tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55699732668830516762024-03-14T12:00:08.669+01:00The bearable lightnessHow light can we go without being crushed by the heavyweight reality?
Thoughts on lightweight backpackingGustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-79052959300984979182013-05-04T23:15:00.000+02:002013-05-04T23:15:33.043+02:00Igloo camping - Part one - Construction time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After long period of gestation I finally got around to do my first backcountry skiing trip. Ever since I got my <a href="http://www.grandshelters.com/" target="_blank">Grand Shelters Igloo tool</a> I have had an irresistible urge to go out and actually sleep in an igloo instead of just playing in it (which is great fun for with the kids as well.). The first winter camping trip couldn't be a simple hut-to-hut affair, no, it had to be the whole shebang with igloo, ski pulk and a tent as a safety net.<br />
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We decided to go to Vålådalen in April in Jämtland as it is easily accessible from Stockholm and I'm familiar with the surroundings since I've been there twice in summer already. Luckily I also had Jesper as a friend who was willing to share the adventure. Big plans were made up looking at the map fantasizing about how much faster I would be able to move using my Paris pulk on skis instead of walking. These plans were then significantly modified after consulting the personnel at the Vålådalen fjällstation. I have a habit of making over-optimistic plans. In the end I think we moved somewhat slower than when I walked the same stretch in summer. We decided to rent skis at the Fjällstation. Wide waxless ones with steel edges. They worked well enough. Directly after getting the skis we packed the pulk and were on our way towards Smällhögarna.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excited and ready to go next to Vålådalen Fjällstation</td></tr>
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In the beginning things went smoothly on the flat bogs next to Vålådalen. The weather was good and skiing was easy. We had lunch in a convenient already prepared snow pit. No need to bring out the shovels. We had Korean spicy noodles with sausage. One of my favorite hiking lunches. Noodles just by itself is not too much fun, but with a good sausage thrown in, Montorsi Napoli Piccante in this case, it's great.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Jesper smiling - before the uphill stretch started</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Jesper not smiling as much - but exercising very well</td></tr>
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After Skaftet however the trail started to go uphill. As you might have noticed I try to pack light, but I'm a novice at winter camping and winter equipment is heavier. The weight of our shelters was also doubled since I wanted to bring a tent as backup should the Igloo building fail. My winter sleeping bag is also an old synthetic heavyweight from the eighties. I wouldn't be surprised if the pulk weighed around 20kg. Just the sleeping bag, tent and Icebox Igloo tool weighed in at around 7kg. Lots of kilos to be saved there. Going uphill this extra weight was surely felt.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Pulling the ski pulk uphill close to Skaftet. Heavy work.</td></tr>
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The altitude difference between Skaftet and the tree line is scarcely more than 120m, but it was<br />
enough to make us feel tired. Even during this heavy exertion I found that my Paramo Velez anorak worked very well. It has excellent zips on the sides and in the collar and with just an Aclima Merino Net underneath I didn't feel a need to take it off. Good stuff Paramo.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesper is happy to make a break at the designated igloo spot</td></tr>
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A bit tired after the ascent to the tree line we decided to look for a spot for the Igloo about 4km earlier than I initially thought. Jesper also commented that it looked like there the snow coverage looked pretty thin higher up the mountain. It seemed safer to find a place with good snow further down. It was already 16H as well. We had a short look around and soon found a reasonably flat spot close to where the trail forks west towards Stensdalsstugorna. We dug a small pit and it seemed there was enough snow. It had piled up on the lee side of a an elevated part of the ground. On the flat parts the wind had left only a few centimeters. We also decided to put up the tent to have a place to rest during the building, a traditional three-person Bergans Compact Light that I bought to use as a winter camping tent.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesper carefully moves the Icebox form to the position of the next block</td></tr>
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In the beginning the building work went very well. Even though Jesper hadn't tried it before he soon got the hang of it and I mainly worked with shoveling the snow. I had decided to try building a 9-feet three-person Igloo since I found the two person to be a bit small for my 193cm. Shoveling snow is the main work when building and I soon regretted not having taken the time to buy a bigger shovel. A twice bigger shovel gives you around four times as much snow volume for each round. The person who packs the snow is almost always waiting for the person shoveling, so the speed of shoveling is essential to the construction time. This time another complication also arose from the conditions in the field. The snow coverage was layered and it was just the top centimeters layer that was powder snow, the other layers were packed harder snow. This meant that the snow had to be crushed by trampling before packing in the form. A time-consuming task, but if not done well enough the blocks would break apart. Something that happened several times during the building.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 1/2 hours later . many levels of blocks still left</td></tr>
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I had estimated that we would put around 3-4 hours on the building. As it turned out it would take around 7 hours. I was indeed very happy to have brought the tent as a backup. Even though I had already constructed four Igloos this year there is obviously plenty more to learn about the technique. Part of the challenge I would say.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The reindeer also took an interest in the igloo</td></tr>
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We continued the construction work for some more hours after sunset. We just wanted to get it done. It was getting colder however and after awhile I was starting to feel pretty cold and almost dizzy despite moving around shoveling all the time. Without really noticing we had worked well past dinner time. Not a good idea. By this time we had been physically active for almost 12 hours. We decided to retreat to the tent to get something to eat. Now I realized just how exhausted I was and it was somewhat difficult to do the cooking. I was very happy for all the insulating clothing I had brought (A Klättermusen Liv downsweater, a synthetic ITAB jacket and a pair of synthetic thermal trousers.). I've had the same feeling before and when reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Mikes-Really-Backcountry-Series/dp/1575400766" target="_blank">Allen and Mike's really cool backcountry ski book</a> I wonder if my condition could not be classified as early stages of hypothermia. I certainly felt cold and clumsy and interestingly enough shivering is not a prerequisite for hypothermia. This is especially true when people has exercised more than usual. Just my case.<br />
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Fortunately we had everything necessary to remedy the situation: A shelter, hot food and drink and lots of insulating clothing. After a hearty dinner of hoummous tortillas for starters, fried rösti and merguez sausages for main-course and rosehip-soup and almondcakes for dessert, I was starting to feel a lot better.<br />
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Before retiring to our sleeping bags Jesper went out of the tent and came back and said: "You've got to see this! The sky is amazing!"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderful starry skies with a possible touch of Aurora borealis in the bottom left corner<br />
(20s shutter time at ISO 3200, Sony Nex-5N, Sigma 30mm/2,8)</td></tr>
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Using some of the last bits of energy I got out and set up the tripod for some long exposures. I think there was even some aurora borealis going on. I was too cold and tired to have a better look however. Too bad, who knows, I might have missed the Aurora of my life.<br />
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As usual the first nights in a tent I slept intermittently and was sometimes awoken by the flapping tent or the pleasant sounds of chirping Ptarmigans passing close to the camp. A portent for the day to come.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close but no cigar - the last difficult blocks</td></tr>
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The next day we awoke to a beautiful morning. The sun was shining through the tent fly and the tent had warmed up considerably. I slept very well through the morning hours. Slowly we ventured out of our sleeping bags and made breakfast. The usual oatmeal/blueberry soup/hazelnut mix. Now we were ready for finishing the roof of the igloo.<br />
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The last levels are the most difficult, especially with powder snow. The chunks of hard snow from the hard layers did not make it easier. Several blocks broke and fell apart. Jesper did not have the same experience as me with this packing and maybe this also played a part.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicate snow packing at the last level</td></tr>
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In the end we were a bit fed up with failing blocks so I decided to try something unorthodox: Why not close the hole with a traditional igloo block? The opening was so small now a small block would be enough to cover one side and then placing the Icebox form vertically we would be able to cover the other side to seal the hole. From the now packed snow around the igloo it was easy to cut a nice block. It worked nicely, although not beautifully, as it gave our igloo a big wart!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Necessity is the mother of invention - combining new and old igloo techniques creates an igloo wart</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_1307315969"></span><span id="goog_1307315970"></span>Finally the main construction was finished and we could now finally move on to some nice backcountry skiing and bird watching, but that's for part two. Stay tuned.</div>
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Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-28042422989777950472012-09-08T21:43:00.000+02:002012-09-08T21:43:42.191+02:00Homage to Corsica<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This year our family of five went on holiday to Corsica, France. Me and my wife had been there two times already, before the kids came into the picture. We absolutely loved it and dreamed of returning one day. Little M not being so little anymore (2,5 years), some cheap flight tickets, a few visits to the <a href="http://www.gites-corsica.com/">Gites de France</a> site and the trip was planned.<br />
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This year we were a bit too tired for great adventures so apart from doing part of the GR20 the trip mostly consisted of "normal" family vacationing. However, I hope the photos will provide some inspiration, especially for hiking-hungry parents who might be in need of a traditional vacation not too far from the sea, while at the same time being able to do great hikes in stunning scenery. Corsica is just that, "A mountain in the sea" and it's not for nothing that the french call it the "Island of beauty" (Ile de Beauté).<br />
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Our view from our first Gite in Pedanu (Pietralba), Les Aiguilles de Popolasca or possibly Les sents D'Asco in the background</div>
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We were very happy with our two rented houses. This was the second time we used Gite de France and I'm very pleased with the service we received from the administration and from the house owners. It was swift and friendly. An extra baby bed was arranged in no time.<br />
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The first week we did a few small hikes, but with the exception of a trip above Lama it was mostly to visit our favorite bathing spots in central Corsica.<br />
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Hiking in the Scala di Santa Regina</div>
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"Our own" secret waterfall</div>
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Swimming in the Asco</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lama (Picture: Pierre Bona, from wikipedia)</td></tr>
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The village of Lama is well worth a visit in itself due to its well preserved typical island architecture, and it is also a good starting place for a hike up the Monte Astu. This is a long hike however and a bit out of range for us. Especially as we like to sleep in the morning. We also had some trouble due to a poisonous plant called the Peucedan. None of us had long trousers (which is recommended) and the blisters you could get from contact with the plant looked quite nasty, so we decided to turn back when we encountered too many of them as we climbed up the mountain.<br />
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On the way home from Lama</div>
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Hiking late has its advantages - Sunset seen from above Lama</div>
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The next week saw us move to the beautiful village of Évisa on 800m of altitude, 24km from Porto. The idea was that the second week would be more hiking oriented. However, as it turned out we ended up spending a lot of time on the coast swimming anyway. The weather was quite hot and the scenery around the Golfe de Porto was absolutely stunning.<br />
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Bathing on the beach of Porto</div>
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Evisa was a good base for hiking however and we went for short walks in the neighborhood. The free-ranging pigs were always an attraction.<br />
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The boy who could talk to pigs</div>
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A particularly nice walk on a hot day (almost all days were hot) were the natural pools in the Aïtone forest a few kilometers east of the village on the Chestnut-trail. The huge Laricio pine trees are also particularly impressive here. The Romans used them for building masts for boats.</div>
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F exploring the small waterfalls near Évisa</div>
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The chestnut trail was especially interesting since it had very nice signs explaining the fascinating story of chestnut cultivation which still is a big affair in Évisa. There is even a good Corsican beer flavored with chestnut, the Pietra. </div>
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Snack break on the chestnut trail</div>
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Another nice walk was the Gorges de Spelunca. The best walk and scenically most stunning, is supposed to be a descent from Évisa into the ravine, but to climb up again with the kids did not seem inviting, so we settled for a short walk along the river to the genoese bridge.</div>
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How many children can you spot? - Gorges de Spelunca</div>
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A nice longer walk a bit south of Évisa is the Lac de Creno. It's a nice little lake not far from the village of Soccia and the walk is easy. Just about perfect as a small challenge for the kids. It takes a bit of time to drive there though. 37km doesn't seem far, but mountain roads take their time. As our landlady pointed out there are 240 turns on the breathtaking 22km road between Évisa and Porto.</div>
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Pigs by the Lac de Creno</div>
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At the end of our stay it was time for the ultimate adventure: The GR20! A nice little section was chosen: Col de Verghio to Bergeries de Radule. It was an easy walk through the forest leading to an extraordinarily beautifully located shepherds hut.</div>
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Going down to the bergerie it was fun to try out an exciting feature on the GR20: The chains!<br />
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Negotiating the steep passage near the bergerie</div>
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M admiring the scenery around the waterfall from Bergeries de Radule</div>
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After arriving it was time for lunch. It was prepared on my gadget of the year: The Caldera Cone. When packing for the trip I thought that the "extremely heavy" (Almost 80g!) caddy for the Cone was very handy since you easily had everything in one neat package. With the exception of one thing: The pot. Something I discovered when it was first deployed to cook some coffee. Necessity is the mother of all invention however and some experimenting revealed that the edge of a large conserve-can could fit (somewhat precariously) in the cone supported by the edge. Coffee could now be brewed and the vacation was saved. For lunch ravioli was prepared directly in the can. It worked OK, but I do not really recommend it since the can had a tendency to fall down in on the burner while stirring. Maybe we will all die of Bisphenol-poisoning too.<br />
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Cooking ravioli in the can - works in a pinch</div>
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All in all, it was a great vacation. Many gorgeous places still remain to be seen. We will go back again for sure.<br />
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Sunset over the Golfe de Porto from the Calanches near Piana</div>
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Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-54332178459111029442012-02-28T00:35:00.000+01:002012-02-28T00:35:59.562+01:00The unbearable wait for snow and the joy of igloos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Finally we arrived to the snow covered hills of the Orsa Grönklitt ski resort and 70cm of powder snow. Since my <a href="http://www.grandshelters.com/">Grand Shelters ICEBOX Igloo tool</a> arrived the wait for snow was starting to become unbearable. At last I would be able to test my long awaited new toy. Much time had been spent on studying the instruction manual and watching the included instruction video. Time well spent it would turn out.<br />
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The main reason to choose an Igloo as a shelter is not weight savings as I see it. It is the fun and the added comfort you get from a warm shelter. After having built two igloos I can honestly say that I would not yet dare to go out on a trip only equipped with the tool. The construction can certainly fail, and I would not want to be caught without a shelter in a snow storm. The way I envisage using the tool is mostly to provide some fun for the family and also as a base camp for winter hunting trips.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next time from an igloo base?</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">First impressions</span></div>The Grand Shelters ICEBOX is a really refined product. Every detail seems to be thoroughly thought out and tested in the field. The included instruction manual was very good, but there is a lot to learn and I had to read it a couple of times. The instruction video was also very good.<br />
The tool itself is quite large. Packing it inside a backpack is not a good option. The included pack straps work well though and I could strap the tool to my GG Mariposa without a problem.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.grandshelters.com/images/home.icebox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://www.grandshelters.com/images/home.icebox.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Shelters ICEBOX Igloo tool (Picture linked from http://www.grandshelters.com/)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">The first i</span><span style="font-size: large;">gloo</span><br />
Almost immediately upon arrival to our rented hut I started to prepare the platform for the first Igloo. My wife had to restrain me from not spending half the night outside in the snow. You should make the pleasure last as they say. I'm not a great fan of snowshoes, but I must say they worked quite well for this job, but I think skis will work well too. This was a quick task done in a few minutes. In field conditions I guess time should be spent to find a good reasonably flat spot as this would probably save a lot of effort.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ramp and part of the first level</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next day I started the working right after dinner and started work on the first level. I decided to build a two person 8-foot Igloo. The first three blocks are built as ramp with a gradual rise for the next level. As I was doing almost all the work alone the work took time and I only made about a third of the first level that night. Mostly it took a bit of time to get used to the tool and to assemble it correctly the first time. It was amazing to see how well the tool worked with powder snow. The temperature was about -10C and it didn't take many minutes for the blocks to freeze.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xUn9EynbqXw/T0lr2VizGOI/AAAAAAAAC8A/npPI-MG6AO8/s1600/DSC01402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xUn9EynbqXw/T0lr2VizGOI/AAAAAAAAC8A/npPI-MG6AO8/s400/DSC01402.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The tool with a filled block - Next step is to move the form very carefully to the next position</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The next day work went faster and I also decided to skip cross-country skiing altogether that day and spend all my available time on building. Nevertheless it seemed each layer took me around 45 minutes. It takes a lot of extra time to gather the snow yourself. I was quickly getting the hang of it however and the only real trouble I had was when building the blocks on the ramp. The middle ramp block is a bit more tricky.<div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WxJfEcU5xm8/T0lr8Ner9FI/AAAAAAAAC9I/a9h_SUUC-5Y/s1600/IMAG0238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WxJfEcU5xm8/T0lr8Ner9FI/AAAAAAAAC9I/a9h_SUUC-5Y/s320/IMAG0238.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The difficult nearly horizontal last blocks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>On the third day I again skipped skiing. I blamed the onset of a flu, but that was probably just a lame excuse. I was now desperate to get the job done. Up to and including level 5 everything went smoothly, but at level 6 and 7 the blocks start to lean inwards and several blocks broke when I moved the form. It helped to make smaller blocks. At this point things were also getting more complicated since I found it easiest to pack the blocks from inside. This meant I had to shovel snow inside and crawl through the door. This last part would have been a lot easier with two people working. The last blocks where the most challenging and I still haven't figured out how to do these well. Small blocks again seemed to help, but a lot of blocks broke and collapsed. When I started to suspect that a block would break I sometimes took a break for a few minutes to let the block freeze before moving the form. For the last two or three blocks it was not possible to pack from inside, but I had to stand on my snowshoes to pack from the outside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qsmJ4agwMTw/T0lr750lF_I/AAAAAAAAC9E/W-Tywo9jT3M/s1600/IMAG0237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qsmJ4agwMTw/T0lr750lF_I/AAAAAAAAC9E/W-Tywo9jT3M/s640/IMAG0237.jpg" width="380" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowshoes used as steps to reach higher</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally the Igloo was finished and there was much fun and rejoicing. I was quite amazed that the construction had worked on the first attempt and that the tool makes the Igloo look almost professional. The space inside was really quite large, but a tad too short for a 193cm tall guy like myself. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yK0DK_oQd2k/T0lsAhY8TiI/AAAAAAAAC9w/-l9JBttigFk/s1600/IMG_5910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yK0DK_oQd2k/T0lsAhY8TiI/AAAAAAAAC9w/-l9JBttigFk/s640/IMG_5910.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A proud builder</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Conclusions</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The ICEBOX is a fantastic tool, but it takes a bit of practice to master and you need to pay close attention to the instructions. I spent around 5 hours on the first 8-foot igloo and around 4 hours on the second 7-foot solo igloo. Some lessons learned where that good gloves are nice since the snow tends to melt on your hands when you are packing and shoveling. I was quite impressed that my cheap Gore-tex gloves kept my hands dry. My trusty old army leather chopper mitts soaked through. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another thing is that a larger snow shovel really helps to speed up the process. Forget the small Snow Claws and even other normal mountain shovels. Bring a big one with lots of capacity. If you are winter camping you are probably using a pulk anyway so the extra weight and bulk is not such a big concern.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As for sleeping in the Igloo, stay tuned, it might even happen this year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's all for the kids (big and small)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-16042307111930557592011-09-18T00:07:00.000+02:002011-09-18T00:07:11.312+02:00Major highs and minor lows in the Haut-Verdon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This year we spent a large part of the family holiday in southern France. Most of it on the overcrowded riviera, but also a splendid week in the southern alps. The Haut Verdon valley around Colmar to be exact.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was the first time I spent any longer time in the alps in summertime and I must say the surroundings exceeded my high expectations. Beautiful weather, almost no mosquitoes and excellent paths for family hiking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little M on the way to Lac d'Allos</td></tr>
