Here’s the lightest carbon fibre Canadian I could find the Hornbeck Blackjack at 11 lbs (5 kg). An interesting alternative to a packraft (See below). Hornbeck Blackjack ($1,695-$1,795 in carbon fiber, hornbeckboats.com) L: 12′; W:30″; D: 10″, 11-15 lbs. Made in Peter Hornbeck’s pine shed just a short drive from our put-in at Follensby Pond, […]
As they say ‘from little acorns grow’. Yet there are those who debunk some of my modest efforts to reduce minor aspects of my pack weight (such as my recent ‘Toothbrush Spoon‘ post -which saves at least 10 grams), or my DIY Ten Gram Pillow which probably saves you at least an ounce (or 30
I guess ‘everyone’ understands about calories per gram in choosing their hiking food requirements – if you want to save weight, and have realised that does not mean eating nothing but peanut butter – 6 calories per gram or 7 for real butter, no matter how weight-desirable that might be (I have many food tips
Another version of an ultralight chair. I think this is the one I will go with – once I have refined it a little further. As you can see it weighs only two ounces (56 grams). It is slightly more comfy than my trusty Cyclone Chair i have used for many years but may not
I first made a prototype of this chair half way through 2017, but it has waited on some fancy fasteners to come to fruition. This is #1 (of two) of my Nano Chair, a hiking chair which weighs less than 2 ounces approx 50 grams. No-one needs be without a comfy seat in the wilderness
For a million years (or more) this has been a defining ‘element’ of human life, indeed so much so that certain ancients considered it as one of four primordials: earth, water, air, fire. Indeed this classification has a resonance to it still. Early man learned that fire not only provided essential warmth (and protection from
This is a guide to making your own ultralight tent stove out of cheaply available materials using simple hand tools. The stove is intended to take up practically zero space in your pack and weigh as little as possible (250-300 grams total – about half a pound) cost less than $50 and take maybe an
I tend to buy a lot of tent pegs because I am always making new tents/tarps and I like to have them all complete against need. I have found Aliexpress to be a good source (if you can wait for delivery). The ‘Tito’ brand there is quite satisfactory, for example. I favour a Shepherd’s hook
I have just finished making and erecting my new (476 gram) tent (‘the Grey Flyer – it is a very windy day, hence the name!) in the garden, as you can see ahead of a trip I am planning soon. I just couldn’t resist finishing it so that I could take advantage of the 150
Fire lighting is a profound ‘secret’ which if you do not master, you might come to a time when you do not survive at all because of your ignorance. Take the time and patience to learn to be its master. Prometheus the Titan has a lot to answer for – but Boy, have we ever
