T, T, S and S Part 3 ... Force Ten Helium.

If anyone can be bothered to search back through the posts you'll find that sometime last year I wrote something about Gelert Solo tents. The Solo is about the cheapest 'useable' one man tent on the market, if you search around on-line you can pick them up for under £30. As much as it's a 'useable' tent there are a few compromises you have to be willing to accept. It isn't the lightest of tents, pack size isn't the smallest and it's not unknown for the fiberglass poles to break in rough conditions or with rough treatment. The solo also pitches inner first so if it's raining trying to keep the inner dry can be a struggle. Something else I don't like is the fact I can't sit up in it ... and if I can't, there won't be much chance of you doing.

If you've decided that tents are for you and you can't accept the compromises of the Solo then perhaps this is for you ... a Force Ten Helium.

Pitching nose into the wind is a good idea

It still shares the basic concept of the Solo but differs dramatically in most areas. The first thing is the weight and pack size, the Helium weighs just over a Kilo and packs down to the size of a 2/3 man tarp, so you shouldn't have much trouble carrying it. Pitching is either 'as one' inner and outer together or you can just pitch the outer if you wanted to ... even in poor conditions it can be erected in under 5 minutes. Head height at the centre is just under a metre so sitting up is much less of a problem.

It's like a little palace in there

The porch isn't massive but there is enough room to store your gear and shield you while cooking ... I wouldn't recommend cooking in the porch with the door shut, it really is just too small. Now the worst bit, you can buy at least 6 Gelert Solos for the same price as one of these ... perhaps those compromises aren't too bad after all.

WRT 2011 Start List.

So here it is (in no order whatsoever) the WRT start list for 2011. If you can't see your name, have another look and if it's still not there but you think it ought to be, get in touch. If I've spelt your name wrong then I apologise and you'll be quite welcome to give me a hard time about it at the start ... you may also want to sort your handwriting out too though ;o)

John Talbot-Jamie Talbot- David Everard-Taylor-Peter Bragg- Mark Ward-Jamie Warder- Simon Jones- Sally Harrington-John Wright-Paul Twidell-Andy Chadwick-Jane Chadwick-Paul Dytham-Matt Houlbrook-Paul Faulkner-Joshua Ward-David Ward-Craig Nimmo-Jim Collins-Will Good-Sam Good-Nick Gilling-Aidan Harding-Matthew Cockerham-Amy Baron Hall-Alison Mitchelmore-Dominic Bradley-Scott Manley-Daniel Lee-Patrick Adamson-Gareth Wooffitt-Mark Goldie-Richard Smith-Nicholas Blake-Paul Pomfret-Pete Bartlett-Andy Davidson-Ian Barrington-Kenny Stocker-Matt Harvey-Richard Lowerson-Adam Houlbrook-Steve Morgan-Johnathan Beech-Jason Habberfield-Andrew Adlington-Matthew Alder-Jason Stapleton-Jim Hawans-Nick Smith-Will Kemp-Roger Baker-Keith Pitcher-Philip Wise-Duncan Mellor-Mike Clarke-John Rowlands-Deb Wood-Gaynor Morgan-Mark Landan-Chris Narborough-Nick Robins-James Davenport-Mark Weldon-Graham Everard-Zak Fine-Leigh Waldran-Matt Treanor-Mattphew Robertson-Richard Billyeald-Dave Llewllyn-Oliver Webb-Anthony Rampley-Stuart Beardow-Neil Parkes-Darren Hartley-Kevin Roderick-Thom Bostock-Sally Smith-Chris Lang-Patrycia Pinkowska-Jakub Jablonowski-Mathew Ellis-Andrew Denton-Stephen Pike-Andrew Nordquist.

If anyone's form is still in the post then don't panic, you'll be added once it arrives.

Rideable at last.

Well the orange Inbred is pretty much ready to go. I'm still waiting for the Salsa Anything cages and minimal rack but I'm told they've been dispatched and will arrive shortly. I think it's turned out pretty well all in all. There wasn't a fixed budget but it also wasn't a money no object, fit what you like affair either. Certain things have fallen by the wayside as cheaper alternatives came along and were too good to miss ... fitting Shimano hydraulic discs rather than Avid BB7s is jut one example.

I've set it up with a 2 x 9 drive train as I don't think I'll be missing a big ring (certainly not when it's loaded off road). I had considered going 2 x 10 so I could use a 36t cassette (I know you can get a 12-36 9spd Deore one but it weighs 500g!) but I still don't fully trust 10spd chains even though I have a Carver set up 1 x 10 and it's given me no cause for concern.

The front wheel is fitted with an 18t SS cog so if disaster strikes my gears I'll hopefully be able to keep rolling ... common sense may dictate this changes to a 20t at some point.

First impressions seems pretty good ... pulling wheelies around the yard would indicate size and fit are pretty much spot on, saying that, I've enough bikes to know what suits and what doesn't suit me. One thing to bear in mind is, it's a 29er and I'm a P.O.R.G (Person Of Restricted Growth) lots of people will tell you that you can't ride a 29er when you're 5' 7" ... obviously they've not tried.

Confessions of a part time swinger.

If you value a good nights sleep when you're out in the hills (or local park) braving the elements and wino's while you connect with nature, then you might like to consider a hammock. I'm not going to pretend that swinging from the trees is for everyone but neither is a bivvy bag ... you pays your money, etc, etc. One thing I do know is that I've had some of my best nights in a hammock, so perhaps you would too.

