Walking HADRIAN'S WALL from North Sea to Irish Sea

ICEBREAKER Merino Wool 200 Bodyfit Base Layer
Simply put, this shirt is not comfortable enough to go with me. Its a great shirt, but it is a 'bodyfit' cut, which means it is a very tight fitting shirt. I just don't like that tight fit. I want something that fits me, but doesn't act like a girdle to hug me into shape. Its the nicest, most expensive Merino Wool that I own, and it will be left behind.

Point 6 Wool 'Light Hiking' Socks
Its a good sock, but not as good as either the Cabela's InGenius (wool/synthetic blend) or the Darn Tough (all wool) Light Hiking socks.

SOTA MUKA white gas stove
This is a GREAT stove, it really is a shame it won't make this trip, but its a little too big, a little too heavy, a little too much, especially for a trip when the uses will be fairly minimal as breakfasts and dinners will typically be eaten in English Pubs and lunches and snacks will be the only use for the stove. So this, being the biggest, is eliminated. I'm leaning heavily toward the stupid-simple ESBIT solid fuel stove. Its tiny and light and will boil water. Nothing more, just boil water. But that may be all I need to make a couple cups of coffee a day, maybe some oatmeal for a snack, etc. I have NOT yet ruled out the alcohol stove, nor have I ruled out the SNOW PEAK iso-butane stove. The alcohol stoves are simply liquid fuel versions of the ESBIT, they heat water. The SNOW PEAK is tiny, even with a couple fuel canisters its still pretty light and small. It is also more flexible for cooking so its not been cut, at least not yet.

KEEN hiking shoes
Not sure which model these are, but they are not going with me. They weigh more than my new Zamberlan 230 Crosser boots, and they provide less support than the Zamberlan boots too. Plus, the KEENs are also less comfortable, less stable and offer less feel for varying ground conditions. Unless I wear out the Zamberlans, or unless something better comes along that I try (and I am NOT looking) then the obvious choice for me to wear will be the Zamberlan 230 Crosser hiking boots. Simply the best light weight hiking boot I have ever encountered.

KOPPEN baselayer polyester hiking shirts
These are very comfortable shirts, I actually like them a lot and wear them all the time. But they get a funky stink about them, even if you just wear them around the house doing light activities that might raise up a bit of sweat. Any sweat that gets into the material transforms into a nasty funk. No thank you, I don't need 8 days of smelling myself all funky. So these inexpensive, comfortable, sun-blocking, moisture wicking shirts will stay at home. I wish they had anti-microbial anti-funk additives blended into the fabric like some other polyester shirts incorporate. But they don't. So they stay at home.

​

I'm about 99% sold on the Sawyer Mini based on the backpacking forum reviews/recommendations. Its seems dead simple and reliable. Its is TINY and lightweight. I have not purchased anything regarding water filtration/purification yet.​

I need to play around with the 3 smaller stoves some more to really be sure what I will be using. Each of the 3 smallest stoves should fit my needs. To refresh your memories without going back to them.

1) ESBIT solid fuel folding stove. Stows easily, boils water, no heat adjustment. Light. Stable, cheap fuel easily found in UK.
2) ALCOHOL stove. Stows easily, boils water, no heat adjustment. Light. Liquid alcohol. Found in hardware stores in UK.
3) SNOW PEAK Giga Power Iso-Butane stove. Smallest stove, heat is adjustable, simmer to boil, but fuel canisters are a bit larger. Fuel is supposed to be available in the UK.​

One of the members of our group will be unavailable in early June when we had originally planned the trip, so the trip may be delayed until mid-July. That changes the temperature range fairly substantially for the average low/high temps for the day. The daily "high" only changes by about 5 degrees, so not a big issue there, but the daily "low" changes by about 10 degrees. Planning a trip for temps that will likely drop to the low 40's every morning requires some different clothes than a trip that will likely only drop into the low 50's every morning. Might be testing out some short sleeve merino wool base layer shirts?​

I did purchase a new lightly insulated jacket from Arc'teryx to wear, but there is no plan of taking that on the trip itself. Its more for local hikes during moderate winter weather/late spring weather hikes locally. $220 for what amounts to be a glorified layering jacket that can be used as a stand alone spring jacket???