</tbody></table> The day after arriving at our "Gîte" (house or apartment for rent), very conveniently booked on the <a href="http://www.gites-de-france.com/">Gites de France</a> site, we went for a day-trip to the fantastic Lac d'Allos not far from the ski resort Val d'Allos. This is an easy walk with a lot of scenic bang for your efforts. The trail is wide and marmots are commonly seen. 6 year old F and 4 year old S had no problems whatsoever in keeping pace with the adults during the 200 vertical meter ascent. Little M traveled comfortably in the new Toddler <a href="http://www.patapum.com/">Patapum</a> Baby carrier (He had outgrown the baby edition). This baby carrier proved to be a big hit. In my view it is a lot more comfortable than the backpack style baby carriers we've used before. This is probably due to the fact that the child sits so close to your back. A major disadvantage though is that you cannot really put the carrier on yourself alone, but you need someone to help you put the child in it.<br />
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To get the most out of our holiday and get inspiration for walks we bought a guide book from Edisud: <a href="http://www.montagnelibrairie.com/Randonnees-Haut-Verdon-Val-DAllos">"Haut-Verdon - Val d'Allos"</a>. This book contained a lot of good advice and complemented with a visit to Colmars excellent Tourist Office we had no trouble finding interesting activities.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep grazing on the slopes near Col d'Allos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One of the better walks suggested was to take the car to the Col d'Allos and then walk along the ridge towards La Grande Séolane. The walking was super easy and the views superb all along the way. Cows and sheep grazed on the hillside, the ground was full of flowers, and the marmots greeted us with their alarm chirping. Things couldn't have been much more idyllic (well, perhaps the ski-lift pylons detracted slightly from the beauty.). It was one of the major highs during the trip.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full speed ahead close to Col d'Allos</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OKPuAfrSA4s/Tlo26K_3CeI/AAAAAAAACz4/cBBEdeJ8nKE/s1600/HautVerdon+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OKPuAfrSA4s/Tlo26K_3CeI/AAAAAAAACz4/cBBEdeJ8nKE/s640/HautVerdon+018.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Towards the Tete de Vescal - There is something about kids walking with backpacks that makes me profoundly happy </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Bt_BWOrJEA/Tlo28zbqy7I/AAAAAAAAC0M/vHQ_v7dv6ss/s1600/HautVerdon+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Bt_BWOrJEA/Tlo28zbqy7I/AAAAAAAAC0M/vHQ_v7dv6ss/s640/HautVerdon+023.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">F with the Val d'Allos in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bdWxH5QpU2A/Tlo2-bsrfAI/AAAAAAAAC0U/5v3mlZm9cBc/s1600/HautVerdon+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bdWxH5QpU2A/Tlo2-bsrfAI/AAAAAAAAC0U/5v3mlZm9cBc/s640/HautVerdon+025.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little M fell asleep in the Patapum near Tete de Vescal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We tried to keep an easy tempo during our holiday so we would only go for more exhaustive walks every other day or so. One of the rest days was spent around the river in the village where we lived. An excellent place to practice river crossings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ihn3gEXUXio/Tlo20ZuQDBI/AAAAAAAACzI/Hlp4097rYT0/s1600/HautVerdon+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ihn3gEXUXio/Tlo20ZuQDBI/AAAAAAAACzI/Hlp4097rYT0/s640/HautVerdon+006.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">S practicing stream crossing in Villars-Colmars</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another day the idea was that we would just do a short walk close to the house up "a small hill". 250m up is no small hill however and what looked like a kilometer from the house was more like a two hour walk. No harm done though, and we were rewarded with magnificent views of the valley. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjVgwWsSFgg/Tlo23ei_B3I/AAAAAAAACzg/CWfhq3TF22w/s1600/HautVerdon+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjVgwWsSFgg/Tlo23ei_B3I/AAAAAAAACzg/CWfhq3TF22w/s640/HautVerdon+012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View to the north of the Verdon valley from Croix de Puy, Villars-Colmars</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">The week passed quickly and soon the last day was approaching and with it our greatest planned adventure: The overnight wild-camping hike to Lac d'Allos. We had already hiked up to the lake in the beginning, but it is such a beautiful site that it was worth visiting again. The fact that you are allowed to put up your tent in the Mercantour national park was also a factor.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Gathering all the stuff needed for night in the tent with all three kids took some time. The main problem is bulk, since the kids cannot carry too much in their small backpacks and the one carrying our youngest, little M, aged 1,5 years, cannot carry that much. My main anxiety however focused around if we would be cold in our sleeping bags at 2200m altitude. I got quite mixed answers, but most seemed to think that we would be ok with 10C sleeping bags provided we had good sleeping mats and some extra clothes on. To be on the safe side however I decided to buy a new 0C comfort temperature down sleeping bag for my wife. A cold wife is an unhappy wife and women tend to sleep colder. The price at Decathlon for the <a href="http://www.decathlon.fr/s0-ultralight-down-m-id_6556552.html">S0 Ultralight down bag</a> was very competitive, around 100€, but 1kg for a 0C bag does not really merit the label "Ultralight" in my view.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--VNs6fqJZMk/Tlo3FTg9HnI/AAAAAAAAC1A/Tir7NdKljrg/s1600/HautVerdon+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--VNs6fqJZMk/Tlo3FTg9HnI/AAAAAAAAC1A/Tir7NdKljrg/s640/HautVerdon+036.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Decathlon S0 "Ultralight" 0-degree sleeping bag strapped to the Patapum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A family of 5 also require a bit of space so we had to bring two tents. Cooking gear was skipped however since we could eat dinner at the Lac d'Allos mountain hut. Anyway my Mariposa pack was stuffed like a sausage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UeojjlPDGno/Tlo3Gi24OMI/AAAAAAAAC1I/IOldKjEs1F8/s1600/HautVerdon+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UeojjlPDGno/Tlo3Gi24OMI/AAAAAAAAC1I/IOldKjEs1F8/s640/HautVerdon+038.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild camping with small kids causes bulky loads</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Since I knew from the start the kids backpacks were too small I had adjusted the shoulder straps of my homemade silnylon pack to fit S. This allowed for some more space. But unfortunately the fit was not excellent and we had to carry his pack for awhile.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wna-wLN1WoU/Tlo3JArB9DI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/sUy_GbSJMnI/s1600/HautVerdon+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wna-wLN1WoU/Tlo3JArB9DI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/sUy_GbSJMnI/s640/HautVerdon+042.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S in front of Lac d'Allos with a modified MYOG 150g silnylon pack</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PyhyuKVZiIs/Tlo3HBQGUFI/AAAAAAAAC1M/jB8HLEfGAMk/s1600/HautVerdon+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PyhyuKVZiIs/Tlo3HBQGUFI/AAAAAAAAC1M/jB8HLEfGAMk/s640/HautVerdon+039.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although modified the bag was too large to fit properly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Having climbed the 200m from the parking the views opened up. Lac d'Allos sits beautifully inside a kettle of mountains. If I remember correctly it was formed by an ancient glacier. The water looks very inviting for a swim, but it is forbidden by park rules. Well, it is probably too cold anyway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fdYDD2oG-J4/Tlo3InKMfII/AAAAAAAAC1U/3C4UhS8pnWM/s1600/HautVerdon+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fdYDD2oG-J4/Tlo3InKMfII/AAAAAAAAC1U/3C4UhS8pnWM/s640/HautVerdon+041.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lac d'Allos with the Towers of Allos in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WZliWwTi4LY/Tlo3Jiknv0I/AAAAAAAAC1c/HOH49zozwWQ/s1600/HautVerdon+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WZliWwTi4LY/Tlo3Jiknv0I/AAAAAAAAC1c/HOH49zozwWQ/s640/HautVerdon+043.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A marmot just a few meters from the trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E_3tEYaV_qk/Tlo3MyveHnI/AAAAAAAAC1k/g8FM3ghnUyQ/s1600/HautVerdon+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E_3tEYaV_qk/Tlo3MyveHnI/AAAAAAAAC1k/g8FM3ghnUyQ/s640/HautVerdon+045.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View to the west of Lac d'Allos - I probably heard mountain goats battling on this slope</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Having arrived at the mountain hut we just had to wait for our pre-booked dinner. The hut proved to be quite well equipped and even had a bar so I could try to relax with the vacations first and only Pastis before supper and enjoy the view. Dinner didn't disappoint either, it proved to be the best dinner we had during our stay. The service was great too. It might not be real wilderness, but the luxurious huts in the alps definitely have their advantages too. I must be careful so I don't get accustomed. Repeat after me: "Freeze-dried food, spiced with mosquitoes devoured in pouring rain IS better than beef casserole washed down with red wine and hot blueberry pie"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ZsvwW7ev4w/Tlo3OGROIgI/AAAAAAAAC1s/RBKJpf4yqs4/s1600/HautVerdon+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ZsvwW7ev4w/Tlo3OGROIgI/AAAAAAAAC1s/RBKJpf4yqs4/s640/HautVerdon+047.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lac d'Allos mountain hut - a most pleasant establishment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Well fed and happy we sat out to find ourselves a good camping spot for our two tents. My initial plan was to hike one or two kilometers to Plan de Méouille north of the lake, but a nice supper takes it's time so it was already getting dark when we rolled out of the dining room. Luckily there was no shortage of good grassy spots close by with splendid views of the lake as well. I chose a nice clearing somewhat sheltered by big larch trees. My hope was that this would be a warmer spot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzwg8AqJ7YQ/Tlo3OnEjMWI/AAAAAAAAC1w/YoY2tdN4H1k/s1600/HautVerdon+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzwg8AqJ7YQ/Tlo3OnEjMWI/AAAAAAAAC1w/YoY2tdN4H1k/s640/HautVerdon+048.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M beams with joy after having "helped" with the tent by removing the front pegs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We split ourselves up between the tents so I would sleep with the older seasoned campers F and S in the Lunar Duo and my wife would sleep with little M in the Cloudburst. "Don't worry", I said, "He will sleep like a log with all the fresh air". In the beginning everything worked according to plan. F and S soon fell asleep after a long and exciting day and M eventually dozed off in his mothers arms.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g3dGmcoI8kM/Tlo3PgaM2uI/AAAAAAAAC14/qNpIkupyocI/s1600/HautVerdon+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g3dGmcoI8kM/Tlo3PgaM2uI/AAAAAAAAC14/qNpIkupyocI/s640/HautVerdon+050.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">F and S enjoy the view while winding down before bedtime</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBnxz9hfZ4E/Tlo3PFCYkoI/AAAAAAAAC10/WMB5ISS_5mc/s1600/HautVerdon+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBnxz9hfZ4E/Tlo3PFCYkoI/AAAAAAAAC10/WMB5ISS_5mc/s640/HautVerdon+049.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">SMD Lunar Duo and Tarptent Cloudburst - Having two tents proved to be a great idea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sleep doesn't come so easily for me in a tent however and after an hour or so I was just starting to fall asleep when M started crying. After a few minutes M was handed to me with the short words: "You take him". The tone hinted that there was no room for arguing. The wild camping was my idea after all. After a few minutes of cradling him in my arms and rocking him gently he fell asleep, but as soon as I tried to put him down on the mattress he started crying again and the delicate procedure of creeping out of the tent, baby in arms, slowly rise up and walk around had to be repeated again. At first there was something very romantic about calming him in the moonlight surrounded by the beautiful landscape, but at 2am after two failed attempts, that feeling faded somewhat. It did not end there either, he would wake up every two hours or so, just when I had found a good position around the annoying rock under my Thermarest. At 6am he was full awake and wanted breakfast. It was starting to remind me of "Strapatz-exercises" in the military, the ones where you could fall asleep while walking. By some miracle however he fell asleep again at 7am and then slept like a proper baby until 9am when we all had to wake up to take down the tents. I've had better camping experiences.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B8RltHLrWXk/Tlo3QagyQ4I/AAAAAAAAC2A/OI6zQ7c_ef8/s1600/HautVerdon+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B8RltHLrWXk/Tlo3QagyQ4I/AAAAAAAAC2A/OI6zQ7c_ef8/s640/HautVerdon+052.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quite camp in the moonlight</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">To further enhance the experience it also started to rain during the night. Not that it was a big problem, but it took away the reward of a beautiful morning with a calm breakfast in a stunning environment. Luckily the rest of the family had slept very well in the other tent. No one had been cold. Slowly we gathered all our stuff and set out downhill towards the car one more experience richer. In hindsight I should have trained little M in camping before the trip to make him accustomed to the new surroundings. As I write these lines however, the memories of sleep deprivation have mostly faded away, and despite this minor low, the main recollection remains one of adventure, moonlight over alps and a sense of accomplishment. However, the temptation of good life in the form of hot mountain hut beds, three-course dinners and wine, is luring in the background. After all, there is a time and place for everything.</div><br />
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</div></div></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com5Allos, Frankrike44.2344877517585 6.704385201171930944.1801722517585 6.6065167011719312 44.2888032517585 6.8022537011719306tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-68696975029917014032011-06-02T15:10:00.000+02:002011-06-02T15:10:05.516+02:00A weekend stroll through the local woods<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This blog has been a bit quiet lately. Being on parental leave with three small kids tends to take up a bit of time and also a fair amount of energy. Luckily however I managed to squeeze in some time for a weekend walk in the forest close to our summer house north of Stockholm. The plan was to spend two nights outdoors and to have a nice time. There was not really any gear to be tested and quite frankly still my pack ended up a lot heavier than usual due to poor planning. On such a short trip however that didn't really matter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZB6tKn4ICYc/TcGy-j4EWCI/AAAAAAAACuw/G7PFk-qaBiE/s1600/IMG_4100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZB6tKn4ICYc/TcGy-j4EWCI/AAAAAAAACuw/G7PFk-qaBiE/s640/IMG_4100.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A female moose near lake Largen spotted from the car on the way out</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We started the walk a bit late on friday night since we were delayed by the pleasant company of my parents. So late in fact that when we started to walk through the forest next to the beautiful lake Malmsjön it was already getting dark. Finding a good site for the tent when night is falling is seldom a good idea. Luckily we managed to find an OK spot for our two tents and soon the night was filled with the noise of amateurs in the woods: breaking twigs in the darkness. I also had to use my new lightweight <a href="http://www.myshopping.com.au/ZM--1213891330_Lightweight_knife_88mm_Outdoors_Warehouse">Muela pocket-knife</a> to clear my tent spot from aspen saplings that would otherwise threaten to ruin my sleep. I'm sad to say the knife did not pass the test. When used for serious cutting duty the handle was simply too uncomfortable due to it's rectangular shape. I will switch back to my beloved <a href="http://www.opinel.com/#/tradition/hetre-acier-au-carbone">Opinel</a>. It has a rounded handle and is beautiful in it's simplicity.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZqrwBl6Dow/TcGzAEjjxXI/AAAAAAAACvA/IA2RKPOxNME/s1600/IMG_4111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZqrwBl6Dow/TcGzAEjjxXI/AAAAAAAACvA/IA2RKPOxNME/s400/IMG_4111.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A nice roaring campfire</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Luckily our chosen campsite was full of dry wood (As is most often the case in the boreal forest) and within minutes we had a nice fire to warm ourselves by. It was quite welcome since the evening was in fact a bit chilly. As always the fire got us in good mood and my hiking buddy Jesper skillfully prepared marshmallows which we washed down with some nice Serbian šlivovic.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TWFfdLA7sBE/TcGzBQ7oRnI/AAAAAAAACvQ/QUlxKTDVOns/s1600/IMG_4121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TWFfdLA7sBE/TcGzBQ7oRnI/AAAAAAAACvQ/QUlxKTDVOns/s400/IMG_4121.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A master marshmallow roaster at work</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a large amount of banter it was time to retire to our tents and I found good use for my head-torch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sX92DnKXA_E/TcGy_VvDObI/AAAAAAAACu4/onXj-5DpJZ0/s1600/IMG_4105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sX92DnKXA_E/TcGy_VvDObI/AAAAAAAACu4/onXj-5DpJZ0/s320/IMG_4105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Canon S90 working at iso 12800 conveys the darkness. I find the noise adds realism in this case.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I slept reasonably well under my Gatewood Cape. One of the pleasures with sleeping in the woods are all the sounds. This night we were treated with the characteristic cries of a Tawny Owl (Kattuggla, Strix Aluco) just a few meters from our tents.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hZCH-wlQJHQ/TcGzC3FFlLI/AAAAAAAACvc/trjPTvJvZ_4/s1600/IMG_4126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hZCH-wlQJHQ/TcGzC3FFlLI/AAAAAAAACvc/trjPTvJvZ_4/s640/IMG_4126.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A bit of condensation on the Gatewood Cape, but nothing too bothersome. I find the Gatewood Cape to be quite ideal for lightweight forest camping.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the morning we packed up early and left without breakfast in the "Ultralight style" propagated by Mike Clelland!. It was still pretty chilly and we did not feel like lingering around. Jesper even had frost on his tent. It was the first time I tried the postponed UL-breakfast technique and I think it has some merit in cold weather. After an hour or so we had warmed up from the hiking and sitting down was a lot more pleasant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-38GyqywfcRA/TcGzEZ4HRII/AAAAAAAACvo/1sO44-JG60E/s1600/IMG_4134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-38GyqywfcRA/TcGzEZ4HRII/AAAAAAAACvo/1sO44-JG60E/s640/IMG_4134.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Birches in beautiful spring light (not properly conveyed by this photo I'm afraid)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We hiked north along Malmsjön and then turned northwest towards Långsjön by compass bearing. We had no trails to follow on this hike. I just used my Iphone maps and sometimes took compass bearings to keep the course through the forest.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8tJWIi709pg/TcGzFDZrulI/AAAAAAAACvs/VflhisCZgrE/s1600/IMG_4135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8tJWIi709pg/TcGzFDZrulI/AAAAAAAACvs/VflhisCZgrE/s320/IMG_4135.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Remnants of a more agricultural age</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From Långsjön we just had a few hundred meters to our intended breakfast spot, the lake Mörtsjön in the nature reserve with the same name. Apparently this lake was used by a fly-fishing club. They had installed jetties on several places around the lake. I found that this took away some of the untouched charm from this nice typical forest lake with no road access, but I guess it makes it a very nice place for fly-fishing. There are thousands of lakes like this in Sweden so there is not much harm done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a4P6GOrM3ag/TcGzF50X8NI/AAAAAAAACvw/HeJoZ_ajBRI/s1600/IMG_4139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a4P6GOrM3ag/TcGzF50X8NI/AAAAAAAACvw/HeJoZ_ajBRI/s640/IMG_4139.