This was actually filmed a couple of years ago, but I decided to re-edit the old video as I didn't like it. I was using the Zpacks Duplex, which doesn't do well in very windy conditions. It didn't help that I had rubbish pegs and couldn't get them into the ground very well. Apart from getting ill, it was an amazing adventure and I hope to go back some time. There are so many more things to explore on the island. Will be interesting to see how you get on with the X-Dome. I don't think it's one I'll be buying...I think I have enough tents for now. 😂

I really did mate. It's a good job it dropped right next to us, not too high up, landed in a bush and not smash into a rock.

Thanks mate, was a great adventure. We'll nail it next time.

Thank you for your detailed comment! You’ve highlighted some great points about the Rab Ultrasphere 4.5 and Thermarest NeoAir XLite NXT, both of which are excellent sleeping pads. However, I’d like to clarify a few things and share why I consider the Nemo Tensor Extreme to be a strong contender in the ultralight market. Warmth-to-Weight Ratio: While the Rab and Thermarest pads do have impressive warmth-to-weight ratios, the Nemo Tensor Extreme offers an R-value of 8.5 at a weight of 554g (or 624g for the wide version). This translates to a warmth-to-weight ratio of approximately 0.0153 (standard) or 0.0136 (wide), which exceeds both the Rab (0.0116) and Thermarest (0.0119). For those prioritizing insulation in extreme cold conditions, the Nemo Tensor Extreme outshines both. Comfort and Thickness: You’re absolutely right that pad thickness can impact comfort, particularly for side sleepers. The Rab’s 3.5" thickness is indeed appealing, but the Nemo Tensor Extreme also provides excellent comfort with its 3" thickness and horizontal baffles that distribute weight evenly. Packability: The Rab is impressively compact at 18cm x 9cm, but the Nemo Tensor Extreme still packs relatively small considering its significantly higher insulation rating. For those venturing into truly cold environments, the trade-off in pack size for greater warmth might be worthwhile. Noise: Noise is subjective, and while the Thermarest has made strides in reducing crinkling, the Nemo Tensor Extreme is often praised for being exceptionally quiet in use. This is another consideration for light sleepers who may not find the Rab or Thermarest ideal. Price: Price is always a key factor, and the Rab is indeed more budget-friendly. However, for those who need a sleeping pad capable of extreme cold-weather performance, the higher cost of the Nemo Tensor Extreme could be justified. In summary, the Rab Ultrasphere 4.5 and Thermarest NeoAir XLite NXT are excellent choices for 3-season backpacking, but the Nemo Tensor Extreme fills a niche for those requiring higher insulation for extreme conditions. Each pad has its strengths, and the best choice ultimately depends on individual needs and priorities. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

Yeah was a lovely trip Lesley. Shame we couldn't complete the trail. We had planned to summit Mulhacen, but due to the water situation we couldn't do it. We plan to go back later in the year and try again. The camping spot by the river was amazing. So peaceful. It didn't look like it, but the elevation there was actually around 1,400 meters.

@trickofthetrail I went to Trevelez when the kids were younger and it was cool and misty so I thought sod that and returned to Orviga. So seeing your sunny weather was interesting.

@@Chilternwildcamper Ah you've been to Trevelez. It was actually rather cool and overcast when we arrived, but it did improve the following day. I think we go a little lucky with the weather when we were out on the trail.

Yeah, I've come round to thinking it might be a bad water source. I did filter from a river, so wonder if that was the issue. I won't make that mistake again. Hoping to complete it in April. Fingers crossed. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.

I'm pretty sure there isn't. If there is, it certainly wouldn't be me. 😂

Totally agree. Makes it good fun too. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.

Hey. No sorry I'm not sure. I'll have to ask my mate Twiggy who put it here. I know he mentioned that he might need to replace it, but I'd be surprised if he removed it. Hope you enjoyed the camp though. It's a lovely little spot. Sorry you couldn't find the book.

Thanks so much Mick, glad you enjoyed the video. Yeah it was filmed back in the summer, which is why it was a little busier. I've only just got around to editing it.

Hey David. Yeah was great to meet you mate. It became a running joke about being called a "famous KZbinr" for the rest of the trip. I think I was starting to really piss Paul off with that one. 🤣 Maybe we'll bump into you guys on another wild camp. Thanks for watching a dropping a comment mate.

