New toy

Garmin Edge 705 – more soon.

 

Good stuff I have found…

Free maps for Garmin users here

Great software for Garmin users here – Sport Tracks

Good route creation website for hikers and (off road) bikers (OS Map based) – Bikehike

Good route creation for on-road bikers – Bike Route Toaster

:)

Cannondale touring bike is finished!

I have finally finished converting my old 1988 Cannondale SM700 to a super comfy, fast touring bike.

I added some multi-position touring bars, called butterfly bars or trekking bars. Found a great pair of BBB BHB-30 Multibars for good money at Freemans Cycles and finished them off with a matching set of foam grips encased in Cinelli carbon tape. The fatter the grip the better (for comfort) and as I am using it to commute, the tougher the better too, hence the Cinelli bar tape.

I found a cheap short hi-rise stem on Ebay to pull the ride into a more upright position, added a Cateye Cordless Strada and a bell to stop the dog walkers on the Sustrans bike paths whinging when I shoot past them. BTW, Sustrans maps now available from Memory Map for 20 quid.

If you look down at my fork crown in the top picture, you can see the best cycle mirror ever made – and I have tried a few. It’s called a Zefal Spy and it fits anywhere (look at this Amazon link and you’ll see what I mean). They are so good I have fitted one to the forks of my road bike too. They have saved my skin a few times and you can see cycling clubs approaching from behind so you can suck in your belly and put on a burst of speed.

The finishing touch is my pride and joy – a copper finished Brooks B17 Special. I had one of these on a bike I had as a youngster – not sure where it came from, probably something my grandfather found somewhere. It was ancient and a joy to ride.

The B17 saddles are touring classics and once broken in, nothing compares comfort wise. They’re not light (I didn’t go for the titanium version, but I do have a titanium Brooks Swift on my mountain bike), but at my age I am happy to forsake a few ounces for a comfy ride. I’m pretty lucky with this B17, I did 60 miles on it today and it feels great, so pretty much broken in after about 120 miles.

I wish I could say the same for the Swift ;)

Whatever bike you ride, invest a few quid and a few miles in a Brooks saddle. Sure, you need to treat them well, nourish them and cover them in heavy rain, but they will last longer than the bike and probably longer than you.

And when you are 92 and find it in your shed, you’ll probably make a profit on Ebay.

Anyone into canoeing?

Is anyone out there into canoeing? If you know about this stuff, and you would be willing to pass on a bit of knowledge and advice I would really appreciate you contacting me at chris @ hikewales .co .uk

 

Many thanks :)

Montane Deal

Loving the look of this deal from the Hike-Lite guys.

A Montane Slipstream Gilet and a Montane Dragonfly base layer for 55 quid.

This get up will pretty much sort summer out for me – both hiking and biking.

That's what I'm talking about

I love wine. Lots of it too. It's good for you.

We have taken wine on backpacking trips in a Platy bottle before, but they have now produced one especially for vino. The PlatyPreserve.

Basically, once you open a bottle and it is exposed to oxygen the taste improves for a bit then rapidly degenerates. At home we use a Vacuvin for the very rare occasions that we don't actually finish a bottle. When you are out and about, a Platypus bottle is ideal because you can squeeze all of the air out and then seal it to prevent degradation.

Perfect for picnics, backpacking, hostelling, lunchtime stops, sneaky snifters at events...

Each Platy holds a full bottle and they sell four packs (for four day backpacking trips I suppose?)

Can't find them in the UK yet though.

Sweet

Bob has been busy. Go and check out his multi fuel offering, the Honey Stove. Wood, meths, esbit, sheep shit, fork 'andles, finest malt...

Weight
Side Panels 5 x 42g
Fire Door 25g
Base Grill 57g
Mid Grill 27g
Top Grill 32g
Total if all carried: 351g

All stainless. All for under 30 quid. Good work Bob :)

Top Gear

Spotted this on a campsite in the Beacons recently.

I'm in love.

Soulpads

I came across these guys when I was researching the Lavvu and again recently when I was reading the glamping bible, 'The Happy Campers'.

If you are going to car camp with your family, take a look at their tents, stoves and general hippy dippyness.

With 4 metre canvas bell tents (sorry, Soulpad) starting at around £250, you can be the envy of the campsite/festival wherever you go.

They have a lightweight version that the bushcraft community are apparently starting to get interested in, weighing in at a svelte 31 lbs ;)

The one issue I have with cotton/canvas tents is that when it rains on packing-up-camp day (and it always does), they are a bugger to dry out and will start to rot within moments of throwing them in the boot of the car. Soulpad recommend pitching your wet tent as soon as you get home and leaving it up until you have a sunny day.

Could be up for a while then.

 

Anyway, I want one :)

Cord Lock Light

An 8g wonder from Black Crater.

Via Uncooped.

New ti' from Alpkit

The guys at Alpkit have just launched a new range of titanium cooking and eating gear to compliment their existing stuff (sporks, cutlery, chopsticks, cooking mug).

The new kit consists of of 'Snapwires' - ti' cutlery with folding handles (fork, spork, knife and a spoon @ £6.50 each), the Lhoon (long handled spoon for getting into freezer bags and deep cooking pots - 18g and a brilliant 7 quid), what looks like a remodelled MytiMug (750ml and 110g @ £25.00) and the MytiPot, a 1350ml cooking pot with a lid that weighs in 158g and £40.00.

I have also noticed a new LED lantern and some 8.5g titanium 'nail' tent pegs, although not strictly eating irons, I am sure that if you left your SnapWire at home...

Check out the new stuff http://www.alpkit.com/camp-cooking/ and start writing your Christmas list now.

The ultimate (car) camping BBQ?

The Bon-Fire barbeque set-up is just perfect! Beautifully made, Danish design and very 'pioneer'. This will be great when we camp with the Lavvu.

