CHOOSING A HIKING SLEEPING BAG

 

“GREAT THINGS ARE EXPERIENCED WHEN MEN, MOUNTAINS, AND A WILDERNESS MEET”.

UNKNOWN

CHOOSING A HIKING
SLEEPING BAG

Choosing the right sleeping bag is a crucial part of hiking. And it very much depends on the circumstances you want to use it in. In most situations, a three-season bag will do the job. These are designed for use in spring, summer, and autumn. For hiking at altitude or in winter, then you may need a four-season bag.

   The most expensive, lightweight, and compact bag use high quality down. Synthetic fillings give cheaper but heavier and more bulkier bags.

   If you want to save weight when hiking, choose a three-season down bag. These are not cheap, so it’s best to get one that’s suitable for a wide temperature range. A comfort temperature rating of -5 degree Celsius should mean the bag is warm enough for most days in the Drakensberg Wilderness. In summer you will have to open the zips to remain comfy, while on colder nights simply slip into your base layers before getting into the bag.

   Your sleeping bag needs to keep you warm and comfortable, but still be light enough to carry any distance.

   Down is so efficient you don’t need much of it to keep you warm, so a down bag will be compact and low in weight, meaning you can stow it easily in a backpack.

Weight
It’s also worth noting that box construction methods produce a lighter bag than other, more elaborate designs; but other methods hold the down in place better for a more even distribution of insulation.

Fill weight
The better the down, in terms of fill power, the less of it you will need to stay warm – so a lower fill weight is required if the best down is used. By comparing the fill weight of bags with identical fill power, you can judge how warm they will be. But construction methods will also affect warmth, particularly over a period of time.

Lining material
Fast-wicking, breathable fabrics are needed to keep you dry inside a sleeping bag, but they must also prevent the down from escaping. Lower priced bags use poly-cotton, but this can feel clammy over time as it is relatively slow-drying.

Fill power
This gives a gauge of how efficient the filling is at trapping air (and therefore keeping you warm.) The higher the number, the better – and a fill power of 750 is the best generally available. However, different test methods can be used to determine fill power, so a 750 fill power down-tested in Europe may rate as 800 or 900 when tested in the US, for exactly the same product.

Temperature ratings
These are only useful as a guide: how warm you feel inside a sleeping bag depends not just on the bag itself but also on your gender, metabolic rate, food intake, exertion levels, and environmental conditions such as wind and humidity. Ratings also assume a sleeping mat is used. A season rating may be provided, such as three seasons, on cheaper bags. Better bags come with a comfort rating and an extreme (low) temperature rating.

Shoulder baffle
Sleeping bags work by trapping air next to the body, and a shoulder or neck baffle helps to keep that warm air inside the bag.

 

Side zip
Side zips that extend the whole length of the bag are provided so you can get into your bag easily and have a degree of temperature control. Two-way zips are often used so that you can open them at the bottom to allow your feet to cool down. Half-length side zips make a bag lighter and less expensive, but this may render the bag too hot to use in mild weather. The side zip should always have a substantial baffle to prevent draughts and cold spots, while an anti-snag design is essential to prevent the zip from jamming when operated.

Filling
Eider duck down is the best, but it’s also the most expensive, because it has to be hand-picked from the nests as eider ducks are a protected species. Goose down is almost as good, while duck down is a cheaper alternative. The amount of feathers that are mixed with the down affects performance, because feathers don’t provide as much insulation as down. The quality of down is therefore given in terms of how much down and feathers it contains. The best possible down is 96/4 percent, but the feathers have to be removed by hand to achieve this ratio. So usually a 90/10 mixture is used on the best bags, with 70/30 being common on lower-priced bags. Quite simply, the better the down, the more expensive, but also the more effective it will be – so you’ll need less to stay warm.

Shell material
The shell has to be breathable to allow condensation out, and yet the holes must be small enough to keep the down trapped inside. Ideally it should also be water-resistant, as down is a poor insulator when wet, so the latest bags use a highly water-resistant shell to combat the damp environment of a tent in winter.

Size

The measurements are taken across the largest ‘footprint’ made by the bag, with a measurement at the shoulders as well as from the head to toe.

Construction

The long-term performance of a sleeping bag is dictated by the construction method used. Basically, the better the construction method, the less opportunity there is for the down to ‘migrate’ and leave cold spots. A system of fabric baffles inside the bag is designed to trap the down where it is most needed, and the best bags use a number of construction methods to optimize long-term performance.

