Cherry spoon

Cherry spoon, coffee stained and oiled with walnut oil

Iceland trek

Iceland trek along the Laugavegurinn trail

Link to album:
https://goo.gl/photos/HKZxcWAStnCFFTDE6

New Gear: 550 Firecord

This product is currently a kickstarter project so  it has not been tested in anyway. Basically 550 FireCord is 550 parachute cord or "paracord" but with the ability to use it as tinder for fire starting.

So, deploy your 550 FireCord to meet all of your parachute cord needs. For example,zipper pulls and handles to keychains, bracelets and lanyards and as simply as lashing.

When you need the fire tinder remove the inner strands, light just like any fire tinder and build your fire.  After the inner strands are used the outer shell can still be utilized as before. 550 Firecord is also waterproof, however, I am not sure of its longevity in the field and how long it would last when stored. For more information check out:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/livefiregear/550-firecord-the-ultimate-emergency-fire-starter

Last light

Gear we like: Titanium Fire box grill by Vargo

Vargo are well known for making titanium products and the fire box grill is one of their new products. I have not tested this myself but it looks pretty good for potential backpacking trips as the grill could be used for barbecuing as well as the usual saucepan use. The set-up looks pretty easy and the whole thing flat packs into a nylon sleeve making it easily transportable.

Tech Specs:

• Grate size: 8 x 8 inches (205 x 205 mm)

• Folded size: 8 x 4.25 (205 x 110 mm)

• Weight: 5.8 oz. (194 grams) (Stainless Steel 310g)

• Open Height: 3 inches (80 mm)

The only negative is the cost, however, it also comes in stainless steel.

Gear we like: Lance Ockenden knives

Lance Ockenden hand-made knives, this one is the pocket pal in cocobolo wood.
Check out his website:

http://www.driftwoodwalker.co.uk/

Gear we like: The Vertex Ultralight stove

The Vertex Ultralight stove is also designed to support a popular alcohol burner (the Trangia Spirit Burner) used by many minimalist backpackers. The great thing about denatured alcohol is that you can buy it at virtually any hardware store around the world.
  
Weighs only 1.8 ounces and packs smaller than your trail map - the perfect ultralight backpacking stove. The curved design creates incredible strength with very little mass.  The stove has no moving parts, assembles in seconds, and packs smaller than your trail map, so it can be tucked into even the thinnest pockets in your pack.  

It serves the essential functions of fuel support, windscreen, and pot-stand in a simple and elegant design.  

Specification:

Material: Tempered 301 Brushed Stainless Steel
Assembled Dimensions:  4.84 in. X 2.87 in. X 3.0 in.
Weight: 1.8 ounces (50 grams)


Currently a kickstarter project:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1903954393/vertex-ultralight-backpacking-stove

Field test: Sven saw (lightweight folding bow saw)

A very useful camping and backpacking saw that can be folded into itself, making it easily transportable in a backpack. This one is the 21 inch blade variety and weighs in at 1 lb. Folded the saw is 24 inches in length. The blade folds into the handle for safety during transport.

Memories from the summer - wild camp on the beach (southwest coast path)

Gearpods lanterns

Just a couple of tips for using the gearpods survival kits as lanterns. Invert a head torch on the outside to give off a ambient light (this also works well for empty milk cartons).  Or alternatively, use a bit of bungy cord on the outside to attach a light with a diffuser.

Cold night on the moors

Cold night on Dartmoor last night -4.5 C, very unusual for April.

Traditional style backpacks: Frost River Isle Royale Bushcraft Pack

With the popularity of bushcraft quite a few traditional style backpacks are on the market besides the old favourite bergen style backpacks. These range from quality offerings from Fjallraven to some hand-made and more expensive specialty backpacks. While I would say some of these new backpacks are little more than a fashion accessory and not particularly practical for backpacking, some are exceptionally well made as well as being highly functional. With this in mind I have recently had the chance to use an example of the latter made by Frost River called the Isle Royale Bushcraft Pack.

First impressions of the backpack are that this is indeed a high quality product and built pretty much like a tank. Weighing in at a hefty 2.5 kg this is not a light backpack but the pack itself is surprisingly roomy. This version is the junior version and it also retails in a larger senior version. At a guess I would say this pack is roughly about 50 cubic litres which provides ample room for an overnight or weekend trip. The pack has also two large external pockets, easily room enough for a couple of one litre water bottles as well as an internal pocket on the inside of the lid. On the external sides of the backpack there is also pockets with compression straps. I do like the design of the backpack where they have put the large external pockets on the main body rather than to the sides as this makes travelling through dense undergrowth easier and less likely to snag. Between the two external pockets is a hatchet/axe sleeve. Also, behind each of the external pockets, there is another deep pocket, each with a brass grommet drain hole in the bottom. Further capacity can be gained from the sturdy lash points from the bottom on the bottom of the pack.

