety net, this is a suitable weekend. Want to cut your pack weight down? We'll show how you can travel ovenight in comfort with a 5 kilo pack. There's a discount available if you decide to bring your own food and equipment (we can still advise).

Want to wake up to the following view?

Transmission ends...

The recent weather, in its transition from winter to spring, saw some pretty abrupt changes. From camping in a snow drift, within two weeks i was walking with a 35litre pack, trail shoes, shorts and camping in the sun!
A few weeks back on High Street...

Bring on the Sun. Overnight at Glaslyn.

Well, I've packed already and even made a home made lamb madras to enjoy on the slopes of Yr Wyddfa tomorrow evening... Unfortunately the port that was intended to accompany it hasn't survived the journey from the bottle to the rucsack. It might be a slow start in the morning!

Here's the gear list for the 3 day trip over the Welsh Metric 4 Peaks (51km, 3500m ascent).

ion torch 30g
Minimal 1st Aid Kit 80g
Silva E4 compass and BMC Map 150g
OMM Mountain Marathon 32 650g
Atomic Pants 150g
Montane Prism 360g
Laser Tent 1300g
Kettley Thing (no lid) 85g
Pocket Rocket 85g
spoon 15g
1 litre Platy 25g
2 litre platy 35g
titanium mug 70g
Montane 180 waterproof 180g
Alpkit Pipedream 800g
Thermo Max Pad 470g
Total Weight of Selected Items 4486g

Of course, that excludes worn items (i.e. clothes), food and consumables. The mobile isn't included, but some gear is shared so that will balance that out. Got to listen to the Welsh side thrash the Irish on Saturday!

It would be easy to take this below 4 kilos. The tent is rather heavy, but a spacious luxury that could be replaced by an under a kilo Laser Competition, the sleeping bag could be a good 2-300g lighter this time of year and the sleeping pad is an extravagance that could be cut down to 150g at the expense of a good night's sleep (and what does that weigh in as?)

To do all that, cutting the pack weight to nearer 3.5Kg would cost in the region of £500. Free weight loss would be leaving one platy and the mug at home, and technically some of the gear's shared as well.

Oh yes... I suppose the camera is the only cheat. Seeing as I'm going to be wearing it, I suppose it doesn't count ;-)

Is it just me, or does anyone who wants a decent weight overnight pack cringe when they see 4 to 5 kilo tents advertised as lightweight! What about an ultralightweight as 2.5kg? For a pack that would be tasty, tent? Hmm... no thanks... Anything 'much' over 2 kilos for 2 people is heavy imho, unless it's a proper, full-on winter tent or rather obviously, designed for more than two people. Basically, if there's extra weight, you need to be getting some extra benefit such as sturdyness or two porches instead of one.

Weighing 1.8kg, this is more like it!

Problem is, many will be drawn in by this 'mis-selling' for their first wild camp and end up carrying far too much weight and give up! Afterall, they bought the 'lightweight' gear, so without quantifying it they may well give it up as a bad job, missing out on some superb outdoors experiences. And as they say, that will be that; unless they develop the lightweight mindset.

What is this 'mindset' i hear you both ask?
1 - Weigh everything! The more of a geek you are, the better. Once you know the weight of everything, but the value of nothing, you'll be half way there.
2 - Leave it behind unless you're certain you'll need it. As said earlier, the value of everything.
3 - Never, I REPEAT NEVER trust anything that's described as lightweight, ultralightweight or similar without checking the weight first! Once you start with no 1 though, you probably don't need to be told about this.
4 - A bit of luxury is essential, so long as it isn't too heavy! This is a lightweight mindset, not a masochistic mindest! Nowt wrong with a bit of Drambuie on a wild camp, it's virtually compulsory!