We as hikers, explorers, and
adventurers have the absolute duty to respect and protect our Wildernesses.
Nobody else will do it for us. Take ownership!

The End.

Safe Hiking.

References and Acknowledgements

From the book – The Ultimate Hiking Skills Manual –

                              A Hinkes / C Bagshaw

Photos – Willem Pelser

Compiled by Willem Pelser

Storms in the Drakensberg Wilderness

  

"WE HIKE THE WILDERNESS, SO THAT WE FILL THE SOUL, MILE AFTER ENDLESS MILE, WITH THE GOODNESS OF NATURE.”

UNKNOWN

Storms in the Drakensberg Wilderness

The magnificence and tremendous impact of a storm in the Drakensberg has to be seen to be believed.  First come the black clouds, enmeshed with billowing soft puff-balls of gleaming white. It grows ominously darker and the clouds are heavy as lead. There is a distant growl of thunder. And suddenly the storm is upon you. The cloud is split by a fiery javelin of white-hot light, a sharp crack which merges instantly with the mighty roll of thunder, and you know the dreaded thunderbolt has struck not far from you. And then they come, one after another, hammer-blows, and you stand appalled at the fury of the storm. Sometimes so rapid are the discharges that the whole sky and the boiling clouds seem to throb and glow with fire. Cataracts of flame pour down on the earth, glowing like molten iron, and the roar of the storm is an unending, deafening cacophony of sound.

   No wonder the ancients thought they were witnessing the anger and black hatred of their gods. Modern science, of course, has explained much of the wonder of the storm, especially the mechanics of lightning, but still there is much that we do not know, much that is still unpredictable.

   We know that as the thundercloud builds up it becomes a huge dynamo, generating millions of volts of electricity. Then a separation of electrical charges takes place, the positive charge streaming to the top of the cloud and the negative to the bottom.

   Then, by a complicated interaction of electrical forces, the negative charge at the bottom of the cloud induces a positive charge on the earth below it. As the cloud passes slowly over the countryside, it draws the positive charge below on the ground after it, and the two drift together, down-wind.

   It is, of course, a well-known fact that if a positive charge is brought into contact with a negative charge, electrons flow from one to the other. But the two charges do not necessarily have to touch. If they are brought close enough together, the electrons will jump the gap, causing a spark. The spark is nothing more than air intensely super-heated to 30 000 degrees Celsius in a split second. No wonder you hear a crack (the air expanding with the heat) when you touch the two terminals of your car battery together. And no wonder you hear a mighty roar of thunder, and see a spear of light, when the lower terminal of the cloud and earth come close enough together.

   One consequence of all this is that lightning, contrary to popular believe, does not strike down. Actually, three things happen almost simultaneously. First there is certainly a downward discharge of electricity, about one million volts in barely one hundredth of a second. But then there is a surge of high voltage electricity flashing back up the original path, again in a minute fraction of a second. It is the second, upward flash that does the killing. Lastly, there is a sustained and longer charge between the cloud and the earth, lasting for about one-tenth of a second. It is this charge that burns or melts the object struck. The total voltage, in a single flash of lightning, can reach 100 million volts. Of course, all this can also take place between one cloud and another, if they are differently charged. High-speed photography has proved all this.

   Heat is the main killer. When a tree is struck by lightning it looks as if the bark has been split open. That is exactly what has happened. The intense heat, passing through the core of the tree, causes the sap to expand explosively, and to burst open the enclosing bark. The electric current runs through the roots and trunk and out through the branches and leaves, raising the temperature in the flash of a second to millions of degrees centigrade.

   Lightning is completely unpredictable. There are certain general rules, but the main rule appears to be that these are continually broken! For instance, climbers are told to avoid high points during a storm, on the theory that lightning will always strike the highest point. But often, sitting on a hillside during a storm, you will see lightning striking down in the valleys below. Even so, it is a wise precaution to choose low, flat ground (not a slope) as a place to sit out a storm.

   What other precautions can one take? First of all, on no account shelter under an isolated tree. Clumps of trees, or forests, are safer, but it is better to even avoid these. Also, keep away from wire fences, posts, horses, and cattle. If you are mounted, dismount and move away from your horse. Drop anything metal you are carrying, and don’t, whatever you do, run for shelter. Running seems to produce a magnetic field which can attract lightning.

    Deep caves are safe, but avoid shallow caves and overhangs, and also cracks and chimneys, especially if water is flowing down them.

   The safest place in a storm is a car or a building. There is some evidence that in a dry storm the bodywork of a car can be damaged by lightning, but there is no known case where a person sitting in a car has been killed or even injured.

