If you want to move around in the bush with confidence without getting lost (and without artificial aids, except for noting the general northerly direction from the sun or its shadow – eg on your thumbnail: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/finding-your-way/) You should always take note of the ‘fall’ of the country. The fall is the slope of the […]
I am really keen to return to my beloved Gippsland mountains for some hiking, fishing, hunting but I still have so many jobs to do around the farm. We have been ‘fixing’ two dams damaged by last year’s floods (hopefully they will hold now); we have a new boundary fence with two neighbours to construct
It weighs less than 600 grams. Here is my plan for an excellent one person shelter which will keep you safe from just about everything and can be warmed by a cheery fire out the front. You can cut it in one piece (as shown) from a single sheet of 3 metre wide Tyvek ‘Homewrap’
Many folks carry a trowel such as the (Suluk, Gossamer Gear or Vargo models below) for hygiene, to construct drain lines around their tent or as a survival water source digging tool. Another good use they can be put to is as a secure tent peg in soft ground, sand or snow. Their traction can
My blog is two years old today. Many thanks to my daughter, Merrin for helping create and maintain it, and to my many readers and supporters for enjoying it. There are now 924 posts here, & probably 10,000 pages, so plenty of things to enjoy! My post about canoeing the Seaforth River Fiordland is also
Thumbtack reflectors such as ‘Fire Tacks’ are a great way to mark any route you may need to travel after dark – eg after sitting up over a wallow or game trail for a sambar deer until the light fades and then wanting to get back safely and quickly to your camp. NB the Stealth
Songs to maintain your walking tempo, if your spirits begin to flag or when hiking with children. Since time immemorial people have walked (and marched) to the accompaniment of songs, and oft with fife and drum, so when we took our infant grandson for a walk around to the weir the other day (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/invisible-worlds-the-weir/) and
Here is another neat trick. If you hold your hand out at arm’s length, the width of your fingers approximates to 15 minutes. You can use this to judge how long it is till sundown (and remember you have approx half to an hour of usable light after sundown). Using this you can judge whether
Lots of people are misusing these tiny devices. I guess because they are (relatively) cheap, but really if you want to spend time in the wilds, spend some money to get a decent communication system eg either a satellite messenger or a satellite phone – or both. So many people are pressing the panic button
Ceramic knives are sharper than metal ones and their edge can last 10 times longer. They can also be lighter. I have been thinking that this ‘ceramic escape knife’ would fit well in an ultralight fishing kit such as this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-ultralight-fisherman/ This little guy weighs only 3 grams, has a blade 1.25” (3.175cm) and is