The hammock in the pictures is a DD Travel Hammock, they cost under £50 and come with everything you need to get going. As you can see, there's a full midge net to keep the teeth with wings at bay, each side has a full length zip so you can access the hammock from either side then zip yourself in, nice and snug. The base of the hammock is a 2 layer affair, this means that you can slip a sleeping mat beneath you (you will need to do this in all but the warmest weather) to insulate you from cold air underneath. The 2 layer design also allows you to climb in between the layers for weather protection if things got really bad and / or use the whole thing as a ground shelter if you find yourself with no trees.

You can do your own caterpillar impressions

Setting the hammock up is about as quick as it gets. Tie each end to a tree then get in ... it really is that simple, however you may want to practice your knot work and experiment with setting the hammock at different angles before you get too carried away ... oddly having your feet higher than your head tends to work best.

Look comfy?

As with everything in life, there's always going to be drawbacks and compromise and using a hammock is no exception ... here's the negatives.

• Weight ... this weighs 1250g (lighter hammocks are available).

• Pack size ... could be an issue depending what you're used to.

• Obviously you need trees or something else to swing from.

And the good bits.

• Comfort ... hammocks are very comfy.

• No spiders crawling into your mouth at night!

• No need for a flat / smooth camping spot.

• It's actually fun ... don't underestimate this one.

I'm sure there's loads of other pros and cons but these are things that spring to (my) mind. I'm not a hammock evangelist by any means, I've only taken a hammock on 2 trips so far this year the rest of the time I've been in a bivvy bag spitting out spiders all night long but sometimes there really is nothing better than swinging about in the trees.

A question of weight.

It's an unfortunate fact that you possibly won't notice the negative effects of riding a loaded bike until you start to go up hill. On the flat it just rolls and on the downs it can be a bonus, so long as you haven't gone mad ... It's the ups that become the concern. Bikepacking just like backpacking is synonymous with weight saving, the lighter your kit the less work you'll have to do on the hills. This should mean you'll get less tired so you should be able to ride faster and/or further.

Getting your lightweight kit together isn't always simple. There are lots of factors you have to consider and compromise is usually the name of the game ... this balancing act has to take into account cost, weight, performance, pack size and practicality amongst other things. It must be said that even if you have bottomless pockets and aren't afraid to use them it won't always mean you'll get the equipment best suited to your requirements ... as an example, the lightest bivvy bag in the world weighs less than 100g, costs more than anything else BUT it's not breathable, so regardless of how super lightweight it is I personally wouldn't even consider it.

When you are trying to select kit and lets be honest there's such a vast choice it can become bewildering, you need a starting point. For many of us this will be cost and everything else will have to fit in around it but another starting point could be weight. I've had a think and compiled a list of what I would consider to be MAXIMUM weights for various items I'd take on a SUMMER over night trip. Obviously there's stuff out there that weighs much less but there's also plenty that's far heavier ... When I see a tent advertised as, ideal for backpacking with a weight of 3.5kg or a sleeping bag described as lightweight even though it weighs 2kg I have to wonder what type of medication certain members of the outdoor retail world are taking.

How much do you want to carry to the top?

• Sleeping bag - 1kg

• Bivvy bag - 500g

• Tarp (inc pegs/guys) - 600g

• Sleeping mat - 500g

• Stove and fuel - 200g

• Mug/cup/pan - 200g

• Groundsheet - 200g

• Evening insulating layer - 500g

Remember those weights are MAX so if I was looking for kit and the item in question weighed more but didn't offer me a significant increase in performance then I'd start to look elsewhere. Your biggest potential weight savings are likely to come from the above list. Also, remember it's not really worth buying that titanium spork if your sleeping bag weighs 2kg and packs to the size of a small country and those ultralight tent pegs won't have much of a noticeable effect if your tarp weighs 1.5kg.

AlpKit Rig7 ... best in test.

Thought some of you might be interested in this, seeing as how we (me) likes tarps. The latest issue of Trail magazine has a tarp test ... 5 different tarps go head to head sort of thing. Anyway our friends at AlpKit have walked away with best value (not surprisingly) and also best in test ... hoora I hear you cry.

Their Rig7 tarp saw off some big names and some big prices to come out on top. The test makes interesting reading in itself, so you might want to pick a copy up, especially as there's a sleeping bag and sleeping mat review in there too. Obviously if you're on the look out for a tarp then make your way over to AlpKit and buy yourself a winner.

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16474&category_id=290

ShellTA update.

I took along a Furtech ShellTA on last weekends trip but unfortunately wasn't able to get any pictures of it erected so I've erected it again and here you go. The ShellTA can be used in many guises, it can be worn as a poncho, zipped up into a bivvy bag, converted into a 2 man storm shelter or as in this case turned into a tarp. I took along 8 pegs and a 115cm foldable alloy pole. The total weight was 570g ... obviously you don't require a pole, instead you could erect it as a ridge between trees or bikes, hang it from a tree or just use a stick.

I tied the 'hood' off with its elasticated drawcord and that gave me a very secure pocket for my pole to sit in. By moving the pole off centre I was able to have one side lower than the other to offer more protection and increase the available floor space. I chose to use 8 guys but 4 or 6 would work fine ... 8 does allow a taughter pitch though. Internal space is very good, the usable floor space is around 7' x 4' and I'm able to sit up without any problems. There was more than enough room for me to sleep, store all my kit and carefully cook underneath the ShellTA.

Saturday night saw persistent rain and a fair amount of wind but I remained dry, as did all my stuff. The pitch also meant no water gathered on the 'roof' which can be a problem ... Taylor was able to collect 4l of water off his tarp on Sunday morning.

I haven't tried the ShellTA out as anything other than a tarp yet but when I do I'll report back as to how I get on but so far I'm impressed.