A heavy steel tripod holds a brazier / fire pan off the ground. There are three chains that hang from the legs that hold either a large stainless steel grill or a huge skillet / Paella style pan. From the top of the tripod comes another chain attached to a rotating handle and from this hangs a 6 litre enamelled stew pot (filled with Fasolia Yahni - Greek Bean Stew, in this photo)

But that's not all... there is a long handled pancake pan with... wait for it... a popcorn attachment. The kids love it. Lastly, it comes with an array of terrifying BBQ utensils, that look like tools for killing the cow as well as cooking it.

You can use firewood, lump charcoal or briquettes. I love this so much!

We tried it in the garden tonight - a practice run - just in case August should throw up two dry days in a row and we can go camping.

This set up is called the Bon-fire Complete Deluxe Package if you are tempted. Check out their gear at www.bon-fire.dk

Grandpa's Toasting Fork

I see Bob has the Light my Fire toasting forks in stock for only £3.99.

They just clip onto a stick and are great for open fire cooking.

I have one for each member of my family, they are great fun, especially for BBQ's when the embers are dying down and you can load them with four marshmallows.

Go get some now.

While you're there, grab a couple of tubes of the Gehwol foot cream. Rub it on your feet and between your toes before a hike and sore points and blisters will be a thing of the past. I didn't even get a hot spot on the Cambrian Way last year and put it all down to this cream.

Introducing the amazing Shit Box

You have just got to see this and it it British. Great website too.

"The Shit Box is a lightweight portable cardboard toilet made specifically for outdoor use"

One of these and a poncho tarp and you are set up for a 'scenic' anywhere.

Buy one now, these guys deserve success.

Bison Tundra 8 - a closer look

I have had the chance to take a much closer look at the lavvu now and I am pretty pleased. The quality is so good that I wonder how much better the equivalent Tentipi can be for another £600, I have heard they are fantastic, although I have never seen one... but I do wonder!

I have taken a pile of detail shots as I had real trouble finding decent photographs when I was researching this purchase. Double click on any of them for a good size image.

There are not many Tundra 8's in the country at the moment and apparently they take an age to come from Norway. I purchased it from Point Bar Wilderness and had to order the Bison wood burning stove and groundsheet from Mad Bear (40 day wait). The stove means I'll be able to take the boys camping later in the year too.

Point Bar Wilderness have been great, offering lots of after sales advice and hints and tips, and Mad Bear have been incredibly helpful too. They are both active on BCUK.

A couple of things pissed me off a bit, I had to re-tie all of the guys as they must have been hanked and then tied to the tent in the factory and were badly twisted. The other thing was the guy runners were plastic, not alloy/metal. No excuse on a tent of this price point and quality. I don't want one of those breaking on me on a windy night, because this thing could easily turn into a full sized parachute.

Oh yeah, I have to waterproof it too, but that is to be expected on a cotton tent.

It is a great tent to sleep in, not a drop of condensation even though we didn't use a full groundsheet and it was cool and comfortable all night. I am really pleased and looking forward to our first weekend in it :)

 

The door opens to two panels...

...or just a single panel.

Everything is very well put together.

The horrible hanked guys and those plastic runners.

Double mosquito doors.

Storm flaps all around.

Looking up with the top cap in place. This comes off if you use a firebox or the chimney of a stove slots through a special slit.

Decent chunky zippers.

Good quality tensioning straps all around.

Simple door tie backs.

Logo screen printed, not a sewn on patch.

Those straps again.

The roof cap. The guys at Point Bar suggested removing half of these and tying them to the guys to make them stand away from the tent (and stop contact leakage points).

Huge, solid un-bendable pegs (but no spares - shame)

View from inside.

Drying time.

Drying time.

I am assuming these loops are for drying/airing?

The tension strap buckles are just the right size. Have I got this wrong?

Cap off, light pouring in (and rain too if you are not careful).

 

Hope this is useful to someone :) Let me know if it is.

Chris

Bison Tundra 8

First pitch and first night for me and my two eldest boys.

Smelt like the Icelandic's from Scout Camp almost 30 years ago. Great memories came flooding back.

First impressions of the tent are wonderful!

More later.

That's what I call a tent!

Three of us took up about a quarter of the floor space.

Three Thermarests (Two 3/4, one full) so you can get a sense of scale.

Excitement

I have just ordered a BisonTelt Tundra 8. A 5 metre diameter Lavvu.

Can't wait!

It's been a while...

Sorry, it's been a while since I last posted. Work is crazy, the garden is going crazy (big veggie plans this year - tom's, sweetcorn, carrots, runner, French and broad beans, red onions, various salad crops and asparagus), the kids are filling loads of time (brilliant fun!) and I am having fun with my new camera.

This is my eldest, taken this evening.

So what's been happening?

Cookie has started his trip, that'll be worth keeping an eye on.

It's finally getting warm enough to do stuff outdoors (we had our first BBQ this weekend)

I can see that the outdoor bloggers are starting to plan trips.

Pablo's doing loads of cool stuff as usual.

Bob's got loads of new kit including the brilliant toasting forks from Light My Fire. These got loads of use in the Cowell household last year.

Go and buy one for each of your family now if you want them to love the outdoors as much as you do.

Summer's coming :)

Cheers!

What a lovely day.

Managed to get loads done in the garden (as well as a glass of good Sauv' Blanc). A day in the Beacons was on the cards as Sarah and the boys are in Yorkshire with mum and dad for the Easter holidays, but Alan had a party with his biker buddies out West, so I stayed here, dug my vegetable patch and played with my new camera.

I am now the proud owner of a Canon 40D and some serious glass to go with it. I haven't used an SLR since I put my T70 in the attic when I got my first digital compact, and Duncan has been making me very jealous with his photography exploits.

I am really looking forward to getting out in the hills with this beast.

The only thing is, it adds about 6lbs to my day pack plus a tripod. I think I read somewhere that they do a camera mount for Pacer Poles... I'm off to Google it.

God, I won!

Today I had an exciting box arrive from Germany containing a Steripen - a hi-tech device for killing bugs in water. A quick blast from the UV light and it's safe to drink.

This is going to perfect when I am out for the day with my boys,

This wonderful gadget came from Roman, who blogs as Lighthiker and is the 5th in a series of competitions that he runs with some fantastic prizes including a Caldera Cone and a Gossamer Gear G6!

