Thanks to reader Normand for this suggestion: People often ask when I am going to start making versions of my DIY tents for sale, and the answer remains, ‘How long is a piece of string?’ It is hard to get into a completely new enterprise post-70. If there is someone out there who wants to […]
Our Jack Russells, Spot and Honey need new sleeping bags. The old ones, made hastily years ago from scraps of an old poor quality down sleeping bag were never very satisfactory – and were too heavy. I searched the net for designs but could not find a satisfactory one so I started from scratch myself.
You should not be afraid to ‘have a go’. No manufacturer ever made the perfect pack (for you) but there is some chance you can do so yourself – at least it is worth a try. I have hauled this old pack around now for a number of years since Joe Valesko (at Zpacks) first
For a million years (or more) this has been a defining ‘element’ of human life, indeed so much so that certain ancients considered it as one of four primordials: earth, water, air, fire. Indeed this classification has a resonance to it still. Early man learned that fire not only provided essential warmth (and protection from
If you have never tried out an alcohol stove (or made one yourself) you should really try this. All you need is a sharp blade a a pair of scissors and an empty can. You will be surprised how well it works. You should also read this post: Fuel Follies. Then if you take a
We took a break from building the fox-proof fence this afternoon to have a stroll on the Wirilda Track which snakes along the beautiful little Tyers River North of Morwell. For many years it has been the Latrobe Valley’s principal fresh water supply. By starting At Moe Railway Station you can use the wonderful Wirilda
Folks are always asking me, ‘What do you eat on the trail?’ I have posted about this again and again, but I just thought I would bring all my posts about this together as one ‘compendium’. When you get tired of eating all these you could just quit life or hiking/hunting I guess. These are
What a great idea this is – and only A$129.99 on eBay. I will certainly be getting and installing one. Of course foxes can strike during the day too – but so often it is because you are late home or have forgotten to lock the chooks up. I will be teaming this up with
Naturehike 1000fp down 174 gram jacket with 70 grams of down fill, only US$65 (Jan 2020) on Aliexpress. I paid so much more for my Montbell ones years ago (currently US$329 plus freight) and I have had excellent service from them, but these look even better! From only US$58.82 at Dhgate! Get them while they’re
O, the enchantments of Fiordland: Time and again I have been drawn back to this lush green Eden questing after one of these surviving prehistoric giants, which though sundered from their ancient homeland in the vast boreal forests of the North, still linger there today. For me it is a tale which began when I
