This has been a long time coming. I sewed the prototype in 2023 and am just finishing it off today (January 2026) but I think it will have been worth the wait. I hinted that I would be making it years ago in this post 7 x7 Poncho Multi Tarp. This design doubles (quadruples) as […]
I have written about ultralight USB cables and this really miniature usb lamp but had you ever wished you could light a fire with your power bank? Now you can. Mine came free with the Hand Dynamo I just wrote about. You can buy similar ones from Aliexpress here and here for between A$2 and
When your phone’s screen begins to flicker and die or your torch grows dim I bet you wish for one of these – something which will keep them charged forever. It outputs around half an amp (at 5 Volts) at the recommended 1 rpm ie 2.5 Milliamp hours/watts (per hour) – enough to charge your
This is a really handy piece of gear (18 grams). After you have bought it/them you are going to be throwing out a heap of other things! It measures the voltage and amperage through itself when plugged into a USB outlet and can time and add the total so that you can see how long
The tents I make all double as hammock tarps too. I am very taken with my (Chinese) Trailstar and wondered whether it could be repurposed likewise. I am pleased to report that it can – and that it is (just) big enough for a tarp which both of us can lie underneath in our hammocks.
Victoria is on fire again – as I predicted in this post Mt Darling an Emerging Inferno (though it hasn’t actually got there yet). I suspect the hut will go before I ever get a chance to renovate it but it is still west of the fire and the fire is moving east, so who
This is a delightful white water day trip or a very leisurely overnight – as we did it – seeing in the New Year (2026) together again (our 55th!) Our put-in and take-out points were respectively the Den of Nargun, Wallers Rd and the Final Fling Rapid on Fraser-Alexanders Rd, Glenaladale, Gippsland Vic – a
I have owned the earlier heavier version of this (Chinese copy) Trailstar tent for several years. It weighed close to 800 grams with pegs etc though I have been very happy with it. I decided to give this lighter version a try. It is available from Aliexpress from around A$80 including shipping. Hard to beat.
We have been wanting to get Della back into a pack-raft by herself in case we get the opportunity to Pack Raft the Remote Wonnangatta this summer. She needed a bit of practice paddling by herself again after all these Double Pack Raft trips. I took along the double (paddling it alone) in case she
First: Gear Advice I am often approached by prospective deer hunters for advice, particularly about what they need to acquire before beginning hunting. How little both in weight and dollars do you need to spend (supposing you already actually own nothing – unlikely)? I have put together here some suggestions (with relevant links to previous
Ultralight Ultracheap Deer Hunting & A Ripping Yarn or Two Read More »