Every single attachment point, buckle and seam on this backpack has been designed extremely well. All buckles and d-rings are made of solid brass and the straps are made of high quality leather. The main backpack shoulder straps themselves are made with padded leather wrapped in deer hide and there is also an adjustable leather sternum strap.


When I field tested the backpack I was carrying approximately 10 kg which consisted of a standard overnight trip (tarpaulin, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, spare clothes, food and cooking utilities etc.). I found the backpack pretty comfortable to carry, however, the backpack does not have a hip belt so all the weight is carried on your shoulders. So this backpack is not really designed for heavy haulage or long distance trips.

Summary, this is an exceptionally made and robust backpack and would appeal to bushcrafty types who are looking for a traditional style backpack. The backpack overall remains highly functional, purposeful and uncomplicated.

What is good

Exceptional quality, good functionality, durability, materials and design.

What is not so good

Weight, but then again it not designed for lightweight backpacking. Lacks a hip belt which would affect its use for heavy haulage and long-distance trekking.

What is its ideal usage

Overnight and weekend bushcraft style trips, short haulage and canoeing.

Tech specs:

Volume: ~50 litres

Weight: 2.5 kg

Pockets: 4 external and 1 internal

Closure: Internal rain flaps, large flap over main compartment

Shoulder straps: Harness leather, foam pad, buckskin, plus sternum strap.

Compression system: Leather strap and buckle, para cord and d-rings.

Base: double canvass

Materials: 18 oz. waxed canvas, premium leather, solid brass hardware.

7 years of wildcamping together

A number of shots I've taken of a father and son wildcamping together over the last 7 years. They don't half grow up pretty quick.

Field test: Thermarest sleep system

Any outdoor bit of gear with the word ‘system’ in it needs checking out in my opinion. As i’m a sucker for multi-functional bits of kit. So what is the Thermarest ‘sleep system’? quite simply it is three bits of gear consisting of a Thermarest sleeping mat, a fitted sheet to cover the mattress and a thermal blanket. These are designed to complement each other to form a sleeping system. In this gear test I used the Thermarest all season Neoair mattress combined with the fitted sheet and Thermarest’s  Alpine 35 down blanket (detailed review here: http://www.theoutdoorlab.com/2012/11/blankets-vs-sleeping-bags-thermorest.html).

The Neoair is a very warm sleeping mat with the mat being rated at a 4.9 R-value and inflates to around 2.5 inches (6.5 cm). The main function of the Fitted Sheet is to bind the Down Blanket to the NeoAir mat. The sheet adds a degree of comfort and perhaps a little bit more thermal protection. However, for lightweight backpackers this is probably not essential to carry. A positive feature of the sheet is the anti-slide straps on the bottom of the sheet. These straps hold the sheet over the mat and prevent the whole system from sliding around on the slick floor of a tent. Finally, the Down blanket completes the system. This combination of all three bits of kit make a very warm, comfortable and versatile sleep system.

Conclusion: After using the system for a number of nights there is no doubt about it that this is sleeping luxury. It is more akin to sleeping in a real bed (well for camping anyway). At a configured weight close to 1.5 kg it might be a little too heavy for weight conscious backpackers and you may want to ditch the sheet as it is not essential. However, for general camping where weight is not an issue it offers an extremely comfortable sleep and is certainly worth considering. In summary, if you are not concerned by the small weight penalty this system provides a flexible, comfortable sleep system.

Tech specs:

Neoair all season mattress: 568 g
Fitted sheet: 200 g
Alpine down blanket: 624 g

Vintage style bushcraft kit

 Not particularly light this one, but still nice and very robust too

Morning world - sunrise behind an old ruined farmhouse on dartmoor

Field test: Spyderco Bill Moran

I’ve recently been given a couple of spyderco fixed blade knives to try out and review, the first being the spyderco Bill Moran and the second the small Enuff. First off with the Bill Moran which I have field tested over the last couple of weeks .I’m not that particularly familiar with spyderco fixed blades so this was really a first although like most of us I have seen their popular folders. 