Roman's is one of the 3 or 4 outdoor blogs that I check every day - this guys is a true gear nut, a man after my own heart!

Check out his blog and get ready for the next competition. Thank you Roman!

That petition

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the petition that most of the outdoor bloggers seem so preoccupied with at the moment.

Sure, I understand that it would be nice to be able to wildcamp 'legally', so I have put my name to it, but...

1. I have never been arrested
2. I doubt if any other wildcamping backpackers have either (0% research done here)
3. 'If it ain't broke'...
4. If you own land, why the hell should you let people camp on it?
5. Now the whole world will know that people like us do actually wildcamp. The scallies will hit the hills in their droves to rob us of our ridiculously expensive titanium cooking gear and down puffa jackets at knife point to buy crack and bass tubes. Ignorance was bliss.

I promise I'll never mention this again.

Anyway, look at these cool sandals from Reef with a bottle opener built into the sole [from The Goat].

How not to get caught...

... wildcamping.

Get one of these...

DIY Insulating Jacket

Via GearJunkie, $99, available in the autumn, but no mention of weight. I don't doubt that if it's light enough, the gram counters will jump on this concept, especially for those chilly autumn nights when there are leaves on the ground (or crisp packets on the side of the trail)...

"Merrell Apparel’s DIY Puffy Coat—This concept piece from Merrell Apparel is like a puffy down jacket, just without the “puffy” or the “down” parts. Indeed, the jacket comes as an empty shell, a semi-transparent white nylon piece with its insulating areas open and free. It is a blank canvas of sorts ready to be stuffed with whatever insulating items the wearer desires. Just zip open the long pockets and stuff in crumpled newspaper, dead leaves, Styrofoam packing peanuts, or whatever else. Anything light and fluffy—and colourful and cool—are candidate for insulating this customisable winter coat".

Montane Atomic Rain Pants

UltralightOutdoorGear.co.uk are selling the excellent Atomic rain pants from Montane for only £39.99 (free P+P).

I used these on the Cambrian Way last summer (remember how wet it was?!) and they were fantastic - very light, quick drying and breathable. They are delicate compared to heavier fabrics, but as with all lightweight gear, you need to treat it with a little respect. I split the seat sliding down Devils Kitchen on my ass, so I deserved the 1 inch tear (fixed easily with McNett tape).

They only have XL left.

     

Bushbuddy pot - Trek900

My colleague, Takako, has just returned from Christmas in Japan and she brought me back a natty little Snowpeak Trek900 (in aluminium) for my Bushbuddy Ultra.

It's a perfect fit and great value (well under a tenner). The ti' versions costs £30.00 in the UK. I am not going to use this for regular lightweight backpacking, so ti' was overkill.

Thanks again Tak!

Bushcraft knife coming together

After many hours grinding, filing, gluing, sanding, more sanding and honing, my bushcraft knife is finally coming together.

I did a lot of the heavier work in my dad's excellent workshop over the Christmas break (thanks dad!), I made the sheath out of a slab of hide last weekend and have been trying to polish out the file marks and hone the knife ever since, an hour a night.

The wet formed sheath, waiting for a firesteel

Last night was a bit of a breakthrough as I finally managed to get the blade to shave the hairs off my arm, so a good stropping  and final polish should see it pretty much finished.

Getting sharper, but still needs a polish

 

The kit (a roughly ground and tempered steel blank, slab of hide, two slabs of hardwood, liners, a couple of cutler's bolts and an inch of brass tube) came from Ebay, but originally from a chap called Bernie Garland. There were not instructions, but with Pablo's help, I managed to fine some excellent tutorials.

My knife may not be a thing of beauty, like some of the artworks you can find if you Google 'bushcraft knife', but with a typical Ray Mears type Woodlore knife going from anywhere between £100 and £800, I don't really care. Its a great tool for our woodland camping trips, with a 4mm blade that can be used for almost anything. Apparently, you can dig in into a tree trunk and stand on it!

If you are good with your hands, its a really satisfying little project to make your own knife.

Lovely dark hardwood scales (handles), nor sure what wood it is though.

The kit came with white liners to apparently protect the wood from water ingress.

Bushbuddy

A very happy New Year to everyone! I have been playing with my Christmas present. I love it!

I have made good progress on my bushcraft knife kit too, I'll get some photos up soon.

Christmas delights - update

BushBuddy has arrived, baby hasn't.

We spent yesterday on the maternity ward waiting for drugs to do their magic and deliver Cowell Jnr. into the world, but he/she was obviously having none of it.

Trying again today, so this time tomorrow I should have enough kids to never worry about carrying my own gear again.

Thanks,

Chris

Christmas delights

I have a few Christmas goodies on the way (thank you Sarah!). The first is a bushcraft knife kit from Bernie Garland, found on eBay for a bargain price. I have fancied making one for a while now as messing around in my garage helps the dark winter nights fly by.

It's a pretty solid 4mm blade with some kind of dark hardwood scales, white liners and a pre-cut slab of hide that will make (hopefully) a friction sheath. I have been scouring 'tinternet for tutorials and have found a few, but if anyone can offer any advice (Pablo?!!) it will be gratefully received.

The second is a BushBuddy Ultra. Yes, I have finally succumbed. I enjoy so many different types of camping and this will be perfect for hammock nights in the woods. I believe this is stove number 7 or 8 in my collection, I have lost count. Can any BushBuddy owners recommend a ti' pot that fits it snugly? I know they have one on BPL-US, but I would like to source one in the UK if possible - carbon footprints and all that.

The third is Cowell junior No.3, who was due to be born yesterday, but no signs yet. We don't know if it's a boy or a girl who will join my two sons (had its legs crossed during the scan). So any day now, poor Sarah's life will change for the third time in six years and a little imp will be ruling the Cowell household yet again.

That's another three or four years until we can have another winter holiday in Canada. I'll be too old to snowboard by then and have to move onto planks (God forbid).

So, forgive me if posts are a little thin on the ground over the next week or two.

