I have been giving my new Gossamer Gear Gorilla Backpack a test run. All the gear and food for a couple of days for myself and my dog do fit in the smaller (40 + 8 litre pack) – as you can see. Shrinking your kit (from 52 litres) like this exercises a profitable degree […]
(As Robbie Burns opined) “o’ Mice an’ Men. Gang aft agley, An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain” (‘To a Mouse’: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/43816). The photo of Spot and I testing out the new Klymit packraft (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/klymit-packraft/) on the farm dam give no hint of this. I need to inflate it some more I think. I
One of the pleasant surprises my birthday brought this year was this wonderful Toaks 1350 ml pot and frypan lid from Trail Designs (https://www.traildesigns.com/cookware/toaks-1350-ml-ultralight-titanium-pot) Though only 9 grams heavier then my Toaks 1100 ml pot it holds 250ml more, so it is big enough for the biggest meals for two people on the trail (or
This is a very useful article. The author (http://gossamergear.com/wp/rain-guide-to-backpacking) is certainly right that after a while you are bound to get soaked to the skin. This may mean you have to camp early to get yourself under a roof and warm up (See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/) or it can be avoided by using an umbrella or (I
Yesterday we decided to have a day off and enjoy a peaceful walk along this beautiful Gippsland trail. Because we are replete with serendipity we happened to be there at low tide (Do!) http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/tides/#!/vic-port-welshpool-pier This way you can walk one way along the shore and return along the bridle path, or vice versa. You can
There is Simply Nothing Like an Old Port Walking Trail: Read More »
Believe it or not: A 4 Gram String Tripod: A taut string will act as a tripod! You can tie an approx 6’ (1.8m) length of string to a small bolt the size which fits in the tripod socket of your camera then screw it in to the camera. If you stand on the string
A taut string will act as a tripod or a gun rest! Read More »
Kodak 5200 mAh Powerbank: $15 at Safeway/Woolworths 150 grams (139 minus cord). This is cheap enough you could just use it once (instead of 500X!) then throw it away! Doesn’t the world just keep getting better and better? Of course there are lighter (if not cheaper) options. For example, I usually carry a spare battery
Carrying a 20kg knapsack around the Gippsland hills in pursuit of thistles, rushes, ragwort, blackberries, etc really makes you fit. More folk ought have a farm or volunteer their efforts to someone who does. There are plenty of more weeds out there on other people’s land – I can see them out my window! After
Weed Spraying is a great preparation for backpacking. Read More »
Hugh Glass (‘The Revenant’, ‘Man in the Wilderness’): ‘Although I had lost my rifle and all my plunder I felt quite rich when I found my knife, flint and steel in my shot pouch. These little fixens make a man feel righ peart when he is three or four hundred miles from any body or
I felt quite rich when I found my knife, flint and steel in my shot pouch: Read More »
Sick of those out of focus selfies with the end of an arm at the bottom? All you need is a large rubber band or a hair tie and a forked stick you pick up in the bush. Loop one end around one end of the camera then around the stick (as shown) then around