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Preparing hazelnut boosted blueberry soup oatmeal on the Bushbuddy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jetties or no jetties, the lake was still a nice place for cooking breakfast. I prepared my favourite hiking porridge on the Bushbuddy. I still have some things to learn about this. I managed to severly burn the bottom of the pot. I still haven't managed to properly clean the pot. I must learn to simmer better. Any hints are welcome. I guess one thing I could have done was to put the pot in the pot cozy a bit earlier when the porridge was boiling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxNxNQtsvbs/TcGzG3RzUII/AAAAAAAACv4/CF2zG6ivWA4/s1600/IMG_4142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxNxNQtsvbs/TcGzG3RzUII/AAAAAAAACv4/CF2zG6ivWA4/s400/IMG_4142.JPG" width="300" /></a>¨</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Homemade pot-cozy made by padded aluminium from <a href="http://backpackinglight.co.uk/product212.asp?PageID=110">Bob and Rose</a> doing it's work</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The pot cozy really is a nice invention. It saves fuel, time and energy since you don't have to maintain the fire. The extra weight is negligible. In this case we prepared the coffee while the porridge was having a nice time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2h8cVzT3N98/TcGzH_eYoiI/AAAAAAAACwA/W90sKBZMUbo/s1600/IMG_4146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2h8cVzT3N98/TcGzH_eYoiI/AAAAAAAACwA/W90sKBZMUbo/s320/IMG_4146.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Breakfast is finished</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After breakfast we walked through the forest roughly following the old boundary between two properties. Somewhere east of Mörtsjön we found what was likely wolf droppings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZviXtxuN3yI/TcGzIx7GffI/AAAAAAAACwE/Q3ge98FmEL8/s1600/IMG_4149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZviXtxuN3yI/TcGzIx7GffI/AAAAAAAACwE/Q3ge98FmEL8/s320/IMG_4149.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wolf droppings?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This trip took place at the end of April and there was an abundance of spring flowers around. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jYiEt1bIsE0/TcGzJW_A2pI/AAAAAAAACwI/e5dfI1luKt8/s1600/IMG_4162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jYiEt1bIsE0/TcGzJW_A2pI/AAAAAAAACwI/e5dfI1luKt8/s320/IMG_4162.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tibast?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G8ogDThLAmg/TcGzL-e2IGI/AAAAAAAACwc/oCiU8DgC4ME/s1600/IMG_4172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G8ogDThLAmg/TcGzL-e2IGI/AAAAAAAACwc/oCiU8DgC4ME/s320/IMG_4172.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Blue anemone and Wood anemone (Blåsippa and Vitsippa)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p1AXEDRKgJ8/TcGzLDexYwI/AAAAAAAACwY/8SMrzbJGY5A/s1600/IMG_4170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p1AXEDRKgJ8/TcGzLDexYwI/AAAAAAAACwY/8SMrzbJGY5A/s400/IMG_4170.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Vätteros, Lathraea Squamaria. A strange parasitic plant which feeds on it's host.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The sun was shining and we weren't the only ones enjoying it. I nearly stepped on a poisonous black adder in a forest clearing. Lots of dogs have been bitten by these this year. Unless you are allergic their bites are not dangerous, but you should go to the doctor if bitten. From what I've heard you get an an extra tetanus shot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mt4hIkTP47U/TcGzJz8iktI/AAAAAAAACwM/5Hbc1v5rCSU/s1600/IMG_4165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mt4hIkTP47U/TcGzJz8iktI/AAAAAAAACwM/5Hbc1v5rCSU/s320/IMG_4165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Black adder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Soon after the snake encounter it was time for lunch. We found a nice place near a hunting tower close to a moss. Out came the frying pan and we had a delicious meal of Nurnberger rostbratwurst and homemade french potato salad (prepared in advance before the trip.). Frying on the Bushbuddy is a bit of a technique as the flames are normally too hot for the pan. You need to hold the pan a bit above the flames and move it around a bit to cover the whole area. When using a normal fire the best thing is to fry over embers, but this doesn't work with the Bushbuddy since the embers are too far away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nlPx6hbA3JM/TcGzKT77UTI/AAAAAAAACwQ/xlrBq0-8fJw/s1600/IMG_4168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nlPx6hbA3JM/TcGzKT77UTI/AAAAAAAACwQ/xlrBq0-8fJw/s400/IMG_4168.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Luxury food</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After lunch we continued walking. My chosen campsite proved to be quite far away and we noticed that my route was perhaps a bit too long for one day, 20-25km off-trail through forest is quite a distance. The wind was also picking up and it was getting a lot colder. Anyway we plodded along towards the lake Däningen where I had intended to camp. Here we ran into some trouble. The water in the lake really didn't look or smell nice. We had almost run out of water, we were tired and it was almost cold even when we were walking. The lake itself wasn't too interesting either and we didn't really feel like putting up camp there. Maybe I'm starting to become old, anyway we decided to go back home. The last few kilometers to the car we realized just how tired we were. Next time I will research my route better and reduce the distance. Better research as to reliable water sources would also be a good idea.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even though we aborted the trip a bit early it was great to get out and a great way to switch environment. </div></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-44900421541379151902011-02-14T23:16:00.000+01:002011-02-14T23:16:17.517+01:00The Bushbuddy as a multi-fuel stove<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLCXGebzaZ00ERuF_dARNDfsJ6bdse8HeMrGMGIOwc2fbPrfJaA8NKg3TuhEAjkBQyEqdE0-2QxHeVCyJlXpWJdGPzXVnjGgMySiFlKMpqirE5tLzFQk4zIzpfuG0wuuwXKB_2c60RrZW/s1600/DSC_0526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLCXGebzaZ00ERuF_dARNDfsJ6bdse8HeMrGMGIOwc2fbPrfJaA8NKg3TuhEAjkBQyEqdE0-2QxHeVCyJlXpWJdGPzXVnjGgMySiFlKMpqirE5tLzFQk4zIzpfuG0wuuwXKB_2c60RrZW/s640/DSC_0526.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Heating water for coffee on a hot summers day in the Stockholm archipelago</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The <a href="http://www.bushbuddy.ca/">Bushbuddy</a> is a superb wood-burning stove. This is a well known fact. However, what is less known is that just the pot-stand can work well with alcohol burners and Esbits too. The big advantage of this is that you can have a backup solution if the rain is just pouring down and you don't feel like testing your fire-making skills just at that moment.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NWokHlvItKc/TVRUW59rhbI/AAAAAAAACsg/QT0oo3DeWPw/s1600/DSC_0778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NWokHlvItKc/TVRUW59rhbI/AAAAAAAACsg/QT0oo3DeWPw/s320/DSC_0778.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Bushbuddy pot-stand</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I've read that some hikers used the Trangia alcohol burner with success. I have only tried with a homemade Pepsi-can stove and that worked very well and also has the advantage that it is extremely light.<br />
When using either alcohol or Esbits, a windshield becomes much more important than when using just wood as fuel is not unlimited (I tend to use a windshield with wood as well to decrease the boil times.). I simply use a folded piece of aluminium from a take-away dinner package. Those who find that too simplistic can probably find themselves some nice titanium at a premium.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c9ws8L6APn0/TVRUZC99gTI/AAAAAAAACs0/80P-3qQtcDc/s1600/DSC_0827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c9ws8L6APn0/TVRUZC99gTI/AAAAAAAACs0/80P-3qQtcDc/s320/DSC_0827.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Setup for Esbit use - note the use of the stone and aluminium foil to get the flame at a good distance from the pot</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">For the Esbits to work best it is important that the burning base is at a good distance from the pot. I don't know what the exact distance should be, but around 3 cm seems good. See this <a href="http://gearjunkie.com/gear-review-esbit-stove">review of Esbit stoves</a> for more info. In order to achieve this I put the Esbits on a stone and a piece of aluminium foil. A more sophisticated solution would be to use something like a <a href="http://www.traildesigns.com/accessories/gram-cracker">Gram Cracker</a>, but frankly this is such a simple thing to build yourself.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Esbits or Alcohol?</span><br />
What fuel to take as a backup system is a tricky question. Alcohol is easy to find, but it is a more complicated setup and can also add quite a few grams if you have a heavy burner. The Trangia burner, and I guess others as well has the advantage that they can be used for simmering though. Esbits have the important advantage that you can use an Esbit tab as a firestarter in combination with wood. You can also fly with Esbits checked in as far as I know (I have asked and done so on an international flight with the Esbits in the checked-in luggage, but that is no guarantee that all airlines will accept it.).<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Field testing?</span><br />
When it comes to proper field testing on real hiking trips I'm afraid I have to leave that as an exercise to the reader. Even though I bring Esbits on my hiking trips I haven't needed them yet, but I haven't been on any longer trips either. So far I have always found wood even <a href="http://thebearablelightness.blogspot.com/2009/08/pushing-limits-using-bushbuddy-above.html">above tree-line in wet conditions</a>. Nevertheless my backyard testing seemed to indicate that the boil times for around 5dl of water was about 6-7 minutes with four small Esbits and probably something similar for alcohol. Perfectly acceptable for solo use I think. It would be nice to know what other peoples experiences are.</div></div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5hMKfzxjXAoJ6cZaKioJMgHb1jyfeF_OX2LoIz8UdLTcTvzN8owcTtDS4ieBIYkcTVCQ6-03F635g6CEvHfP46P9UEuKZHgrJFA3hoeOqXRA5Df3rqZtW8ErynjDXAenBcDakhQsnSbq/s1600/DSC_0826.JPG"></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: CENTER;"></div></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-74391267685090368252011-01-02T15:55:00.000+01:002011-01-02T15:55:32.176+01:00Happy new winter year - try a Quinzhee!In order to burn some calories and have some fun in the snow after christmas I decided to build a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinzhee">Quinzhee</a> snow shelter. You can't get much more lightweight than that since the shelter only requires that you bring a shovel. It's also a lot warmer than a tent since the snow is a great insulator. The downside however is that it requires lot of energy and time to build, but it's also quite fun. It goes without saying however that you should not leave your tent at home unless you are very experienced.<br />
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Compared to other snow shelters the Quinzhee is less demanding of the snow conditions. You don't need very deep snow (as is required by a Snow cave or Snow trench for example.) or hard packed snow which is required for Igloos.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TSCDQHnfSFI/AAAAAAAACp0/deTxtI-kB8s/s1600/DSC_0703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TSCDQHnfSFI/AAAAAAAACp0/deTxtI-kB8s/s400/DSC_0703.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The snow heap freezing before being dug out</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The process of building a Quinzhee looks like this:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ol><li>Pile up as much snow as you can in a heap using a shovel</li>
<li>Compact the heap a bit by pounding it with the shovel</li>
<li>Let the heap freeze for at least 30 minutes</li>
<li>Insert 20-30cm sticks evenly into the heap all around the top so that you will not dig through the wall when digging out the living compartment</li>
<li>Dig out the living compartment and watch carefully so that you don't dig through the wall when you hit the sticks</li>
<li>Optionally create a door of some kind</li>
</ol><div>Step one is by far the hardest one. It took my about 45 minutes with a big shovel and this was for a heap that would probably only fit me in curled up position. It should help to have several people do the shoveling. It is very important to let the heap freeze properly, otherwise it will collapse. Especially when build out of cold powder snow like this Quinzhee. I let this one freeze for 2 hours.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TSCDRfcEGFI/AAAAAAAACqE/Fe0FwxgSMrc/s1600/IMG_2862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TSCDRfcEGFI/AAAAAAAACqE/Fe0FwxgSMrc/s400/IMG_2862.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The biggest reason to build a quinzhee - The fun factor</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I have heard that those who have tried sleeping in Quinzhee say that it is quite comfortable and very warm, but also a bit damp. So far I have only built mine just outside the house for fun purposes. It's a great activity for the kids, especially the digging. I must say however that the hard work makes me long for the <a href="http://www.grandshelters.com/icebox-igloo.html">ICEBOX Igloo Tool</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TSCOz4xqTmI/AAAAAAAACqY/oWh_IcZahZY/s1600/IMG_2874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TSCOz4xqTmI/AAAAAAAACqY/oWh_IcZahZY/s400/IMG_2874.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy digging - observe the sticks on the roof</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-20098204679905361952010-11-06T00:01:00.003+01:002010-12-01T22:48:23.362+01:00Divčibare - Daytripping in Serbia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the middle of September the whole family went on holiday to Serbia to visit family and friends and to have some needed rest at <a href="http://www.vujicdivcibare.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=29">Hotel Maljen</a> in <a href="http://www.serbia-visit.com/Divcibare.138.0.html">Divčibare</a> west of Belgrade. This time no serious trekking activities were planned as our youngest was now only 6 months old and would accompany us on all walks. Nevertheless we had an excellent time and it was nice to spend a lot of time all together outdoors in a pleasant climate. The temperature during the day was around 20C and quite optimal for leisurely walks up to the mountains ridges of the mountain Maljen ( around 1100m above Sea level).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Divćibare is an old mountain resort that has seen better days, but my impression is that the small village is now slowly recovering from the economic crisis and many hotels and villas have been renovated in the last 5 years since I was there the last time. The natural beauties of the location are still very well preserved and there are well marked footpaths to nice vistas of the Serbian countryside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWFXcPtTI/AAAAAAAACgU/IBW2Av-qAJU/s1600/IMG_2161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWFXcPtTI/AAAAAAAACgU/IBW2Av-qAJU/s640/IMG_2161.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">F and S safely escorted by "čika Milan" (uncle Milan) on his trusty horses Klara and Sara</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">To me, the traditional agricultural landscape and society are among the things that attracts me the most in Serbia. It may not be the most efficient, but free-ranging sheep and cattle as well as manually mowed meadows sure create beautiful scenery.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Each day during the week we went on shorter walks for about 1-2 hours. The hiking was very easy with only about 130m climbs which suited us fine since we were also carrying our baby in a BabyBjörn-carrier. The Baby-Björn works, but I must say that it's quite uncomfortable for my back. My wife however seems to be better trained after all the time spent with the baby and doesn't complain at all. The advantage of short day-trips is also that you really do not need to carry anything more than your rain clothes and some snacks and water. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWF1N2MVI/AAAAAAAACgc/P8U3pbYpQyA/s1600/IMG_2212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWF1N2MVI/AAAAAAAACgc/P8U3pbYpQyA/s640/IMG_2212.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">S was able to carry all our gear with ease</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The kids really enjoyed the walks and it was nice to not worry about bad weather and wet clothes. I don't know if it is just my imagination, but my impression is that the children really start to enjoy a nice scenic view as well.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWGZHwMNI/AAAAAAAACgs/bAoTDLIgIlc/s1600/IMG_2220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWGZHwMNI/AAAAAAAACgs/bAoTDLIgIlc/s640/IMG_2220.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The view east from Crni Vrh (Black ridge)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWI-4rFxI/AAAAAAAACg8/uFH_BD37P7Y/s1600/IMG_2341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWI-4rFxI/AAAAAAAACg8/uFH_BD37P7Y/s640/IMG_2341.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Look! He's barefoot and it's only 25C. He will catch pneumonia in no-time!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Having lots of practice by now we don't see any difficulties in bringing babies for a walk. Diapers can be changed virtually everywhere and it's even easier to find a nice secluded place for nursing outdoors. A tree works well as a back support. With our first child we used to bring a dedicated nursing chair! If there is a chance of rain the children can also sleep under my Gatewood Cape.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWGyI0mfI/AAAAAAAACg0/jHTpkZslcnY/s1600/IMG_2246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWGyI0mfI/AAAAAAAACg0/jHTpkZslcnY/s400/IMG_2246.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Little M slept comfortably on the Gossamer Gear Nightlight torso-length</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWJXG2gmI/AAAAAAAACiQ/M5I85ZKActA/s1600/IMG_2343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWJXG2gmI/AAAAAAAACiQ/M5I85ZKActA/s640/IMG_2343.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">F finds the perfect spot to take in the scenery in peace alone</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWKTJzl2I/AAAAAAAACiM/yWFso6Z-4oo/s1600/IMG_2404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWKTJzl2I/AAAAAAAACiM/yWFso6Z-4oo/s640/IMG_2404.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
Oh no, here comes little brother and disturbs</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWK_iF_zI/AAAAAAAAChM/Do9PinFBYig/s1600/IMG_2374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWK_iF_zI/AAAAAAAAChM/Do9PinFBYig/s640/IMG_2374.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Look a lizard! It's not so bad with company after all</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWLtJKy_I/AAAAAAAAChU/vdb8wJL0G5E/s1600/IMG_2386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWLtJKy_I/AAAAAAAAChU/vdb8wJL0G5E/s640/IMG_2386.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Not so easy to catch a good picture of this beauty</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWM5OvjOI/AAAAAAAAChs/b3P7r0lhlWs/s1600/IMG_2415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWM5OvjOI/AAAAAAAAChs/b3P7r0lhlWs/s640/IMG_2415.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Not all days brought good weather, but the fog has it's charm too.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWPf_LFrI/AAAAAAAACiU/bmDekrDCIMI/s1600/IMG_2239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWPf_LFrI/AAAAAAAACiU/bmDekrDCIMI/s400/IMG_2239.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Gossamer Gear Murmur pack traveled to Serbia as cabin baggage and still shows no signs of wear</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWNZeuZzI/AAAAAAAACh8/BZYC7pqMzoc/s1600/IMG_2452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLyWNZeuZzI/AAAAAAAACh8/BZYC7pqMzoc/s320/IMG_2452.JPG" width="157" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Back in Belgrade to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of the bohemian quarter Skadarlija</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All in all we really enjoyed our holiday in Divćibare and we will most probably return again. Serbia and especially the capital Belgrade, is starting to become a tourist destination and if you are an outdoor enthusiast it is nice to know that only about 1-2 hours from the capital you also have nice hiking areas. If you go further away south there are also other really interesting areas, such as Zlatibor, Kopaonik, Mokra Gora and Stara Planina.</div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-39337048725417643242010-10-10T15:15:00.000+02:002010-10-10T15:15:05.381+02:00Kids on the mountain - The gear<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">When I was about to </span><a href="http://thebearablelightness.blogspot.com/2010/09/kids-on-mountain.html">hike with my kids</a><span class="Apple-style-span"> I felt a bit insecure as to what to pack. Consequently p</span>rior to leaving I solicited some good advice from fellow family outdoorsmen in Sweden on the <a href="http://www.utsidan.se/">Utsidan</a> Internet-forum. They gave me the following good gear list which I more or less followed:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></div><ol style="font-size: medium;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sleeping bag or Winter overall</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Windproof fast-drying pants</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rain clothes</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Insulated jacket or fleece</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rubber boots or sneakers</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2-3 pairs of socks</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Base layers </span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Plastic bags for carrying soiled clothes</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Windproof jacket</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Baseball Cap</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Warm cap</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mosquito repellent and headnet</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mittens</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Good food with deserts</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Huge amounts of sweets and nuts</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Extra pairs of underwear</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Backpack</span></span></li>
</ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">The kids clothes</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 15px;">For some reason it was absolutely impossible to find fast-drying pants the week before I left. Everything was sold out during the summer sale. I was forced to pack the thinnest cotton pants I could find instead. This worked since we had fairly nice weather with no rain, but I would definetely not recommend it since the pants took a long time to dry and I needed to pack several pairs of pants. In the worst case however, they could always have hiked in their merino long-johns and rain clothes. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 15px;">Rain clothes by the way is probably the most important piece of kit. I found very light jackets at Decathlon in France. We had such good weather however that they were not put to the test on this trip. As pants we used the kids normal rubberized pants. More so than the jackets, the pants really get a beating, so I'm a bit hesitant to try light pants. The concept of hard wearing shell pants could perhaps be interesting, but they can be a bit pricey and in addition to that I'm afraid the kids will sweat too much in them if they would wear them all the time. I know I do.</span><br />