People who complain about crowds totally oblivious that they’re part of the problem 🤔

I’d like to clarify a few things. This was filmed in the summer, so naturally, the sun rose early and set late. On night one, as shown in the video, we pitched just before sunset and had everything packed up early the next morning, before anyone else appeared on Red Screes. We spent a bit of time planning our route after packing up, but by the time we left the mountain, it was still early. The same can be said for the second camp. In fact, we were the last to pitch our tents in that area. All the tents on Helvellyn were already set up well before ours, and we pitched not long before the sun started to set. I’d also like to point out that we were far from the path to avoid disturbing anyone. On the final evening, we did pitch a little earlier than usual because bad weather was expected, and we wanted to set up before the rain arrived. While the weather ultimately turned out fine, we made sure to camp well off the path and didn’t see a single person while we were there. Regarding my comment about the number of tents on Helvellyn, this was intended as an observation rather than a complaint. I’m glad to see people enjoying the countryside as long as they do so responsibly and leave no trace. My KZbin channel is very small, with a modest number of views, but if my content inspires people to enjoy the wilderness, I’m happy with that. We always camp responsibly, leaving no trace and minimising any disruption to fellow hikers and wild campers. Yes, greater awareness can lead to busier trails, but this is no different from someone running a website promoting hiking routes.

@trickofthetrail oh I see, so going by "your rules" on wild camping on private land in the Lakes, I can pitch my tent whenever I want if it's going to rain? I find that extraordinary coming from someone who was desperate to get their ultralight tent out in "extreme" conditions (previous video), but in this scenario you were concerned about a bit of rain! Fell walkers, who often come across tents during the day, simply put a waterproof jacket on when it rains. The Lakeland District is not one huge campsite. The landowners, and the people who care for the landscape, set these guidelines for a reason. If the vast amount of "influencers" continue ignoring these guidelines then there will be an outright ban on wild camping. Every year now it's getting worse, with a huge amount of tents dotted about around the summits and tarns throughout the year, many of which are pitched during the day. So far, at the time of writing this, your video has received over 700 views. So that's 700 people you have influenced to pitch at anytime of the day. Think about that for a minute. Oh, and just to "clarify", you said in the video you "hate people" when referring to the people camping on the summit of Helvellyn.

​@@richardjennings2708 Just to clarify, Richard, we pitched up one hour before sunset, and that decision was made because I was on a multi-day hike with my friend, who was continuing on to complete another week of hiking. With the weather closing in, we didn’t want to risk Paul’s gear or clothing getting soaked, especially with heavy rain forecast the next day, which did arrive as predicted. Normally, we would pitch right at sunset, but in this instance, it was simply about 45 minutes earlier-not the middle of the day. Additionally, we were well off the path, and there were no hikers around at the time. I also want to address the claim that I’m influencing 700 people. While I appreciate that some people enjoy my content, I’m a small creator with a modest audience, and I always emphasize responsible wild camping practices, including leaving no trace and minimizing impact on others. Regarding the comment in my video about 'not liking people,' this was said in a lighthearted, joking manner, as was clear from the context. I immediately followed it up with, 'and people don’t like us,' to emphasize the playful tone. It’s unfortunate if this was misunderstood, but it was by no means meant seriously or maliciously. Finally, I take exception to the implication that we were acting outside the guidelines. We follow all the principles outlined in the following article: www.lakelandroutes.uk/a-wild-camping-guide/. Regarding the 'extreme' conditions video, that was an entirely different situation. It focused on testing my tent in extreme weather conditions, something I was fully prepared for, and it has no bearing on this video or the decisions made during it. I respect your passion for protecting the Lake District, and I hope this explanation clears up any misunderstanding about our approach or intentions.

@trickofthetrail you didn't pitch one hour before sunset, you actually state the time in the video. Just accept that you got it wrong this time. Why is that not possible for you? We all make mistakes, "After all, the more responsible you are the more you’ll be respected as a true wild camper."

Thanks Lesley. Yeah, it warmed me up a bit making this video. I needed it after the last one. 🤣

Thanks mate, we had some nice little pitches there. Yeah I can imagine how different things were back in the day. I feel lucky to be doing it with all this lightweight gear. As always, thanks so much for watching and commenting mate.

@@trickofthetrail A pleasure. Yeah, we can allow ourselves to be inspired by the pioneers. All the best for 2025.

Oh wow, what a lovely comment. Thank you so much, I'm flattered that you are enjoying them so much. Makes all the editing worthwhile. So unfortunately I no longer have the Atom Pack and Bonfus, but yes, it would have made a great video. In a nutshell they are both fantastic packs. The Mo was a little more feature rich, with the bottom pocket and I preferred the layout of the top clips with the male and female option so you can clip at the top, as well as down the sides. I also preferred the mesh on the front pocket. However I think the Framus carries slightly better and I also like the taped seams. Both are fantastic packs, but if I would recommend one, it would be the Bonfus Framus, mainly for its carrying capacity and lighter weight. I hope that helps a little. Thanks so much again for your wonderful comment and I hope you continue enjoying my content.

