Ultralight Hiking

There is Simply Nothing Like an Old Port Walking Trail:

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 […]

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Weed Spraying is a great preparation for backpacking.

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

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I felt quite rich when I found my knife, flint and steel in my shot pouch:

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

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Porridge:

Is undoubtedly the most compact energy dense and sustaining breakfast to eat on the trail. Unfortunately the ‘instant’ versions of this staple have been so adulterated and laden with diabetes promoting nasties as to be almost downright dangerous. Here is Della’s ‘traditional’ porridge recipe. It is astonishing that it needs only one level teaspoon of

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If you could only carry two things in the bush, what would they be?

Now I mean: if you suddenly found yourself there, having fallen out of a boat, after a plane crash which you miraculously survived – or if you were just magically transported there from your living room in just your shorts. Hauroko Burn Dusky Track Fiordland NZ. I think they should be things which you could

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Inflatable Insulated Clothing:

 I am surprised this idea has not taken off more given that it is (trapped) air which is the insulator in all warm clothing, the more air trapped per unit weight being the yardstick for cross comparison. A product known as Aerovest (http://www.survivalmetrics.com/store/Item/id_aerovest_emergency_survival_vest) was available a few years ago. This provided a waterproof inflatable mylar

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