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</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQlytDF5DI/AAAAAAAACPY/6yDU1tMvq5E/s1600/IMG_1777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQlytDF5DI/AAAAAAAACPY/6yDU1tMvq5E/s640/IMG_1777.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Drying lousy cotton clothes while getting some precious rest</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 15px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The sleeping bags</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 15px;">A part from finding good pants I found that the biggest problem was finding good sleeping bags. Most children sleeping bags are not made for temperatures as cold as around zero degrees. There are expensive alternatives for sure, but since the kids are growing fast I find it a bit waste of money. In the end I opted to use their normal toy +5-10C bags and complement with another +10C bag on top of them. A big problem with this approach however was the bulk and to a lesser extent weight. Keeping the third bag on top of the kids was also a major problem. Although this system kept us warm and alive I'm not satisfied. Next time I will probably try the winter overall system and/or make/buy proper warm sleeping bags for the kids.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The backpacks</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">One thing you quickly notice when you pack for any trip with small children is that you need a lot of space. They cannot carry all their belongings, so you will have to pack most of the kids stuff. The <a href="http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Mariposa_Plus.html">Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus</a> really is very handy for this purpose since it is very voluminous without much of a weight penalty. The outside mesh pockets are also very handy for drying clothing and quickly stuffing items (it seems you are always busy packing and unpacking stuff for the kids.).</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: x-large; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl0TewQDI/AAAAAAAACPo/s45UiL7g5xI/s1600/IMG_1804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl0TewQDI/AAAAAAAACPo/s45UiL7g5xI/s400/IMG_1804.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus fully stuffed with three sleeping bags, tent and cooking gear</div></span></span></div></div></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div><div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The kids can however carry some things themselves. Of course, out of principle, I wanted them to have ultralight backpacks. The market for kids UL-packs is however small, not to say non-existant. Luckily I found a good and cheap solution in France: The Decathlon Diosaz Ultralight runners packs in size 10L and 5L. For around 20-25€ these are good light packs that also come with hydration bladders </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(They weigh around 250g without bladders.).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I'm not very fond of hydration bladders myself, but the kids quite like them. As an added bonus I can use the packs myself for running (It has only happened twice, but it is nice to know the possibility exists.). The shoulder straps are too wide for the kids, but this was easily solved using a carabiner to bring the straps closer together.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TKO1TcwvRMI/AAAAAAAACak/cl8Yz50RduM/s1600/IMG_1366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TKO1TcwvRMI/AAAAAAAACak/cl8Yz50RduM/s400/IMG_1366.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Simon is happy with his brand new Quechua Diosaz 5L ultralight pack</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLDi1o1L4xI/AAAAAAAACdE/yJ2gJQcdkEk/s1600/IMG_1697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLDi1o1L4xI/AAAAAAAACdE/yJ2gJQcdkEk/s400/IMG_1697.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Observe the carabiner attached to the hydration-tube holder straps. It is needed to make a good fit for the shoulder straps</span></div><br />
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</tbody></table>In the small 5L pack you could just about fit the rain clothes and a fleece jacket. In the 10L pack you could almost fit a sleeping bag (but no fleece-jacket). In hindsight, Filip the 5-year old could have had a larger 15-20L pack.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLDgdkxVU_I/AAAAAAAACcw/Ujo8HwvfbKo/s576/IMG_1799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLDgdkxVU_I/AAAAAAAACcw/Ujo8HwvfbKo/s400/IMG_1799.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Filip with his sleeping bag protruding from the too small 10L Quechua pack</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The footwear question</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Few questions elicit soo much debate in the lightweight-backpacking area as the question of wet feet. Of course I don't want my children to have wet feet if I can avoid it, but the fact is, you mostly can't. Even with completely waterproof footwear such as rubber boots, the likelihood of water finding it's way in is very large, even close to a certainty. By the way, the same goes for all the kids clothes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8KhgxvO6I/AAAAAAAACdU/ZSfaN5LFr_Y/s800/IMG_1753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8KhgxvO6I/AAAAAAAACdU/ZSfaN5LFr_Y/s320/IMG_1753.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hazardous activity</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In the end we tried both rubber boots and sneakers and both worked. Simon had to switch to his new sneakers since his rubber boots turned out to be too small (It would have been a good idea to try them at him first ; ). Filip is older and it seems already more set in his ways and did not want to try the wet feet concept. I have heard of other parents kids who hike in sneakers. One advantage of doing this is that it can reduce the likelihood of blisters. I would not use normal boots in Scandinavia since they will most certainly get wet the first day and then stay wet the rest of the trip. With bigger kids normal boots might work.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLDqlcMj5cI/AAAAAAAACdM/2jW5HKkvbJ4/s1600/IMG_1870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TLDqlcMj5cI/AAAAAAAACdM/2jW5HKkvbJ4/s400/IMG_1870.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Simon in sneakers and Filip in rubber boots</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Shelter</span></span><br />
<div>An advantage with small kids is that they are small in size too. A roomy two-man shelter can funtion well even with two kids and two adults. I had three choices here: My Bergans Kompakt Light 3, The Tarptent Cloudburst 2 and the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo. The Bergans was out of the question mainly because of the bulk. If I had chosen it I would have had to switch to my traditional 80L backpack. That would have been a capitulation. The fact that it weighs 3kg is less of a concern on such a short trip, but the total effect of taking it would have been a weight increase of around 3-4kg (+1,6kg for the tent and approximately 2-3kg for the backpack.). The choice between the Cloudburst and the Lunar Duo was harder. Anyone of them would have worked. The Cloudburst is probably better in high winds and it's surface area is very big when lying down, but the ceiling is lower which makes it more awkward to change clothes inside. On the plus side it's less bulky and ca 300g lighter than the Lunar Duo. In the end I chose the Lunar Duo partly because I wanted to test it and mainly because of the higher ceiling. Another factor was that the Lunar Duo fly can be pinned to the ground and thus reduce draft better. I was quite afraid that the kids would be cold in their simple sleeping bags.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8KjFk_9ZI/AAAAAAAACHw/xncg7YTkXYg/s1600/IMG_1762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8KjFk_9ZI/AAAAAAAACHw/xncg7YTkXYg/s640/IMG_1762.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Lunar Duo pitched for siesta</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Conclusion</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;">Compiling the ultimate gear list might seem daunting, but in reality the important thing is to get out there and see what works for you. If you stay reasonably close to civilisation you can always turn back if the trip gets unpleasant. Most of the time with the small kids the challenge has nothing to do with gear, it is managing attitudes (your own, as well as the kids) that's important and difficult. It is however comforting to know that with light gear you can get by without being too overburdened. I would guess that my pack for this overnight trip did not weigh much more than 12kg.</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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</div></div></span></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-87525864184171291632010-09-03T23:18:00.000+02:002010-09-03T23:18:27.862+02:00Kids on the mountainHaving three small boys, aged four months, three- and five years can make it difficult and challenging to get out into the wilderness for longer times. Most probably I will not be able to do any longer trips the next few years. Most parents just give up and wait for better times when the kids are older. This is a pity though, and I did not want to give up so easily. A short trip with two kids should be within reach. Preferably I would have liked to go with the entire family, but even an optimist like myself has to realize there is a time and place for everything. The effort - satisfaction ratio is not favorable when also including a 4-month baby in the equation. Luckily some of my good friends wanted to come along and a trip to Hemavan in Lapland was booked.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Training</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">In order to make a trip more enjoyable and to judge the kids capacities I thought some training close to home should be useful. Since we got kids I have read about everything I've seen on the topic of hiking with small kids. It seems most people do not hike with kids as young as ours, but those who do seem to say that around 3-5 km is a reasonable distance for a day. Consequently I planned an overnight hike with some friends in order to get a feeling for what was possible and enjoyable.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span">We bushwacked around 3km to a nice location by a lake close to our summer house. All went very well and everyone seemed to enjoy the outing. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGRV7DyKWbI/AAAAAAAACSc/FXensldDSjI/s1600/IMG_1035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGRV7DyKWbI/AAAAAAAACSc/FXensldDSjI/s640/IMG_1035.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Simon climbing over a fallen log - walking on unbeaten paths worked well, but it can require a lot of extra time</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGRSYSSEBJI/AAAAAAAACRU/Zm_Hg1X0sq8/s1600/IMG_0858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGRSYSSEBJI/AAAAAAAACRU/Zm_Hg1X0sq8/s640/IMG_0858.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Filip outside the Cloudburst-tent on a shorter field exercise</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Later on during our vacation we also got the opportunity to do some high altitude training in the alps. With the right motivation and in good company of their cousins, the kids actually managed to climb no less than 170m of altitude in less than two hours. It was now quite clear that the kids where certainly physically ready for a hike and that the challenges would be mainly psychological.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/THrOAK4TeZI/AAAAAAAACWw/72MPvJPiJ_g/s1600/IMG_1386.CR2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/THrOAK4TeZI/AAAAAAAACWw/72MPvJPiJ_g/s640/IMG_1386.CR2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Filip looking for marmots in the Parc National de Mercantour, Boréon, France</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Route planning</span><br />
Since I wanted to get up on the mountain as fast as possible and avoid long stretches in the forest it suited us perfectly to take the ski lift up to the start of Kungsleden in Hemavan. This would provide an interesting start of the trip as well. Having gone up the mountain we would then just follow the trail a few kilometers towards Viterskalsstugan and then put up our tent right next to the trail. This way I figured it would be easy to get help should any accident occur.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8Kv1-EyUI/AAAAAAAACKA/nJonCl6aTP8/s1600/IMG_1867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8Kv1-EyUI/AAAAAAAACKA/nJonCl6aTP8/s640/IMG_1867.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">On start of Kungsleden a few kilometers from the ski lift</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Out on the mountain</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally the big day arrived, the weather report looked favorable and we boarded the lift and enjoyed the scenery as we climbed to just above the treeline of Norra Storfjället. We started to walk along what we then thought was Kungsleden. Soon it became apparent though that something was wrong. The kids were feeling tired and where not in a good mood. With the help of some candy we however managed to climb up to to a nice spot for lunch. I learned an important lesson: Don't postpone food! Not even half an hour! In order to have a nice trip with kids (and to a lesser extent adults as well) everybody needs to be well fed and the mountain gives you a big appetite.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8KoxQPoWI/AAAAAAAACI0/ss9WdL_od78/s1600/IMG_1807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8KoxQPoWI/AAAAAAAACI0/ss9WdL_od78/s640/IMG_1807.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The PocketRocket temporarily replaces my Bushbuddy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Luckily, with the help of the efficient MSR PocketRocket canister stove we had hotdogs within just a few minutes. On trips like this with hungry kids my trusty old Bushbuddy simply isn't efficient enough. To have food the kids like is of course also important. It also helps if it is easy to eat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8LCMeHj-I/AAAAAAAACNI/PXAVOekXu4g/s1600/IMG_2048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8LCMeHj-I/AAAAAAAACNI/PXAVOekXu4g/s320/IMG_2048.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Simon eating Tortellini - a very practical dish</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">After the feeding everything seemed easier. We explored a nice snowfield and tobogganed on our rain pants. Quite a nice activity, however the reindeer also like snowfields and later in the tent I discovered a strong smell originating from my rain pants.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span">The weather was quite OK and we could start to enjoy the walk and there was no rush for anything. At this point we had discovered that we had taken a wrong turn at the trailhead when we got off the lift. The kids and I were really navigating through the wilderness off trail! It felt a bit scary though since I was now completely on my own. If something happened it would be a bit more difficult to get help. The Kungsleden trail was only about two kilometers away however and very easy to find.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">After awhile the kids became a bit tired again and we decided to put up the tent for the habitual afternoon siesta. A nice spot with small waterfalls was identified. A perfect place for the kids to explore. It was also a nice place for me to relax while they were sleeping.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQlytDF5DI/AAAAAAAACPY/6yDU1tMvq5E/s1600/IMG_1777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQlytDF5DI/AAAAAAAACPY/6yDU1tMvq5E/s640/IMG_1777.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Taking a siesta and drying the perfectly lousy cotton pants</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Having rested we continued our slow walk towards the trail. The two-three kilometers would in fact take us almost half a day! It was good to know we were sleeping in a tent and there was no big hurry to get anywhere, except reasonably close to the trail.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQlzpu5VXI/AAAAAAAACPg/Hgepy6MerjI/s1600/IMG_1799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQlzpu5VXI/AAAAAAAACPg/Hgepy6MerjI/s640/IMG_1799.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Filip making his way down to Kungsleden with his sleeping bag protruding from his too small 10L ultralight pack</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl03zPg5I/AAAAAAAACPs/zITBeQJWnls/s1600/IMG_1805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl03zPg5I/AAAAAAAACPs/zITBeQJWnls/s640/IMG_1805.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Waiting for dinner</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally we arrived at the trail and we were lucky to find a perfect campsite right next to it. It was already time for dinner so wiser from the experience in the morning, we started cooking right away. Two packets of Knorr Spaghetteri Bolognese filled our hungry stomachs. The tent was put up again and I could watch the beautiful play of light when the sun broke through the clouds on the other side of the Syterbäcken ravine. Having done away with dinner and with the tent up there was some time to spare, so I decided to try out using willow as Bushbuddy fuel and prepare some hot drinks. The smaller sticks burned quite well even though they were a bit damp.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl2Wph_nI/AAAAAAAACP8/Zxq-jfv9_3I/s1600/IMG_1826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl2Wph_nI/AAAAAAAACP8/Zxq-jfv9_3I/s640/IMG_1826.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All set for sleeping time</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl3wQPxFI/AAAAAAAACQM/I4Xj8k-hlg0/s1600/IMG_1859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl3wQPxFI/AAAAAAAACQM/I4Xj8k-hlg0/s640/IMG_1859.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But not for the mosquitos!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All now seemed well set for a calm bedtime. This was not to be however. Big-time crying started: "I want muuummyyyy!!" , "I want to go home. Now!". It was a trail for a tired father. In my opinion the children's complaints were mostly not due to the camping experience, which they are very fond of, but more due to the fact that this was the first time they spent such a long time without mum in an unfamiliar setting. I also believe their longing and bad mood was triggered by their fatigue. Later on during the week when they had got used to the situation they were a lot easier to handle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl4P3WOrI/AAAAAAAACQQ/piWlfrX5qTw/s1600/IMG_1861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl4P3WOrI/AAAAAAAACQQ/piWlfrX5qTw/s400/IMG_1861.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Keeping small kids in their sleeping bags is not always easy. Pulling the draw-cord on the hood helped some, but little Houdini Simon managed to crawl out anyway. Some parents therefore use winter overalls instead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally they fell asleep and slept very well until morning. I could not quite say the same for myself. The triple sleeping bag system I had devised seemed to work, but Simon slid out of his sleeping bag a few times and I had to adjust the extra sleeping bag lying on top of both of them several times. It seemed to me that the kids slept quite warm and the third sleeping bag was not really necessary.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the morning we had an energizing breakfast consisting of Tortillas and Nutella and set off for the ski lift. The going was a lot easier now that we were on the trail. We saw quite a few families with kids on the trail. However, none of them were hiking alone as I were and none of the kids were as young as Simon. After last night's bedtime experience I wondered to myself if I'm the only one that is crazy enough. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8KzMpK36I/AAAAAAAACKg/7xRrzTz-hFc/s1600/IMG_1876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TF8KzMpK36I/AAAAAAAACKg/7xRrzTz-hFc/s640/IMG_1876.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The small scale of the streams was most appreciated. Small waterfalls were often the main attraction.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Everyones spirits were higher now however and it was not without a certain sense of accomplishment that I arrived at the skilift. It IS possible to hike even with small children and most of the time it is even fun. I'm also convinced that the more you do it, the easier it will become.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl63O9YHI/AAAAAAAACQw/JJHCVbiHxvs/s1600/IMG_1885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TGQl63O9YHI/AAAAAAAACQw/JJHCVbiHxvs/s640/IMG_1885.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Next time in Sarek?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-34676587131981670122010-07-22T00:25:00.000+02:002010-07-22T00:25:21.173+02:00Gossamer Gear Murmur pack - initial impressionsI've always liked Gossamer Gear packs. There motto "Innovative. Ultralight. Affordable." resonates with my frugal engineering mind. I've used my Mariposa Plus with satisfaction for several years now and I also got a G6 Whisper on sale because I simply had to (Who can resist to buy a 100g 35l pack for just 40$?). It was thus with enthusiasm I received the relatively new <a href="http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Murmur.html">Murmur Hyperlight backpack</a> for trial just in time for the SBM 2010.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPBf3D2jI/AAAAAAAABy4/Eyx2Q77bNZA/s1600/IMG_0664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPBf3D2jI/AAAAAAAABy4/Eyx2Q77bNZA/s640/IMG_0664.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A fully stuffed Gossamer Gear Murmur<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The Murmur is a Super UltraLight (SUL) pack weighing only 224g. It is not intended for general use, but it is targeted towards those who have already reduced their base weight to around 5-6kg or so. When you are designing a SUL-pack you necessarily have to make some compromises. In the case of the Murmur the following can be noted:</div><ul><li>Lightweight, less durable 1.3oz Sil-Nylon material</li>
<li>No padded hipbelt</li>
<li>No stiff backpanel or stays (It is replaced by a sleeping pad pocket)</li>
<li>Simple roll-top closure</li>
