Of course you know what this is; it’s a very silly empty fuel container which you can see weighs 5.1 oz or 147 grams. Lots of unwise hikers lug these stupid things around! Let’s look at it another way. A lightweight bottle to carry alcohol (meths) in might weigh 10-20 grams. My lightest burner weighs […]
I received my new Topo Hydraventure 2 shoes from Injinji about a month ago. The new model is even better than the old one. Look at that tread. 310 grams in US size 9.5 The comparison shoe for me is Keen’s Targhee 2 which weighs 436.6 grams according to their website. I have used these
We took a break from building the fox-proof fence this afternoon to have a stroll on the Wirilda Track which snakes along the beautiful little Tyers River North of Morwell. For many years it has been the Latrobe Valley’s principal fresh water supply. By starting At Moe Railway Station you can use the wonderful Wirilda
Della: Today’s job was the asparagus bed: This is a perennial crop, and having planted the crowns about 30 years ago, we have little to do each year other than cut off the dead fronds each winter. Gardening guides say that you can do this once the fronds turn yellow in autumn, but that is
If you have read this blog regularly you will realise that I have been a farmer for many years. For the last few decades a sheep farmer. And more specifically Finnsheep, but not just any Finnsheep. These sheep are the result of forty years of very careful, very practical sheep breeding. I believe they are
It is such a nuisance arriving at your destination and not having your favourite knife available for those simple tasks like peeling an apple, opening a box, cutting a rope etc. It is also awkward to have to post your knife ahead for pick-up or buy one then throw it away or post it back
We always camp in an open shelter (something like this) with an open fire out the front. So warm and cozy even on cold, wet days. This shelter is very easy to make. It consists of a square of Tyvek ‘Homewrap’ (available Bunnings in 30 metre rolls) 8’ x 8’ square. The ‘wings’ consist of
I made this last night out of some aluminium flashing. The aluminium will most likely not stand up to the intense heat of a fire for long, but as a prototype/proof of concept I am happy with it. Some .5mm (soft) stainless steel foil has arrived this morning in the mail so I will be
This is still my favourite hiking knife. I received one of these knives for Xmas 2013 and have carried it everywhere since. The Johnson Adventure® Piggyback®. It is just brilliant: overall weight 36.5g, knife only 27.5g (US$12.27 – Dec 2013). The blade is definitely thick enough and strong enough to split kindling. This is a
Just as a follow-up to my recent utility knife post I have recently become aware of these two wonderful little knives, one of which must just about qualify as being the tiniest of knives at .169 oz (4.8 grams) – less than a credit card, they say in their ad! The other is a cheaper,
