Cape wrath trail - fast and light in 8 days

[Kaarebjert]

coming just of a 2 days walk of the Skye trail i caught the bus to fort williams and took the last ferry across - starting my hike on friday around 17 - i walked just alone the tarmac first part (10km) and a few more along the river on the gravel road - before finding a nice spot to put up my tent - have a well deserved bath in the river and a lazy evening - i didnt really plan on going particulary fast - but i carry light - around 4-5kg base weight and 3 kg of food to start off with - and the weather turned out to be amazing - just 5 min of rain in the 8 days it took me to reach cape wrath. i wont go into all the details with day to day reports or things like this - just give my considerations on how to walk the trail in the "easiest" or fastest way - i had only one resupply in kinlochewe - i slept mainly out in the terrain (just once in a bothy in soulies) but otherwise aimed at getting started 6.30-7 each morning and ending around 19-20 most days - walking around 50km per day. a few advices - trekking poles - makes it a lot easier on especially the grassy uphills and technical boggy areas, shoes - wear trail runners with small gaiters, - i used harweys maps - but looking back viewranger with the route downloaded - would have been fine - and the cicerone guide on my phones kindle app - bring sunscreen - i managed to get burned a bit - so ended up having to wear long trousers and shirt in 30ish degrees weather. - but otherwise - the trail is really great and interesting challenge with its unmarked nature - make sure you know how to navigate and most of all read the logical lines of the terrain - bringing as little at possible and using trekking poles will make you sink down a lot less and move easilier through the boggy areas - and make sure you enjoy - coming from denmark i dont have this kind of wild open nature - so i feel right at home anytime i go to scotland - hoping to come back next year - maybe doing the cape wrath trail again

[Kaarebjert]

And please ask questions if you have any?

[Alteknacker]

What is included in your base weight? It seems very little.

My sac, sleeping bag and mattress weigh 4.4 Kg - so no emergency or cooking gear...

[Kaarebjert]

All is included in my baseweight besides food and water - I have a 500gram tent and 500 gram sleeping bag- 270gram mattress... Backpack weighs 550 gram - waterproofs around 350grams - spare clothes around 800grams - electronics 700grams - cooking around 100grams - water purification and storage around 200grams - and then all the rest small stuff around 500grams including first aid and so on - the gears comfortable usage is down to around minus 5 -

[nick70]

All is included in my baseweight besides food and water - I have a 500gram tent and 500 gram sleeping bag- 270gram mattress... Backpack weighs 550 gram - waterproofs around 350grams - spare clothes around 800grams - electronics 700grams - cooking around 100grams - water purification and storage around 200grams - and then all the rest small stuff around 500grams including first aid and so on - the gears comfortable usage is down to around minus 5 -

Hi Kaarebjert. I would be very interested in hearing what gear you used. That all seems incredibly light.

[Kaarebjert]

I use a nordisk Lofoten tent - gossamer gear kumo 36 backpack - thermarest xterm 2/3 mattress - an astucas sestrals ponche quilt (sleeping bag) Berghaus hyper 100 WP jacket - inov-8 WP pants - brs stove and Keith 400ml titanium bottle - water purification is a katadyn befree 3l - spare clothes is mainly wool - socks and underwear... Fiber jacket -

[Lewton]

Hi Kaarebjert. I hope you can still answer here. I am considering buying the Nordisk Lofoten ULW 2 for my trekking adventures. I was in the rainy Lofoten Islands in August/September. Canyou give us some thoughts on this tent for solo camping in wet and windy weather please?
I will also take my usual MacPac Minaret for very reliable basecamp use and use the Nordisk for 2 or 3 day mini-treks from base.
It doesn't get snowy there at those times. Just wet and windy in some places.
I also want to use it for lightweight multiday treks in other places such as France, Sweden, Denmark. Sometimes in warm places I would only use the fly or only the inner tent.
Thanks. ?

[Kaarebjert]

Hi

sorry didnt get any notification on your question so didnt see it before now - for me the lofoten works quite well in rain and wind - depends on how tall you are? above 180 i wouldnt recommend - but because of its small size and good materials it handles wind better than most similar lightweight tents

Kaare

[Lewton]

Thanks Kaare.
I'm considering the Nordisk Telemark 2 now. Do you know it? Although, I'm still very undecided between weight/packed size and heavier, but stronger in wind and rain for a 2-day overnight mountain trek from my basecamp Macpac. Thanks for your reply. ?

[Kaarebjert]

Sure used to have a telemark 2 - its a good tent, i am sure it will do fine for the CWT

[westonfront]

Kaare

Now you've have your Lofoten for a couple of years I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on it's practicality and robustness. I'm looking for something simply for fast and light 1-2 night micro adventures into remote country. Can you manage to get a daypack and boots into the "porch" for example? How is it for condensation? Any other comments on practical issues.

Many thanks, Will (UK)