</ul>The interesting question is now whether these compromises will make the pack usable for a say a 3-day trip trip in the Scandinavian mountains. Will it be comfortable enough for the loads involved? Will it be durable enough? How practical is the pack in use? I will try to answer these questions in four sections: Load carrying comfort, Durability, Practical comfort. Please keep in mind that these are my initial findings and a long-term report will also follow.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Load carrying comfort</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many people will immediately dismiss ultralight packs thinking that the load carrying system is inadequate for normal loads. That might be true for traditional loads of 10-20kg, but when you have reduced the pack weight below 10kg, you don´t really need an advanced system. In fact, the UK hiker Colin Ibbotson frequently carries his light pack slung over just one shoulder! That being said the Murmur actually includes quite a few features to improve comfort. The shoulder straps are wide, there is a small webbing hip-belt and the sleeping pad pocket makes it easy to create a reasonably stiff backpanel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I found the pack to be quite good at carrying loads around 8-9kg. However, although the shoulder straps are wide, I found them to be a little too stiff and I found they could be a bit more comfortable. Some other hikers testing the pack also reported having an issue with the straps. My Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus pack has the same kind of shoulder straps and I find these to be more comfortable. Probably because the padding has softened a bit through use. A unique feature of Gossamer Gear packs is that the padding can be replaced, by for example socks, and a few grams can thus be saved. I´m not really interested in shaving grams that way, but this also allows experimentation with other padding materials. I´m going to try and use a softer foam pad. The pack also has a removable sternum strap and it works well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">My first thought when seeing the simple unpadded hip-belt of the Murmur was that its main function was just to stabilize the pack, but in practice I found it to work very well in shifting pressure from the shoulders to the hips. It also allows to carry the pack a bit further from your back which can be nice in hot weather.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gossamergear.com/gossamergear/images/Murmur_Waist_Belt-225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://www.gossamergear.com/gossamergear/images/Murmur_Waist_Belt-225.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Minimalist hip-belt works well with light loads (Photo from Gossamer Gear)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
I used my <a href="http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/nightlight_torso.html">Gossamer Gear NightLight torso length</a> in the pad pocket and I found this to work perfectly. It gives the back-panel all the stability you need for these loads. The NightLight is also perfect to pull out during rest stops.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Overall I´ve found the Murmur comfortable for the loads it is designed for. Especially when using the hip-belt. Apart from softer more contoured shoulder straps I see no need to add any more carrying system features.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Durability</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I´m reluctant to say much about durability after such a short test-period, but I find that compared to the Murmurs predecessor the G6 Whisper, it is a lot more durable. Apart from being careful when picking the pack up, I´ve made no efforts to baby the pack. The pack has already bushwacked a lot through pine- and spruce forest and still it shows no signs of wear. Switching to 1.3oz Sil-Nylon was a good choice. Spinnaker really is too sensitive to abrasion. I was worried that my camera tripod would tear holes in the fabric, but that fear has so far been ungrounded.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The seams have also been thoroughly tested since I overstuffed the sack quite a bit.</span> <span style="font-size: small;">It really has been stuffed like a sausage. Consequently I think that so far the Murmur is durable enough for a SUL-pack.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOjWtA1uI/AAAAAAAABy4/fTbvHwppjLA/s1600/IMG_0553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOjWtA1uI/AAAAAAAABy4/fTbvHwppjLA/s640/IMG_0553.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">No signs of wear yet despite a lot of bushwacking<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Practical comfort</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Murmur almost has the same amount of features as my Mariposa Plus. Grabbing your water bottle with your pack on is possible. It is also possible to stuff your wet small shelter in the mesh pocket. Personally I would have preferred a bigger more expandable pocket though, since I also like to stuff my raingear in this pocket.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The side-straps were useful for fixing my tripod and could also allow me to carry my Tarptent Cloudburst on the side. I haven´t really tested how well they work for compression yet.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPB5OJquI/AAAAAAAABy4/hgN-DrdiAfY/s1600/IMG_0665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPB5OJquI/AAAAAAAABy4/hgN-DrdiAfY/s640/IMG_0665.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Murmur has nice features like a mesh-pocket, angled side-pockets and a sleeping pad holder</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although the Murmur doesn´t officially support the Gossamer Gear hip-belt pockets, I used them with the pack with success. The little loop at side of the pockets can be used to attach them to the pack where the waist-belt is attached.</span></span><br />
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The pack also has lashing loops which can be used with bungee cord to attach light items. I found these useful to attach my light Jysk foam pad.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Concluding thoughts</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">To conclude I would say that the Murmur is a pack that works well for a three-day trip in the mountains in summer. Apart from the shoulder-straps there is very little to complain about. And this complaint may well be a personal opinion. The pack also adds a lot of features that the Whisper G6 lacked and which I missed, such as water bottle pockets, pad holder</span> <span style="font-size: small;">and a mesh pocket. The penalty of 120g extra is well worth paying in my view. It still remains to be seen, but for a SUL-pack I also think it will be durable enough.</span></span></div></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-29022211346307181162010-07-01T01:26:00.000+02:002010-07-01T01:26:39.980+02:00Scandinavian Blogger Meetup 2010 trip report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's bit difficult to say how it all started, but the Bushbuddy wood-burning stove was clearly involved. Searching the web for information on Bushbuddy fuels I landed on <a href="http://hikinginfinland.com/">Hendriks blog</a>. A few comments later this blog was born and sometime later Hendrik started the discussion and all of the sudden I was involved in the <a href="http://www.fjaderlatt.se/2010/05/scandinavian-lightweight-bloggers-hit.html">Scandinavian outdoor Bloggers Meetup</a>. It all sounded a bit too improbable, but here I was walking briskly into the Vålådalen wilderness with a bunch of merry <a href="http://www.nordiclightpacking.com/">lightpackers</a>. That's the positive power of Internet and Social media for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first kilometer I often feel a bit excited and a bit nervous, did I bring everything? are we on the right track? Jörgen seemed to know this area like his own pocket and I soon calmed down and started taking in the early spring landscape.</div><br />
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</div><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOfEXzDrI/AAAAAAAABy4/tkCqkgPS6c8/s1600/IMG_0538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOfEXzDrI/AAAAAAAABy4/tkCqkgPS6c8/s640/IMG_0538.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Spring - the end of the beginning. In general very few flowers were in bloom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tibast (<i>Daphne mezereum ? </i>A poisonous plant<i>.)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our intended route did not really involve any difficult navigation though. In brief we would just cross Vålån south over the bridge, pass Blanktjärnarna, and then follow Vålån right up to the trail between Vålåstugorna and Lunndörrsstugorna. Then we would follow the trail past the Pyramids and Issjödalen (The ice lake valley). The last part would be through the forest past Grönvallen and end in Vallbo, a village near east Vålådalen where the sauna would await our arrival. One big obstacle worried me however, this path would require us to ford Lunndörrsån which promised to be full of water since it had been raining almost constantly the last few weeks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Prepare for fording!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At first sight the stream really looked daunting, but looking closer you could see that it was not more than knee deep in any place. The current wasn't too strong either, but it sure was cold! A common dangerous beginners mistake is to try to ford at the narrowest point. A friend of mine did this on Kebnekaise and was swept away several meters and hurt himself quite badly on the rocks. It was not a pleasant experience. With patience and good judgment as to when to turn back there is seldom much to worry about. Having two trekking poles is also really great. I would never ford without at least one stick in faster water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TCEc_njv8WI/AAAAAAAAB_8/RVFe5rljr0I/s1600/IMG_0545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TCEc_njv8WI/AAAAAAAAB_8/RVFe5rljr0I/s640/IMG_0545.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hendrik feeding his Bushbuddy Ultra</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">After the ford we continued through the forest to the Blanktjärnarna tarns where we had lunch. Although I'm normally quite happy being the eccentric guy with the wood-burning stove, it was very nice to share experiences and the air was soon thick with smoke from no less then three wood-burners!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">When it comes to food I had almost achieved my goal of not bringing any commercial freeze-dried food (I brought one bag of Knorr Spaghetteria which costs less than 2€ and I quite like it.). For the first lunch I had Ramen noodles and some gourmet Italian salami. It tasted great and was easy to prepare. Add enough salami and you should get plenty of calories too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOhTiaBxI/AAAAAAAAB9U/V8EGQBj0fic/s1600/IMG_0549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOhTiaBxI/AAAAAAAAB9U/V8EGQBj0fic/s640/IMG_0549.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Joe <a href="http://thunderinthenight.blogspot.com/">"Thunder in the night"</a> enjoying his new super light Evernew Titanium stove - The smile faded somewhat when the substantially longer boil times of the stove became apparent</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After lunch we soon reached the banks of Vålån again. I must say I had some doubts as to the scenic qualities of our mostly forest bound route, but Vålån proved to be every bit as magical as Jörgen had portrayed it when we were planning the trip. Waterfalls, rapids, old growth forest and a nice backdrop of snow covered mountains created a great feeling of wilderness. Several times I thought to myself that this scenery reminded my of pictures from Alaska. No need to long for far and distant places, world-class wilderness was right here, right now, only a nights train ride from home. Even the persistent rain that continued throughout the day couldn't wash away those happy thoughts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAtWLHr8leI/AAAAAAAAB14/Em31wcEsoQE/s1600/IMG_0633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAtWLHr8leI/AAAAAAAAB14/Em31wcEsoQE/s640/IMG_0633.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Alaska? No, Vålådalen!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOqDgIhvI/AAAAAAAAB9k/sB97xLR04Po/s1600/IMG_0570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOqDgIhvI/AAAAAAAAB9k/sB97xLR04Po/s640/IMG_0570.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Vålåfallet</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOjWtA1uI/AAAAAAAABy4/fTbvHwppjLA/s1600/IMG_0553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOjWtA1uI/AAAAAAAABy4/fTbvHwppjLA/s640/IMG_0553.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hendrik trying out the Gossamer Gear Murmur pack</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bushwacking through the forest off-trail can be hard on ultralight gear. I can admit I was slightly worried that the Sil-Nylon Murmur pack <a href="http://www.gossamergear.com/">Gossamer Gear</a> lent us for the trip would be damaged when brushing against spruce boughs and pushing through willows. Luckily I didn't find any obvious signs of wear after the trip even though I made no effort to baby the pack. Switching from the Spinnaker fabric used for the previous Whisper G6 pack to 1.3oz. Sil-Nylon was a good choice I think, even though it makes the Murmur twice as heavy! I suppose most people can live with a 36l pack weighing 224g.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="margin: 0px;">When it was approaching dinner time we started to look around for a good campsite. There were plenty of alternatives around and we soon found a nice spot next to some rapids which provided a nice noise curtain which would later lull us to sleep.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOzpjfdbI/AAAAAAAABy4/LnyXYkvBAEU/s1600/IMG_0611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOzpjfdbI/AAAAAAAABy4/LnyXYkvBAEU/s640/IMG_0611.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The dining room - Conveniently located close to water and with a nice moss and heather "chaise longue" for Jörgen</div><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_yPIff8zZdG4/TAZnEd5vuPI/AAAAAAAAAXM/GkVYjvRA0B4/s1600/P1040303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_yPIff8zZdG4/TAZnEd5vuPI/AAAAAAAAAXM/GkVYjvRA0B4/s640/P1040303.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Cooking with a mini cheese-grate borrowed from my children (photo courtesy of Jörgen Johansson, <a href="http://fjaderlatt.se/">fjaderlatt.se</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">For dinner I decided to prepare my most advanced meal - Barilla cheese tortellinis with grated Parmesan cheese and a delicious piece of heavy-weight bell pepper generously donated by Martin. It tasted great, but the cheese made it hell to clean the pot afterwards. Large amounts of earth and heavy scrubbing with moss was needed. After dinner there was much fun and rejoicing around the campfire and I suspect my good sleep was not only due to the rapids, but some destilled beverages might also have been involved. Hendriks Minttu and chocolate combo was especially appreciated.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOzU0jlKI/AAAAAAAACAo/G6R-M_BDSnM/s1600/IMG_0607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOzU0jlKI/AAAAAAAACAo/G6R-M_BDSnM/s640/IMG_0607.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape hung from a tree branch - I really like to pitch it this way as it makes for a huge living area since the center pole is not in the way</div><br />
I went to sleep happy and content with the day under my Gatewood Cape. The air was very humid and I felt a bit cold in the middle of the night and had to put on my down sweater. At some point I was also awoken by the sound of Ptarmigans passing through our camp. After that I slept like a baby.<br />
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</div><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAtWLe9Ry1I/AAAAAAAAB14/OJ6dclE9S6k/s1600/IMG_0637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAtWLe9Ry1I/AAAAAAAAB14/OJ6dclE9S6k/s640/IMG_0637.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Still raining</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The next day started with some hope of the rain receding, but alas that was not to be. The campfire made for a nice, albeit slow, morning start and after awhile we were on our way again along the bank of the stream. After an hour or so we started to gain altitude as we left Vålån to our west and made our way towards the trail to Lunndörrsstugan.<br />
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<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaO9aPl6FI/AAAAAAAABy4/1ViiKU5Gjho/s1600/IMG_0643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaO9aPl6FI/AAAAAAAABy4/1ViiKU5Gjho/s640/IMG_0643.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hendrik posing in front of the Jokk (stream)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was nice to change views for the more open spaces above the treeline, but I must say that in bad weather the forest definitely has it's advantages. The rain had picked up again and the clouds obscured the views. When planning the trip I had a wild idea to run ahead of everybody else and do a 5km detour into the Lunndörren U-valley. In this weather it didn't seem very tempting since the cloud base was lower than the valley anyway. So we just plodded on and forded a couple of cold streams. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAtXmGIUHbI/AAAAAAAAB14/koZbDeIncPY/s1600/IMG_0649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAtXmGIUHbI/AAAAAAAAB14/koZbDeIncPY/s640/IMG_0649.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Up into the clouds </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">For lunch we decided to use the facilities of the Lunndörrsstugan hut so that we could be sheltered from the rain and wind for awhile. This is possible to do even off-season when the huts are not attended and you pay later by bank transfer (The price was around 5€ I think.).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">The hut was a bit too cosy I thought and I decided to try to prepare my lunch outside in the rain just to get some realistic training with the Bushbuddy. All the vegetation was really soaking wet, so it was a real challenge. With liberal use of birch bark, some dwarf birch branches and a dead mountain birch branch split into smaller shavings the fire actually caught on. Splitting the branch was really key in this situation. It was precisely for this case that I had brought my full size Mora knife. The water actually reached the boiling point just before my clumsy cold hands tripped everything over and the precious warm water was spilled on the ground. Clearly more training is needed. I had planned for a triumphant entry with hot food, but this time the warm hut and pleasant company was too tempting and I made a tactical retreat inside. My Ramen noodles and salami were prepared inside on the hut stove. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">The hut was as nice and comfy as only a welcomed warm shelter in bad weather can be. Our hardened hiker souls were exposed to the temptation of staying inside also for the night, but luckily we persevered and continued the hike towards Issjödalen. The weather stayed miserable and we had to posthole a bit across the snowfields that still blocked the trail, but nevertheless morale was high.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaO9zz6t7I/AAAAAAAABy4/A1BiV-JwtRU/s1600/IMG_0646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaO9zz6t7I/AAAAAAAABy4/A1BiV-JwtRU/s640/IMG_0646.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"> Hendrik smiles under his borrowed <a href="http://www.fjaderlatt.se/2010/05/paraply-pa-fjallet.html">umbrella</a>. Maybe because he seemed to float on the snow when Joe was postholing</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_KJLi-x_8Zns/TAYcRFqBzrI/AAAAAAAAEgY/lnbld_4lCUk/s1600/P1020506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_KJLi-x_8Zns/TAYcRFqBzrI/AAAAAAAAEgY/lnbld_4lCUk/s640/P1020506.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Above treeline between Lunndörrsstugan and Issjödalen (Photo courtesy of Joe Newton)</div><br />
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</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_KJLi-x_8Zns/TAYcyoedesI/AAAAAAAAEhE/TZDpiR24G-s/P1020519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_KJLi-x_8Zns/TAYcyoedesI/AAAAAAAAEhE/TZDpiR24G-s/P1020519.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Wet cold feet (Photo courtesy of Joe Newton)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">For the first time since I started hiking with wet feet my feet actually got cold even sometime after the fording. I suspect this has to do with several factors, one being the bad weather and relatively low temperature, but also that we postponed eating dinner and I was running out of energy (despite my Runekakor snacks.). I have also been told that if your feet and hands are cold it is often because your torso is cold. Maybe I should have put on my Ullfrotté shirt which I bring exactly for this purpose. After awhile I put on my Gator fleece wet socks and then my feet got warm again pretty soon.<br />
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</div>Having passed the Pyramids we soon reached Issjödalen and the Kings hunting lodge. We considered putting up camp next to the lean-to in the valley, but it was still full of snow! After some deliberation we decided to continue walking and find some more sheltered spot in the forest. We lost the good views, but gained warmth as the forest sheltered us from the wind. Jörgen shared an old sentence that seemed apt for the situation: <i>"The forest is the poor mans coat". </i>For sure we could have stayed higher, but I doubt that dinner conversation would have been as long and happy as it was below the spruce branches. After all, chatting in front of the campfire was a goal in itself on this trip. It seemed there was not a single hiking topic you could not get an expert opinion on and there was hardly any piece of gear that had not been tested by at least one in the gang. Especially Roger of <a href="http://www.nielsenbrownoutdoors.com/">Nielsen Brown Outdoor</a> fame was extremely well informed about all the cottage manufacturers and could provide good advice on almost all gear topics.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAtWGtFiqtI/AAAAAAAAB14/cby7kaxKNJY/s1600/IMG_0662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAtWGtFiqtI/AAAAAAAAB14/cby7kaxKNJY/s640/IMG_0662.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Joe watching bush-TV while drying his socks</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">After dinner I again retired to my Gatewood Cape castle under a large spruce. A woodcock bid as good night as it flew over with it's characteristic "phee-phee --- knorrrp knorrrp". I had a good nights sleep, although a bit hot and clammy in the morning since I chose to put on all my insulating clothing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPAzgsRHI/AAAAAAAABy4/b4wwJc85fxE/s1600/IMG_0663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPAzgsRHI/AAAAAAAABy4/b4wwJc85fxE/s640/IMG_0663.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Pitching from a tree again - A bit awkward to creep in, but very comfy inside</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">The next morning we didn't have too many kilometers left and could walk with ease towards our finishing point in Östra Vålådalen. Near Grönvallen the path was completely flooded though so our feet got wet again right away. Soon the weather started improving and you could actually feel spring in the air for the first time during the trip. Around lunchtime the sun even started to make an appearance now and then. It was almost a surreal experience when you've had nothing but grey skies for the last two days. Resting in the sunshine after lunch was pure pleasure. Mindfulness is all the rage these days, no need to read books or take expensive courses, just go out in nature and feel the elements and you get loads of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_KJLi-x_8Zns/TAYahBJ4lqI/AAAAAAAAEeU/_KE-zTnUz90/s1600/P1020454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_KJLi-x_8Zns/TAYahBJ4lqI/AAAAAAAAEeU/_KE-zTnUz90/s640/P1020454.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bushbuddy cooking the last lunch - the smoke is included for free (Photo courtesy of Joe Newton)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">As we walked the last kilometers the weather improved even more and it was even warm. It felt a bit stupid that the nice weather would come just at the end, but better late than never.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPC29rmsI/AAAAAAAABy4/pI49ZzJQXpg/s1600/IMG_0669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPC29rmsI/AAAAAAAABy4/pI49ZzJQXpg/s640/IMG_0669.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Middagsvalen</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPF_6MGnI/AAAAAAAAB9w/-EmhPuzsyKg/s1600/IMG_0685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPF_6MGnI/AAAAAAAAB9w/-EmhPuzsyKg/s640/IMG_0685.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Farmhouses in Vallbo and Ottfjället in the background<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPHMcCL5I/AAAAAAAAB90/iImHl5Sf-B8/s1600/IMG_0692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPHMcCL5I/AAAAAAAAB90/iImHl5Sf-B8/s640/IMG_0692.