The Americans call this ‘O.B. Wire’ (for ‘obstetrics’). Vets use it to cut up a stuck calf inside its mother! I have used this stuff to de-horn hundreds of goats in past years (It is not possible to breed poll goats as the poll gene is linked to hermaphroditism). You can quickly tie a length …
I recently bought one of these for Della for canoeing (weight saving is still relevant if you might have to portage). Her glutes are a bit underwhelming so she gets a very sore behind after a few hours paddling. She was using Klymit’s Ultralight Pillow (which is an excellent sleeping pillow) but it was not …
I just saw the Granite Gear, the Crown X60 (ie 60 litre) pack on Massdrop for US$120 which has to be very good value for such a robust award winning hiking pack. As I already have $50 credit from folks whom I have recommended who have joined, it is hard to pass up. Perhaps for …
I was after a couple of cheap light weight pillows for another project (more about that later), so I sourced two of these on eBay for less than A$20 delivered (the pair). These pillows are approximately 18” x 12’ x 4” (45 x 30 x 10 cm) and weigh 100 grams.They have a delightful soft, …
Does your pillow creep away from you during the night – or do you sometimes lose it altogether in the dark? I know I do. Here is a method of preventing that for a weight penalty of 1-2 grams. Well worth it. i think it is self-explanatory. I have just tied a piece of 1 …
Maybe not ultralight, but certainly ultra-cool – and you can cut a banana with them! https://drop.com/buy/xc-carbon-carbon-fiber-playing-cards#overview 91 grams. US $60 (May 2019) ‘No more frayed edges, stains, or fading: if cared for correctly, carbon fiber playing cards can last a lifetime. Made from 100 percent carbon fiber, these thin and durable cards have a twill …
My first sixteen posts about free stuff for hiking proved popular, so here are another sixteen: Home Made Pack Raft I bought a $40 raft (Intex) from Clark Rubber and reinforced it with a layer of poly tarp which can be attached to it with polyethylene tape (from greenhouse suppliers), ‘Gaffer’ or ‘Duct’ tape. You …
You really don’t need to spend up big to have great stuff for hiking, hunting etc as I posted recently here: https://www.theultralighthiker.com/2019/01/30/best-5-spent-on-camping-gear-ever/. For example, for years I carried a $50 .303 Lee-Enfield which has still harvested more deer than the newer guns Della bought for me for special occasions (50th Birthday, 40th wedding anniversary etc). …
We knocked off early on Anzac Day to have a stroll along the Wirilda Track from the W3 ‘road’ downstream. (I am still recovering, slowly). You can put a canoe in here and with some difficulty paddle down to the old Morwell pumping station at Wirilda Park. The river used to be clearer (and may …
I am a big fan of Montbell gear. Their new Ex Light Wind Vest comes in at a mere 37 grams. Pair this with these 28 gram shorts for an extremely light dry change (65 grams) eg when you are doing the washing. I usually wear a vest of some sort most days as I …
World’s Smallest, Lightest Torch – 6 Grams: ‘At barely 1″ in length…you wouldn’t expect this torch to be able to do much. You’d be wrong. This multi-purpose flashlight is made with a titanium body and UV LED rated for a lifetime of use and guaranteed to be iceproof, smashproof, waterproof, and fireproof. UK25 (Apr 2019) …
Your mobile connectivity problems solved. We have had two different Telstra repeaters over the years: a mobile CDMA version and a 3G home version. Where we live the mobile service does not work at all without an external antenna (See this post which is a bit out of date now these new 4G antennae are available). …
Sore feet will sure slow you down. You need to take good care of them. Before I started using this stuff I had cracked heels which were often very painful and would bleed. After a couple of weeks’ use I had heels (feet) like a baby’s. I use it every day now and have …
My spinal surgeon recommended I try this (for my back and knee pain): P.E.A. (Palmitoylethanolamide). It is a naturally occurring fatty acid which works as a pain killer and anti-inflammatory. The daily dose she recommended was 1200 milligrams, easing to 600 after it had taken effect (a couple of weeks). You can view some case …
The Lower Latrobe is a delight particularly like now when most of Gippsland’s rivers are too low for a canoe trip. From Thom’s Bridge (Morwell) to Lake Wellington (Sale) is approximately 165 km (by river) or about 8 days paddling at our normal speed (4 km per hour) and five hours per day. Of course …
Nemo Equipment have ‘reinvented’ the closed cell foam pad. Agreed, it is bulky Well possibly even bulkier – at least than an inflatable) but their new 2 cm thick ‘Switchback’ pad promises much greater comfort still with a very acceptable weight (293 grams in 51″ length and 415 in 72″) and greater durability without the …
Della has been away ‘crafting’ for a week: ‘Spending a few lovely days here at Halls Gap with the ladies, absorbing the energetic creativity of Grampians Texture. I am not doing any classes this year due to the prior claim on my attendance at our son’s wedding on Saturday: Instead I am doing some of my …
SOG have a very nice little multi tool in competition with the Leatherman Micra, the ‘Snippet’. ‘Not every situation warrants a large, full-featured multi-tool. Sometimes you need something that will fit on a key chain, or even disappear into your pocket. For times like that, we have Snippet. A tool designed to help with quick …
Lightest cheapest power banks. From 24 grams as pictured, They double as chargers for 18650 batteries . I recommend (eg genuine) Panasonic NCR18650B 3.6V 3400mAh (flat top) 6.7 amp discharge capacity. These batteries weigh a bit over 40 grams each, so the single bank pictured is 71 grams and the four battery version is 245 …
I am looking for a way to efficiently charge a Mavik Pro drone battery in the field multiple times. I plan to take mine ‘hunting’ with me so I can get some really good aerial footage of sambar deer. Obviously I will not be using it to help me kill a deer. Clearly I will …