I see Arc'teryx brand advertised a lot but I don't see it often. I really began to wonder if Arc'teryx is actually used by people who wander off into the woods or is it a fashion accessory? I ask because it seems to be favored by folks in the wealthy suburbs of Chicago and somehow I don't see the manicured and pampered folk out on overnight hikes.

Looks to be well made, in fact it looks to be made better than anything I've ever seen and some reviews of the products are beyond glowing, the Aphix jacket looks like what I want. Testing it a bit will give me the answers. I'm hoping its worth the money.

As I get more use out of it I'll post up some photos and impressions. So far, it seems to be what I wanted. But its very unlikely this will to to the UK with me.

I didn't buy it for the Hadrian's Wall hike, I bought it because I need some sort of middle layer of insulation. I had a older leather jacket that I bought and found out was inadequate in virtually every way! Hated it. Finally tore the liner and decided that it would be better off at Goodwill. Paid a lot for that jacket, it was made by RFT (Rainforest Trading) and it was one of the lowest value purchases I ever made. Never going to buy that brand again. Can't recommend it to anyone either, well maybe if you have a brother-in-law you despise then it might make a good gift?
​

For all day comfort these are great socks, hiking or not. I find that hiking socks tend to be somewhat binding on my feet, especially so after I had foot surgery several years ago. While good hiking socks are fine on my feet while I am active, once I sit for a spell, they tend to feel tight. The Cabela's In-Genius hiking socks are one rare exception that are comfortable while active AND while loungingg.
​

I'm really liking this light weight jacket. It can be worn as a light jacket over a base layer, as a lightweight shell over a couple layers, or in the frigid temps we are experiencing as a mid-layer under a shell or parka. I've been using this jacket for a lot of things, as various layers. Be it just wearing it when running out, to wearing it under heavier coats when plowing snow, etc. I didn't expect to wear the hood often but that gets used a lot more than I would have ever guessed.

Excellent piece of kit that I think I will find more uses for than I could have imagined.

But it looks weird on me. Its bright lime green with bright blue zippers and dark blue stretch panels. Not something you'd normally see on an old grey haired/grey bearded man's body as he shuffles along the roadside muttering to himself. uh, well, you get the picture....​

WOW, these are the BEST light hiking boots that I've ever worn. Period. In fact better than any mid-weight hiking boots too. They are light, flexible, offer support, have great ground feel but have enough mid-sole shock absorption to prevent foot punishment. I love these things. They are NOT a winter boot, NON-insulated. They are a 3 season light hiker and they are a-freakin-mazing! There is no better light/medium hiking boot on the planet.

The possible downside is they saved weight by making the sole a bit thinner, lugs a bit shorter, and that may end up meaning that they won't last as long as a heavier soled/thicker lug boot. I'm totally OK with that. I'd rather give up a little bit in long term life to get the supreme road feel, confidence in footing, and support that these provide. I can buy another pair someday. Many light hikers cut down their height to save weight or skimp elsewhere. This boot doesn't skimp anywhere and it feels great too. I don't see any real signs of the sole wearing prematurely, but its one point that may be a concern for some folks? Me, if they ever announce that they plan to discontinue this boot, I'll probably buy 5 pairs and have a lifetime supply in my closet.​

Mountain Hardware "Gravitor Insulated Shell" Jacket:

Picked this up cheap from "Steep & Cheap" on their website. $169.00 is what I paid, retail price is $365.00. It appears to be a 2013 season close out. Reviews around Al Gore's interwebs suggest it is a good shell style jacket. Tech specs show that it is lightly insulated. So while it looks like a 'parka' style coat, it is only has a modest 80gram Micro Therm insulation layer. That makes it suitable as a cold weather shell over a heavy mid-layer (like the Arc'teryx jacket I recently purchased) or alone in milder cool weather.

GEAR UPDATE: Arc'teryx Mid-Layer Jacket:

Here are some of the promised photos and while I've only had this jacket for about 10 days its an awesome jacket. Arc'teryx is one of the more expensive brands on the market. Light jackets start about $200, fleece starts about the same price. Heavy jackets and shells can exceed $600. Their backpacks are nearly double the prices of many other more known brands. But now that I own one piece, I'm more able to understand why they charge so much.

