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This is my 5-day Bob Graham Round-inspired walk and wild camping winter gear list. I’ve also included a run-down of how the gear performed.

             Winter Gear List               
   
CATEGORYITEMWEIGHT
RucksackGranite Gear Blaze 60L                (inc. 81g Lid)1578g
 Pack liner waterproof – Sea to Summit – small80g
 Shoulder strap pocket – Gossamer Gear hipbelt pocket34g
   
ShelterLightwave S10 Sigma Tent978g
 Pegs – x12 various sizes including bag and spares 171g
 Cloth – for tent condensation5g
 Bag for above – Sea to Summit 13L drybag                  28g
   
Sleep system &        Sleeping mat – Thermarest Neoair Xtherm (winglock)                424g
emergency clothingPump sack for sleeping mat – Thermarest55g
Pillow – Exped UL47g
 Sleeping Bag – PHD Ice Camp Expedition -25C comfort limit1208g
 Baselayer – Icebreaker hooded one-piece 200gsm merino wool 418g
 Socks – M&S Ankle High merino                   28g
 Socks – PHD Wafer K series          54g
 Jacket – PHD Yukon K series 370g
 Bag for above – Dyneema 12g
   
Cook bagStove – Vargo Titanium Triad multifuel stove 30g
 Vargo Windbreak and alloy base43g
 Pot + Lid – Evernew 600ml92g
 Mug – Titanium 400ml62g
 Knife – Deejo Naked pocket knife15g
 Spoon – Esbit titanium long handle18g
 Gas Lighter 21g
 Bag for above – Sea to Summit small 15g
   
Outside pack &Sitmat – Thermarest Z-Seat  57g
in pocketsCompass –  Silva34g
 Head torch – Petzl 88g
 Head torch – Spare – Petzl e+lite27g
 Rubbish bag – Sea to Summit small15g
 Water bottle – 2L Evernew                                   40g
 Wine bottle – PlatyPreserve24g
 Waterfilter – MSR Guardian Water Purifier Pump      640g
 Bag for above – MSR66g
 Phone/Camera/GPS/Mapping Ulefone Armor waterproof phone               361g
 First Aid Kit bag + Mirror217g
 Repair & Spares Kit bag88g
 Wash Kit bag- inc. Towel and Soap Leaves 74g
 Drybags for above  
 Face masks x 2 in bag (Covid-19) 8g
 Maps – Harvey Bob Graham Round map 31g
 
 Snow/sun glasses               (inc. 22g case)62g
 
   
Toilet bagkitchen roll and Antibacterial wet wipes      (for the day+)56g
 Toilet trowel – The Duece 2    16g
 Dry bag for above – Dyneema 1L 12g
   
ClothingSocks – Darn Tough Light Hiker            75g
often in mySocks – EDZ Liner merino64g
rucksackBaselayer – Inov-8 at/c merino short sleeve t-shirt112g
 Midlayer – Icebreaker Descender merino vest252g
 Outerlayer – Paramo Torres Alturo jacket – synthetic insulation668g
 Gloves – EDZ grip merino wool touch screen41g
 Gloves – PHD Tiaga fleece slit mitts58g
 Gloves – Extremities synthetic insulation mitts 89g
 Gloves – Extremities Tuff Bags waterproof mitts71g
 Head Band                   22g
 Balaclava – Outdoor Research52g
 Stuff sack for above – Dyneema13g
 Dry bag for above – Sea to Summit 13L 28g
 Crampons – Nortec Alp micro spike – including 66g bag564g
  Ice Axe – Petzl Ride 250g
                                                                                  Base Weight – TOTAL = 10061g
   
   
Gear worn orBoots – Inov-8 Roclite Pro G 400 GTX         (including Inov-8 insoles)830g
carried in handsSocks – EDZ merino wool boot socks          99g
 Gaiters – Rab222g
 Underwear – EDZ merino boxers 90g
 Baselayer – EDZ zip collar long sleeve 200g 100% merino top254g
 Midlayer – Paramo Bentu fleece jacket                                                 417g
 Outerlayer – Paramo Bentu windproof jacket                                              433g
 Trousers – Paramo Cascade 11                             481g
 Neck tube – EDZ – 100% merino           51g
 Hat – EDZ Beanie merino44g
 Gloves – Rohan convertible mitts69g
 Walking Poles – Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Z – 120cm – pair  460g
 Watch – Lorus64g
 Wallet – Cash, credit/debit cards, ID.     In plastic bag100g
  Gloves – PHD Kappa synthetic mitts 
                                                                                                                Total =3614g
   
 Consumables  
 (5 days)Water – 1 Litre = 1kg1000g
 Dehydrated/freeze dried meals – Breakfasts and Dinners2900g
 Snacks and Lunch2500g
 Fuel – Methylated spirit 500ml bottle 452g + smaller refill bottle 240g692g
 Batteries for Head Torch – spare – 3 x AAA Energiser37g
 Loo Roll/kitchen roll50g
 Antibacterial wet wipes   124g
   
                                                                                                                Total =7303g
   
                                                                                               Base weight +10061g
                                                                                               Consumables 7303g
                                                                              Rucksack total weight =17364g
   
 Winter means more hours in the tent because of the longer nights 
 so I am taking more fuel, food and coffees than I would in the summer. 
Wild camping winter gear list

Food

I needed to save weight on food on this trip, as I needed to carry at least 5 days of food from the start. Due to Covid restrictions (and my route), I wouldn’t be able to resupply during the walk.

