Biwak

I keep waking up and staring at a white, uneven ceiling. The air around me is cold and only a red light illuminates the room. There are three other people lying next to me, all wrapped up in bivouac bags and sleeping bags and protected as best they can with winter clothing. When I fall asleep again, I dream of shoveling snow for hours. Sometimes I feel slightly panicky and cramped.

Today's GOTW is dedicated to a versatile piece of equipment that may be small, but achieves great things. A timeless classic that impresses with its low weight and pack size and is hardly damaged by years of storage in the backpack: the tea light.

It has to be small, light and practical - today's emergency backpack. In addition to the first aid kit, it should not be missing in your backpack, because the weather changes quickly in the mountains and you need a safe shelter in an emergency. The Ultra Light bivy sack is also a real emergency talent.

Winter also ended early in Norway. Zach Paley and his ski friends took advantage of the stable good weather in May for an extended camping and couloir session in the Lyngen Alps...

The Mammut Sphere UL Winter is one of the lightest sleeping bags in its temperature class, and is correspondingly high-quality but also minimalist in terms of material and features. You can find out why I like using it so much in this edition of "Gear of the Week".

While we went climbing in Ticino, Zach Paley went camping. So far, so unexciting. However, he pitched his tent in the snow-covered expanses of the Lyngen Alps. What did he do there? You can find out in this report!

Small, light, ultra-compact and yet highly insulating: the Neoair XTherm from Therm-A-Rest

A three-day ski tour in the middle of the well-developed Swiss Alps without crossing a single other trail – total solitude. Far away from fashionable ski tours, comfortable huts and crowded summits, there are still some quiet, almost untouched spots in the Swiss mountains. Packed with tent and food, the search for solitude leads to the Lower Engadine.