The spyderco Bill Moran is an extremely lightweight camping/hunting knife that has a total weight of 85g (3oz) for a blade that is just under 4 inches. In previous incarnations these knives have been under the production model called ‘featherweights’ for obvious reasons. Actually due to the balance of the knife it feels somewhat lighter. The handle is crafted from fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) with rubbery Kraton inserts on both sides and on the thumb ramp.In contrast to Spyderco's flat handled folders, the Moran's curved handle is three-dimensional with swells that fit the palm providing excellent grip when wet or dry. This knife does not have a full tang so it is not really designed for certain bushcraft activities like batoning for example but it does excel as a cutting tool.

The drop point style blade is flat ground and milled from VG-10 stainless steel. If anyone has used VG-10 they will know of its much earned reputation as a great all-around steel: corrosion resistant, tough enough for utility use, and capable of taking and holding a keen edge. Out of the box this blade is extremely sharp and probably the sharpest I’ve come across. The Moran comes with a pancake style black Boltaron sheath which is well constructed and has great positive retention and a drainage hole drilled toward the bottom. The sheath also comes with spyderco’s own 6 position TekLock fastening system which allows the knife to be carried vertically or horizontally. In conclusion, this knife is rather like a more expensive Mora. However, the knife is extremely light and well made with modern materials,excellent steel and finished off with an ergonomic design which I think justifies its price.

What is good
Lightness, quality, VG10 steel, and blade sharpness.

What is not so good

If you want to do more bushcraft activities like batoning you might want to think of a knife with a thicker width and a full tang.

What is its ideal usage

Lightweight camping/hunting knife that excels at food preparation, game preparation and other camping chores

Tech specs:
Overall length: 8 inches (203 mm)Blade length: 3.88 inches (99 mm)Blade steel: VG 10Blade thickness: ⅛ inchWeight: 3 oz (84 g)

Field test: New generation Jetboil

The Jetboil Sol Advanced Cooking System, is currently the new generation of the classic jetboil. The jetboil sol is virtually the same as the titanium model Sol Ti Premium Cooking System, except that it has an Aluminum pot instead of a Titanium pot, and the cozy has a very useful heat indicator strip on it. The heat indicator strip will begin to change from grey to yellow showing you when the water has reached the ideal temperature (see main pic). The system is very compact and inside that 800 ml pot you can fit a universal pot support, a 100 g standard class canister of gas, the burner, and a set of canister legs which provides the pot with support.

Improvements on the original jetboil

I have had the original jeboil for about 7 years and it has worn very well considering its use over the years. Since then Jetboil has made a concerted effort to lighten nearly every component of the Sol Advanced Cooking System. The whole system is generally smaller and lighter and it still has the piezo igniter built into the system. The piezoelectric ignition is also much improved from the original (I actually broke the ignitor on the original after using less than 10 times).The stove can be further lightened by eliminating the top cover, cozy, and bottom cover to reduce the weight to just 213 g. However, not all these lightweight enhancements come with benefits as I have found the robustness of the system has been slightly compromised (see bottom pic).

Performance wise the Jetboil exceeds in boiling water very fast with using a minimum amount of gas to reach boiling point, this is one of the main advantages of using a jetboil over a standard cooking stove as it will save on the amount of gas cannisters you have to take with you and therefore reduce your overall carried weight. Another advantage besides the excellent heating rate and fuel efficiency is that the stove performs well in strong winds and you will generally not need wind protection. A quick word of caution if you have not used a Jetboil before, if you fill the pot beyond 500 ml, be really careful and use a low flame. The Jetboil is a very powerful stove, and you can easily have a boil over. A boil over could cascade boiling hot water on your canister which could cause the stove to have a potentially dangerous flare.

What is good

Lightness, fuel efficiency, good wind resistance, excellent cold resistance and the included pot support allows burner to be used with conventional pots.

What is not so good

I found that the Jetboil Sol has been slightly compromised in its overall robustness in the the drive for lightness. The system can feel quite delicate, particularly with cold hands and I have already broken the bottom cup attachments when attaching the cup to the bottom of the jetboil (see pic). This was only after using it a couple of times.

What is its ideal usage

Fast and light activities where you’ll be cooking dehydrated meals for less than two people. It excels at lightweight backpacking and alpine climbing.