I took dehydrated meals for all breakfasts and dinners, with another 5 dehydrated meals for lunches if I was able to stop. If not, they would boost my dinner rations once I’d camped. I carried extra calories on this trip because I burn more keeping warm in the winter, in the form of a number of dehydrated puddings.

Snacks were a large proportion of my food weight because when I’m walking high level in the winter, it’s not always possible to stop and heat water for a dehydrated meal for lunch. So I eat snacks to keep me going to the camp spot, and then cook out of the wind in the tent.

Stopping things freezing was my biggest problem during the walk. My boots and even the wet wipes were frozen solid by morning. I also had to keep water bottles in my jacket while walking to stop them freezing. But the most distressing problem was frozen chocolate bars. I am now an expert on which bars to take hiking in the winter: feel free to contact me for my definitive list!

Thoughts on gear taken

I’m not a particularly light weight hiker. I would rather carry more than I need to ensure I am safe and a bit more comfortable. Saying that, this winter gear list was perfect for the walk. I had extremely cold temperatures and everything I took was used and worked well. At no point was I overly cold or uncomfortable. 

Tent

The Lightwave S10 Sigma Tent was great and handled the condensation as well as any tent could in the conditions. It stood up well in the wind and snow too. I was very pleased with it.

Boots

The biggest gear surprise was my Inov-8 Roclite Pro G 400 GTX boots. They were amazing in the winter conditions, with very impressive grip and extremely comfortable. I did wear two pairs of socks, though, to keep my feet warm. So do size up if you intend to wear these boots in winter.  

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Winter walking essentials

Walking poles and crampons were essential in this weather, they really helped with traction and balance on the frozen ground. I also needed the snow/sun glasses to protect my eyes in the spindrift. I didn’t use my ice axe, but like my first aid kit, I would always carry it in winter just in case. No winter gear list would be complete without these items. 

Sleeping bag

I took a -25C PHD sleeping bag that is designed for colder conditions, but I’m a cold sleeper. The long nights meant I would be in it for a long time too, so I wanted to be comfortable. I also knew it would get damp after a number of nights out, meaning it would lose some of its insulation qualities. This proved to be the case and if I’d been out for too many more nights, the sleeping bag may well have not kept me warm enough. 

Gloves

5 pairs of gloves may seem excessive but this was perfect for me, as I suffer with cold hands. I often kept two pairs warming in my fleece pockets, and regularly swapped them with the ones I was wearing to keep my hands warm and dry.

Clothing

I used 7 items of EDZ clothing on this trip and they were as good as always. I find their clothing to be excellent value for money. Due to the extra low temperatures, I did add the Inov-8 at/c merino short sleeve t-shirt as a baselayer under the EDZ zip neck top. These two baselayers work exceptionally well together.

They also seemed to work really well with the Paramo fleece and windproof jackets. Adding the Paramo Torres Alturo jacket to keep me warm when I stopped worked well; occasionally I even hiked in it when it was extremely cold. I think I’ve finally found the perfect combination of clothing. It was nice not to feel wet from sweat on every climb and then subsequently freeze on the tops and descents. I’ve written a separate post reviewing all the Paramo clothes here.

Rucksack

The Granite Gear Blaze 60 rucksack is a very well-designed pack. I found it very comfortable, even with the high weight that I set off with. It’s a very user-friendly pack with all the pockets you could ever need and all well placed.

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Further reading

Inov-8 Roclite G 345 GTX V2 boots review

Inov-8 Roclite Pro G 400 GTX V2 boots review

My 5-day high level, wild-camping circuit of the Lake District – in the snow 

Granite Gear Blaze 60L rucksack review

Paramo clothing review

My 1100 mile Dover to Cape Wrath walk full gear review

11 wild-camping rules

The Bob Graham Round Map is recommended. It’s very informative, with extra notes on the route.

Harvey’s Bob Graham Round Map

Wildwalkinguk is a blog run in my spare time, and I pay for its running costs myself. I have some Amazon affiliate links and adverts on the site. If you click on these adverts or links and buy what you need (it doesn’t have to be the item we’ve linked to), the company will pay a small commission to me. This money goes towards the costs of hosting the blog. I would be extremely grateful if you could consider using our links when you next need to buy something from my advertisers. Alternatively, you can buy me a coffee here. Thank you so much for your support. Mark.

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