Going buffalo

Some time ago, years ago, I discovered Buffalo Systems and their pertex pile products- an all in one garment for the great outdoors.

Not waterproof, but shower resistant and breathable, lots of ventilation options, and a warm lining that wicks away sweat and keeps you dry and hicomfy. No more layering needed...

I like my Buffalo shirt, or is it a Special 6? but for most of the year it is too warm for me. It needs to be below 5C to contemplate taking it out. For the rest of the year I have a Teclite shirt - lighter weight and better for warmer days. Even that's pretty warm and has been useful for more vigorous activity in minus temperatures - its great for winter cycling for instance.

Much as I like both though they don't come out the cupboard as often as you'd think. They are not really lightweight by modern standards. In principle you can save on layers,  but to take them on longer trips I'd still want a warm layer for stops and overnighting, and a waterproof layer in case of persistent heavy rain. Whenever I do the sums they don't make the packing  list. 

Today though we were out for a local ramble and it seemed a good chance to get reacquainted.

The weather was sunny but a blowy 5C. Feels like 1C said the app.  Shame I didn't check that before hand. 

Looking at the sunshine I picked the Teclite. Its cosy and comfortable on, but in company the pace was just a wee bit slow to counter the chill from the wind. OK at the beginning, but after an hour and a half I was glad to pull on another layer over lunch, and keep it there for the 45 minutes back to the car. (We had wind and hailstones on that stretch so it was pretty chilly!). 

Conclusion... Still a good practical piece of gear, but if id realised how chilly it was I'd have taken the Buffalo shirt not the Teclite

Pros:

Comfy & easy to wear 

Good storage with kangaroo and full width front pocket 

Good ventilation and regulation - open the sides, adjust or push up the cuffs open the collar and even the pockets. 

It does the job of a base layer, fleece and wind shirt

Limitations 

It doesn't work out lighter than alternatives - they are designed for when you are active so you need a back up for stops.. 

The neck zip is a little short for best ventilation - a sacrifice of having the kangaroo pocket. 

Great for wild trails, but not so stylish for stopping off at civilization on less wild trips. 

But I do like it :) 

Camping in.

Easter, four days off, but no time for camping - but there is time for a little equipment test.  I took the chance to sleep test my Xframe sleeping mat, and with it the silk sheet + APEX quilt.

With the mat direct on a hard floor it took a while to doze off but by morning it was really quite comfy. Sometime in the wee small hours I rearranged things, with a small piece of 5mm pad (30g) over the upper part, and with the pillow pocket on the sheet reversed and popped over the end of the Xframe. That kept everything together and softened the uneven support from the frame tubes. 

So far so good....

Corona: Hike where you can...

Strange times... The Corona Virus outbreak is with us and even if we can avoid being laid low with it (or worse) it is impacting everyone's lives. One of those impacts is travel restrictions and I'm already fairly convinced that hiking GR10 this year is going to be difficult or impossible.

But, I am hopeful that by the summer, restrictions will ease enough to go hiking in Sweden. So I'm making plans for new plans with my current favourite being Bergslagsleden and Orangebandet - the Orange Band - which is basically walking it all in one go.

Overall its a bit over a quarter the length of GR10, and about 15 days of hiking.  The route meanders around the towns though rather than go through them and it doesn't look to be as well supplied with bars, shops and cafés. Victuals en route will mean more attention to logistics and probably carrying more food.

Accommodation is also less pampered. There are some hostels and maybe even hotels but mostly it will be wind shelters and camping.

That in itself doesn't mean too much change on the packing front. The biggest difference is weight if I need to add 2kg+ of extra food I'm really over the comfy weight for my Fastpack 35 and probably struggling on space too.

Of course I have a Haglöfs Matrix 50l pack I could use - for another 900g - or maybe I should make something? 🤔 Now there's a thought.