Tech specs:

Boil Time: 16 oz (1/2 Liter) = 2 minutes
Dimensions: 104 mm x165 mm
Volume: 0.8L
Thermo-Regulate technology delivers consistent heat in very cold conditions
Insulating Cozy with heat-indicating display
push-button igniter
Weight (system only): 300g

Blankets vs. sleeping bags: Thermarest Alpine 35 down blanket

A fairly recent trend in lightweight backpacking is a move towards using lightweight blankets or quilts as opposed to the traditional ‘mummy style’ sleeping bag. The reasoning behind this move is to generally cut down on the weight and bulk of traditional sleeping bags. They also have some other advantages which I will touch on later.

While there are many manufactures having their particular model or take on the blanket/duvet (check out Golight for an alternative). I’ve recently had the chance to test Thermorest’s model called the ‘Alpine down blanket’ over a number of nights. The blanket is generally lighter (624g) in weight than most regular mummy or rectangular sleeping bags mainly because it has an open back and the absence of a zipper or a hood. This also allows the blanket to be packed down to a very small size. Due to having a open back, the blanket simply drapes over you and your sleeping pad to stay warm. The absence of underside insulation should not affect the comfort level as long as you are using a decent sleeping pad with good thermal properties (in this test I was using the Pacific Outdoors 'peak elite ac'). The blanket drapes over the side of the sleeping pad and also has an elasticated foot box that tucks under the sleeping pad to prevent any side drafts (see photo). Field test: I tested the blanket at ambient temperatures between 7-10 C so I didn’t have the chance to test it at its minimal thermal rating. At these the temperatures the blanket performed very well. However, I think any temperatures below this I would have perhaps would have worn some layers. You may also want to consider wearing an insulated hat due to lack of a hood if the ambient temperatures are low.

Having tested the blanket over a number of nights I have come to the realisation that I am definitely a convert to using blankets as opposed to sleeping bags on wildcamping trips. One of the main reasons for this transition is actually comfort. I have realised that as a predominantly ‘side sleeper’ I found the blanket much more comfortable to use than a traditional sleeping bag where the ‘mummy’ design basically forces you to sleep mainly on your back. The other advantage is that you can get under the covers in a matter of seconds. So after using mummy style sleeping bags for decades camping this transition was surprisingly simple to take. In summary, if you want to cut down on weight and bulk and you are a predominantly a side sleeper the blanket/quilt is definitely worth checking out.

Tech specs:

weight: 624g
length: 193 cm
width: 123 cm
fill: 700 fill goose down

‘The Ridgeway’ long distance path and wildcamping

‘The ridgeway’ is a long distance walk in southern England and is described as Britain’s oldest road dating back to at least 5000 years. The Ridgeway National Trail which is roughly about 90 miles (145 km) long follows the ancient Ridgeway from Overton Hill, near Avebury, to Streatley, then follows footpaths and parts of the ancient Icknield Way through the Chiltern Hills to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire.



While this is not my usual lightweight backpacking trip as I prefer the landscape to be a little wilder and off the beaten path, culturally and historically this is a great walk to do if you are interested in travelling along ancient landscapes. Being in use for around 5000 years the route is littered with ancient monuments dating from the neolithic to the iron age and consist of ancient barrrows, prehistoric hill figures, iron age forts and the famous henge at Avebury itself. Some of the highlights include:

Avebury http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avebury

West Kennet Long Barrow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Kennet_Long_Barrow

Silbury Hill http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silbury_Hill

Wayland’s smithy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayland's_Smithy

Uffington white horse http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uffington_White_Horse

Barbury castle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbury_Castle

Traditionally, walkers use a variety of campsites and B&B to accomplish this walk but we thought we would try it wildcamping. Also another tradition is to start at Avebury and travel NE along the route, we decided to do this the opposite way around and to finish in Avebury. While wildcamping is not really officially allowed on the ridgeway itself, it can be done with some careful planning and common sense. There are a lot of areas you can wildcamp along the way as the path can be quite wide in some places and the route has many woods and copices following the path. The best way I found in planning a route like this is to use something like google earth to explore potential spots for wildcamping. Places to ignore are those found close to settlements, in National Trust properties obviously and close to intersections that have carparks. As a rule of thumb if you are at least 1 mile from any carpark you should not get disturbed by any pesky early morning dogwalkers. It also helps doing this walk at this time of year as the sun sets about 7 pm and rises at 7 am giving you plently of time to setup camp and decamp before anyone is on the trail.

The only real problem we found in walking the ridgeway is the lack of water sources along the ridge and you may have to come off the trail occasionally and seek some small village to top up on water.