The details of this jacket are incredible. The workmanship/quality control is simply top notch, as you should expect from a $220 lightweight jacket.

Overview of jacket: You can see the stretch panels under the lower part of the arms up to the armpits and about 1/2 way down the sides. These panels vent extra heat when you are working hard, they also hold the jacket snug (but not tight) so it doesn't move around on your body (again this is a mid-layer). There is also a very soft material on the inside of the collar, a nice touch.



Inside breast zipper pocket. Notice the reinforced stitching around it? All the stitching is very straight very tightly stitched. I would have preferred a larger zipper pull or a cloth attachment (as they have on the exterior pockets).



Drawstring at the bottom on of the jacket. You'll also notice that there is a smooth lining on the inside of the jacket body, but a more sturdy rip-stop band along the base of the jacket. The drawstring is held in place by a loop so it doesn't flop around, it also has a very ergonomic design to allow for easy adjustment with gloves.



View of the stretch venting material from the inside of the jacket:



Detail view of the stretch venting material from the outside of the jacket. Notice the extra material cuts/panels to shape under the arm to prevent bunching when wearing this as part of a layering system.



Detail of the insulated pockets. They are cut high enough to allow them to ride above the hip belt of a backpack. The added cloth pulls make it easier to use these when wearing gloves.

​

Been wearing the new shell today, its very nice, exactly what I hoped for and as long as the quality is good, it should serve me well.

The "Gravitor" is a technical layering shell with 80 grams of insulation, which makes it a 'lightly insulated' shell jacket. Great for weather that would be cooler than perhaps 40-45 degrees (F) down to maybe freezing if worn on its own. But as its a shell, it is designed to be worn as part of a layering system. Its roughly 2 degrees (F) today and I wore the Arc'teryx mid-layer jacket under this shell today while doing some light work outside. Combination was fantastic.

As a test, I also wore it out an about my property WITHOUT a mid-layer jacket in this weather. Not a good thing. The insulation is simply not thick enough for sub-freezing temps, and in the lower single digits I would not want to rely on this alone. I got cold just walking the 150' from my house to my workshop. By the time I got back into the house I was cold to my core! Amazing the difference between wearing this alone and wearing it with a mid-layer jacket!

The "Dry-Q Elite" fabric is a breathable, but totally waterproof jacket so it will keep me dry in a rainstorm, as well as if I wear it for X-country skiing and get coated in snow. Its supposed to allow body heat to stay in, but perspriation moisture to evaporate out. Honestly don't know (yet) if that system works. Again, this is NOT going to England for the hike, but it should work well to allow me to get out and hike around here while I prepare for the Hadrian's Wall walk.

Some details, overview of the shell, looks like a thin parka:


Hood is a bit bulkier than I would like, its designed to allow a climbing helmet to be worn, something I won't need. But it chinches up in the back with a corded locking drawstring:



There are also 2 corded locking drawstrings on the front of the hood, so overall the hood is a great design, one that can be snugged down pretty well. Its also lightly insulated, like the coat. The material around the neck and the inside edge of the hood are NOT soft/fuzzy material for comfort, something I consider to be a real comfort benefit, but given the discount price I paid, I'm not going to complain too much.



The bottom of the coat is cut longer in the rear and shorter in the front, which I hope you can tell from this photo. It should allow some forward bending, while still protecting the lower back from rain/snow/wind and cold:



Detail of the sleeve, which has a velcro style closure. Also the claims made by for the DryQ Elite fabric material:



Inside pockets. Chest pocket secures with a zipper. The zipper pull is smaller than it should be and would benefit from either being larger or having a cloth strap. Lower pocket is a large open top pocket for trail maps or other light things that need to be carrried.



All the exterior pockets feature a waterproof barrier and feature corded pull extentions so they are easy to operate with gloves. The main zipper is additional protected on the INSIDE with a wind-blocking flap and on the OUTSIDE with a storm blocking flap that is additionally weather proofed with a half dozen strips of velcro to hold it down and keep snow, rain and wind from penetrating the waterproofed zipper.



Corded locking drawstrings around the waiste (in 2 locations) to snug up the coat bottom to keep out snow/wiind, but there is no powder baffle. Not sure a powder baffle would be a real benefit as this is only a lightly insulated shell.

​