Recently the old family runabout came to the end of its life with us due to cam-belt failure. This is car number two and used for all the daily local trips, school runs, shopping trips and general duties so replacement priorities were: suitable for a life of short journeys (so no diesels), small enough for […]
Buying a used Mk1 Nissan Leaf – What you need to know in 3 minutes Read More »
How do you decide how many gas canisters to throw in the bag for the next wild camping or trekking trip?? This calculator can help you make a more informed choice. Most gas canisters of the types used for trekking are now butane/ propane mix. The addition of propane gives better low temperature performance. There
How much gas do i need to carry – Hiking, Backpacking, Wild Camping Read More »
One of the biggest mistakes beginner, and sometimes even seasoned, trekkers and wild campers make is carrying too much weight. Extra weight means extra fatigue, extra time to reach the destination, less pleasure and more chance of injury. When you are young and strong it’s easy to brave it out, but as you age you
Packing lighter – Tips for lighter trail weight without spending a fortune Read More »
There is a lot of bamboo clothing around nowadays. Its quite heavily marketed as a “natural” choice, more on that in a mo, pretty well priced and very comfortable to wear. But does that make it a good choice for outdoor activities such as hiking or bushcraft? To answer that question we need to look
Bamboo Clothes for hiking and outdoor sports Read More »
Most survival tins or kits come with a bit of fishing line and a couple of hooks. In most wilderness areas fish are the probably the easiest protein source to catch (probably on par is catching small mammals or birds using a snare, although, due to their indiscriminate nature, snares should be left for real
Survival fishing tips – How to catch with just hook and line? Read More »
Is this front mount seat the right child bike seat for you? This is a cost effective way of getting small children out cycling with adults, but is it any good? How easy is it to fit and do I recommend it? I have recently been thinking about the best way to get my littlest
Child Bike Seats – Oxford Little Explorer Review Read More »
Solving for stalling at idle on a Honda BF15a 4 stroke Outboard This post is a quick share on my findings when solving idling issues on my Honda 15hp outboard. A fairly common problem for small carbureted outboards, and engines in general, is problems idling, especially after long periods without use, e.g. winter lay up.
Outboard or small engine stalling at idle Read More »
Can this machine allow even a novice make strong usable outdoor kit?? Typical Price: £200-£250Rating: 9/10 Summary: Totally reliable and easy to use, only let down by a flimsy feeling and lightweight foot pedal. To checkout the latest prices see*: https://amzn.to/42Aecnc As an outdoors enthusiast sewing is one of those skills that has potential to
Singer Heavy Duty Sewing Machine Review Read More »
I have been running a range of tests on wool versus synthetic fabrics to help me understand relative performance with a bit of hard data. Whilst insulation has been the main focus of my tests so far, performance when wet is also a key consideration. Whether mountaineering, hiking or bushcrafting it is rare for it
Does Merino Dry Quickly? – Wool versus synthetic base layers Read More »
Of all the survival skills navigation is perhaps the most versatile. Not only useful day to day, it is essential for safe travel in the wilderness and removes a significant chance of needing the other survival skills. It’s not for nothing that whether you are training as a mountain leader or yachtmaster, it represents probably
Navigating without a compass Pt. 1 – Intro & Plants Read More »
Thoughts on starting to weld with this popular unit touted as ideal for classic car restoration Probably the most daunting aspect of embarking on a classic car restoration as an amateur is the bodywork. It is also one of the most expensive aspects to have done professionally. So you are left with a choice. Accept
Clarke Pro 90 Mig Welder Review – A beginners perspective Read More »
Are these packable shelters a waste of time or a useful tool? The use of bothy bags in the hills is largely limited to the UK and Scandinavia. They have never really gained popularity in other large outdoor markets such as the USA. This post is a quick opinion piece on the pro’s and cons,
The bothy bag debate Read More »
A tiny torch with a powerful punch Price: £12-£15 Typical on Amazon (other retailers similar)Length of ownership: 3 YrsWeight: 11.8g (0.4oz)Dimensions: 41.5mm lengthBattery: Rechargeable (Micro USB)Other: IP68 waterproofness ratedOwned for: 3 Years You can check the price or buy the Lumintop EDC Pico from Amazon at the following link*: https://amzn.to/3J3WDEW Over the years I have carried
Lumintop EDC Pico – Torch Review Read More »
It’s a long proffered outdoor wisdom that wool keeps you warm when wet. As I have been testing the relative insulative properties of different blanket types to determine the optimum plastic free wild camping setup I thought I would give it a test. The theory – Why wool still works when wet Insulation largely boils
Does wool keep you warm when wet? Read More »
The balloon bed is an attempt to create a plastic free sleep mat for short wild camping trips that meets the following criteria: This post is a quick look at what I made and instructions for how I have made it. Dimensions and costs included. The concept My project objective is to build a plastic
Plastic Free MYOG – Balloon Bed Sleep Mat Read More »