   If you have no car or house in which to shelter, the best course is to sit down on some insulating material, such as a sleeping bag, draw your knees up, put your arms around them, and sit the storm out. It is a good idea to drape something like a cape around you. Don’t lie down and down stand up. Above all, don’t panic. Remember that, statistically speaking, it is extremely unlikely that you will be hit.

   Actually, although African huts in the Drakensberg are often struck by lightning with fatal results (thatched huts are potentially very dangerous, South Africa holds a world record in this respect. Some years ago a hut in which 64 Africans were holding a party was struck by lightning, and 61 were killed instantly.), very few climbers and hikers have been struck.

   Two incidents are worth mentioning. Years ago 2 climbers were standing in the middle of a group of horses. Lightning struck and killed the 2 climbers and a horse. Years later, at Injasuthi, a park Ranger, his girlfriend and a dog was standing in one of the most exposed positions one could imagine – the highest point on a bleak, remote and rock-scarred plateau, next to some Protea trees -  watching an approaching storm coming from Monks Cowl. Then came a freak thunderbolt – one blinding flash of light – and left all 3 dead.

   Don’t take a chance, respect the mountains and her weather patterns, and always play it safe.

The End.

 

Safe Hiking.

References and Acknowledgements

From the book: Dragon’s Wrath – J Byrom/RO Pearce

Photos:  ©Willem Pelser

Compiled by:  Willem Pelser

Mzimkhulu Wilderness - Drakensberg Hiking

  

 

 

 

 

SOMETIMES, YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, AND SOMETIMES, IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, YOU FIND YOURSELF. THAT IS THE DRAKENSBERG WILDERNESS.”

UNKNOWN 

Mzimkhulu Wilderness - Drakensberg 

This 28 340 ha wilderness in the southern Berg extends from Sani Pass in the North to Griqualand East in the south. It is characterized by spectacular sandstone formations, grasslands and numerous streams and rivers and those seeking to escape from the more popular areas further north will find Mzimkhulu a haven of tranquility. Although the area lacks a well-defined contour path, it is traversed by an extensive network of footpaths.

The main approaches are from Cobham Reserve in the north, Garden Castle Reserve in the center and the Bushman’s Neck border post in the south.

The Cobham access point is reached by turning right onto the D7 along the Underberg/Himeville road just outside Himeville. The Reserve is reached about 14 km further along this road. The route to Garden Castle access point and the Drakensberg Gardens Hotel is well signposted from Underberg.

From Underberg, the Bushman’s Neck border post is reached by following the Swartberg road for about 5 km before turning right onto the Bushman’s Nek road. After 25 km you will turn right, reaching the Bushman’s Neck Hotel some 8 km further. The border post is situated a short way beyond the hotel.

After stretching south-east for some 250 km, the escarpment swings sharply south-west at Sani Pass. Although the area lacks the prominent free-standing peaks of the Central and Northern Berg areas, several unusual buttresses and sandstone rock formations create impressive scenery.

Access to the greatest concentration of footpaths is from Cobham Reserve – a convenient base for exploring areas such as Hodgson's Peaks, the Pholela River and Siphongweni Shelter and Rock.

Siphongweni Shelter is situated about 8 km from Cobham and is reached by following the course of the Pholela River upstream for about 7 km before turning left. You will reach the shelter about 1 km further along this path. About two to three hours are required to reach the shelter which has been described as one of the best in the Drakensberg, taking into account the number of paintings, their good state of preservation and the interesting themes depicted. The reason for this is twofold: due to its remoteness the shelter was one of the last to be used by the San and for the same reason escaped the attention of vandals.

The shelter is perhaps best known for the scene depicting men spearing fish from small canoes. This painting is to the left of the cave and was much sharper in 1907. The black pigment used by the San is, unfortunately, not as long-lasting as other pigments. This factor combined with exfoliation has resulted in the gradual fading and even disappearance of some of the paintings.

Routes and features to be explored from Garden Castle Reserve include The Monk, the Hidden Valley and the Mashai Pass and Rhino Peak.

About 15 km south of Hodgson’s Peaks is one of the most conspicuous peaks in the southern Drakensberg, the 3 051 m Rhino Peak, which juts out approximately 2 km from the escarpment. It is reached by following the well-defined Mashai Pass from Garden Castle Reserve along the Mlambonja River Valley. About 2 km along this path you will reach Pillar Cave, which is often used as a base camp for excursions to the escarpment.

