Thursday, 03 July 2014 16:31

The Indispensables - 5 classic products we take on every trip

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When the phone rings and a friend on the other end says "get your kit together, we're going to Wales/The Lakes/Scotland* (delete as appropriate the destination is irrelevant)" it usually means a chance to test some kit that's in for review - but what about when the work ends and it's just for fun? With a garage full of kit covering 3 decades there's pretty much someothing for every occassion, from 35+ year old Trangia to next season's cutting edge waterproofs but over time you develop favourites, those pieces of kit you go to by default. God forbid, but there's even a chance some of it you even paid for! New kit comes and goes but when the phone rings you just pull it off the shelf - sure you may um and ahh about alternatives but 8 times out of 10 it's going to be the same "indispensables.

Hilleberg Akto at 3 Tarns in the Lake District

Once something enters the indispensable category it develops inertia. 10 years on and the chances are once it's become an indispensable it's there to stay. It's not about brand loyaly, it's more specific than that, it's product loyalty. We've tried other products and other manufacturers but what works works and a select few products take on the status of classics that you'll carry on buying as long as they're available, although one of the characteristics of an indispensable is often its durability so buying doesn't come around that often.

 

Hilleberg Akto

One and a half kilos of tent perfection with almost 20 years of proven history. We've tried the competition and iot's good. Terra Nova, in particular, have pushed it hard but while others have gone lighter or played around with the ends or the ventilation somehow it's not the same. If you want to know just how good the Akto is then try and find one on eBay - they don't come up. People don't sell them second hand because, well because you just don't sell an Akto. Hilleberg have put together the perfect compromise between durability and weight and built each tent so lovingly the individual worker signs it off with pride on a tag sewn into the tent.

In 15 years the Akto has never let us down. It's taken on the back end of a hurricane on the Macillycuddys Reeks and a Borrowdale downpour, it's been battered by wind, rain and snow but it's seen them all off and never caused a drama. Over 20 years it's been tweaked a little here and there but it's remained essentially the same - a touch over one and a half kilos, big enough for one person in comfort over several days and totally reliable. Short of spending £1000 on a Tentipi it's the ultimate "go-to" tent.

The Akto in the Peak District

 

Merrell Chameleon

There's literally hundreds of walking shoes/approach shoes/muti activity shoes out there, and it seems like there's a new product every week, but for us there's nothing quite like the Merrell Chameleon. Of course a lot comes down to the shape of the last and Merrells last used for the Chameleon just happens to be the perfect shape in this case, but if it fits your foot it's hard to see a reason to ever want to change. Now on version 5 we first got a pair of Chaeleons in their first incarnation - and we've still got them! They're broken and battered and there's less fabric than inner showing on the top. The sole's almost totally worn through after 9 years of almost continuous use but throwing them away would be like cuting off a foot. They're so comfortable they're like slippers, but for the first 5 years slippers you could trek in day after day, would see you comfortably up and down scree slopes or boulderfields and would take you pretty much anywhere you wanted to go. As with the illeberg Akto there's competition out there that's lighter, that may have a grippier sole or a more supportive insole but the Merrell Chameleon hasn't been around for a decade almost unchanged without good reason - and it's still amongst the best sellers today.

Merrell Chameleon

 

Montane Terra Pants

We first became aware of Montane about 10 years ago, and still have a windproof from those early days, and it's been a pleasure to see this British company go from strength to strength. Throughout that time they've been producing the Terra Pants, a legend in their own lifetime. Like the Merrell Chameleon they just feel right from the first moment you put them on. They fit where they need to fit and hang loose where they need to, the pockets are exactly where you need them and it's not until you try someonthing else that you realise just how good they are. In common with the other Indispensables the build quality is amazing, and a s a result they last. The Tactel fabric used in the original Terra feels like cotton but dries like nylon and takes a real beating before showing the slightest sign of wear. Although now available in a stretch version (and shortly a Super Terra) the original Terra is a classic that it will be hard to move from our Indispensables list.

Montane Terra

 

MSR Titan

The ultimate camping mug, The MSR Titan is another classic that's been around for a decade and proved its worth time after time. Nominally a Titan Kettle it's a mug, a pan and a kettle all thrown into one and for good measure it'll take a stove and/or gas cylinder inside so save space on packing. As with most products there's a ton of alternatives, and many of them cheaper, but they're imitations and nothing else quite matches the Titan. It's big enough to cook a meal for one in a bag or for a drink and at a squeeze it can even do both. Being Titanium it's strong and light and while it can develop hot spots over time it'll give years of good service with very little maintenance. With lesser quality brands you find the lid doesn't stay a tight fit over time but with the Titan it's still close to airtight after a decade and while there may be times we take other pans too it's very rare we camp without a Titan.

MSR Titan on a Honey Stove

 

 

Cascade Designs Z Lite

There's nos substitute for a good night's sleep when camping and while most people concentrate on the sleeping bag it's what's under the bag that really makes the difference. Over the last 20 years the self-inflating mattress has become the default choice for most people, but when your mattress becomes self deflating in the middle of the night there's little hope of a decent sleep. Yes there's glues and patches, but even if you can get them to work they're not really options "in the field". For the reliability of a traditional roll mat and the insulation of a self-inflating mattress we've been using the Cascade Design Z Lite fot over a decade now. Cascade Designs are the people behing Thermarest, the biggest name i self inflating mattresses, so they know a thing or two about sleeping. It may look like an egg box but it's a hi-tec egg box that traps the airin the dimples and uses amore durable base foam and softer upper foam to give a sleep that's generally comparable with a self-inflating mattress - but you can't burst it!. The downside is, of course its bulk and shape. At well over 6 feet long and articulated like an accordian it takes up a lot of pack space, but there are solutions and it's worth it to know you'll get a good night sleep. One solution is to cut it in half, giving 2 mats each just long enough to cover from hips to shoulders and each extremely light. The other option is simply to carry them outside your pack; with nothing to burst, hole or damage enough to have an impact on its use it's perfectly safe on the outside, even uncovered as rain just bounces off.

Thermarest Z Lite