By the way, this is my first post via Windows Live Writer (thanks Duncan). After a horrendous install, I finally have it up and running, now all I need to do is hit that publish button and we'll all see what happens...

Get that 'Mountain Man' look...

Saw this bearded balaclava... made me smile.

You can read about it here.

I had forgotten about that!

When we got back from the Cambrian Way, I wrote to Road Angel to say how much we appreciated their Adventurer 6000 GPS and how much it helped us out on the walk.

It's not something I have done before, but I really thought they deserved a bit of praise because it is a truly excellent bit of kit for any serious walker.

They emailed me a few weeks ago asking for permission to use my letter in their advertising campaigns...

• Mens Health – December Issue (On sale 5th Nov)
• Country Walking Magazine – December Issue (On sale 9th Nov)
• Mens Fitness – December Issue (On sale 1st Nov)
• Landrover Magazine – December Issue (On sale 2nd Nov)
• 4x4 & MPV Driver Magazine – November Issue (On sale 25th Oct)

You can read the advert by clicking on the thumbnail above. At least my company got a mention too!

That picture isn't me or Alan by the way, they must have enlisted a body double!

New daypack

A couple of months ago, I bought myself a 25l Macpac Amp Race for a daypack. I have now had a chance to use it a couple of times and I am really happy so far.

It has most of the features of my Gregory (but not the ventilated back so it does get sweaty), including hipbelt pockets, big bungee'd mesh pockets, hydration pouch (I only use a tube on day hikes), loops and inside and outside lid pockets.

It's pretty light at 850g and has just enough room for everything I need for a winters day on the hills and a bit too much room for a summers day - but the compression straps help.

Nice little pack.

Hanging around II

Managed to get into the woods today and had a go at rigging the hammock. In a rush to get my feet up, I didn't search for the perfect spot, but it was good enough for me to have a lounge around, watching the squirrels for an hour.


Fantastically comfortable, loads of pockets for gear and/or insulation (ziplock bags that have been inflated and stuffed into the pockets are recommended 'cos you get a could bum in a hammock) and dead quick to put up.



Apologies to the tarpists out their, the flysheet rigging could have done with a bit more effort, but I'll save that for my first night out.

Hanging around

It's arrived! I was in London yesterday showing Aaron the museums and when I got home, there it was and NO import taxes. Phew!

It's my Clark Jungle Hammock 'North American' model with XL tarp option.

I have just quickly strung it up on the kid's climbing frame in the garden and it looks like everything I was hoping it would be... a tarp that is off the floor, supposedly more comfy than my bed and bug free. I won't go into all the features and tech' details as they have a superb website if you are interested - www.junglehammock.com.

If the weather is good tomorrow, I'll take it into Clyne Wood for a test set-up and a snooze (we didn't get back from London until very late and I have some catching up to do). More photo's too.

I looked at a couple of models before settling on the Clark, as it is very 'feature rich' compared to DD and Hennesy hammocks. Pablo set me thinking after his article on the DD models. I thought it would be a pain in arse to get hold of, but Clark takes PayPal and delivery was about 4 days and I got a free tee shirt :)

Packed up, its about the same size as my Akto (sans poles) and weighs about the same (1.5k). It is made of very sturdy fabrics and is very well put together. For those that want to go lighter, they do an 'Ultralight' model too.

Can't wait to spend the night in this - I have dozens of beautiful spots in mind that have always been a no-no with a tent. If anyone hammock camps in south Wales, it would be great to hear from you and if anyone else has a Clark hammock, get in touch too.

Until tomorrow.

U.S. Treat

I recently sold a load of unused stuff on £bay, building up my PayPal account to buy myself a little treat from the U.S.
I'm not usually one for guessing games, but today I'm feeling baaaaad.

And it ain't a BushBuddy, that's so last month.

Using a tarp with an Akto

During the Cambrian Way walk this summer, we spent a lot of time in Akto's in some quite wet weather. Most of the time, this was not a problem, but cooking was a pain, as was sitting chatting with the door open as the drizzle just came straight into the porch are soaking everything.

On the trail, I tried using my umbrella, with limited success, to make an awning of sorts. This was great when there was no wind, but it was a bit small.

I suddenly thought of a use for those crazy little micro tarps that Bob sells.

This weekend I experimented with using my two tarps to create a useful space outside the Akto. The SUL Cuben Fibre micro tarp gave good coverage for it's 50g. Click on the pic's to enlarge them.








































But my home-made extension turned the Akto into a palace for a couple of hundred grams. I haven't perfected the pitch yet, but the photo's will give you an idea of what is possible for those few extra grams.























































Anyone who has spent some time in a Akto in wet weather will know where I am coming from!

This is all very experimental at the moment. It would be great to hear from you if you have any ideas or have tried this and have a better system.

Inov-8 Boots (and lots more besides)

Pop over to Backpackinglight.com to see the latest kit from the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2007. Good stuff includes...

• Inov-8 Boots (yes, boots!)
  
• New, improved Inov-8 shoes
• The lightest cannister stove yet (2.15oz)
  
• Caldera Cone kitchen system
• 11oz tubular sleeping mattress from Big Agnes
• A great looking quilt from Golite
• A proper pillow from Design Salt that weighs 3oz
• Granite Gear Vapor Daypack
  

What do you mean you don't have a subscription to Backpackinglight.com? There are so many pretty pictures.

Cuben Fibre Tarp again

Had my tarp back from Wayne at team io today. He kindly put a couple of extra tie outs on it for me. Messed around in the garden with it tonight.

This weekend, I'll try the 'thing' I bought it for. I hope it'll work!

Cuben Fibre Tarp

I have got hold of a cuben fibre micro tarp from the excellent Team io.

Around 50 ish grams.

I have some interesting plans for it. At the moment, it has gone back to Team io for some enhancements. These guys are really good - keep an eye on them - good to see UK outdoor cottage industry doing some very interesting things.

At the moment, their gear is available from Ebay, but I know they are waiting for some more raw material so pop into Ebay every now and again and tap in cuben fibre into the search box.