Over the next 3,5 km you will gain some 500 m in altitude, followed by another 400 m over the final 1,5 km. Once the escarpment is reached the path swings eastwards and about 2 km further on is Rhino Peak, which is easily ascended. From Garden Castle Reserve to Rhino Peak you will gain some 1 200 m in altitude and, depending on your physical condition, about 6 hours are required for the ascent. The total distance is about 18 km and can be completed in a day, provided you make an early start.

South of Garden Castle the footpaths are restricted to a number of foot passes leading to the escarpment.

We as hikers, explorers, and adventurers have the absolute duty to respect and protect our Wildernesses.
Nobody else will do it for us. Take ownership!

The End.

Safe Hiking.

References and Acknowledgements

From the book: Hiking Trails of Southern Africa,   Willie & Sandra Olivier.

Photos:  ©Willem Pelser

Compiled by:  Willem Pelser

Drakensberg Hiking Food – What I Take on Multi-Day Backpacking Trips

“I'm a little wounded, but I am not slain; I will lay me down to bleed a while. Then I'll rise and fight again"

UNKNOWN

 

Drakensberg Hiking Food 

 What I Take on Multi-Day Backpacking Trips  

 

Hiking in the Drakensberg is physically demanding and requires careful planning, especially when it comes to food. Over many years of hiking in this mountain range I have developed a simple and reliable system for choosing lightweight food that provides enough energy for long days on the trail.

This article explains exactly what food I take with me on both day hikes and multi-day backpacking trips in the Drakensberg.

I am not one of those people who can give strict advice on what and how to eat on a hike. My eating habits are quite different from most people. Breakfast is an absolute no-no for me, and the same goes for lunch. Dinner time is my time for replenishment, and I am quite satisfied with it that way.

However, hiking in the Drakensberg uses a tremendous amount of energy, and some of it needs to be replaced during the day. I am just fortunate that I can get away with less than the average person.

When I first started hiking in the Drakensberg, I did not have any particular food in mind, except for one important factor — weight. The weight of food is definitely one of the biggest considerations when packing for a hike.

Day Hike Food

On my day walks I normally take the following as sustenance:

• Deep-fried chicken wings (no longer used)
• One apple or peach
• Salti-Crax biscuits (no longer used)
• A few small chocolate bars
• One packet of Fritos crisps
• Energy drink (now replaced with Oros powdered drink)
• Oros powdered drink
• One or two cereal energy bars (emergency food)
• Viennas (no longer used)
• Leftover meat from the previous night's braai (no longer used)
• Some sweet cookies, just in case

In my backpack I always carry an emergency supply of food, separately packed and sealed, for at least two days. This is in case I get lost, injured, or trapped in bad weather. This supply is more substantial and is strictly reserved for emergencies.

Food selection is an evolving process as one gains experience. Over the years I have settled on a selection that works well for me, and I usually take exactly the same food on every hike because I enjoy it and it meets my energy requirements.

Personal Preference

Hikers carry a wide variety of food. At the end of the day it comes down to personal taste and energy needs. It is however important to remember that every gram must be carried by the hiker.

I am not interested in scientific analysis of which foods are best. What matters to me is food that:

• tastes good
• provides energy
• is lightweight

After a long day of hiking you want to enjoy what you are eating.

Taking salt and spices on overnight hikes is a very good idea. They can transform a boring meal into something quite enjoyable. A hot meal at the end of the day is also a serious morale booster and helps the body during cold nights in the wilderness by assisting with heat generation and muscle recovery.

I also use a fair amount of salt. Apart from improving flavour, it helps prevent cramps caused by heavy exertion during the day.

Multi-Day Hiking Food

On multi-day hikes I take exactly the same food for each day. Over the years I have come to trust the selection I use and I am satisfied with its energy value.

Food weight can have a major impact on a hiker during long trips. Carrying an overloaded backpack for days can quickly turn a pleasant trip into misery. Food in tins is therefore a bad idea because the tin itself adds unnecessary weight.

Today there is an enormous variety of foods and packaging available. Doing a bit of research and experimenting with different foods is worthwhile, but in general it is best to stick to what you know and enjoy eating.

My multi-day hiking food (up to 8 days):

• Coffee or tea — at least 3 cups per day (mostly tea bags because they are lighter)
• Sugar — Canderel tablets for significant weight saving
• Powdered milk
• Cereal energy bars
• Oros powdered drink — one packet per day
• Raisins
• Dried fruit
• Chocolate
• Fritos chips
• 2-minute noodles
• Vacuum-packed shredded flavoured tuna
• Cup-a-soup — about 3 packets for seven days
• Small packets of salt — about 4 per day
• Small packets of barbeque or chili sauce
• Packet of sweets to suck on — 1 packet for seven days
• Pack of cookies
• 2–3 extra packets of instant soup
• 2–3 days of emergency food sealed and stored at the bottom of the backpack

I divide and pack the food into separate plastic bags for each day of the trip.

