Berghaus Bergens

[caorach]

I got a "last years" Terra Nova Laser Competition" 2-man tent (two little men tent, or two very good friends tent!

I will be interested to see how you get on with it as it is very similar to the Power Lizard in design. The Banshee will give a tighter pitch on rough ground than the single pole of the Power Lizard but the truth is I only camp if the forecast is good so I'm not too worried about a super tight pitch to deal with high winds.

You will be surprised just how small you can pack your gear - after I got the Power Lizard and as an experiment I managed to get all of my "basic" overnight gear into a bag that claims to be 35l, that was tent, mat, bag, cooking kit. Also I can't cope with down and so have to use a rather bulky synthetic sleeping bag so that adds to bulk and weight a bit. On the positive side I do all my camping in the Hebrides and so can drink from the lochs and burns so I don't need to carry water and that is a big saving.

 

[welshwarrior]

Honestly, with all this micro gear the YE's these days must be a soft lot.

What ever happened to good old fashioned canvas sacks and Vango orange canvas tents? You take the poles, I'll take the outer and you can take the groundsheet..... etc. Now where's the primus gone....

(I could be getting old and curmudgeonly!)

that was real DofE orange canvas Vango force 10 a trangia to cook on with a bottle of meths those where days God I'm glad kit has got better.

 

[Druid]

I used a berghaus Vulcan for a few years back in the late 80s 90s before being issued plce Bergan which as you say comes up short with out webbing. Unless you can find a long back sized version.

i found the Vulcan to be about as comfy as could be expected from such a piece of kit, carried all my kit, radio batteries, extra ammo, food etc for many miles. It was dragged around thrown in and out of vehicles with very little wear or damage.

i can't comment about how it compares to new kit but I found them to be excellent. Kids have used it for cub camp and it resides in a corner in case I ever feel the need to drag myself around carrying my kit.

 

[mickeyluv]

Ditto all the comments about the Vulcan, I was after one but a Lowe alpine salient came up so I had that instead, really strong and comfy with an adjustable back system, I used it for a long time but it weighs 3 kg and as my knees are about knackered I now use a Lowe alpine zeptos which weighs less than 1 kg and I got cheap (£40) from the rab factory shop, add this to a power lizard tent and a cheap down bag ( also from the ran shop) I've saved over 6 kg from my old set up.

 

[dom8328]

I've also used the Cyclops rock and crusader, still got a nearly brand new 1 in the garage for life after green. Love them and bomb proof, but as already stated, you can get a long back plce for much cheaper.

Dom

 

[Feugh]

After a careful look at what is on the market at the moment, especially the Osprey sacks, I got myself a Berghaus Cyclops in the correct size late last week from e-bay. I must admit, I just didn't really like the Osprey sacks, especially the lid arrangements and the strap configuration to hold down the lid. They felt comfortable enough in the shop, but it's hard to tell when the sack is not fully loaded.
The Karrimor sacks these days can be purchased online for much less than the other sacks, all of them except the Sabre (which has the "Ray Mears Effect" going for it) are really cheap, but I have been warned off of them because of their perceived build quality. So, Cyclops it was.
I took it out for a couple of hours yesterday loaded down with about 35lb of gear and it was very comfortable, much better than my old Lowe sack. Is it better than an up-to-date Osprey? I'll never know, this thing should do me for years and years and it was £70 well spent.

 

[hybridfiat]

I don't know if this will help or not, I've just taken delivery of a Black Wolf 'McKinley' Bergen. It is light and very comfortable and with 30kgs in it as Ive done a couple of trial walks through the hills here for about 11kms or so. I'm talking steep hills and 38 degree heat.
It's in prep for some long hikes in PNG on medical mission in the Fly River province.
The waist support is very substantial, better than most that I tried and certainly the best in it's price range. The shoulder supports are quickly adjusted and comprehensive.
It opens at the top front and base. 76L capacity.
I'm very happy with it.

 

[Vipa]

berghaus still make good kit aso you shouldn't go wrong with your choice.... but... for others reading this and looking at choices, I thought it would be helpful to clarify the Karrimor situation..

The Sabre line of packs do not have the 'ray mears' effect... he just happens to sell them on his website... The Karrimor SF range actually have nothing to do with the main Karrimor brand which is technically no longer in existence. After the company broke up and went into receivership, the brand name was bought by Sports Direct and the production was moved to China... looking at the bargain basement prices they charge for the kit now, I suspect that it is all built to a price and not a specification..

Anyhoo... Karrimor SF gear (Sabre range included) is expensive because it is current military issue along with other marques.. it has a reputation for being some of the most durable and comfortable kit in existence and is pretty much bomb proof.. there is a weight penalty to be paid for that durability but if you want the toughest, most efficient and well thought out gear available... Karrimor SF is probably at the top of the tree..

A couple of snippets from the history of Karrimor...