Stove - Cambrian Way kit

There were a few items of gear that really stood out on our recent trip, the footwear, the Road Angel, the mattresses and my stove - the Caldera Cone.

The stove, made by Trail Designs and sold through AGG in the US and Winwood here in the UK, is a pop can burner with a simple aluminium cone that supports the pot of your choice.

I use a Vargo 1.3 litre non-stick ti' pot and purchased mine direct from AGG as Winwood did not stock the cone for my particular choice of pot. They make lots of versions for different pots and kettles.

I won't go into a long review, there are plenty of sites that do that sort of thing far better.

The burner and cone weighed in at 16g and 44g, plus another 2g for a medicine measuring cup and 152g for the Vargo pot. The beauty of a meths system is that if you plan your meals carefully, you can take exactly the amount of fuel you'll need and no more.

For example, a litre of water - enough for one of my FBC meals and a cuppa, came to the boil with 35ml of fuel. Breakfast needed 800ml of boiling water, 30 ml of fuel and another 15ml for a 400ml cup of hot chocolate meant that I needed 80ml a day. Exactly! When boiling a litre, the fuel would be used up about 15 seconds after coming to the boil. It was very consistent.

Boil times were fast too as the cone concentrates every joule onto the base of the pan. At litre was taking just a few minutes.

When the weather was bad, I just lit the stove outside the tent, even if the wind was blowing, left it to boil and got on with other things. It was every bit as good as a Trangia in windy conditions - but at a fraction of the weight.

The system is simple, ultralight, well made and extremely efficient. I rolled the cone into a cut off pop bottle (22g), dropped the burner into the bottle too and there was enough room for the measuring cup and a 0.5 litre Playpus full of meths. All this went into a Granite Gear Airsack (12g).

I love my Whitebox stove for brews on day hikes, but for a foul weather backpacking cooking system, this is unbeatable.

Akto Footprint - for half the weight

Before we left for the Cambrian Way, Alan and I bought an Akto footprint between us (250g), cut it down the middle, rolled and sewed the cut edge and used it as a vestibule footprint for only 125g!

I don't really see the point of a full footprint when you are backpacking - fair enough if you are car camping and the extra protection for your very, very expensive tent makes you feel better, but as long as you choose your site carefully and clear away sharp bits and bobs, the groundsheet on an Akto is pretty bombproof.

The vestibule footprint helps keep condensation down and gives you a nice, dry area in wet weather. It sits under the inner tent groundsheet about 6 inches - just enough to help it stay in place, although a planned mod' is to attach two dyneema lines to the back corners (and maybe one in the middle) to pull it tight under the inner.

It worked well throughout the trip and for 125g, gives a lot of comfort. God knows we needed every scrap of luxury!

New vargi ti' stove

Vargo are about to launch a new titanium stove, the Decagon.


There are not many details available, but it is a simple one piece unit with a large stability plate. Looks like it will be a bit easier to fill too.

It will set you back $30.00 from the US, so when it arrives here, no doubt it'll cost double that!

Half price jacket :)

One of our designers, Takako, is at home in Osaka, Japan at the moment and has managed to get me a MontBell UL down jacket for £48!

I love having buddies in the right place at the right time! Tak... you are a star! The tequila is waiting!

And before you ask, NO. Her case is already pretty full.

Go and see Paul.

Gregory Z55 - chest pouch

This brilliant OMM chest pouch arrived in the post today and it fits my Gregory Z55 perfectly, attaching to the load lifter buckles like they were made for each other.

I was looking for a little extra capacity for nav aids, trails mix, camera, that sort of thing and this fits the bill. Its about 125 grams, waterproof and has a transparent map pocket.

Check out the detailed instructions here. It shouldn't be too much of a problem to fit it to any 'sack. You can get them from Paul here.

New shoes and happiness

A couple of weekends ago, Al and I went up to Cotswolds in Cardiff to shop for the shoes we plan to use on our C2C this summer.
I fancied some Salomon's as every model I have had have always been comfy. I 'spoke' to Podcast Bob as I remembered a mention of Salomon XA Comps in his 'Tarp camping' podcast.
I tried on their XA Pro 3D's (not the Goretex model), but the shoe felt very narrow. The XA Comp 3 was wonderful from the second I pulled it on. Al managed to get some Comp 2's for a bargain in their sale.
I have been using Terrocs for a while now, but they just don't do it for me. The Salomon's are actually lighter and feel a lot more supportive. So if you fancy some 'hardly used' Terrocs in a size 10 - keep an eye on Ebay!
We tried our new footwear out this weekend on a muddy and wet 10 mile session around Gower (more next post) and I love them - easily the most comfortable shoes I have ever walked in. A bit slippery in the muddy conditions, but they drained well (and believe me, we were up to our knees in water at some points!) and my feet did not feel even slightly fatigued at the end of the day.

They might be the ones!

Trimming the fat

I used the Ryel Kestenbaum 'Trimming the Fat' technique to shave 3oz off my Z55 today.

It was raining and I was bored.

Basically load your pack up, get everything comfy, grab every strap you can find, if there is more than a fistful, cut it off and seal it. For a start, your pack will weigh less and an added bonus is that you won't get whipped in the face by all of the excess strapping that pack manufacturers feel we need.

Check out Ryels book The Ultralight Backpacker.

It is a good, easy read with loads of tips'n'tricks like this.

The Sportwool experiment

I have been testing the magical odour reducing powers of the Merino 23% / Polyester 77% mix used in my Montane Terra Long Sleeve T-shirt.
We plan to use the Montane Terra and Bionic base layers on our C2C hike in June and I wanted to be sure that I could wear it for three or four days in a row without offending Alan, any passing walkers or anyone else that comes within a few feet of me.
I have hiked about 40 miles in it over the past 10 days and managed to squeeze in a sweaty 20 mile bike ride too. All without a trip to the washing machine.
I am very impressed – sure, you can tell it has been worn if you get close enough to it, but it does not have that rancid odour that synthetic base layers manage to achieve after only a few hours on your back.
The garments are incredibly light and quick drying, so a quick swill and a couple of hours hanging from the rucksack should sort out the laundry. I have Smartwool Light Hiker socks for about a year now and these are great too – no hint of odour after a couple of days use, just the gentle aroma of Bob’s footcream!
Andy Howell has just written a good piece on baselayers that is well worth a read.

