(Pictured poles with & without wrist strap. I make up a strap with a tiny piece of 1mm spectra myself for those occasions you need to carry them, eg across a walk wire). These hiking poles are wonderful. (US$95 ea – Nov 2017). At just over 100 grams each they are about 150 grams lighter […]
Bill Bryson has a new book on the year 1927, which is a very interesting idea for a book (Review here: http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/bill-bryson%27s-1927.aspx). I enjoyed his one about hiking the Appalachian trail (http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464 )
Back from one of my favourite places in Wonnangatta-Moroka: six hours walk in from my car & five hours drive from here to the closest driveable location. This has to be one of the remotest areas in Victoria. Deer (and dingoes!) as common as rabbits elsewhere. Took our old Jack Russell, Tiny along for the
Recently Della and I circumnavigated the Snowy River in our Defender and and camper (http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/). The area up around McKillops Bridge remains today an isolated place to live. It must have been much moreso eg when the Ambon Settlement was founded as a soldier settlement scheme after WW1 (there remains an interesting historic suspension bridge
Back from four days’ hiking in the Wonnangatta–Moroka National Park May 31, 2013 with the lovely Della and the two Jack Russells who just have to see this wonderful wilderness which is being preserved for ‘future generations’ but not for the current one. We know a beautiful remote flat where we camped amid the comings and
Woodchopping: A tip I learned from Col Francis: don’t cut the block as you would a tomato or an orange; peel it like an onion: ie: work your way in from the outside…
I have been thinking about my Tyvek tent designs again: I believe I can now make an approx 6 foot high, zero condensation ‘fire’ tent for 2-4 people which will weigh under one kilo including floor and zipperless mosquito netting and which will set up against a tree or with the aid of a hiking
I don’t know whether I posted a report on my Six Moon Designs Dyneema pack, the Swift – which I think my wife gave me earlier for Xmas. It has proved wonderfully comfortable and durable. It would be hard to beat in a 428 gram pack (at $110!). I switched the waist belt for a single one
Went hiking with my son Bryn’s little dog, Tiny. Expected to be out all week but unfortunately hurt my back so limped home. Here we see Tiny on her special hiking bed helping herself to some dog nuts and her caching some for later, just in case.
Hunting about near Bruthen on Sunday with my boys (Matt & Bryn): a beautiful sunny day. Too bad the wet summers have thickened the bush up so much you can’t even see the deer (though I heard lots). A beautiful sunny spring day: the wild fuschia, normally a vapid drab was a riot of scarlet