Thanks mate, was great fun. I wasn't sure if I was going to ever complete the video, but I'd have been disappointed in myself had I not.

It's my daughter's fault. All this American influence. 😂 I'll pass your comments onto Paul about his under garments. I'm sure that will impress him. 🤣 Thanks so much for watching and commenting mate.

It is a great tent. I don't use it much these days, I must take it for a run out. Thanks s much for watching and commenting.

Best comment I've ever had. 🤣 Wish I was a suave as Mr Bond.

@@trickofthetrail lol

Hey Tim. Sorry I'm not sure what you mean. At which point was there snow inside the tent, apart from the bit near the end where I'm packing up?

@@trickofthetrail Ok sorry after re watching, I could see you are right but your ground sheet dose look lumpy 5:45. sorry for jumping to conclusion's. I was always told to scrap to bear ground as that's warmer then laying on snow.

Well thank you good sir.

@@iqra9620 To test how it performs in such conditions. I do mention that in the video. Whilst it's not the most comfortable tent for those conditions, I certainly wouldn't say it is useless. It withstood the winds and snow load, where the Unna failed. Going forward it wouldn't be my first choice for such conditions, but at least I now know what it's capable of. I hope you enjoyed the video. Thanks for dropping a comment.

@@trickofthetrail I did enjoyed the video and hat off for your bravery.

Not literally useless in the conditions, unless you really believe that the same night in the same place with _no tent_ but with all equipment otherwise identical would have been no less comfortable (which I don't).

Ha ha, yeah, good spot. Not many people get the reference. 🤷🏻

I instantly knew it! 👊🏻👍🏻

Bumfluff tent. 🤣 Bonfus always have a backlog of orders, so they never have any in stock. However you can get it from Garage Grown Gear. They have the 2p outer and inner in stock. Glad you enjoyed the video good sir. 👍🏻

Imagine how I felt editing it mate. I felt cold for hours. 😂

Yeah condensation was terrible that night. I should have opened the vent, but I was scared to touch it in the morning, just in-case the tent collapsed. 😂

Thanks so much mate. I thought I'd see if a shorter version worked better than the longer one. It has done better but it's not night and day. Thanks so much for watching it again. 👍

Not snowshoes, my boots and micro spikes were just fine for those conditions and my feet were nice and warm, also no issues with grip. However yes, I need some better gloves. I did have two pairs with me, but they were both wet through. The ones I was complaining about on the way back are supposed to be waterproof, but clearly they aren't. Can you recommend some good waterproof ones? I prefer to layer my gloves, so something that isn't too thick is preferable. Thanks so much for watching mate. I hope you enjoyed it.

@@trickofthetrail I use Gore Tex glove shells with several pairs of liners of various thicknesses. GTX mitten shells work great with these liners as well. Gore Tex gear needs to be washed every spring and re-treated with spray-on REVIVEX DWR. and dried in a dryer to "set" the DWR. I don't like the results with NIKWAX treatments.

Ah, interesting to hear the Notch Li would do well in those conditions. I've been looking at it for quite a while now. It's certainly been on my wishlist, but I always had a question mark about its storm worthiness. Would you recommend it?

@@trickofthetrail I'd recommend it for THREE SEASON use and handling an unexpected wind/snow storm. I like my "fortified" Tarptemt Moment DW for solo winter camping.

​@trickofthetrail I sold Notch Li for Stratospire. Notch didn't do well in rain with a lot of splashback, particularly with 25 inch wide pad. Stratospire and Bonfus are solid

Thanks mate. Glad you enjoyed it. Was a total blast to make and put together.

@trickofthetrail 🙂👍

Thanks so much Dave, glad you enjoyed it mate. Shame some others don't feel the same way. Thanks for wading in on the comments, I appreciate the support. I was amazed at how well the tent coped with the conditions. I mean, it was obviously stupidly noisy and wouldn't be my first choice to take out in such windy conditions. However it's great to know that it can handle a proper battering. I'll be interested to see how you get on with the Liteway. That looks like a really well thought out tent. I should be getting the solid inner for the Bonfus to test later this week, so looking forward to trying that out. Yeah the other tent was an Unna. I think it struggled with the snow load and the wind hitting the rear panels. My four season tent is the Stone Glacier Skyscraper, which is basically a re-badged Slingfin Crossbow. I'll be out in that on Friday, in some potentially fairly windy conditions. Should be a tad more comfortable that the Bonfus I hope. 😬

The wind exists in the states if you setup in exposed areas. In the states most routes have treeline camping areas that allow you to use a lighter tent.

