Regular readers will be aware that I’m planning to hike the Cape Wrath Trail in June this year. I’ve already blogged about my preparations, but my gear list has changed a few times over the last month so, due also to several requests on Twitter, I thought I’d post my final gear list.
I daresay I may make some last-minute adjustments – I’ve just been recommended to buy some waterproof socks, for example, although the consensus is that they aren’t worth it – but I think this is now pretty much final.
I’m new to lightweight backpacking, and if I had done this walk a year ago the list would look very different (and probably about five kilos heavier). Still, I’m holding on to a few luxury items. The big one is probably the second pair of shoes. Trail shoes have been a revelation, but I’m not quite confident enough to embark on a 250-mile journey with a single pair of flimsy-looking shoes that might fall to bits before the end of it. I’m prone to having problems due to wet feet so carrying Goretex shoes is also a psychological crutch, although I intend to do most of the walking in my Inov-8 Roclite 295 shoes.
Overall I have achieved a base weight of 8.7kg, which I’m pretty happy with, and I think this kit will cope with everything the trail can throw at me.
