Hi!
So my friend and I are planning a GDT for end Aug beginning Sept '21.
We still need a couple of things and I would appreciate your opinions/advice on a couple of things.
Gas stove – one that will work at altitude (thought about the MSR dragonfly or whisperlite)
Tent – will probably need a 4 season 1-2 man tent each .First ascent is out of stock of the Helio so maybe the Vango Hlevellyn 200?
Sleeping bag - First ascent Amplify down 900 or need something better?
Solar panels - to recharge phone, GPS and camera… is it worth the money or should we just use powerbanks? Planning on getting resupply drops so can put one in there? But they’re heavy…
Thanks
Just to clarify - do you mean a Drakensberg Grand Traverse (DGT) or is this a reference to a different route such as the Great Divide Trail in Canada? I’m answering based on DGT.
Yes, propane/butane gas stoves work fine at 3000m.
I haven’t used that tent before, so I can’t comment on the specific one. But make sure your tent is able to withstand strong winds and snow - you will almost definitely get both more than once. Where possible, I recommend using caves, there are tons of them out there, and they are generally better than tents from a shelter perspective. If they are wet or the wind is coming in, you can always pitch the tent in the cave. I recently just put the inner of my tent up in a cave, which provided great shelter in a dusty windy cave.
I would suggest at least a -7C comfort rating, so an Ice Breaker or equivalent. September tends to be very cold up there.
I generally find not, but I have friends who use them. Just test them properly beforehand.
Vango make good tents. Heavier, but sturdy. And that Helvellyn is semi geodesic so that’s a good set up. Full geodesic giving most rigidity.
Google “Vango wind and rain test”, good for a laugh. Typically they’re made for Scottish conditions.