I have a couple of pairs of Icebreaker merino boxers on order. If they work too, I’m gonna be the best smelling hiker in Wales.

Gregory Z55 images

I have taken a few detail shots of the new Gregory Z55 pack and published them on Flickr for those that are interested.

There is not much info about the pack around at the moment, so hopefully these will help if you are considering the Z55.

Have a look here.

Golite site relaunch

Noticed that the Golite site is down, but with a promise of a fantastic new relaunch 'today'. Maybe we'll get a look at their new gear too.

Z55 in use

I took my new Gregory Z55 out for a couple of hours today. I popped about 20lb's in the main compartment and had a brisk stroll along Cefn Bryn on Gower listening to Madeleine Peyroux on my iPod. The sun was out, the wind was whistling and the pack felt great.
It basically has two points of contact on your back - a big comfy pad at the base of your back and another just below your shoulder straps - the rest is fresh air, not even a hint of a moist back today. The hip belt is firm but comfy and is very easy to adjust and the two small zipped mesh pockets are handy for your keys (and iPod).
As well as the main compartment (that does not seem to suffer from the access problems of other 'sweat free' packs), the 55 has a large external open pocket on the back (with stretch panels on either side) that should be good for a wet flysheet, but it is not all mesh - just a couple of mesh drain points on each side. I have attached a 3mm bungee to this pocket just in case the pocket does not drain.
There are also two 'waterproof' pockets on the pack - at least the fabric appears waterproof and they have waterproof zips. One on the lid and another on the large external pocket I have mentioned.
The drawcord that closes the main section of the pack is awful and snags, so I'll change that, using a more slippery (and lighter) cord. The main section can also be accessed by a side zip - a very handy feature.
Overall, the pack felt good on, probably the most comfortable I have used. Once I have a bit more experience of it, I'll post a few more comments and some detail shots.

Does anyone else out there have one yet?

Golite's new packs available

Backcountrygear.com are advertising the new range of Golite 'Ultra Series' packs on their website including the new 1500 cu. in Ion, the Jam2 and the Gust replacement - the Pinnacle.

The Ion looks like the perfect lightweight daypack and as soon as I see one in the UK, the credit card will take a hit again. It's only 9oz (240g) and has a US price of 50 bucks. The is a bit more info on the packs here.

Funny thing is, these new packs are not even on the Golite site yet, but they are shipping.

Gregory Z55

My Gregory Z55 pack has just arrived from REI in the US. I have had a quick look over it and perfromed the obligatory 'pillow pack' to check it's shape and size. I love it!
I was just about to buy the Osprey Atmos 50 when I saw that Gregory had updated their classic Z pack with this brand new Z55 for 2007 and it features an 'anti sweaty back' system (my phrase, not theirs!) just like the Osprey, but seems easier to pack as it does not curve into the pack space as much.
It's not an ultralight pack at 1.5kg (3lb 5oz), and two or three ounces heavier than the Atmos, but there is a lot of scope for lightening the Z55 as it is pretty straptastic straight out of the box. But is is 55 litres as opposed to 50 for the Atmos.
The reason I went for this instead of a Granite Gear or another lighter pack is that it's comfort zone is good up to 35lb, so with my base weight of 20lb and a weeks food, this should be just about right.
Info on the web is pretty sparse at the moment as it's so new, so once I have had a chance to have a better look, I'll get some photo's up if anyone is interested. You can check it out in full 3D glory here.

Now if this weather would just dry up a bit, I could do with getting out!

iPodding in the wind

I catch up on my podcasts when doing my local, regular "just going to get some fresh air Sarah" walks and the standard iPod headphones are horrible in the wind.
Bob's superb productions fade into the whistling/howling noise that somehow finds it way into my ears creating turbulence around the tiny speakers.

I bought myself some in-ear Apple headphones (being a closet Mac fan - it's the design background you know) from eBay for a fiver. Full report after this Sunday's 'fresh air'.

21.1.2007 UPDATE: No bloody difference and they sound awful when listening to music. Podcasts are fine due to their quality (with the exception of Bob's of course). Wind still whistles around - my hat helped a little.

Any ideas anyone?

Mmmmmm...

Today my Rab Neutrino Endurance arrived from Rathbones. 635g for a large size (including the stuff sack).
It is the most comfy, toasty arm chair of a jacket that I have ever tried on. I leave pretty early for work in the mornings and this is going to make the journey a bit more bearable in the coming months. But, it also means I CAN GO WINTER CAMPING AT LAST!!!

Come on Beacons... snow, snow...


...or at least a good, hard frost.

Elastic Laces

I have just tried out some 'Lock Laces' on my Terroc's. Buy some now!
They are basically elastic laces with a plastic cord grip (ditch it and just use a knot!). Just tie your laces as usual, then pull a tiny bit tighter, tie off and cut the extra elastic away. A few things happen...
1. Your shoes are very easy to pull on and off
2. Pressure points disappear
3. You don't have to worry about your laces coming undone (especially if you are wearing gloves)

I am getting them for all of my trainers! You can get 'em from Wiggle.

American Ti

Backpackinglight.com have finally released their new SUL range of Titanium products.

The new gear includes a 1 gram tent peg ($19.79 for 10), a 62 gram 500ml cookpot at $35.99, a heavier 500ml pot with handles at 79 grams & $31.49 and a spork at only 8.2 grams & $10.39.

At the moment, this gear seems to be only available to members, you can check it out here.

Sewing it up

Just ordered a sewing machine from these guys - a £300 Toyota for £95. My sister said it looks pretty good for the dosh (she knows about things like this - she made me a Rayway quilt - more on that soon).

I used to be pretty handy and Sarah did a bit of sewing at school, so I am going to start with some silnylon stuff sacs, then turn my Golite Feather-lite into a quilt and finally have a go at a tarp.