[h=4]Karrimor SF[/h]Around 1995, Karrimor conceived, along with outside party Deric Gollop, a "special forces" range, Karrimor SF, which was launched as a separate company around 1998. It targeted police and military equipment needs. Being outside the Karrimor International group, the company was unaffected by Karrimor's later 2004 breakup and remains commercially active as of 2013 with its own products and production.

Post-receivership and Sports Direct

The Karrimor brand remains and is licensed and used for marketing and product branding purposes. Sports Direct continue to sell Karrimor branded products, which are as of 2013 largely made in China rather than the UK

 

[Feugh]

Thanks Vipa, that's interesting. I knew about the Sports Direct takeover but didn't know about the difference between Karrimor and Karrimor SF. That will explain why the SF range is still better regarded.
I struggled to find a Sabre to try on in any of the outdoors shops that I looked at up here (Tisos, Blacks, Nevis Sport, Ellis Brigham) and didn't want to lay down >£200 without trying it on first.

 

[Vipa]

Thanks Vipa, that's interesting. I knew about the Sports Direct takeover but didn't know about the difference between Karrimor and Karrimor SF. That will explain why the SF range is still better regarded.
I struggled to find a Sabre to try on in any of the outdoors shops that I looked at up here (Tisos, Blacks, Nevis Sport, Ellis Brigham) and didn't want to lay down >£200 without trying it on first.

Unfortunately the sabre range, as it is military oriented, tends to mainly be carried by military outfitters so you will struggle to find them in mainstream outlets.

It's a real shame when companies like Sports Direct take a well regarded brand name and instantly take away any of it's value... Many years ago when I was doing a lot of outdoor stuff and on a mountain recue team for a short time, Karrimor was seen as state of the art and as good as it got! 30 years later and the brand is now seen as being cheap rubbish!! very sad!

 

[N.F.W.M]

The best large rucksack (90L|) Ive had is made by a company called Pod. I'm sure if they are still around now their manufacturing process will have changed a bit..... The sacs used to be hand made by the owner in a shed in his garden (or so I was told at point of purchase) Ive had mine for 27 years, its been round the world twice and had some serious use in the Alps and Himalayas.... And still it lives. Its heavy but I guess thats due to the materials used in 1980.
My favourite smaller sac is a Karrimor Sabre SF, hard wearing without too many useless straps. Reminds me of the Karriomor Hot Rock from way back.

 

[Wyre Forester]

sadly POD is no more - they finished production of the iconic climbing rucksacs about 15 years ago, they started up again with the old POD designers and the original Pete O'Donnell about 5 years years ago. sadly however the effort rather petered out - the bags they produced were very good with the same design/build philosophy, and they were sold is the high-end climbing shops, but i get the impression that they didn't sell enough for the company that put the money up for the second try.

i've got the black ice (?), i bought it in about 1995 and its still going strong...

theres a company based near Kendal, Cumbria called Aguille who make incredibly strong, really well made rucksacks and they willl happily do special orders - they are probably the heirs to the POD ethos. they aren't cheap, but they are no more expensive than a new Berghaus Vulcan.

 

[anser]

Carried a Berghaus Crusader for 21 years and it was fantastic - actually went through 4, Navy dropped one in the ocean when they cut free an underslung load and the medics burnt one because I had had lice. It never let me down, was comfortable and very durable. Cannot recommend it highly enough

 

[Wyre Forester]

Carried a Berghaus Crusader for 21 years and it was fantastic - actually went through 4, Navy dropped one in the ocean when they cut free an underslung load and the medics burnt one because I had had lice. It never let me down, was comfortable and very durable. Cannot recommend it highly enough

similar here with a Cyclops Roc - its still my backpacking rucksack of choice, even though mine must be 25-30 years old. i did a five day walk with it last week, from Llandovery to Devils Bridge, it carried everything i needed for a winter trip in comfort - it didn't matter whether i was wearing a buffalo special 6 or just a t-shirt, it was just completely comfortable and rock solid in staying where i wanted it.

brilliant, brilliant bags...

 

[Feugh]

I will be interested to see how you get on with it as it is very similar to the Power Lizard in design. The Banshee will give a tighter pitch on rough ground than the single pole of the Power Lizard but the truth is I only camp if the forecast is good so I'm not too worried about a super tight pitch to deal with high winds.

You will be surprised just how small you can pack your gear - after I got the Power Lizard and as an experiment I managed to get all of my "basic" overnight gear into a bag that claims to be 35l, that was tent, mat, bag, cooking kit. Also I can't cope with down and so have to use a rather bulky synthetic sleeping bag so that adds to bulk and weight a bit. On the positive side I do all my camping in the Hebrides and so can drink from the lochs and burns so I don't need to carry water and that is a big saving.

