Make your own gear (MYOG) describes exactly what it says. For these projects I am exploring creating my own kit for my own outdoor adventures.
Probably the richest source of inspiration for MYOG are the discussion boards with a huge focus on creating ultralight kit for long distance trails. I am taking a slightly different approach of trying to combine ultralight principles of simplicity, and function first design, but using more sustainable fabrics. E.g. wax cotton, wool and silk. Not because I am anti the use of plastic in the wilderness, there are many cirumstances where it is the only sensible choice, but where I can minimise it or achieve comparable performance with natural fabrics that will always be my first choice.
So read on to find out about a few of my MYOG learnings from creating my own kit and testing in the wild places of the UK, from our ancient woodlands to mountainous areas.
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 »
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 »
Testing to see whether Alpaca or Cashmere will outshine standard wool blankets for wild camping? And can they even top synthetics? In my quest to find the best warmth for weight for a plastic free wild camping setup I am testing a variety of materials to get a better understanding of their insulative properties. See
Alpaca vs. Cashmere – Which is warmer? Read More »
I have used a silk sleeping bag liner for many years with the twin aims of adding some extra warmth and protecting the sleeping bag from grime and dirt (it being far easier to wash a liner than a bag, especially a down one). However it’s pretty hard to get a clear view on how
How much warmth does a silk sleeping bag liner add? – TESTED Read More »
For those who haven’t seen the YouTube video or read my previous posts on the subject I am attempting to build a natural fabrics based setup for wild camping in UK upland areas. This differs slightly from classical bushcraft setups, where natural fabric based kit is popular, as bushcraft settings allow us to supplement carried
Wool vs. Synthetic fleece blanket test – Insulation face off Read More »
I am aiming to build a plastic free wild camping setup for use in UK upland areas. So slightly different to most bushcraft use cases which are optimised for wooded areas and use of fires (I do love a bit of bushcraft too!). The broader background to this is covered here. I am taking a
Plastic Free Wild Camping – Building the sleep system for all seasons Read More »
Refilling small gas canisters (perfect for light hiking) with larger ones is a great camping sustainability and cost saving “hack” that has become really popular. With a 100g gas canister often costing around £4 in the UK and a 300g can available as low as £6, it is easy to see why (200% more gas
Refilling Camping Gas Canisters/Cartridges – 5 Dangers to avoid Read More »
Building a sustainable and brilliant clothing system for the UK mountains and wild camping out of natural fibres To complement my ongoing make your own gear (MYOG) project, where am working on a completely plastic free wild camping setup suitable for UK mountain and moorland areas, I am pulling together a clothing system to suit.
Plastic Free Outdoor clothing for hiking & wild camping Read More »
Introducing a fun MYOG project to see if I can bring plastic free wild camping in mountain environments to reality An idea I have been playing about with in my head for some time is getting into making my own equipment using natural materials as opposed to synthetic. MYOG or “make your own gear”, is
Plastic Free Wild Camping Pt 1 Read More »