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">View from the bar - Anarisfjällen<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally we reached our goal, <a href="http://www.valagarden.se/">Vålågårdens camping</a>. A bit too soon really as I wished the trip would not end already. The owners provided excellent service even though the camping wasn't really open yet. The sauna was warm, beer and snacks were waiting and all our stored gear was still there. The shower and sauna after the long hike was a pure pleasure. More than one beer was consumed, and sitting chatting on the porch in the sunshine was a perfect ending for a superb trip. I haven't had so much fun in years. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div></div></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-21512952032704387302010-06-03T23:50:00.000+02:002010-06-03T23:50:18.486+02:00Back from a wet VålådalenOn monday morning I arrived safely in Stockholm after a fantastic <a href="http://www.fjaderlatt.se/2010/05/scandinavian-lightweight-bloggers-hit.html">Scandinavian Blogger Meetup</a> in Vålådalen. It was a rather different trip than the one last autumn. The weather was mostly wet and rather chilly and we traveled mostly through the fantastic forest, but, boy did we have fun. Our lightweight gear was really tested, but I'm happy to say everything stood the test well. Below are some photos from the trip. All shots were taken with my new Canon Powershot S90. The camera cannot be compared with a DSLR, but under the right conditions the results are very good.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaO7J8XJYI/AAAAAAAABy4/0Nai-EBgAWc/s1600/IMG_0637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaO7J8XJYI/AAAAAAAABy4/0Nai-EBgAWc/s640/IMG_0637.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Vålån with Trondfjällen in the background<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOqDgIhvI/AAAAAAAABy4/YYClVkamQm4/s1600/IMG_0570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOqDgIhvI/AAAAAAAABy4/YYClVkamQm4/s640/IMG_0570.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Vålåfallet with yours truly in a classic pose<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOxKyTiqI/AAAAAAAABy4/VUijFDXyQq4/s1600/IMG_0594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaOxKyTiqI/AAAAAAAABy4/VUijFDXyQq4/s640/IMG_0594.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Joe taking in the forest and Vålån below<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPAzgsRHI/AAAAAAAABy4/b4wwJc85fxE/s1600/IMG_0663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/TAaPAzgsRHI/AAAAAAAABy4/b4wwJc85fxE/s640/IMG_0663.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape stealth camp</div></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-43407087227698224782010-05-12T23:44:00.000+02:002010-05-12T23:44:57.647+02:00Scandinavian Blogger Meetup 2010The 27 of May I'm off to Vålådalen again for a 3-day hike. The <a href="http://www.fjaderlatt.se/2010/05/scandinavian-lightweight-bloggers-hit.html">The Scandinavian Outdoor Blogger meetup</a> will take place there and I wil hike together with some other bloggers who also have an interest in lightweight backpacking and wood burning stoves. The preparations are now well underway and the packlists are getting ready. It will be really interesting to share our experiences. I will have lots of opportunities to try out some new gear, notably the Super Ultralight <a href="http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Murmur.html">Gossamer Gear Murmur</a> pack which looks very promising. More posts with discussions on gear choices will follow shortly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyZOE7CeI/AAAAAAAAAHg/62pAX6Z7s04/s1600/DSC_1053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="423" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyZOE7CeI/AAAAAAAAAHg/62pAX6Z7s04/s640/DSC_1053.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The slope of Trondfjället in autumn colours. Chances are that there will still be quite a lot of snow on the hilltops at the end of may.</div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-41266070162664328742010-04-27T21:03:00.000+02:002010-04-27T21:03:23.769+02:00A lightweight solo trip to VålådalenOn September 18, 2009 I went on a solo trip hiking trip to Vålådalen nature reserve in the north of Sweden. I have previously written a short post on the trip, but this was mostly to show the pictures. As I will soon be going there again with some blogger colleagues I thought I will would everyones appetite a bit before the hiking season starts.<br />
A big advantage with Vålådalen, and most of the other mountain areas in Jämtland for that matter, is that it is easy to reach from Stockholm. There are very good train (and flight) connections to Östersund and then on to other destinations (with connecting transports) to the nearby destinations like Vålådalen, Storulvån and Åre. This means you can quite easily arrange for a 3 day trip and still only take one day off from work. Fortunately for me I also happen to have a friend in Östersund who very hospitably not only put me up for the night in Östersund, but also lent me his car during the weekend. I took the X2000 express train from Stockholm at around 16H and at 21H I was in Östersund after a comfortable journey. The next morning I took the car and drove 1,5 hours to Vålådalen. At around 10H I was on the trail (somewhat delayed by a work related call. I'm glad there is no cellphone coverage in the wilderness.).<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The route</span><br />
One of my main goals of the trip was to practice landscape photography. This meant I wanted to climb at least one high point to get some good views. I also wanted to walk as much as much as possible off trail. After reading Tore Abrahamsson's excellent book, "Okända fjäll" ("Unknown mountains"(in Sweden)), I knew that Storådörren and Lillådörren provided some nice scenery so I choose to set my sights on the peak Saalvantjahke which overlook these valleys. On the way there from Vålådalen mountain station I would also pass the Pyramids, Issjödalen and Lunndörrsstugan (a hut). From Saalvantjahke I would slowly get my way back to the trail and continue past Vålåstugorna (also a hut) and then back home to the Vålådalen mountain station. The total distance of this route was around 60-70km. A bit on the far side perhaps, but this was my only chance of hiking this year, so I wanted to make the most of it. Most of the trip was on trail, but that was the price a I had to pay in order to be able to get so far into the area.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Through the forest</span><br />
The first part of the trip was the most uninteresting as it passes through old forest and you don't get many views. The weather wasn't too good either with a light rain and an overcast sky. I met two women who commented that the ground was very soggy. Funnily enough I hadn't even noticed that, despite the fact that I was wearing trailrunners and thin trousers that get wet in an instant. The forest is still nice though since it is old and untouched. You also pass close to some nice moors.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S89Xbzidh4I/AAAAAAAABj4/rO5TxpI-RMQ/s1600/DSC_0848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S89Xbzidh4I/AAAAAAAABj4/rO5TxpI-RMQ/s400/DSC_0848.JPG" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A dead pine tree on a moss </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Almost at the end of the forest I reached the Saami camp of Grönvallen. Here I met a nice swiss couple who where out for a day-hike. I decided to have lunch here, although it was a bit early. It's always nice to have company, and at Grönvallen there is also lean-to with already prepared dry wood which made the Bushbuddy cooking a breeze (This is definitely cheating though.).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcqfyydegI/AAAAAAAAAE4/Ww6E7iE01ZI/s1600/DSC_0860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcqfyydegI/AAAAAAAAAE4/Ww6E7iE01ZI/s640/DSC_0860.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">A atream near Issjödalen</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div>About two kilometers after Vålådalen the scenery starts to open up a bit more when you enter the gorgeous Ice lake valley. Luckily the weather also improved at this stage. This valley was shaped by water during the ice age. This is true of almost all places in Sweden, but here it so visible since an old river of meltwater has left a nice moraine. You can clearly see how the water was running if you look at satellite photos.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcqgtUzcDI/AAAAAAAAAFA/v4U41hA67vs/s1600/DSC_0869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcqgtUzcDI/AAAAAAAAAFA/v4U41hA67vs/s640/DSC_0869.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Issjödalen - The Ice lake valley</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Another interesting formation, also clearly visible in Google Maps, are the "Dead Ice Pits". These are pits formed by leftover ice in the sand. From above the terrain looks almost like a moon landscape with craters.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcqhM2x4EI/AAAAAAAAAFE/VZQlOd-D9EU/s1600/DSC_0873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcqhM2x4EI/AAAAAAAAAFE/VZQlOd-D9EU/s640/DSC_0873.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A dead ice pit in front of the kings hunting lodge</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The Swedish king also has hunting cabin here. Ptarmigan hunting is very popular in this area. This year however there was no hunting, since there were not enough birds due to a very cold spring and otherwise poor conditions. The amount of Ptarmigans is mostly dependent on the temperature during spring and the amounts of rodents available, not hunting. Rodents, mostly Lemmings, are the staple food of the Ptarmigans predators: birds of prey and foxes. If the predators can't find enough rodents, they will eat Ptarmigans instead. Luckily, despite the scarcity, I saw six Ptarmigans on the trip.<br />
After the Ice lake valley I wanted to see the famous "Pyramids". These formations are also creations of the great ice cover.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcqhQyBauI/AAAAAAAAAFI/6q04fZGGYOs/s1600/DSC_0891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcqhQyBauI/AAAAAAAAAFI/6q04fZGGYOs/s640/DSC_0891.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The pyramids</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The path to the pyramids was a very pleasant plateau overlooking the valley. It felt great to be on the mountain, especially since the sun started to appear here and there.<br />
After this plateau the trail towards Lunndörrsstugorna follows a nice ravine. Which I failed to get a nice shot of. Why didn't I take the time to get a good shot? That stupid branch is really annoying. I was probably in too much of a hurry to reach the sauna in time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcr8OnqCFI/AAAAAAAAAFM/qQoa_AOYBzY/s1600/DSC_0908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcr8OnqCFI/AAAAAAAAAFM/qQoa_AOYBzY/s640/DSC_0908.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The ravine between the pyramids and Lunndörssstugan</div><br />
Not far from the mountain hut a flock of migrating geese flew by. It was the end of the season for them too. Not long after I arrived at the hut and decided that the lake and the sauna were definitely worth a visit. A bit too luxurious, but the place just looked to inviting.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcs7somVJI/AAAAAAAAAFY/72jVWuxSM24/s1600/DSC_0933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcs7somVJI/AAAAAAAAAFY/72jVWuxSM24/s640/DSC_0933.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The lake at Lunndörrsstugan in the evening sun</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>After the sauna it was time for dinner. Despite the rain during the day, it was no problem to find suitable dead twigs for the dinner fire. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S89as7fYJzI/AAAAAAAABkE/vtNI4cYwpHw/s1600/DSC_0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S89as7fYJzI/AAAAAAAABkE/vtNI4cYwpHw/s400/DSC_0923.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Bushbuddy with all the fuel needed for dinner</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The evening sun made scenery even more beautiful. I had never been to the mountains in fall before. I had heard that the colours are nice, but I hadn't imagined it could be this good. This nice time slowed me down however and when I started on the trail again I noticed I was behind schedule. It's seldom a good idea to look for a good campsite when it's dark. My initial plan was also to set up camp near the treeline at Tväråkåtan and it was now clear I would not have time to reach that spot. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S89bwq-yQuI/AAAAAAAABkI/A-QicuFd6S4/s1600/DSC_0937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S89bwq-yQuI/AAAAAAAABkI/A-QicuFd6S4/s640/DSC_0937.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Getting dark and still some way to go</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Luckily I did not have too much difficulty in finding a site and soon my Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo was up and the Bushbuddy was put to work again to make me some hot blueberry soup. It's always nice to get a hot drink and some extra energy in the body before going to bed. The evening was a bit on the chilly side and there was also a slight cold breeze. The Lunar Duo is a single skin tent and as such it is a bit colder than a double skin. I had decided to pitch the tent pretty high to avoid condensation, but in hindsight I should perhaps have pitched lower to avoid some of the cold airflow through the tent. I could also have used the bivy bag I had with me. I slept fairly well anyway though. But I could not say I was completely warm all the time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcuCtTwVuI/AAAAAAAABkM/IX0GADy3-ms/s1600/DSC_0950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcuCtTwVuI/AAAAAAAABkM/IX0GADy3-ms/s640/DSC_0950.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo set up for the night</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>When the morning came I made breakfast consisting of oatmeal, minced hazelnuts and blueberry soup. I had a small plastic bag with the mix already prepared for each breakfast. Having devoured this hearty meal I was ready for the climb up to Saalvantjahke. I was now completely off-trail and I enjoyed every minute. Finally I was making my own way. My chosen route on unknown ground, as the motto is for orienteering in Sweden. I was afraid that solo hiking would be boring, but I found that there was always something interesting to think about. How is the weather going to develop? Where will I put up the tent? What's the best way up the slope? What was that sound, etc etc. Near Tväråkåtan I saw the remnants of an old Saami Lavvu (Teepee) site. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S89dXNuRqOI/AAAAAAAABkU/DcSKnHNTnA4/s1600/DSC_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S89dXNuRqOI/AAAAAAAABkU/DcSKnHNTnA4/s400/DSC_0956.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stone ring from the firepit of a Lavvu</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Near this place I also caught a short glimpse of a female elk. It ran away as all the other elks would later do this hunting season. Soon I was above the tree line and the views started to open up.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcuEIX4vsI/AAAAAAAAAF0/fTVdQ7A3_8U/s1600/DSC_0970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcuEIX4vsI/AAAAAAAAAF0/fTVdQ7A3_8U/s400/DSC_0970.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mountain birch</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>As I was approaching the top I started to think about finding fuel for a lunch break. Now was a particularly good time to practice Bushbuddy cooking in alpine surroundings (Well, a bit too easy really since there was no wind and rain.). At first glance it did not look very promising. Very little vegetation was to be found.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S8TWtLlKq_I/AAAAAAAABkk/KM6ZD7Tr6uU/s1600/DSC_0994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S8TWtLlKq_I/AAAAAAAABkk/KM6ZD7Tr6uU/s640/DSC_0994.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Above the tree line on Saalvantjahke facing west</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>A closer look however revealed an abundance of dry wood. The ground here is also so well drained that these crowberry roots dry very quickly. I only needed a few minutes to gather enough fuel. In rainy conditions things could be more difficult and you need to search for branches that have been sheltered from the rain.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcuFtD__EI/AAAAAAAABfw/_2N954Ky6HE/s1600/DSC_1006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcuFtD__EI/AAAAAAAABfw/_2N954Ky6HE/s400/DSC_1006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dry crowberry roots - Excellent and abundant fuel</div><br />
Now it was time for a photo session. The view from Saalvantjahke was every bit as good as I had hoped. Both the Lillådörren valley and the Storådörren pass where well in view. Luckily for me the sun had also chased a way most of the clouds.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcySkW0GDI/AAAAAAAAAGc/IOzpZPCwiFw/s1600/DSC_1005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcySkW0GDI/AAAAAAAAAGc/IOzpZPCwiFw/s640/DSC_1005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lillådörren</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyUa6_1JI/AAAAAAAAAG0/OcUt97zoPrc/s1600/DSC_1030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyUa6_1JI/AAAAAAAAAG0/OcUt97zoPrc/s640/DSC_1030.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Storådörren</div><br />
Unfortunately I had forgotten to fill my waterbottles, fuel might have been abundant, but water not, so the lunchbreak was transformed into a less substantial snack break consisting of blueberry soup. It turned out I was not the only one to have enjoyed this spot for eating. Some bird of prey, likely a buzzard, had left parts of a Ptarmigan here. On my way down I was lucky to actually see four live birds (Ptarmigans).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyTXQ3GUI/AAAAAAAABf8/G6axTQIWYqw/s1600/DSC_1017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyTXQ3GUI/AAAAAAAABf8/G6axTQIWYqw/s400/DSC_1017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A Ptarmigan foot</div><br />
Going down from Saalvantjahke you could say that I reached the peak of scenic satisfaction. The valley with the Tronnan-stream was just too beautiful; the colors, the calm, the wilderness, the warm weather, at this point I even needed to curl up the arms of my shirt. I needed to take a break again in order not be afflicted with the hillwalkers equivalent of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stendhal_syndrome">Stendhal syndrome</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyYmUje-I/AAAAAAAAAHY/-3FLz332Puw/s1600/DSC_1048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyYmUje-I/AAAAAAAAAHY/-3FLz332Puw/s640/DSC_1048.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Resting among blueberries</div><br />
After having rested comfortably on my Jysk foam pad on the heather and feasted on the ripe blueberries I gently strolled down to the stream and started to think about the upcoming ford. The water was very shallow so fording was a piece of cake. My feet got wet of course, but after five minutes I had forgotten about that. Some walkers put on gore-tex socks or SealSkins before fording, but I must say I find that completely unnecessary as long as the temperature is not too far below 5C or so. When walking my feet get warm so fast anyway.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyatICovI/AAAAAAAAAHs/xDYS40XlR3A/s1600/DSC_1071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyatICovI/AAAAAAAAAHs/xDYS40XlR3A/s400/DSC_1071.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Tronnan stream</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>A few kilometers downstream I started to get hungry again and it was time for a proper lunch. I brought commercial freeze-dried food of different variaties on this trip for all major meals. I cannot say I was happy with any of the bags though. They were all edible, but all of them had some artificial flavor. The next time I will try to prepare my own dried food. The meal was made a lot better by the company though. A flock of reindeer joined me for the meal. A trip to the Scandinavian mountains is never fully complete without a reindeer encounter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcydv6bXCI/AAAAAAAAAH8/9NKuPaoEL0c/s1600/DSC_1081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcydv6bXCI/AAAAAAAAAH8/9NKuPaoEL0c/s400/DSC_1081.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Reindeer as lunch company</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>My last few kilometers of off-trail travel provided for more photo opportunities. It's no wonder that many artists like to paint pictures of the mountains in the fall.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcyd0fxHdI/AAAAAAAAAIA/G8okectiXHo/s1600/DSC_1083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcyd0fxHdI/AAAAAAAAAIA/G8okectiXHo/s640/DSC_1083.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A good motive for Helmer Osslund?</div><br />
Having passed through the Helmer Osslund painting I soon arrived on the marked trail again. It was with somewhat mixed feelings. On the one hand I was happy to have navigated correctly, but it also meant that due to time constraints the rest of the trip would now be almost exclusively on well-beaten paths. One day of bushwacking in the wilderness was all I would get this year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyfLLgpMI/AAAAAAAAAIM/AIsX7aaUW1c/s1600/DSC_1087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyfLLgpMI/AAAAAAAAAIM/AIsX7aaUW1c/s400/DSC_1087.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The bridge over Vålån</div><br />
Now there was not too much time to stroll around anymore. I needed to keep up the pace in order to have some safety margin for the next day. I put the long leg ahead of the short one as we say. When I arrived at Vålåstugorna I was actually a bit tired. Although going off-trail is more enjoyable, it also a lot more taxing. Especially when you gain and lose altitude.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcyf-T2jQI/AAAAAAAAAIY/Llaz2BkSBoI/s1600/DSC_1096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcyf-T2jQI/AAAAAAAAAIY/Llaz2BkSBoI/s400/DSC_1096.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Vålåstugan mountain hut</div><br />
At Vålåstugorna I had a short rest and stocked up on some fruit soup. The rest stop would be short however, and I got some exercise of another kind here as I was kindly asked if I could chop some firewood for the winter.<br />
Now it was getting a bit late, but I anyway wanted to push on a few kilometers more. I set my sights for the slope of Smällhögarna which seemed to provide a nice scenic campsite. On the way up I was lucky again and saw another flock of Ptarmigans which took off just a few meters from my feet.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcygpxGTUI/AAAAAAAAAIg/Ng3k3D8qWoI/s1600/DSC_1111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcygpxGTUI/AAAAAAAAAIg/Ng3k3D8qWoI/s640/DSC_1111.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Campsite above Kroktjärnarna</div><br />
I wanted to camp high to try out my new tent a bit. There was not much wind to talk about, but still enough to get the fly to flap around. The Lunar Duo takes a bit more time to set up correctly compared to a tunnel- or dometent. I think the weight savings is definitely worth it in the summer though. 1,3kg for a roomy two person tent is not much. This time I pitched the tent with the fly all the way down to the ground to avoid draft. This was probably a wise choice as I felt warmer during the night and the small breeze removed almost all condensation anyway.<br />
<br />