A quick update to an old thread. I used my Berghaus sack for a three day trip last weekend and was very happy with it. I carried more than I really needed, principally because this was the first multi-day trip that I've done for a few years and I'm a bit out of practise. I must have taken about 4lb of food back home with me! However, with a lightweight tent and lightweight sleeping bag the weight was still not bad. The sack was balanced and distributed the weight nicely. Once again, thanks for all of the advice, I'm glad I got the Berghaus.
The tent was just fine, no problems at all with that. I can't imagine sharing it with another sweaty bloke, it's rather too small for that. Once I had learned how to put the thing up properly it popped up really quickly, with no faffing around attaching an inner to an outer. It wasn't very windy so I can't comment on it's performance in wind but it did hose down with rain overnight with no issues. It does suffer a bit from condensation on a damp night with no wind, but I reckon most tents would in those conditions. I used it with the extra footprint under the groundsheet and would feel nervous about camping anywhere other than a grassy field without the footprint.

 

[nicowilson]

Honestly, with all this micro gear the YE's these days must be a soft lot.

What ever happened to good old fashioned canvas sacks and Vango orange canvas tents? You take the poles, I'll take the outer and you can take the groundsheet..... etc. Now where's the primus gone....

(I could be getting old and curmudgeonly!)

I remember cooking on a Trangia.

 

[caorach]

It does suffer a bit from condensation on a damp night with no wind, but I reckon most tents would in those conditions. I used it with the extra footprint under the groundsheet and would feel nervous about camping anywhere other than a grassy field without the footprint.

Good news that you had a successful trip, it's great when a plan comes together

I think all tents get condensation - all the makers claim to have reduced it in "next years model" but the truth is you pitch up on a wet bog, with mist rising off the loch, and then climb in wearing wet gear and heat the inside up and then it rains all night and you have to keep breathing or else you die. There is simply no way not to get condensation unless you get aircon installed.

Instead of an expensive footprint I use a very lightweight blue plastic tarp type thing it even has holes with grommets etc. so if it is very windy I can put a peg or two into it while pitching. It isn't exactly the same size as the tent floorplan but covers almost all of it, and all the high wear area. The advantage is that it can serve multiple purposes and I will sit on it when cooking or could even suspend it as a rain shelter, though I've never actually done that. It looks something like this and I think the bloke who gave it to me got it in B&Q or similar for about a quid:

Tarpaulin Sheet, Waterproof Tarp Cover,Ground,Camping,Lightweight,Eyelets,Strong | eBay

I don't know if this might help you for the future but... Because I don't have to carry water, I can use the burns and lochs plus I'd boil it just in case anyhow, this makes freeze dried food a really great weight saving. The freeze dried meals are expensive (£6 - £8ish per meal) but they are tasty enough and handy and maybe the money would work for you if you only did a few trips per year. Of course maybe part of the fun is cooking outdoors but even when I'm doing that I'd usually have a freeze dried meal or two in the bag to "backstop" me against disaster. In weight terms they come in around 80 - 100g per meal and because you "cook" and eat from the bag so all you need to carry for eating is a spoon so further weight reduction there.

 

[Jones57]

again Cyclops Roc this was the personal buy of preference in the military about 25 to 30 years ago these were bought to use instead of the issue canvas/webbing backpack . Mine is still used today on my stalking forays and apart from the elastic at the top of the snow baffle shows remarkable little wear . This bit of kit really has seen considerable use carrying some large and heavy kit and copious amounts of ammunition comfortably . This bergan is as comfortable today as it was those long years ago if they're still available a well recommended buy.

 

[KBar1970]

One word: Kifaru. Made in the US from US materials, not assembled in the US from far east materials
Buy once, cry once; but you'll never need to buy again
www.kifaru.net

 

[ChesterP]

I use a Lowe Alpine Airzone Pro, and even loaded up with 40lbs, it feels very snug and comfy. I used this to scale many of the Lake District's tallest peaks last year, and was hiking for up to 10 hours a day. I can honestly say it betters anything that I was ever issued with in the infantry. The beauty with this, and similar designs is that it uses fully adjustable back straps to vary the height of the rucksack on your back, the point at which the shoulder straps do up and also has a generous, well padded hip belt complete with compass and mobile friendly waterproof hip belt pockets. An added bonus is the fold away rain cover built into the base, and the first aid compartment in the top, complete with its own emergency whistle and fluorescent orange straps. I found that with this pack, even traversing some well dodgy terrain, including some steep rock scrambles, the pack stayed snugly in place. It comes complete with a hydration pouch pocket too. Can't recommend it highly enough. It's a 40 litre pack but they do larger ones. I found that 45 litres was plenty enough as a weekend hiking pack. Bigger than the daysacks which don't hold enough and not as unwieldy as the 50/60 litre packs. It also has additional elasticated strapping externally to increase the amount that you can carry as well as some hook on points for other kit and walking stick holders if you use them. Not cheap at around £90, but worth every penny.