Some fathers ARE spoiled! Yesterday I received this excellent gift: http://www.suluk46.com/products%20%20-%20P14%20TDW%20Stove.html It will save nearly 3 oz from my pack weight! Yesterday morning I tried boiling the billy on it…and, it is a BEAUTY. I thought NOTHING would surpass the Bushbuddy Ultra (http://bushbuddy.ca/indexs.html) but I was wrong (as usual?) The saving in weight is enough […]
Some interesting stuff here: http://southwestultralight.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/outdoor-retailer-summer-market-2014.html I DO like AMK’s new $25 pad. I will get some of these. Good for the daypack (or an emergency night in the bush) as is their Escape Bivy. Maybe carry a piece of cuben tape in case repairs are needed. Another great emergency idea is the Blizzard Bag: (http://www.blizzardsurvival.com/product.php/100/blizzard-survival-bag)
29 GRAM multi-fuel stove. I wouldn’t have thought it could get any better than this: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1080275728/critter-cr2-multifuel-backpacking-camp-stove Well, it DOES… I bent three of these 1 gram titanium tent pegs (http://www.amazon.com/Terra-Nova-Titanium-Skewers-Pack/dp/B007POB8IC) carefully like this to make a cradle for this 450ml Vargo (insulated lip) cup (http://www.amazon.com/Terra-Nova-Titanium-Skewers-Pack/dp/B007POB8IC) @63 grams. All you need to add is a mini-Bic (11
I think I will try one of these. I KNOW it’s only 80 grams lighter than my Bushbuddy, but you have to score something for birthdays and Xmas, surely? Anyway, that’s nearly 3 oz of Bacardi 151, enough for a fair buzz around the campfire one night at least: http://www.suluk46.com/products%20%20-%20P14%20TDW%20Stove.html
Hiking food again: Ainsley Harriott ‘Creamy Vegetable Spelt’: THIS was quite delicious (so long as you have eg a Brasslite stove to simmer it on for @ 20 minutes). 150 GRAMS = 568 calories (3.78:1). If you feel you might need more protein, a sachet of tuna, 100 gram can of ham etc might be
If you have difficulty buying stuff online, check out http://www.shipito.com/ They are just great. You can (for example) buy that stuff on Amazon (which has free US shipping but which they won’t send to Oz) and have Shipito forward it (very cheaply). We do this all the time. We usually use Shipito’s cheapest freight rates
Hiking food, an occasional series: if you are an omnivore like me, you probably have at least occasional lusts for venal delights (hiking food, folks!) The trick to satisfying these is to do so without spoilage/food poisoning…’Hans Twiggies’ are a staple with us (eg chopped & added to ‘Four Cheeses’ pasta) as they require no
Already a lightweight hiker, I have nonetheless managed to shave off nearly 2kg from my pack weight in prep for our next foray into the Fiordland wilderness. These were amongst the savings: Cuben Raincoat (save 334 grams), http://www.zpacks.com/ Waterproof Over Booties (save 365 grams), https://goosefeetgear.com/ Extra Light Down Jacket (save 200 grams), http://www.montbell.com/ New Pot
This guy’s ultralight stove set-ups are astonishing. Imagine a wood stove which weighs 22 grams http://www.suluk46.com/products%20%20-%20P17%20Napsiktok%20Stove.html! Or a Titanium version of the ‘Bushbuddy’ (http://bushbuddy.ca/) that weighs only 78 grams! For the real ultralighter, there is a 2-fuel pot and stove combo that weighs 45 grams!http://www.suluk46.com/products.html Comparable products are Trail Design’s Ti Tri (http://www.traildesigns.com/stoves/caldera-ti-tri) and Evernew’s
Though still a bit stiff and sore (I think mainly from the VERY hot walk on Wednesday afternoon) I am pretty happy to be still able to walk 20+km a day carrying a pack (even in fairly rugged country). Of course it helps if you can reduce the weight of the contents of your pack