I have downloaded some great sewing tutorials from Backpackinglight.com. Looking around the web, there are a lot of plans, hints and tips for outdoor gear, especially lightweight stuff. Ben Corr from Purebound got me interested. He has made a few bits and bobs (check out his rainskirt!). He has done a couple of podcasts with Bob and just returned from a PCT trip - well worth a listen.

Titanium update

Backpackinglight.com have been making promises...

"Big news on the titanium front...a whole new lot of even lighter titanium utensils are coming, along with BPL's own line of cookware based on our famous "Keep it Simple" philosophy. No longer will you have to RIP OFF YOUR POT HANDLES or REPLACE YOUR LIDS WITH FOIL because we designed the cookware with guys like you in mind. Don't fret, we're still going to have some with handles and stuff for you LUXURY backpackers. But consider this: 550ml mug with lid: 2.3 oz; 1300ml pot with lid: 3.7 oz...Coming soon, late '06. Stay tuned".

I finally took the plunge and subscribed to their website this week. Well worth the £12.00 (ish)IMHO when you consider how much a copy of Trail costs!

It doesn't usually happen to me...

I took my son up to the village shops last weekend and when we got out of the car I noticed the guy in front of me had a cracking Macpac rucksack. "That's nice" I thought - the way you do.

Anyway, we had a haircut, did a bit of shopping and on the way back to the car, the same Macpac rucksack was outside our local charity shop for £4.00!

Well I couldn't leave it there, could I.

When I got hope I found out it was a Macpac Tekapo 35 litre in immaculate condition. A quick check on the web found it for sale at £70.00.

What a lovely Saturday.

My tent arrived

Got home from work today to find my Akto had arrived. Once the kids had gone to bed, I pitched it in the lounge for a closer look. First impressions...

• How light it is (3.5lbs with everything)
• How thick the fabric is (I assumed it would be tissue)
• How well made it is
• How big it is
• How nice is that! (great little touches like a spare pole in a special little sleeve in the pole bag)

The first thought I had was that Hilleberg could make it so much lighter and beat Terra Nova, but I suppose they don't really care. If it ain't broke...

New super ultralight Swiss Army Knife

The 1 kilo Wenger 'Giant'. £595.00. Maybe when they do a 2 grand titanium version? Maybe not.

1. 2.5” 60% Serrated locking blade
2. Nail file, nail cleaner
3. Corkscrew
4. Adjustable pliers with wire crimper and cutter
5. Removable screwdriver bit adapter
6. 2.5” Blade for Official World Scout Knife
7. Spring-loaded, locking needle-nose pliers with wire cutter
8. Removable screwdriver bit holder
9. Phillips head screwdriver bit 0
10. Phillips head screwdriver bit 1
11. Phillips head screwdriver bit 2
12. Flat head screwdriver bit 0.5 mm x 3.5 mm
13. Flat head screwdriver bit 0.6 mm x 4.0 mm
14. Flat head screwdriver bit 1.0 mm x 6.5 mm
15. Magnetized recessed bit holder
16. Double-cut wood saw with ruler (inch & cm)
17. Bike chain rivet setter, removable 5m allen wrench, screwdriver for slotted and Phillips head screws
18. Removable tool for adjusting bike spokes, 10m hexagonal key for nuts
19. Removable 4mm curved allen wrench with Phillips head screwdriver
20. Removable 10mm hexagonal key
21. Patented locking Phillips head screwdriver
22. Universal wrench
23. Laser pointer with 300 ft. range
24. 1.65” Clip point utility blade
25. Metal saw, metal file
26. 4 mm allen wrench
27. 2.5” blade
28. Fine metal file with precision screwdriver
29. Double-cut wood saw
30. Cupped cigar cutter with double-honed edges
31. 12/20-Gauge choke tube tool
32. Watch caseback opening tool
33. Snap shackle
34. Telescopic pointer
35. Compass, straight edge, ruler (in./cm)
36. Mineral crystal magnifier with precision screwdriver
37. 2.4” Springless scissors with serrated, self-sharpening design
38. Shortix key
39. Flashlight
40. Fish scaler, hook disgorger, line guide
41. Micro tool holder
42. Micro tool adapter
43. Micro scraper-straight
44. Reamer
45. Fine fork for watch spring bars
46. Pin punch 1.2 mm
47. Pin punch .8 mm
48. Round needle file
49. Removable tool holder with expandable receptacle
50. Removable tool holder
51. Multi-purpose screwdriver
52. Flat Phillips head screwdriver
53. Flat head screwdriver bit 0.5 mm x 3.5 mm
54. Spring loaded, locking flat nose nose-pliers with wire cutter
55. Phillips head screwdriver bit 0
56. Phillips head screwdriver bit 1
57. Phillips head screwdriver bit 2
58. Flat head screwdriver bit 0.5 mm x 3.5 mm
59. Flat head screwdriver bit 0.6 mm x 4.0 mm
60. Flat head screwdriver bit 1.0 mm x 6.5 mm
61. Can opener
62. Phillips head screwdriver
63. 2.5” Clip point blade
64. Golf club face cleaner
65. 2.4” Round tip blade
66. Patented locking screwdriver, cap lifter, can opener
67. Golf shoe spike wrench
68. Golf divot repair tool
69. Micro straight-curved
70. Special tool holder
71. Phillips head screwdriver 1.5mm
72. Screwdriver 1.2 mm
73. Screwdriver .8 mm
74. Mineral crystal magnifier, fork for watch spring bars, small ruler
75. Removable screwdriver bit holder
76. Magnetized recessed bit holder
77. Tire tread gauge
78. Reamer/awl
79. Patented locking screwdriver, cap lifter, wire stripper
80. Special Key
81. Toothpick
82. Tweezers
83. Adapter
84. Key ring
85. Second key ring

Van go lightweight

Sorry about the headline.

Take a look at this, the makers of my favourite tent, my 8lb, 20 year old Hurricane are going lightweight.

Outdoors Magic have the scoop.

