hike | camp | paint
In my quest for the perfect pyramid, I became aware of the Pretents Soloist when scanning through one of the contintental European gear sites (I can't remember which one, though). At the time they were rather confusingly branded with mentions of Tara Poky, TFS (The Free Spirits) as well as Pretents. I think they were … Continue reading Pretents Soloist
I'm having a clear out of various items. Having recently upgraded my cook system to a Stormin Cone, I'm a bit oversupplied with stoves and cookware, so it's time some of this went to a good home. A few other bits listed below that I no longer need, including a camera and a backpack. Item … Continue reading Spring Gear Clearout
We trudged through hop field after hop field, along shady lanes and even a bit along the road. Barely noticing our surroundings and wrapped up in our conversation - a conversation that had been going for several hours now. Frequent breaks, hidden stashes of sweets, Special Brew and Benson & Hedges. A burning hot day … Continue reading The Power of Nostalgia
I’m getting rid of my Golite Jam 50L, bought in 2012. It’s used (obviously), but still got many years of life left in it. For most of my backpacking needs I use a Gossamer Gear Mariposa which suits me fine for multi-day treks. I’ve only tended to use the Jam for short overnight camps, or on … Continue reading Golite Jam For Sale
I'm getting rid of my Gossamer Gear Gorilla pack, dyneema version, bought in 2015 just as the new robic packs were being brought in. It's used (obviously), but not that much. For most of my backpacking needs I use a Gossamer Gear Mariposa which suits me fine for multi-day treks. I've only tended to use … Continue reading Gossamer Gear Gorilla For Sale
The curse of tent greed has struck again, which recently led to me taking an unwanted new MLD Duomid off someone's hands. This means I am officially in trouble at home. Having said that, I do "need" a shelter that's really light - my Scarp, Hexpeak and Ionosphere are all in the 1.5kg area and … Continue reading A New Toy
So I was reading this review by Catherine Redfern, aka London Hiker (@LondonHiker), and picked up on the point that these atlases include OS 1:25k mapping, which we all know is the best kind possible. I'd been vaguely aware the atlases existed but somehow this had passed me by. I had a look at A-Z's … Continue reading Review: AZ Adventure Atlas
By now anyone who's stuck to rash New Year's resolutions to get fit after the excesses of Yuletide is probably struggling to keep it up, what with the novelty having worn off and the generally depressing state of being back at work for a few weeks now. What's needed is some additional motivation. A few … Continue reading Review: Hi-Tec Trek Go Activity Tracker
It's a little known fact** that the version of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist that we all know and love is in fact not the original version serialised starting in 1837. For instance, the most famous scene originally went thus... ...The evening arrived; the boys took their places. The master, in his cook's uniform, stationed himself … Continue reading Can We Have Gruel Instead ?
It’s been a couple of years since anyone’s sent me gear to review – not because I haven’t had the offers, but simply because I only accept those offers that fit into the type of activity I do and are the sort of thing I would at least consider buying myself. And being able to … Continue reading Target Dry Element Jacket – Updated Review
In a recent post, I mentioned that I'm giving up on my failed experiment with the Trailstar, and switching to a mid instead - specifically, the Luxe Hexpeak. The new shelter arrived on Tuesday and I had to wait a couple of days before the weather and the ground was dry enough to pitch and do … Continue reading Playing with the Hexpeak
As revealed in my last post, I really haven't got on all that well with the Trailstar, so I've decided to pass it on to someone who will and replace it with a shelter that's more to my liking - i.e. one with a bit more headroom and an actual attached door. I also don't … Continue reading Trailstar For Sale
Two or three years ago, I saw that several people seemed to be acquiring these funny pentagonal tarps, and always wanting to keep my finger on the pulse, had a look at the Mountain Laurel Designs website myself to see what all the fuss was about. At the time, I was just moving up from a … Continue reading The Trouble with Trailstars…(or a brief history of my tents)
I've got some stuff for sale. Some of it I've had quite a while, but most of it has actually not been used much - not because it's crap, I've just been a very bad boy and bought lots of gear that I can't possibly all use. Further details and photos of each item are … Continue reading Outing Some Gear
I'm posting a lot less about gear nowadays, but that doesn't mean I've gone off it! I took a number of new or newish things to Wales with me and did a few things differently for this trip. Here's how they did. Fuizion Freeze Dried Food Because I had stocks of other brands of food … Continue reading Cambrian Way – A few gear highlights