Even though I was toasty in my sleeping bag, I did not feel all well anyway. A flu had started to set in. I couldn't really sleep well. The upside of this was that I didn't oversleep the sunrise. I had the longest photo session during the trip and had some fun playing with different exposure settings.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Src0GqhpgwI/AAAAAAAAAJY/GFiO18SCCwA/s1600/DSC_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Src0GqhpgwI/AAAAAAAAAJY/GFiO18SCCwA/s640/DSC_0038.JPG" width="561" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sunrise</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>In the morning I packed up and set out in the ultralight style without a real breakfast. This way the hike quickly got my body warm and when I sat down for breakfast a kilometer later I could enjoy the meal better.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Src0IQY7eHI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/6dIl5Te88gg/s1600/DSC_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Src0IQY7eHI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/6dIl5Te88gg/s640/DSC_0051.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Breakfast</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The rest of the hike was pretty uneventful and I just hiked as fast as I could in order to have plenty of time to relax at the mountain station in Vålådalen. It was a real pleasure to have a hot shower after all the hiking. After eating lunch in the restaurant I was back in the car towards Östersund. As happy and content as a man can be.Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-2246370055127874332010-02-19T00:23:00.001+01:002010-02-19T00:27:52.317+01:00Building a cheap, lightweight, Paris-skipulk<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;">In january the entire family went on skiing vacation to Orsa Grönklitt in Dalarna, Sweden. From experience I knew that transporting the children back and forth to the slopes can be a real chore. Especially when the children are tired after a long day. Having a pulk to pull all the equipment can be a real help. It's also real nice to be able to put the small children in the ski pulk when they decide they've had enough of cross-country skiing several kilometers from home. Last, but not least, I of course saw this as a chance to get an interesting new piece of gear.</span></span><br />
Since I don't get a chance to use a skipulk that often I didn't want to spend too much money on it. I don't have as a goal to go on a long arctic expedition with 100kg either, so I figured I didn't really need the robustness of a <a href="http://fjellpulken.no/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=garden_flypage.tpl&product_id=27&category_id=6&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=69&lang=nb">Fjellpulken</a>. I also had a look at the second-hand market. It is pretty good for pulks here. If you are not worried about weight it is quite easy to find old used Segebaden wooden pulks of good quality. These weigh quite a lot though and they require some care to maintain. There had to be a better alternative.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The Paris Expedition sled</span><br />
After some googling I found the most authoritative site on skipulks: <a href="http://www.skipulk.com/">www.skipulk.com</a>. The nice thing about this site is that they provide an excellent ski pulk PDF-book with detailed descriptions on how to build your own ski pulk. This book, and many others sites, recommend the <a href="http://www.globetrotter.de/de/shop/detail.php?mod_nr=qi_70001&GTID=4330a3413f9bffd0dfa658bf663c89aca32">Paris Expedition sled</a> as a good starting point for a do-it-yourself project. The Paris sled is cheap (around 30€), light (2,2kg) and very durable. It also has good attachment points for packing straps and ropes for pulling. I quickly ordered one from <a href="http://globetrotter.de/">globetrotter.de</a> as there were none in stock at the local retailer <a href="http://kgoutdoor.se/">kgoutdoor.se</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.kgoutdoor.se/Shop/Image/Article/paris_expedition2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://shop.kgoutdoor.se/Shop/Image/Article/paris_expedition2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Paris Expedition Sled</div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The hauling system</span><br />
The pulk book contains a number of different designs for the critical pulk hauling system ranging from very simple designs suitable for flat terrain, to heavy duty systems for alpine use. I didn't have much time for the construction so I made a hauling system loosely based on the "Zinsard"-design. I figured it would be good enough for my purposes. I was not going to use the pulk on rough and steep terrain. It would be used mainly on prepared cross-country tracks.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S322_KF9ZOI/AAAAAAAABQI/FXpXXxJNvsk/s1600/DSC_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S322_KF9ZOI/AAAAAAAABQI/FXpXXxJNvsk/s400/DSC_0154.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The hauling system was made from 20mm electrical wire conduit (VP-rör)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The advantage of using plastic conduit is that it is very easy to work with. It is also cheap and you can get angle parts and joints to easily create constructions. It is also very flexible will not hurt you if you fall. The opinions vary on how robust the conduits are, some say they are better than bamboo, some say they are very fragile. For my purposes they worked well. To be on the safe side however, I also reinforced the poles with duct-tape, so that they would not splinter in a dangerous way if they broke. This probably makes them stronger too. The poles where attached to the the pulk by using packstraps through the grommets on the pulk. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S322_wDEaAI/AAAAAAAABQQ/eB-STQckXd4/s1600/DSC_0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S322_wDEaAI/AAAAAAAABQQ/eB-STQckXd4/s400/DSC_0156.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Using conduit joints, the poles can be disassembled for easier transportation</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I also added joints so that the poles could be transported more easily. This was done using standard plastic joints for conduit. To keep them in place I also drilled a hole for a nut and a bolt. Later on I also drilled a hole so that the hauling rope went through the poles and all the pull forces where taken by the rope. This is quite useful since the joints don't need to be as strong then. If the poles will break it is also always possible to pull the pulk using the rope.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S322_h9isZI/AAAAAAAABO4/6CxG1BYSUIg/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S322_h9isZI/AAAAAAAABO4/6CxG1BYSUIg/s320/DSC_0155.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> A custom hipbelt was quickly sewn<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't have any existing hipbelt to use as a harness available, so I sewed my own. It was done in about an hour using nylon, some foam pad, and webbing. I made a mistake however and made the belt to short. It needs to have more padding on the stomach side as well. As attachment points I sewed in some metal D-rings. I did not place these in a good way however. They should be more on the sides so that the poles attach to the side of the body. To attach the poles to the belt I drilled a hole through the poles and threaded to loops of nylon cord through them. These loops could then be attached to the D-rings. This attachment system worked OK, but there is room for improvement. There was too much play between the poles and the hipbelt. Despite these shortcomings the belt worked perfectly OK for the loads that I was pulling.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Field testing</span><br />
The pulk was mainly used to transport the kids back and home to the slopes. However, I also stressed the hauling system to some degree as I climbed the downhill slope all the way to the top and successfully skied down on a pretty steep slope with around 20kg of young son in the pulk. It worked very well, but I'm not sure how the poles would have handled a fall. I also tried going through the kids "Bumpy ride" training slope as well. On these occasions I could really feel the force of the pulk pushing me in the back, but it worked.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S33GZpNa5cI/AAAAAAAABQY/vh1D-E3HyRg/s1600/DSC_0374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S33GZpNa5cI/AAAAAAAABQY/vh1D-E3HyRg/s400/DSC_0374.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Going down the slalom slope at full speed with Simon lying in the pulk</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">One situation that didn't go so well however was if I needed to pull the pulk through difficult terrain. Part of the difficulty could have been that the children were sitting up and produced a top heavy load. Anyway I felt that stronger poles could have been good in that situation. With two kids the pulk was pretty heavy then, probably about 45kg.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">All in all, I'm very pleased with the Paris Pulk and the homemade hauling system also worked very well for what it was designed for. It made our winter vacation with the kids so much more fun and a lot easier too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S323sj7shSI/AAAAAAAABPM/t0LYU3G5Ql0/s1600/IMG_0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/S323sj7shSI/AAAAAAAABPM/t0LYU3G5Ql0/s400/IMG_0326.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Children sleeping in the pulk after a long day at the Orsa Grönklitt Zoo</div></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-26207617816539999082010-01-27T23:35:00.005+01:002010-01-27T23:51:05.280+01:00On Marcus Aurelius and tools for armchair trekking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://academic.shu.edu/honors/Marcus_Aurelius_equestrian_2d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">.<img border="0" height="320" src="http://academic.shu.edu/honors/Marcus_Aurelius_equestrian_2d.jpg" width="236" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Picture linked from : <a href="http://academic.shu.edu/honors/1101.html">academic.shu.edu/honors/1101.html</a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Ever since watching the movie Gladiator, where Marcus Aurelius is depicted briefly in the beginning, I have been interested in reading more about this Roman emperor. A while ago I finally got around to actually read the texts from the emperor himself, the <i>Meditations.</i> When reading letters from ancient people it is often striking how similar their problems are to ours. Funnily enough, Marcus Aurelius even has some consoling words for a longing armchair trekker like myself.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"People try to get away from it all - to the country , to the beach, to the mountains. You always wish you could too. Which is idiotic: You can get away from it anytime you like.</i><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>By going within.</i><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Nowhere you can go is more peaceful - more free of interruptions - than your own soul."</i><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book four (Translation by Gregory Hays, The Modern Library Classics, 2002)<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">With two small children, and a third one to arrive soon, I suspect this kind of mental escape will have to comfort me even more in the future. Books and maps certainly help in providing fuel for the journey, but nowadays with Internet applications we can get even closer to the destinations of our dreams.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">When doing the research for my increasingly utopian <a href="http://thebearablelightness.blogspot.com/2009/11/sarek-on-run-in-week-route-planning.html">Sarek project route</a>, I used Google Maps, Google Earth and the 3D maps of <a href="http://hitta.se/">Hitta.se</a> . The quality of the 3D maps (especially Hitta.se) is often amazing. It's almost like flying over Sarek in a helicopter. To complement these views of my imagined route, I got extra information from people on the Swedish outdoor forum, <a href="http://utsidan.se/">Utsidan.se.</a> One kind member, Pär Lindh, even sent me a link to a picture he took of the exact ascent from <a href="http://parlindh.se/fjallbilder/200908161607.html">Sitojaure to Vassjavaggi</a> I was thinking about (I feared that it would be too steep , but from the picture it seems quite OK). It would be interesting to hear from you, dear reader, what tools you use for armchair trekking.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-74361307111195203752009-11-08T15:32:00.000+01:002009-11-08T15:32:34.183+01:00Everyday exercise with kids<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoF5WTAJUdbHHApUqgKKUNcCQJUUZwfUhoivN_0fQFfPMD_rBeFqrKjLrfD-0q5fi1U9FxlVCC9NZDUEOaxANOkykcdTMPe-_FS09t6QtkhRkCk0J1iI9IkWIZjc-ZIo6D4EeZ_8IYKlI3/s1600-h/DSC_0259.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoF5WTAJUdbHHApUqgKKUNcCQJUUZwfUhoivN_0fQFfPMD_rBeFqrKjLrfD-0q5fi1U9FxlVCC9NZDUEOaxANOkykcdTMPe-_FS09t6QtkhRkCk0J1iI9IkWIZjc-ZIo6D4EeZ_8IYKlI3/s400/DSC_0259.JPG" /></a> </div>I think I've found a way to exercise. Cycling with two kids in the trailer sure was exhausting. The kids liked it too.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-55080952578240242662009-11-07T22:34:00.000+01:002009-11-07T22:34:26.875+01:00Sarek on the run in a week - Route planningIn a <a href="http://thebearablelightness.blogspot.com/2009/11/sarek-on-run-in-week-crazy-idea.html">previous post</a> I outlined an idea for hiking fast and light in order to see the Rapa valley in Sarek national park in under a week. It is still very much an open question if I will find the time for such a trip the nearest years, but planning for it is a pleasure in itself. If I can inspire anyone to do a reconnaissance trip before me that would also be great. One of the most important aspects of the trip is the route planning. For this purpose I have put up a <a href="http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=sv&msa=0&msid=102539889187875365121.00044a9ea6b68998a3d56&ll=67.145432,17.763519&spn=0.429907,1.783905&z=10">google map</a> and will now discuss some of the choices.<br />
<br />
<b>Start point</b><br />
There are basically two starting points for getting into Sarek and the Rapa valley by public transport: Saltoloukta and Kvikkjokk. I'm leaning towards Saltoloukta as the trail from Saltoloukta to Sitojaure is mostly flat and the scenery is nice, whereas the trail from Kvikkjokk to the Pårte-hut is mostly in the forest.<br />
<br />
<b>The midpoint goal</b><br />
My goal is to see "Rapaselet" (A "Sel" is a stretch of calm water between streams.) and the Rapa-delta. These places are reputed to be among the most beautiful places in Sweden (Even in the world, many would argue.).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Sarek_Skierffe_Rapadelta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Sarek_Skierffe_Rapadelta.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Rapa-delta near Aktse (Source: Creative Commons, M, kluber fotografie)<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Rapadelta-mittre-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Rapadelta-mittre-25.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Rapa-sel (Source: Creative Commons, photographer unknown.)<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The best point for views of the delta is most probably the Skierffe-cliff. From where to view the Rapa-sel is a more difficult question, it depends a bit on how far one can go, but a first stop could be Hill 1112. If one has a bit more time the best place to camp according to the mountain-god, Claes Grundsten, is above the "reindeer-herder hut" on Vassjalåpptå.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Walking plan</b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">If one wants to use a really ultralight shelter, which I want, campsite selection becomes more important. It should not be too exposed to the wind. A site among in the birch-forest is preferable if the weather is windy. This can be difficult to arrange for this trip though.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Day 1: Saltoloukta - Sitojaure. Good camping can be found next to the hut. 20km from Saltoloukta is probably far enough for the first evening, even when runnning. Most probably it will be too late to get across Sitojaure this day.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Day 2: Sitojaure -(By boat) - Svine - Skierffe - Vassjalåpptå. This will be one hell of a day. The distance will probably be around 24km and this mostly bushwacking in unknown terrain. From my personal experience I often do not tend to walk faster than 2km/h in such circumstances. This translates into 12 hours of walking. Running will most likely be difficult on this stretch. During summer it doesn't really get that dark though, so you can walk well into the night.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Day 3: Vassjalåpptå - Skierffe. 12km. A cool day for taking in the sights.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Day 4: Skierffe - Svine - Saltoloukta. A 31km day, but this time on well-beaten paths.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Day 5. Reserved for unexpected (mis)happenings.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Day 6 Travel home.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">An alternative on day 2 is to arrange for the boat to drop you off approximately 3km east of Rinim, instead of Svine (Thanks again to Claes Grundsten for this personal tip). This will reduce the distance to around 12km, but the climb up from Sitojaure to Vassjavagge will be steep. At it's steepest it will be about 500m in a km. It would be nice to hear if anyone has any more experience of this area. This choice will also allow for taking a different route on the way back to Svine.<br />
<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvJweDuOfJRrDH0MWm6PiZpxbubKDloVMh532cKMhP7x2qq_geUmKU-knUDpRzc2Dzq7B9FBVLilCiW_m0zRTgFi-HB79zBpW0YguyV6VBU2MLI_9RTeWPg8SaHTCpW08TD1aiHilfea1/s1600-h/P7270053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvJweDuOfJRrDH0MWm6PiZpxbubKDloVMh532cKMhP7x2qq_geUmKU-knUDpRzc2Dzq7B9FBVLilCiW_m0zRTgFi-HB79zBpW0YguyV6VBU2MLI_9RTeWPg8SaHTCpW08TD1aiHilfea1/s400/P7270053.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Calle enjoying the fantastic scenery during the boat-trip back from Rinim to the Sitojaure hut. In the background you see Namadis which is hiding the entrance to Basstavagge where we came from.<br />
</div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-35893449358184245392009-11-02T16:03:00.001+01:002009-11-06T22:48:44.292+01:00Sarek on the run in a week - A crazy idea?Five years ago I hiked in Sarek, Lapland. It was a fantatastic experience. I would love to go there again, but it is very difficult for me to get away for a longer period and it takes quite a lot of time (Approximately 2 days) just to get into the national park. After having switched to lightweight equipment I have however regained the hope of getting there again. A crazy idea was born: I should be able to hike so fast that I could reach the Rapa-valley and get back in under a week. I MUST see the Rapa-valley before I die.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8i4cVPNyfvasF_th6fHrPSmyJSQ3MJdCsBBmRz6MKlLeLOfbmRXTpQkocDjHrJ2bw6sAWRUoB9u2SEg2uWR69PdjKfd0JVs0iuG4IPUydyQ5Z3tnhfD8zPVecFkDWF-_FDQrli7uuBxzn/s1600-h/P7280056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8i4cVPNyfvasF_th6fHrPSmyJSQ3MJdCsBBmRz6MKlLeLOfbmRXTpQkocDjHrJ2bw6sAWRUoB9u2SEg2uWR69PdjKfd0JVs0iuG4IPUydyQ5Z3tnhfD8zPVecFkDWF-_FDQrli7uuBxzn/s400/P7280056.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Kungsleden with Lulep Gierkau in the background. Still at least a day from Sarek national park. The trail is like a highway and running should not be a problem at least to Sitojaure.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6kCtC6_46d8M0FhzEkHx59BJ-cvngJqq4fjkZPbseBZBrTj1MMgVaasDMWUs37DI_21cwMD1qkFmeHxpDwJrml5NRK1hDqSTJkABTgjj2Kt80jurON_aV0-pOCU63aHwcVUJFRQkyKfo/s1600-h/P7260020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6kCtC6_46d8M0FhzEkHx59BJ-cvngJqq4fjkZPbseBZBrTj1MMgVaasDMWUs37DI_21cwMD1qkFmeHxpDwJrml5NRK1hDqSTJkABTgjj2Kt80jurON_aV0-pOCU63aHwcVUJFRQkyKfo/s400/P7260020.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fording a stream near Lietjitjaure. Ähpar and Pierikpakte in the background. Fording can be very dangerous in Sarek.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Several questions need to be answered for such a an endeavour to be succesful:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ol><li>Route planning - What is the optimal route that will maximize interesting hiking and provide for good running?</li>
<li>Equipment - How heavy a pack can be tolerated when you are running? What kind of pack? What kind of shelter?</li>
<li>Safety - How light can you go without sacrificing safety? Sarek is a wilderness area and there are no trails. If you fall, noone will hear you scream.</li>
<li>Fitness - I almost never find time for exercise. What do I need to cope with to feel safe before going?</li>
<li>Season - What is the best season for such a fast and light hike?</li>
<li>Travel planning - How do you get to Sarek in the cheapest and fastest way?</li>
<li>Resupply - How much food should I carry?</li>
</ol><div>Is this a good idea at all? Will I be able to find anyone to come with me on such an innovative trip? Should I plan to do something easier instead with the time I have? I will follow this post with some thoughts on the different topics soon. Any comments and hints are welcome.<br />
</div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-84486628071568603012009-10-07T00:03:00.001+02:002009-10-07T00:04:40.304+02:00Bushbuddy cooking above VålådalenMy <a href="http://thebearablelightness.blogspot.com/2009/09/3-days-solo-hiking-in-valadalen.html">trip to Vålådalen</a> was the first trip where I relied solely on the Bushbuddy for all cooking, The only backup I had were a few Esbit tablets. In total I cooked 7 meals (I boiled water for soup and rehydration of freeze dried food and also cooked oatmeal porridge in the morning.). Out of these meals, 2 were prepared above the treeline with fuel from the spot. In no case did I have any problem in finding fuel. Most of the time sufficient fuel was gathered in the matter of minutes as I went along. I never needed to use the Esbits, but I did use quite a lot of the birch bark I had taken with me as firestarter. The weather conditions where very good during the trip, but it had been raining a lot the days before I arrived. I have managed to acheive a boil in much more difficult conditions than these, so weather-wise I had no big challenges.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Above the treeline experiences</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjsi5SEjKGQcvL4KE4-pDPbgtEPq-iYSzCdPjdEvjtduKEoiAw-7UTxqVwXdCSoN0G_DUvYMaFN81hCHyZYZPGJokteD3bhAtEMSgbz7Fm8z5fLhmwAtXcXQys0kXRaGrT8kY2fhLUIhk/s1600-h/DSC_0994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjsi5SEjKGQcvL4KE4-pDPbgtEPq-iYSzCdPjdEvjtduKEoiAw-7UTxqVwXdCSoN0G_DUvYMaFN81hCHyZYZPGJokteD3bhAtEMSgbz7Fm8z5fLhmwAtXcXQys0kXRaGrT8kY2fhLUIhk/s400/DSC_0994.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Difficult to find fuel at 1200m altitude? - Not at all!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This trip confirmed my experience that it is quite possible to find good fuel above the treeline. The key here is that the Bushbuddy really requires so litte of it. Many small twigs are also a lot better and more efficient than big branches. The nature of the ground also helps a lot since water is drained away very quickly here.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgx8g1PyB6mSI7gJpRfM_V-kAsuSvFEFQ5PN8x9FqSOGXa9YUauZPvOXvUafdpoesG33MZNQYdBAk0YRgzydaUQE2a7m9p_WcclQOakcL-82r2LCJ_F2-kobmLNN_GlAPS1qSnG2d9AEM6/s1600-h/DSC_1006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgx8g1PyB6mSI7gJpRfM_V-kAsuSvFEFQ5PN8x9FqSOGXa9YUauZPvOXvUafdpoesG33MZNQYdBAk0YRgzydaUQE2a7m9p_WcclQOakcL-82r2LCJ_F2-kobmLNN_GlAPS1qSnG2d9AEM6/s400/DSC_1006.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Look closer at the ground - Lots of good dead crowberry roots here. Such roots are available almost everywhere above the treeline and they burn very well. So well in fact that birch bark is not always necessary as a firestarter.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">If fuel wasn't a problem, the wind sometimes was. It really helps a lot to find a spot that is sheltered from the wind. A windscreen helps, but it is no substitute. Fuel consumption and cooking time increases dramatically if the flame is disturbed. A few extra minutes for site selection is worth it.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWOXL8ReFU_rdCzCRrLFw2Dc14T6IoRKQoUX8VEbsCsaDKA5Rv3-XDkm-fxkuT7hYPvnyfsWG0d1vEll5bALJqeGEIhlnhFLWAfYGhe3yEEs9eh8DDwpjiuPumyxw1CRL4B5c2_D4tO4G/s1600-h/DSC_1009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWOXL8ReFU_rdCzCRrLFw2Dc14T6IoRKQoUX8VEbsCsaDKA5Rv3-XDkm-fxkuT7hYPvnyfsWG0d1vEll5bALJqeGEIhlnhFLWAfYGhe3yEEs9eh8DDwpjiuPumyxw1CRL4B5c2_D4tO4G/s400/DSC_1009.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Excellent site on the leeside of a big rock<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETmsdsRJrXc0BUUIu9UdSgOD4fwwTVSRm1H0ILxsSSNmFVWXmivkFYG7i8oQhvF1Zp59XfMnuyoZktiFm7hDkRqDfwTBkYedljbzHPGToTEp7-MlcxvuUZWnPtFeXMhDlCqRLXsF9CyWu/s1600-h/DSC_1014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETmsdsRJrXc0BUUIu9UdSgOD4fwwTVSRm1H0ILxsSSNmFVWXmivkFYG7i8oQhvF1Zp59XfMnuyoZktiFm7hDkRqDfwTBkYedljbzHPGToTEp7-MlcxvuUZWnPtFeXMhDlCqRLXsF9CyWu/s400/DSC_1014.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The flame is undisturbed and hot blueberry soup is soon forthcoming<br />