Akto Agro

I have had an Akto on order from Field and Trek for quite a while now.

I received a letter yesterday to say that "the tent is still unavailable and the supplier has been unable to provide us with any firm delivery date due to production problems".

I emailed Hilleberg to ask them about this and when they expected Akto's to be in the UK (I want to get a couple of weekends in soon!).

I had this reply today...

Hi,
Production problems is something else then exceptional sales! We have had a very good season and have been sold out on many models for several weeks during the later part of the summer. But so far we have never failed to deliver orders we have confirmed. Field & Trek had Akto tents in order from us for delivery in week 40, which is the week we sent them the tents. The Aktos were shipped from us 6/10, so they could be with Field & Trek by now.
Hilleberg AB
Kenneth Westman Drake

I suspect Hilleberg are a little upset with F+T's letter.

I just want my tent! No shop in the UK has one, believe me I have phoned everyone. I am just about to cancel and get a Seed House. I'll give F+T a couple more days.

Shhhhh... she's started it!

My sister has started my quilt and she hasn't seen the open letter to her a post or two below. Don't tell her, she might stop again!

I have been trying to find you a picture of a RayWay quilt but Mr J has built his site in some crazy way that won't let me grab a photo.

RayWay quilt update

Unless it is absolutely freezing, I always used my sleeping bag un-zipped, tuck my feet in and curl up using it as a quilt. I just find mummy bags too restrictive as I sleep on my stomach in a sort of semi foetal position. I even have plans to split my silk liner and sew in 'legs' so I can have more freedom.

I read a lot about quilts and top bags on the US sites before deciding to try Ray Jardine's RayWay quilt kit. Whatever you think of Ray Jardine and his sometimes unorthodox ways, he has designed some pretty good kit, including a spell working with Golite (ouch!). He also invented the climbing camming device know as the Friend. If anyone has a spare copy of his book, 'Beyond Backpacking', I have a handful of used fivers waiting!

I ordered the deluxe one person quilt that includes his TM'd Gorget and Draftstopper and added the Alpine upgrade for a little extra warmth. The kit comes with very detailed instructions that apparently anyone with access to a sewing machine can make in around "5 to 8 hours spread out over several relaxing evenings".

Luckily, I have a little sister who is fantastic with a sewing machine, so I had it delivered straight to her house on the edge of the Peak District NP.

And there the box has been sitting.

For weeks and weeks and weeks.

Dear sister,
If you happen upon this blog, I love you very much and think you are fabulous, talented, wonderful... in fact, everything a lucky big brother could want.
Just think of the lovely relaxing evenings and the extra special Christmas present I'll buy you. When will it be ready?
Lots of love,
Chris

First Aid Kit in a tub

For those of you without kids, you have probably never heard of Sudocrem. Its main use is for nappy rash, but it really is a wonderful and gentle 'cure all' cream that deserves a place in any first aid kit.
It is advertised as an 'antiseptic healing cream' that can be used for sunburn, minor burns, cuts and chilblains. It's great for chafing, the beginnings of blisters, soothing althletes foot and tastes great spread on oatcakes.
It is available in a tiny little 15g pot as well as larger pots and I was joking about the oatcakes.

New Super Ultralight Utensils coming soon

I use one of the long handled titanium spoons that you can buy from Bob or BPL USA. They are the perfect length for eating out of freezer bags and the only cutlery item you really need. They weigh only 0.6oz.
BPL USA have just launched their brand new SUL (Super Ultra Light) version that cuts another 33% of the weight off - 0.39oz (11g).
This spoon is aparently first in a line of SUL utensils they are developing for gram counters. In their words...

"33% lighter than the famous BPL Long Handled Titanium Spoon, the SUL model is truly for fanatics..."

Akto info...

Andy's new blog led me to the Aktoman blog, if you are thinking of getting the Hilleberg Akto, or even if you already have one - check out his site here.

There are several pages of illustrated information (see the photo) on choosing your site, pitching, occupying and striking your tent.

Thanks for the info Aktoman!

New kit!

I have slowly been replacing my 20 year old kit with new lightweight items and over the coming months, as I have a chance to put it through it's paces, I'll review it on this blog. Some of the items I'll be using are...

• Hilleberg Akto
• GoLite Continuum pack
• Ray Jardine RayWay quilt
• Thermarest Prolite Three 3/4
• Berghaus Infinity Light Jacket
• Berghaus Paclite Smock
• Inov8 Terroc shoes
• All sorts of Ti' goodies
• All sorts of bits and bobs from backpackinglight.com in the US and backpackinglight.co.uk

If you are interested in the Terrocs, visit Andy Howell's site and check out his comprehensive long term report. It made me buy mine!

I'll also be looking at some of the books that have helped me with the whole 'lightweight thing' (see a selection of the best in my links section on the right), plus the Brecon Beacons walking guides that I use.

Bargain - Ultralight Stuff Sacks

www.planetfear.com have a 2 for 1 offer on Outdoor Designs Ultrastuffsacks. They still have medium to xxlarge sizes left.

Medium: 200mm x 350mm
Large: 220mm x 400mm
XLarge: 240mm x 450mm
XXLarge: 280mm x 500mm

One to watch - Alpkit

For those few people who have not discovered Alpkit, check out their site for a well thought out (if small) range of high quality products at a great price. The wonderful thing about Alpkit is that they design and source all of their own products (well sort of - read the story of their ti mug!), cutting out all sorts of middle men, which translates into great prices. A titanium spork for a fiver, 10 ti tent pegs for a £1.50 each, their own brand of 3/4 length Thermarests for 15 quid, a ti cooking pot for 15 quid... stop reading this and get over there now - they are a great company to deal with and they have free postage. Check out their CoLAB too. I love these guys!

The ultimate shopping bag

I just had to show you this. The ultimate bag for popping down to the Spar, made by Granite Gear. If anyone spots these on sale in the UK, please, please let me know!
I reckon you could do the Penine Way with a couple of these.

I am amazed Trail magazine haven't featured these in their 'must have' section - anyone remember the 200 quid portaloo in a briefcase a few issues back?