Pine Down Blanket
Ultralight on a budget. Over at Massdrop they have this interesting 3 season down quilt for just US$99.99 (July 2018). It can be used as a blanket or a quilt due to some interesting innovative features. If you pair it … Continued
Have you tried the new Pulse Pasta?
Made only from beans and peas instead of grains – and so much better for you. Especially if you have a blood sugar problem. Also gluten free. We have and found it delicious. It has more of a nutty flavour … Continued
Exped Synmat HL Winter M
My thanks to reader (Belle) for alerting me to the Exped Synmat HL Winter M (I had overlooked) which weighs 430 grams and has an R-rating of 5.0 at 183 cm long 52 wide (35 cm at the foot) and … Continued
AXL Air Down Pad
I am thinking of modifying one of Big Agnes’ AXL Air Pads (by cutting it down say to 5’4″) and adding in approximately 4 ounces of Hyper Dry Down. This should give me a pad which weighs around 360 grams … Continued
No Cold Shoulder Spreader Hammock:
I like the spreader bar on this new hammock from Rei. This would stop that annoying thing where the hammock fabric compresses the insulation of your sleeping bag at shoulder-to-elbow and creates a cold spot. There are several other ways … Continued
Clever Titanium Windscreen
Steve Evans at Suluk 46 has a really cleverly designed adjustable titanium windscreen. You especially need a windscreen if you are cooking with alcohol or esbits, but in any case the wind will steal as much as half of the … Continued
Massdrop In Stock
Massdrop now have some of their great specials in stock – so you don’t have to wait for a drop. For example, they have the Enlightened Equipment Quilt I recently posted about for US $219.99 (Jun 2018). Their excellent Fizan … Continued
Garmin Inreach Mini:
posted in: Backpacking, Electronics, Four Wheel Driving, GPS, Hiking, Hunting, Maps, Phones, Survival Kit |
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At last a fully functional GPS, satellite communicator and epirb which weighs 100 grams (3.5 oz!) The new and improved ‘Poor Man’s Satellite Phone‘. I already own the earlier ‘Delorme Inreach’ model (190 grams) which I love, so can’t imagine … Continued
A Quilt for all Seasons
There is no doubt that a quilt can be lighter, more comfortable, and a lot less inconvenient to enter and exit than a bag. A down quilt can weigh under 500 grams for something which will rate around -10C (providing … Continued
What to include in a wilderness cache:
I have a number of favourite spots I visit every now and then sprinkled around the Gippsland bush mainly far from roads. Many are on the other side of large rivers which sometimes rise unpredictably and can cut you off … Continued
Blizzard Bag
A cheap lightweight reusable waterproof sleeping bag/shelter which will save your life in an emergency. I have had one of these in the bottom of my day pack for over ten years. To date (fortunately) I have never had to … Continued
Cold Season Pads:
I have used the Thermarest Neoair Womens for years. It has an (insulation) R-rating of 3.9. I was quite warm enough in it at around zero Celsius with just a Columbia Silver Ridge shirt and trousers and a pair of … Continued
Mattresses I have Known:
I doubt anything else about camping has changed so much as sleeping. When I was a lad I always just slept on the bare ground. As a bit of a sissy, my only concession to comfort was to dig the … Continued
Brawny’s ‘Tarptent’
This is a very useful video on how to create a lightweight shelter from a standard 10’ x 12’ silnylon tarp: Many other fascinating vids by this outstanding lady, Carol Wellman here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=brawny03 You can buy such a tarp eg … Continued
Happy Birthday Ultralight Hiker:
Who would have thought three years ago today that this blog would have over 1100 posts, a million words plus of content, (ten+ novels’ worth!) over 15,000 images, and so many followers – someone every minute! Some recent doings: Exploring … Continued
Mighty Tiny Phone:
Following the success of their ‘Jelly’ the smallest 4G smartphone, which is still available for US124.99 (May 2018) Uniherrtz have developed this little beauty the ‘Atom’ which comes with many other features (including now a really serious 16 meg camera). … Continued
A Cure for Slippery Mats:
I have just spent a couple of weeks sleeping on my new Big Agnes AXL Air 300 gram mat in Scotland. It is indubitably the most comfortable mat I have ever slept on, but it does suffer from being a … Continued
Nightcore Tube Hat Clip:
My thanks to Kiarnan over at Reddit for this idea https://imgur.com/gallery/JfLTn His bobby pin idea worked just as well with a couple of ‘O-rings’ such as I usually use in my own head torch mod Setting up the torch on … Continued
Lentil and Bacon Soup
Here is a simple tasty lentil soup (for those who don’t like curry) made entirely from dry ingredients. I made some up for my lunch today and found it pleasant but perhaps a bit strong tasting. Next time i will … Continued
Corrugated Heat Diffuser, 3 grams.
Sick of having to clean the burned bottom of your pot, particularly after a long simmer? Zelph has the answer. Place this underneath your pot above the burner. I’m afraid he doesn’t give any other clues to how it was … Continued