Outdoor Gear – Page 19

Saturday Morning

11 February 2012 / Lincolnshire, Outdoor Gear, Photography, Walking / MSR titanium mug, outdoor gear, Photos 2012

As it is forecast to be poor weather tomorrow I went for a walk this morning. The temperature was showing -6c, sunny with no wind and dry powder snow it was a great photo opportunity.

I found a suitable tree stump and made made some hot chocolate. Following my experience in the Lake District a couple of weeks ago, when the meths were too cold to light, I had carried the fuel bottle in an inside jacket pocket – this fixed the problem.

I am trying out another wind shield for my light weight stove – this one is made of thick aluminium foil and wraps closely around the mug and stove. In some very windy conditions I have found that the rigid wind shield, I usually use, lets too much wind through and I am concerned that when I head off to the Lake District in a couple months to wild camp that it will not provide enough protection. However there was no breeze today so it was no test for new wind shield – but I am sure it will be windy on my next walk!

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“Clik Clak” Stove

5 February 2012 / Camping, Outdoor Gear, Walking / Crusader Cook Set, Crusader Mug, lightweight walking, outdoor gear

I have been using the meths burner from my Vargo Triad stove with my Crusader stove. They work well in this combination and it allows me to use cleaner meths fuel with the Crusader unit. I’d like to have a meths burner permanently stored in the Crusader case and was planning to make a drink can stove – but whilst walking last week I had an idea for an alternative meths burner.

A while back we had been given a small tin of mints as a business freebie and I thought it might make a good burner.

The lid design gives holes for the meths vapour to get out of the tin.

Time to experiment.

I filled the Clik Clak tin to just under the rolled lip – the tin is not as big as the Triad burner so I wanted to maximise the burn time – and then carefully clicked the lid on.

I put the tin and the primer meths (about 3mm deep) into the Crusader Stove fuel bowl, lit it, and put 250ml of water on to heat in the Crusader Mug with my metal lid.

It did work, the water just reached the rolling boil before the fuel ran out. The next test is to try it outdoors, rather than in the still air conditions indoors.

For my latest lightweight cooking gear set up – click here.

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Craigellachie Nature Reserve Again

27 January 2012 / Outdoor Gear, Photography, Travel, Walking / Aviemore, Craigellachie National Nature Reserve, iPhone photography, MSR titanium mug, outdoor gear, Photos 2012

Yet another bright frozen day, with a light dusting of overnight snow – a good day to go to the high ridge of the Craigellachie Nature Reserve.

Lunch on the top

When I first got up to the summit there was hardly any breeze and it was a great place for lunch overlooking the Cairngorm range. Whilst I was having my soup it started to snow, I watched it coming up the valley towards me.

This is the second day of wearing my new Explorer Trek boots. The tread gives a sure grip on both wet rocks and icy paths. They are very comfortable, warm, waterproof, and give good, high ankle support. They are large boots but they are still lightweight. It looks like they are a good buy and I am looking forward to wearing them for many miles.

Miles on the boots so far 14.

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Speyside Way pt 1

26 January 2012 / Outdoor Gear, Photography, Travel, Walking / Aviemore, outdoor gear, Photos 2012, Scotland, Speyside Way

A bright frozen day today – the plan is to walk some of the Speyside Way.

The first part of the walk is straight out of Scandinavian Village and onto the Aviemore Village Orbital Path, so no road walking.

I am trying out the new boots today – Berghaus Trek Extreme GTX – below is a photo of them new and mud free.

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Loch an Eilein

23 January 2012 / Outdoor Gear, Photography, Travel, Walking / iPhone photography, MSR titanium mug, outdoor gear, Photos 2012

lunch

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Carnforth pt 3

17 January 2012 / Outdoor Gear, Photography, Travel, Walking / iPhone photography, outdoor gear, Photos 2012, tea

I had planned to return by following the coast path, however when I got there the path was flooded and too soft to walk on, so I decided to follow the canal path back towards Pine Lakes. Here is bridge 129a, carrying the motorway.

Not as quaint as the other bridges.

Unfortunately the path I wanted to follow did not exist.

As the light was starting go I decided it would be better to take the road way back – there is a very good path along the main road from Carnforth to Pine Lakes. You need to be careful crossing the roads at the roundabout at the resort, and when getting around the tree which has recently fallen over blocking the path!

The walk today was on paths where it was not suitable to get my stove out to cook my lunch, so I took my flask for a hot drinks and had crackers and tinned mackrel. I had something new to drink today – Diana got me some Chai Latte sachets – just add hot water.

I like Indian tea and make it when possible with sweetened condensed milk. I keep at least one Indian tea bag in my hiking brew kit but use extra dried milk and brown sugar when I make it when walking. The sachets were very convenient and tasted excellent so I will be getting more of these for future trips.

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