For abseiling when soloing, or for moving together, you don't reeeaaaallllyyy need a "proper" climbing rope. Because a proper dynamic climbing rope is "really" protecting you on major falls, for which a static rope may just break. But a proper rope is heavier. Is it worth getting "rap cord" instead?
Parameter space: Edelrid APUS PRO DRY 7,9MM is 43 g/m but the RAP LINE 6MM is 29 g/m. Over 40 m, that's 560 g: 1.72 kg vs 1.16. Half a kilo is significant. Also, it is thinner so should pack down smaller: if it scales by diameter, the half-rope is ~75% more volume. Update: I bought the rapline. Here it is. Not used yet.
The Edelrid is also not a pure static cord: it says of itself "Withstands two required standard falls for dynamic twin rope tests according to EN 892; Suitable for hauling equipment or abseiling, thanks to the low elongation values". So it is safer than a pure static. I'm not sure how many falls a "proper" rope takes.
I wonder how much my nice slinky 9 mm rope weighs? 49 g/m it turns out... well, 50 m weights 2.43 kg. So I can save 1.3 kg by swapping from that to the 6 mm cord (at the cost of 10 m, well 5m, reach...).
Gimme shelter
While I'm on weights... my bivvi bag weights 615 g.
Tarp
I bought a tarp. Here's me testing it in the garden, in conditions so pleasant it wasn't necessary.
FWIW, it is a
Rab Element 1 Grey bought from Trekkit for £70. It is slightly tent-shaped rather than just square. There are reinforced holes front and rear that take - as you see - a ski-pole-tip; and tapes to tie cord to. I've yet to find the best cord combo. The cord is I think 2 mm, £0.32 / m, weight negligible. The tarp came with 6 lightweight aluminium pegs.
Sleeping mat
After much wibbling, I finally splashed out £170 on a
Thermarest NeoAir UberLite Regular from ultralightoutdoorgear. It was comfy, easy to inflate without the funny inflato-sack, and didn't crinkle unless I moved. Also it was warm, but last night wasn't a test. As you see, I didn't risk it on bare ground even in the garden, but have our thinnest oldest closed-cell mat underneath.
The weights of things
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