</div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-75424559126024711172009-09-22T02:43:00.000+02:002009-09-22T02:43:43.653+02:003 days solo hiking in VålådalenI just got back from 3 days hiking in Vålådalen, Jämtland, Sweden. I hesitated a lot before going, but finally bought a train ticket and went on my own. It was my first solo trip. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It was a fantastic trip. Here is a link to a photo album from the trip:<br />
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.se/gustav.bostrom/Valadalen200902">Picase photo album from Vålådalen</a><br />
I will write more on my experiences soon. It was an interesting trip in many respects. It was my first solo trip. I also saw the beautiful autumn colours the first time and I used the Bushbuddy for cooking all meals.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyUqspsfI/AAAAAAAAAG4/8Y7m4oUnVVY/s1600/DSC_1031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/SrcyUqspsfI/AAAAAAAAAG4/8Y7m4oUnVVY/s400/DSC_1031.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Lillådörren seen from Saalvantjahke<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcs7somVJI/AAAAAAAAAFY/72jVWuxSM24/s1600/DSC_0933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8Zzr_oP5MWY/Srcs7somVJI/AAAAAAAAAFY/72jVWuxSM24/s400/DSC_0933.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The lake at Lunndörrsstugan in the evening sun<br />
</div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-61429116618170076312009-09-07T09:24:00.049+02:002009-09-12T14:47:41.402+02:00Little hiking - a lot of gear<div>When I was younger I thought that people with a lot of shiny new</div><div>gear, which they always talked about, were in fact the ones that</div><div>spent the least time outdoors. In many respects I still find this</div><div>to be true, but, I have become more humble since I have myself</div><div>fallen into the gear trap. Andy Howell put it well when he said</div><div>that buying and writing about gear is a substitute for not</div><div>getting out in the hills. I have two small children, aged 4 and</div><div>2, and frankly this makes it a lot more challenging to get time</div><div>off for hiking. Especially since my other major outdoor interest,</div><div>hunting, can take up a lot of time. In Sweden we have a "parental</div><div>insurance system" that makes it beneficial for parents to share</div><div>responsibility for the children when they are small and I have up</div><div>to now been on parental leave for more than a year in total. This</div><div>wonderful, but somewhat taxing experience makes me hesitant when</div><div>it comes to leaving my spouse to take care of the children</div><div>herself for a longer period of time. The first time I was on</div><div>parental leave with my two boys I lost 5kg of weight in just a</div><div>few weeks. This actually pushed me below the official limit for</div><div>malnutrition (Don't worry, I recovered quickly). </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeNFw8h1qdmt9Uvrz4IHqT4ASJTi0tomGg_k7BzhpjuO4jKnycjoj0mjhVMn9DhsimPQRPxwbh1SxQIaenzPGuIx6vZcv5RLz5vB489u0N0eisZcNDYPvAbW_-NtYCJ-gvvjyzKF1J61L/s1600-h/DSC00049.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeNFw8h1qdmt9Uvrz4IHqT4ASJTi0tomGg_k7BzhpjuO4jKnycjoj0mjhVMn9DhsimPQRPxwbh1SxQIaenzPGuIx6vZcv5RLz5vB489u0N0eisZcNDYPvAbW_-NtYCJ-gvvjyzKF1J61L/s400/DSC00049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379206476449546018" border="0" /><br /> </a><br />Filip (Aged 1,5) and daddy trying to make bannock bread for the first time. A good gear substitute. Don't bake the bread on the flames, wait for the embers!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div>With this excuse out of the way, I now feel free to unleash my</div><div>stream of thoughts on my newly found lightweight gear addiction.</div><div>This first installment will just give you a brief introduction of</div><div>my kit. A teaser if you like. It will be followed by more in</div><div>depth comments on the rationale behind each gear choice and some</div><div>experience reports.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Backpacks</span></div><div><div>I kind of started out my transition to lightweight gear by buying a new Backpack, a <a href="http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Mariposa_Plus.html">Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus</a> 2007 (Large). I wanted a fairly large pack that was also</div><div><div>sufficiently robust for occasional hiking in the forest (Although</div><div>many would probably want a tougher pack for this, if it was the</div><div>main activity.). The pack has not let me down and I'm very</div><div>pleased with the customer service at Gossamer Gear. </div><div>I also have a small daypack, the <a href="http://marmot.com/spring_2009/equipment/backpacks/fast_light/kompressor/">Marmot Kompressor</a>. I use this backpack</div><div>almost everyday when going to work. It is a very good backpack</div><div>for daytrips. It is cheap too and available in many stores.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Shelters</span></div><div>It is in this area that my gear addiction really shows. I have too many tents. I will have to sell one soon, but I cannot decide on which.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Tarptent Cloudburst</b></span></div><div><a href="http://www.tarptent.com/cloudburst2.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">http://www.tarptent.com/cloudburst2.html</span></span></a></div>This was my first lightweight tent. It is very light and has good wind stability. It is also quite large for a two man tent. It has worked quite well, but condensation is definitely an issue if there is little wind.</div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><div><br /></div><b>Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo</b></span><a href="http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=47"><br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=47</span></a><br />I would probably have bought the Lunar Duo, if it had existed when I bought my Cloudburst. This as a downright excellent tent for summer use. I've never slept more comfortably than in this tent. It has a high profile however, and you should be careful with your site selection in high winds.<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><b><a href="http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=45">http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=45</a><br /></b></span></span>This is one of my favourite pieces of gear. I didn't buy it primarily as a tent for the night, but mostly for use as a shelter during hunting trips. It's great for that.<div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; "><b>Bergans Kompakt Light 3</b></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://bergans.no/sider/telt_detalje.asp?modID=6013">Bergans Kompakt Light 3</a></span></b></div><div>I got a good price through an acquaintance at Bergans and couldn't resist. The tent is not very light (about 3kg for a three-person tent), but it should be very good in cold and wet weather as there is a large vestibule you can sit and eat in. It could probably be used in the winter as well, which somehow motivates the purchase better (Although, to be perfectly honest I've not yet slept in a tent in winter...). I have a plan for transforming this tent into a truly lightweight summer shelter, but more on that later.<br /><br />That's all for now. More on Sleeping, Cooking and Clothing systems will follow.<br /></div></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-91511780133178701852009-08-31T23:53:00.002+02:002009-09-09T08:51:06.718+02:00Pushing the limits - Using the Bushbuddy above the treeline<div align="left">With a little practice using a woodburning stove in the forest should not be a problem in any weather. Above the treeline, in arctic conditions, it is a different matter.<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378100769897757346" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJP811Cl3RvISHsaUoEfoUfSdHMvKzluge-CO9kYTqmXSIvSG29xWs3rgmfN69_aaXNCcCfViRCKt_ZPXaeEjPMoxKuMF6o_o2TidK6pDhCTc2xX0kIeCuk7QVqzyn1-NAkPLzxSnYzoy/s400/Kopia+av+20080718072.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Will you be able to make a fire in this surrounding? - Kåppatjåkka near Abisko</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">Before going on a trip to Abisko I did some research on this topic. The best resource I have found when it comes to firemaking in the arctic comes from Yngve Ryd. For several years he has interviewed Saami people from Swedish Lapland and documented their knowledge of fire and other topics. This has resulted in many interesting books on particularly sharply defined topics such as snow, predators and in this case fire: <em>"Eld, Flammor och Glöd - Samisk eldkonst". </em>Unfortunately, as far as I know, it is only available in Swedish. </div><div align="left">For the Saami, making a fire was a matter of life and death. This is a very interesting book, not only for those interested in making fires, but anyone interested in Saami life in general. </div><div align="left">As a complement to this book I also discussed with people on <a href="http://www.utsidan.se/">Utsidan.se</a> to tap into their experiences and it turned out I wasn't the first one to use the Bushbuddy in the Scandinavian mountains. Harald Igesund in Norway told me he had used the Bushbuddy on several trips in northern Scandinavia and came with very useful advice. I was ready to give it a try (With my MSR PocketRocket as a backup.) </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Experience report from Abisko and Hemavan</span></div><div align="left">My experiences from last summers short trips to Abisko and Hemavan showed that the best fuels above treeline in order was:<br />1. Arctic Bell Heather<br />2. Dwarf birch<br />3. Crowberry </div><div align="left">As a fire starter I used birch bark that I had collected previously, however I also once collected some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cottongrass">cottongrass </a>and used as tinder. It works well if you have enough of it and it's dry. </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Arctic Bell Heather</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLwn24rQwqVnjBv5NP26sOlUPy1g9Do0VVkngH57-VXot6Wk9tSR-tqsGK7oscxzQm4qTZmwTcXxuilIUir3YbIEQDGptB0K1AIGHONIjXTmEg1gnrMt-4w7c4_v0Rk_WLyQrCsONWp8k/s1600-h/DSC_0137.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 266px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378346816339545586" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLwn24rQwqVnjBv5NP26sOlUPy1g9Do0VVkngH57-VXot6Wk9tSR-tqsGK7oscxzQm4qTZmwTcXxuilIUir3YbIEQDGptB0K1AIGHONIjXTmEg1gnrMt-4w7c4_v0Rk_WLyQrCsONWp8k/s400/DSC_0137.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><p align="center">Fantastic fuel - Burns like petrol (Well, relatively speaking) </p><p align="left">This was the best fuel I found. However, I only found far up north near Abisko. It is also recommended as fuel in the arctic in John Wiseman's book on survival.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Dwarf birch </span><br />This is a very common plant in the Scandinavian mountains. It is present almost everywhere, except the high alpine areas. Birch branches contain some kind of oil which means they burn pretty well even when moist.<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsgtiwCzrzS5JMTTBLvXrq5SAbzfIex4eG5s7j6tv_QjZ_IAWDEo876QMZjOmK9liN11jat-N8-90RwZqibfYEVcpwPp1TiNRit5EVA-ik0SGEFPuM0WPI54e5CxwEied01606A3ztodW/s1600-h/450px-Betula_nana_upernavik_kujalleq_2007-07-25_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px; display: block; height: 400px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378346021609546114" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsgtiwCzrzS5JMTTBLvXrq5SAbzfIex4eG5s7j6tv_QjZ_IAWDEo876QMZjOmK9liN11jat-N8-90RwZqibfYEVcpwPp1TiNRit5EVA-ik0SGEFPuM0WPI54e5CxwEied01606A3ztodW/s400/450px-Betula_nana_upernavik_kujalleq_2007-07-25_1.jpg" border="0" /></a> Dwarf birch (Picture taken by Kim Hansen, <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Betula_nana_upernavik_kujalleq_2007-07-25_1.jpg">downloaded </a>from Creative Commons)<br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Crowberry</span> </div><div align="left">Crowberry is even more common than dwarf birch. It doesn't burn as well though.</div><div align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 600px; display: block; height: 450px;" alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Black_crowberry.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Black crowberry. take the dry grey branches. <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_crowberry.jpg">Photo </a>by Ante Aikio from Creative Commons.<br /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Other fuels</span><br /></p><p align="left">There are probably a lot of other fuels available. Willow will probably work very well. According to a Saami man in Yngve Ryds book you can even light green willow directly if slice it thinly. Juniper bushes should also be very good. The best bushes are often found next to rocks.<br /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Beyond the limit</span> </p><p align="left">If you go really high up there is almost no vegetation at all available. For these circumstances you need to either bring fuel from the valley or perhaps use Esbits. Four small Esbits should be enough to boil 8dl of water. The pot stand on top of the Bushbuddy works quite well as an erzats Esbit stove. A big thanks to Harald Igesund for this valuable tip. In the future I will try to publish some pictures on this setup.<br /></p></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569973266883051676.post-4963025048520693022009-08-27T09:47:00.000+02:002009-08-28T20:34:37.051+02:00The Bushbuddy - Notes on fuel in the forestSince I'm on parental leave (Or more correctly, completely busy taking care of my children.) it is only fitting that my first real blog post should be dedicated to one of my leisure time interests, lightweight backpacking , and more specifically to my favourite piece of gear: The <a href="http://www.bushbuddy.ca/">Bushbuddy</a> woodburning stove.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vKz53zX09yD-LdnWhgQCsBwTVPqSW0mpFGBbpeMFIxqwwL1apDSOm8dw1d8ktOMGQGPAZcSB3sepuESdKV6rWg_YLa5mmGJksnp84th-PmBMaN8TMzOfpTx_sMmrmvnAJNA7d15zjCar/s1600-h/20080422258.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vKz53zX09yD-LdnWhgQCsBwTVPqSW0mpFGBbpeMFIxqwwL1apDSOm8dw1d8ktOMGQGPAZcSB3sepuESdKV6rWg_YLa5mmGJksnp84th-PmBMaN8TMzOfpTx_sMmrmvnAJNA7d15zjCar/s400/20080422258.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374668362573375666" border="0" /></a><br />Warming baby food in Liljansskogen, Stockholm. Even a trip to a park can become a small adventure with the Bushbuddy.<br /></div><br />Andy Howell comments on the site that it is the best piece of gear that he has ever bought. I agree with him. I am an incurable firebug and the Bushbuddy allows me to make a fire almost everywhere with litte effort. There is something about making a fire that connects you with ancient man and fills you with inner peace. The idea behind this stove is that you can cook your meals using fuel that you collect in the surroundings, instead of carrying it with you. This can save a lot of weight if you are on a longer trip. You also save money since you don't have to buy fuel. In the long run this alone will pay for the stove. Weight and economical savings is not the main reason I like the Bushbuddy though, it is the pleasure I get from succeeding in making a fire in different surroundings, the joyful hunt for good fuels and the beauty of the double burning flame.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjos0A69kHiZWV1mZfGnTyW6WKbng2aK60-XlCcB6bYSYFiPMeERNE3CkvZU8zmoqxr356LLfXGBckHu6T2MxulmiZDWI8mPNkN2pVK1Jr59YaR_mNYDo72fOyv26ZtqOqPuli0X_rmQ6of/s1600-h/DSC_0526.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 485px; height: 321px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjos0A69kHiZWV1mZfGnTyW6WKbng2aK60-XlCcB6bYSYFiPMeERNE3CkvZU8zmoqxr356LLfXGBckHu6T2MxulmiZDWI8mPNkN2pVK1Jr59YaR_mNYDo72fOyv26ZtqOqPuli0X_rmQ6of/s320/DSC_0526.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374553893046146994" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The Bushbuddy at work in the archipelago outside Stockholm<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fuels - my findings so far</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The crux of the Bushbuddy is of course that you have to be able to make a fire, and the most important aspect of this is being able to find and prepare good fuel. Most people will find this a nuisance, I find that it is this challenge that makes it so fun to use the Bushbuddy. It takes experience and often some extra time. In wet weather it is of course extra difficult. To start with, a few basic rules can be useful:<br /><ol><li>Use dry fuel - Obvious perhaps, but even with experience I often fail here if I'm short on time. It usually pays to look longer and find some twigs that are really dry.</li><li>Use small size pieces in the beginning - This is always the best for starting a fire. Once the fire gets going you can switch to larger sticks.</li></ol><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Fuels in the taiga</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">I live in Sweden and mostly use the Bushbuddy in the forest. We have lots of spruce and pine and you can often find birch as well. With these trees around you really can't go wrong.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spruce</span></div>With spruce in sight a fire can normally be started within a minute or two, regardless of weather. Just take the dead "crispy" small branches that sit next to the stem of tree. They are normally dry even after days of raining. If sufficiently dry they can be lit with a match without tinder. Once this gets going, it normally doesn't take more than a minute, continue with thicker (Less than 1cm wide) dry branches from the spruce. One or two branches is normally enough to boil a liter of water. The disadvantage of Spruce is that the fire can throw sparks. This seems to be less of an issue with small twigs.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2toSGKxDQpN88wjT7Yay1foUD8jOwx5aZ8Y4U112yiDtNggclzFEwEgGOqyrtup5ohYQ1kNIa46qJduVMCKffLyI5ggThDbEC4zFhX_YUwscN5czSmlTJzXCu0xCsrcif2WW9g81WKiR/s1600-h/DSC_0862.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2toSGKxDQpN88wjT7Yay1foUD8jOwx5aZ8Y4U112yiDtNggclzFEwEgGOqyrtup5ohYQ1kNIa46qJduVMCKffLyI5ggThDbEC4zFhX_YUwscN5czSmlTJzXCu0xCsrcif2WW9g81WKiR/s400/DSC_0862.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374661039636321922" border="0" /></a> These small spruce trees are not very good as fuel, they are more adequate as christmas trees, but the roedeer is nice. An experienced hunter will also notice the antlers of the roebuck behind.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxVVZwZCAu3EsxdudrgY9sxloH95FpjOsIdHhTIRoWXbMc7PBhZGkyDMJmw1HS4xMn1lAdtClSsIL3ovPBqD1wrSHOMYigy3hgZAKN0J-4hdjPUCOke4X6I09yH6nHcfLIOgf_EbmAR-S/s1600-h/DSC_0865.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxVVZwZCAu3EsxdudrgY9sxloH95FpjOsIdHhTIRoWXbMc7PBhZGkyDMJmw1HS4xMn1lAdtClSsIL3ovPBqD1wrSHOMYigy3hgZAKN0J-4hdjPUCOke4X6I09yH6nHcfLIOgf_EbmAR-S/s400/DSC_0865.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374662901146720962" border="0" /></a>This is more like it. A hare sitting next to enough spruce fuel for a dinner for 10!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pine</span><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">Pine is not as good as Spruce to start the fire, but it is better once the flames are strong. Again, collect the thinnest branches on the stem. These are not as well protected from the rain, so tinder is mostly needed. A special case of pinewood is the the so called "Fat pine". This is the king of all wooden fuels. A real pleasure to the senses. This is dry wood with a lot of resin in it. You can often find it in old dry stubs. The wood is slightly darker and has a nice turpentine smell. With a little whittling, you can make a feather stick with so thin "feathers" that it can even be lit with a fire steel. This requires a knife and some skill with the steel though. The dry pine cones are also excellent fuel and can be found a plenty when the weather is sunny.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJvGjeyTAtnAZY9oOTxnAWzoujRnGrblKx4-wTU4t-CJM66DP80uzpXVgI5odXoqBIHisdrKsYfCIIh0oYIG0HwocrsFXnAO25UEuYxOufMakyB7vUOv8XCgnKjmiwdndRY0fog-XaiuW/s1600-h/IMG_3821.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJvGjeyTAtnAZY9oOTxnAWzoujRnGrblKx4-wTU4t-CJM66DP80uzpXVgI5odXoqBIHisdrKsYfCIIh0oYIG0HwocrsFXnAO25UEuYxOufMakyB7vUOv8XCgnKjmiwdndRY0fog-XaiuW/s400/IMG_3821.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374658926419079298" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Filip explores a small pine tree<br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Birch</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:100%;" >Birch is a lovely tree. It's bark has had a multitude of uses in the Nordic countries. It was used for roofs, shoes, backpacks, kitchen utensils and many other things. There is even a special word for it in Swedish, "Näver". Selling birch bark on rolls was even a major source of income in Swedish Lapland. It is the best fire starter that I know of. Just be sure to take the bark from dead trees, otherwise you damage the tree and it gets an ugly black mark, if it survives. When I find a good supply of birch bark I always try to stock up so that I'm sure to have some when I'm in a hurry next time. It does not weigh much anyway. Birch bark burns even when a bit wet, but is of course best completely dry. To use with a fire steel you need to rub the surface with a knife to make the sparks catch. Reasonably dry, thin, twigs also burn very well. They contain a lot of resin<span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcd928F3MmuZrPKnpKtvnRm90gZM3RUutOFSfo7AfM6aAFtrSMFQtsFN5OHKm1CDD7Dkf3jAILq5CvCaNWHem4UstUuOrvOSVvfioq4RIaOLGRBeK_RWI44HTwIizPmKWDs7PDbmBTfeE/s1600-h/img_2589.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcd928F3MmuZrPKnpKtvnRm90gZM3RUutOFSfo7AfM6aAFtrSMFQtsFN5OHKm1CDD7Dkf3jAILq5CvCaNWHem4UstUuOrvOSVvfioq4RIaOLGRBeK_RWI44HTwIizPmKWDs7PDbmBTfeE/s400/img_2589.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374665821255239714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">A mountain birch (fjällbjörk) near Abiskojåkkå in Abisko National Park, Swedish Lapland. Do not take bark from this one! It's alive! </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">(It is not allowed to take bark from dead trees either in this national park.)</span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Leave no trace</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Please keep in mind that making a fire and collecting firewood is not allowed in all places. Especially when the weather is dry it is often forbidden to start a fire, even in a Bushbuddy. You should only collect fuel from dead trees, and even this is not always allowed in some national parks. Please, DO NOT peel birch bark from alive trees. There are normally enough dead trees around anyway so you can get some from those.<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div></div><br /></div></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div></div><br /></div></div></div>Gustav Boströmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129638529578896125noreply@blogger.com2