Drive to Work Today
I had a job south of Wragby today and the route took me through some autumn woods.
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Lincolnshire
River Witham Lincoln
Grabbed on my iPhone – with the Millennium Sculpture in the distance.
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Lincoln Cathedral at Night
Shot from my iPhone – it is small but the Cathedral is there. It was unfortunate that the window was dirty.
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Lincoln Cathedral from Stamp End
I have been out this morning quoting for jobs and have ended up at Stamp End, a part of Lincoln which was very industrialised in the past. With the clearing of the old buildings it has opened up some good views of the Cathedral.
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Weekend Trip to Woodhall Spa pt3
Below is the kit list for the weekend
Coleman Bedrock 2 tent
Pole
Ti pegs
I did not use any of the bags the tent components came in. The inner tent and fly were refolded and packed in the main pack compartment at the top. Pegs went in the pop stud packet they were sold in and went into the pocket with the spare clothes. The pole went into the middle of the sleeping mat roll.
30l Karrimor Hotlite pack circa 1986
2x Karrimor 3l extension pockets
LowePro small lens case (brew kit)
LowePro bottle case – Inc 600ml Sigg bottle and drinking cap
2l Camelbak
Self inflating sleeping mat – black sack to pack it in and 2x small bungee cords
Karrimor lightweight sleeping bag – in stuff sack
Fleece sleeping bag liner
Both these items are packed in a drysack
In a 5l litre drysack
Light fleece jumper (very warm)
Fleece hat, head over and gloves (for extra warmth)
Spare underware and walking socks
All this clothing goes inside the head over to make a pillow
This bag was compressed into one of the extension pockets
Lightweight raincoat
Kitchen/brewkit
Ti mug and aluminium lid
Ti stove – inside the burner three solid fuel tablets and the copper mug stand
Plastic beaker with lid
Lighter
Small brewkit in neoprene case contains
* 5x tea bags in ziplock bag
* 15ml bottle of dried milk
* 2x sugar
* Lighter
50ml bottle of meths
Small LMF spork
2in1 coffee sachet
2x cereal bars
Poly bag for rubbish
The above is packed in the lens case and was secured to the pack
Half sized aluminium wind shield
Hardboard stove stand
Both of these items were packed in the second extension pocket
110ml meths
Folding knife and spoon
Wide plastic mug
Heavy duty plastic sheet – packed under the bungess hold the mat onto the pack (these bungess were a good place to dry things under, whilst walking, on the second day)
The following items were all packed in a 2l drysack and carried in the other extension pocket
Petzl headlight
Small FAK including hotel sewing kit and toilet paper
Pocket pack of tissues
Miniature wash kit
* hotel soap
* 15ml toothpaste gel
* folding tooth brush
* comb
* small mirror
* 50cm square hi-absorbent towel
* Hotel sachet shower gel
* hi-absorbent cloth 20cm square
All packed in the case the towel came in
2x plastic clothes pegs
Hi-absorbent cloth for drying up
5ml washing up liquid in hotel bottle
1/4 washing up sponge
Small repair kit
* 1m gaffer tape wound onto a stoppered tube
* inside the tube two needles, thread and 1m of thin string
Two large and four small cable ties
1.5m paracord
LMF Scout firesteel and striker
Sun screen stick
Compeed stick (not used!)
Emergency plastic poncho – heavy showers were forecast and I had no pack cover
1oz single malt whiskey
Food
Two zip lock bags packed in the main sack
One containing the food and drinks for the first evening – and a 50g pack of REGO
The second contained the breakfast, drinks and trail snacks for day two
Total weight of pack including water and food was about 24lbs or 11kgs
In my pockets
iPhone with extended battery back fitted (allows for a complete charge and 25%)
I used the iPhone as
* a phone, email and text
* as a eBook reader
* with Memory Map for navigation
* to watch a movie on
Aquapak – for the iPhone – see note below
iPod Nano and headphones in a neoprene pouch – I used this rather than my iPhone to listen to whilst walking
LowePro PDA belt case (used as a wallet and kept in an inside zipper pocket) containing
* Money
* Debit card
* Frensel magnifier
* Camping and Caravan Club membership card
* Paper and pencil stub
* Emergency iPhone charger
* Swiss card
* Two plasters for quick access
Sun hat
Lip balm
Sun glasses
Tissues
Trail snacks
On a length of paracord
* Camper Swiss Army knife
* Leatherman original P4 Squirt
* lifeboat whistle
Wearing
Northface hiking boots
Three way Craghoppers
Lightweight long sleeved shirt
Walking socks
Underwear
Rohan vest
Note
Unfortunately the Aquapak I bought two years ago to use my phone camera in, has deteriorated so I can no longer see either the screen or use the camera through it – I am back to using my original Aquapak (over five years old) which does not have a transparent back, so to take photo I have to take it out of the case, that means no photos in bad weather. To be green Aquapak removed some plasticisers from their cases making the softer – I will never buy another. So I am on the lookout this summer for a new weather proof case for my iPhone – one in which I can use the camera.
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Weekend Trip to Woodhall Spa pt2
The days walking took me along the Water Rail Way, which follows the River Witham and then through Woodhall Spa to the campsite. The walk was good and the weather was good, considering that Friday night there was a terrific thunder storm and around me there were spectacular clouds.
Question – why do some dog walkers let their dogs run free, then look at you funny when their dog bothers you! Surely the responsibility is theirs?
By the time I reached the campsite I was pleased that all those years ago I padded the bottom of my pack! The belt I had fitted to the pack did not transfer the weight to the hips but to the back of my hips – the padding helped there. I has made my mind up to get another bag for more serious walks as this could be a real problem on longer trips or trips over rough ground.
I had a pitch at the campsite next to the small lake between the trees, if you had a car or even a slightly larger tent you could not have used this pitch but for a backpacker it was perfect. Once I had my tent up and gear stored, I was very happy to sit by the lake drinking SIS REGO (an excellent recovery drink – I swear by it after long walks, to make the next day better) and tea.
Dinner consisted of
Tea
Tuna with BBQ sauce
Instant noodles with tomato cup-a-soup
Instant custard
Salted cashew nuts
later instant Cappuccino and biscuits (this was another fill of meths)
I filled the meths tanks on my Vargo Triad XE stove and set it going and by eating the tuna from the can, making the noodles in a small beaker with a lid (I used my sleeping bag as a cosy whilst they rehydrated), having the hot drinks in a plastic beaker and then finally making the custard in the Ti mug, one fill of meths completed the meal with the Ti mug being refilled with hot water.
In the future I will add something extra to this may be some extra banana flakes or dried fruit and “no fridge” salami.
In the evening I watched a movie on my iPhone and even had some single malt whiskey as the sun went down.
In the morning I was woken early by the brave ducks, foraging under the flysheet for bugs and insects they could find there. It was a hot sunny morning so early morning tea, whilst still in my sleeping watching the ducks and the lake was a real treat.
Breakfast was two servings of instant porridge with dried milk and brown sugar, a cereal bar and plenty of tea.
I used 110ml of meths at the campsite.
The walk back was just a good as the day before but this time I took the Viking Way back.
Catering was probably the main thing I will change in the future, carrying some extra trail snacks and a little extra for my evening meal.
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