It really was Gary. It is one we will remember forever that's for sure. I was surprised the Unna struggled in those conditions. Like you say, I guess they aren't built for it. 🤷🏻 Thanks so much for watching and commenting.

Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it. Was a fun one to film and put together.

Thanks so much Chris. Was an epic one for sure and something we'll remember. Hard work, but we loved every minute. Glad you enjoyed the video mate. Thanks for dropping a comment. 👍🏻

Yeah I did actually have my four season tent with me, just in-case the Middus didn't hold up. Although I was fairly confident it would be okay, being a pyramid design, they are known to handle the wind and snow load well. Having said that I wouldn't purposely take it out in those conditions again. The reason for doing so (as I mentioned in the video) was to test it out and see how it handled the conditions. At least I now know what it's capable of now.

Pyramid style tents are known to handle wind and snow load well. Having said that I wouldn't purposely take it out in those conditions again. The reason for doing so (as I mentioned in the video) was to test it out and see how it handled the conditions. At least I now know what it's capable of now. I did actually also have my four season tent with me, just in-case it failed. The Duplex wouldn't have stood a chance. I got caught using it during a storm in Croatia and it just got absolutely flattened.

Yeah, brutal is the keyword for sure mate. 😂

Thanks Lesley. Out of interest, did you prefer it to the longer version? I thought I would do a little bit of an experiment to see what sort of content works better. I felt like the other video might have been a little too long.

Oh and no, I haven't watched Bushman and Blues new video yet. It's on my watch list though.

​@trickofthetrail I've got a long attention span so like both! 😂

There wasn't a risk of having to get out the emergency services Jane. We knew the area well, expected these conditions and were fully prepared. It was a challenging situation but at no time were we in danger. In fact we were only 2.5 miles from the car and knew the snow was melting later in the morning. As you can see we were finding it hard going but were having a great time. There are risks with doing anything adventurous in life. If for one minute we thought we were in any danger then we wouldn't have done it. I even had my four season tent with me, just in case my lightweight one failed. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the video.

@ hmmmm, if only we all could pre predict mountain conditions. Rule of mountaineers don’t put yourself there if avoidable. Sorry don’t buy it - and this could encourage people who are not experienced to give it a go. A completely unsuitable tent just to see if it stood the test. Really!

@@janepaterson-todd693 I appreciate your concern, and I fully understand why you might feel that way. However, I want to reassure you that we were well-prepared and didn’t take this trip lightly. While mountain conditions always carry an element of unpredictability, we closely monitored the forecast, knew the area exceptionally well, and had contingency plans in place. For instance, I brought my four-season tent as a backup and was ready to use it if needed. Testing my lightweight tent was part of the challenge, but it was a calculated decision. Pyramid-style tents, like the one I used, are known for their ability to handle high winds and snow loads when pitched correctly. While it wouldn’t be my first choice for a camp in these conditions, it was a good opportunity to test it whilst having a backup in place. I also want to note that the snow was due to melt the following morning, and we were only 2.5 miles from the car. At no point did we feel out of our depth, nor were we ever close to requiring emergency services. That said, I do believe we should give the audience credit for being able to distinguish between a well-prepared, carefully planned trip like this and something that’s reckless or dangerous. I always emphasize in my content the importance of experience, proper gear, and responsible decision-making when heading into the outdoors. I share my videos to inspire and entertain-not to encourage anyone to go beyond their limits unprepared. I hope this gives you more context and a bit more confidence in how seriously we approached this trip.

@@trickofthetrail it didn’t come across in the video. Who knew you had a 4 season stacked away for starters and lots more that didn’t show how to navigate these conditions. Let’s just leave it there. I am rather tired of seeing videos when people have a choice and put KZbin first.

​@@janepaterson-todd693Then don't watch videos you're tired of watching 🙄

Ha ha. It actually handled the conditions amazingly well. I'm not sure the X-Mid would have fared so well. However yeah, it's not meant for these conditions really. As you say, far too noisy and it's not something I'll be replicating with this tent. It's nice to know it can withstand these conditions though.

@@trickofthetrail Yeah haha if you do a thru hike then its a good one and quite safe to use. With the solid inner later one should be pretty cosy.

I have both tents.Pyramid is much more windproof than x mid.

Ah good tip mate. I really need to get better gloves for these sorts of conditions. I'll check those sorts of gloves out.

That's an interesting idea I suffer with cold hands in the wet especially thanks for the idea

@@twiggyescapes Cheers dude. Thought I'd give it a try. I'm a bit disappointed in the number of views on the first one. Yours is absolutely flying though. Great work.

Oh plop! Clicked on it cos I thought it were a new one!😅

@JackKlumpass Ah sorry mate, just trying a little experiment. I might not keep this one up. I'm just seeing which one performs better.