Am I a heavyweight fool?

Lightweight or even Ultralight Outdoor Gear.

Am I foolish, traditional or a fantasist?

Foolish because most of my outdoor gear errs on the heavy side? Am I traditional because I want rugged gear, three layer Gore Tex waterproof jackets, leather boots, backpacks with lots of buckles and clips? Or a fantasist because I buy rugged gear so it will last me a season mountaineering in the alps or at the very least a couple of years of walking and scrambling every weekend in Snowdonia or the Lake District National Park?

The reality is, I go walking a few times each month, mostly local, mostly on the South Downs. Now rugged they me be in their own hilly way, it's not quite as demanding as a mountain. I get to the mountains a few times each year, and as for the Alps - perhaps once every two years and likely that is for skiing.

My kit consists of a Berghaus three layer Gare Tex jacket, Han Wag Lima Gore full grain leather walking boots, Vaude Triset 35+8 daypack, Craghopper Kiwi Cargo walking trousers, Source Widepack 3 litre and various other items of outdoor paraphernalia, almost forgot to mention my nod towards lightweight items, Berghaus Paclite over trousers and my new walking boots - see previous blogs. Pretty much all of this is available in a pared down version. I can get a Gore Tex PacLite jacket, a Vaude Triset Ultralight daypack, lightweight walking boots - if I was really going for it, I could get carbon fibre trekking poles.

As I age gracefully on the hills (37 is graceful), I feel my knees aching and I see 70 year olds striding off into the distance, I want to be like them. I need to start getting serious about lightweight gear, just to allow to keep aging gracefully on the hills and not end up retiring to walking around the Lake District Villages and Lakes. It is time to embrace the lightweight way.

The lightweight way has becoming much much stronger over the last ten years or so, quality gear, not too bad prices and even an element of style (though some would argue if this is needed on the hills - traditionalists?). A moment I feel started by Ray Jardin and his company Go Lite. So, more lightweight outdoor gear is a must, Walk and Travel are stocking more and more each season. I'll keep those knees in shape and not load them too much.

What am I then? Fool, Traditionalist or Fantasist? A little bit of all I think. Time to move on. Embrace the new lightweight outdoor gear culture.

Addendum: This post was written about 11 years ago. The Hanwag leather boots are still there - but not the Limas, they passed away. The three layer waterproof still happens, but lighter three layer Event, in the form of a Rab Drillium. Trousers are now a lightweight The North Face pair, from their outlet in Gunwharf Quays, rucksack is a lightweight Vau De number. So no, at the ripe old age of late 40's, I'm embracing the lightweight way. My knees don't creak (due to physio intervention a few years ago, taking up running and, well, basically doing glute activation exercises).