Thanks to my friend Brett for his advice about washing/treating (down) sleeping bags. I have now used Nikwax’s Down Wash & Down Proof products http://meaningoflite.com (sent from England in 1 litre containers via eBay – cheaper than 300ml avail locally: 150ml of each needed per sleeping bag) on my ‘worst’ Montbell Ultralight Super Stretch Down […]
If you have never tried out an alcohol stove (or made one yourself) you should really try this. All you need is a sharp blade a a pair of scissors and an empty can. You will be surprised how well it works. You should also read this post: Fuel Follies. Then if you take a
Just bought a great new pair of wet weather pull-on boots, Otway Ranger Lo Soft (Toe) @ $75 from Scotts, Traralgon. I have just been around the lambs on the (steep) hill and can report that they have excellent grip on wet, clayey grass and are totally waterproof in 2” deep puddles. These are a
Make your own unbreakable shoe laces. That way you don’t need to carry a spare. You can buy Aglets (ie ends – what a great word – from Old French ‘aiguillette’, a small needle) cheaply enough A$3.88 per 100 plus 50 ft 2.3 mm black Kevlar line A$24.92 (pictured) to make your own unbreakable shoe
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