Raisins are bought in bulk and divided into daily portions. Snack-pack dried fruit works well for the same reason. Raisins and dried fruit are excellent high-energy foods.

I do not like butter or margarine and therefore never take them with me.

The shredded tuna comes vacuum-sealed in foil packets and can last for years unopened. Tuna works extremely well as a protein source at the end of the day and helps the body recover overnight.

Chocolate is simply happy food. When you are exhausted halfway through the day, chocolate can be a wonderful pick-me-up.

My Daily Eating Routine on the Trail

I am very set in my ways and my daily routine usually looks like this:

• Before starting the hike: one cup of coffee
• Around 10:00: packet of Fritos, half a packet of raisins, and a packet of dried fruit
• Chocolate whenever I feel like it (often I do not eat it at all)
• Around 14:00: the rest of the raisins
• Oros mixed with one liter of water early in the morning to last the day
• End of the hiking day: a cup of coffee
• Supper: 2-minute noodles with tuna, salted and sometimes with a packet of cup-a-soup added
• After supper: one cup of coffee and sometimes a cookie or two
• Sweets are sucked on during the day to provide a bit of sugar and prevent a dry mouth

Another important factor for me is simplicity. I like to prepare food quickly with as little fuss as possible. This also keeps cleaning to a minimum.

Because I do not use butter, margarine, or cooking oil, my body burns a fair amount of stored body fat during the hike — something I am certainly not complaining about! The foods I do eat already contain sufficient fat for my needs.

 

Energy and Food Weight

With this system I have never experienced a lack of energy or hunger on long hikes. Interestingly, the more active I am during the day, the less I tend to eat.

However, everyone is different and most people will require more food than I do.

My food supply for a 7–8 day hike weighs about 4 kg, which I still consider quite heavy. Changing from sugar to Canderel tablets and using tea instead of coffee helps reduce the weight significantly.

Research suggests that many hikers require 1–1.5 kg of food per person per day. Compared with that, my food weight is relatively low. The only thing preventing me from doing hikes longer than eight days is the weight of the food required.

Cooking Equipment

For cooking I use a 500 g butane/propane mixed gas cartridge, which usually lasts for about five or six week-long hiking trips.

It is small, lightweight, and reliable at altitude.

My cooking equipment is minimal:

• One fire bucket for coffee and soup
• One half of a Dixie set for my main meal
• One tablespoon for preparing and eating food

Knives and forks are unnecessary weight. I do carry a Swiss pocket knife for emergencies, which would be sufficient if needed.

Cleaning in the Wilderness

For washing dishes I carry:

• One dishcloth
• A very small bottle of dish washing liquid

The dishcloth also doubles as a facecloth and towel — multi-purpose equipment is essential in hiking.

It is extremely important not to wash dishes in streams or rivers. These environments are sensitive and pristine. Soap can seriously pollute them.

Instead, I boil water in the Dixie and wash dishes well away from water sources, rinsing them with water from a bottle. 

Leave No Trace

I carry a spare plastic bag in my backpack for empty packets and all other waste.

Whatever I carry into the wilderness, I carry out again.

Burying waste in the wilderness is not acceptable. Besides, empty packaging weighs almost nothing compared to when it was full.

We do not want plastic and human waste scattered across the wilderness.

 

The Curious Case of the Heavy Backpack

One would think that as food is eaten, the backpack would become lighter each day.

Unfortunately, that is not how it feels!

For some mysterious reason the backpack seems to become heavier every day. By about 13:00 it often feels as if someone is secretly adding stones to the pack for every kilometer walked.

The Drakensberg is unforgiving terrain. Flat walking is rare, which is why it is so important not to overload your backpack.

 

Emergency Food

Finally, never use your emergency food supply — not even on the last day of the hike.

You must carry it back home with you.

Emergencies happen quickly. Injuries occur, and the Drakensberg is famous for rapid and dramatic weather changes that can leave hikers stranded for days.

Emergency food can save your life.

 

We as hikers, explorers, and adventurers have the absolute duty to respect and protect our Wildernesses. Nobody else will do it for us. Take ownership!

 

The End

Safe Hiking.

References and Acknowledgements

Photos:   Willem Pelser

Source:   Willem Pelser