General

Spires and Steeples walk

/ General, Lincolnshire, Photography, Walking / , , , ,

As the weather was going to be good yesterday I walked a section of the Lincolnshire, Spires and Steeples walk, from Ruskington to Metheringham. Today I will sit in front of my laptop and do the work for Octagon.

Spires and Steeples

There was a challenge early in the walk to deal with!

Bull on the path

I decided to walk back down the path a way, and wait to see if the bull would move from the style. This he eventually did and that was my chance – walking across the field briskly, keeping my eye on the bull the whole way. I also watched the cows with calves to make sure I did not get too close to them.

Usefully there was a warning and some instructions on the other side of the field!

Bull on the path

Bull on the path

You can click on the above image for a larger version of the instructions.

Spires and Steeples

Scopwick

Scopwick

click on the above image for a larger version

 

 

Being that the walk is called “Spires and Steeples” there were many opportunities to photograph the village churches.

 

Thomas a Becket - Digby

Thomas a Becket – Digby

 

St Clement – Rowston

 

Holy Cross – Scopwick

 

St Oswald – Blankney

 

St Wilfrid - Metheringham

St Wilfrid – Metheringham

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Backpacking Food – “Star Wars” Camping Trip

/ Camping, General, Photography, Travel / , , , ,

Backpacking Food

I am off to the Lake District with friends tomorrow for an overnight wild camp. The following is the backpacking food I will be taking.

As we are planning to wild camp where this is no water available, it means that all the water I think I will need I will have to carry in. This menu is designed reduce my water needs to drinks only – no dehydrated food. I am planning to carry 2l of water up into the hills.

The plan is to day hike, on Saturday, down to one of the lakes. Then go back to the car, restock with water, pick up our main packs and head off to our camp site later in the afternoon.

Lunch Saturday

Backpacking Food

Extra to this I am going to buy a Sausage Pie from the village shop when we leave and add a banana. The plastic bag is for the rubbish and the “hint of lemon” is a hand wipe.

Saturday Dinner

Backpacking Food

The bread is Warburtons Brown Sandwich Thins, which are pre-sliced. I shall probably eat the granola bar with my first mug of tea at the campsite before the tent goes up.

Sunday Breakfast

Backpacking Food

Extra Food

Backpacking Food

Just in case I am a bit more hungry than I expect – I am planning to have the chocolate breakfast biscuits with my early morning tea, whilst I am still in my sleeping bag, admiring the view.

Drinks and extras

Backpacking Food

The small Nalgene bottle contains dry milk powder. The Chrysanthemen Honey Tea, which I get from a local Asian Supermarket, can be dissolved in either hot or cold water.

There are two items not shown:

I have a 60ml Nalgene bottle of fresh ground Costa Coffee and I my Brew Kit.

Why “Star Wars”?

Sunday is May the Fourth.

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Camping Food

/ Camping, General, Photography, Travel / , , , , ,

Camping Food

I am going camping next weekend, probably to the Peak District. The plan is to get a cooked breakfast on the way, spend the day walking and taking photographs then onto a campsite for the night. I am not backpacking with this food, it is a car based trip.

Camping Food

As I am away next week on business I am sorting the gear and camping food this weekend. Packed in the bag above is the evening meal, breakfast and the extras! Not shown in the photo is trail food for the Saturday and some apples.

Trail Food

Trail Food

I am going the add a banana or apple to this – and I am planning to get my Alpkit Kraku stove out along the way to make the 2-in-1 coffee. Hygiene is essential when camping and walking, hence the hand wipe and napkin.

Evening meal

Evening Meal

Once the tent is up I am having soup and crackers.

Chicken Chow Mein is a microwave meal from the supermarket. I am going to empty the contents of both packs into my Alpkit MiTiMug, heat, stir and eat. Instant custard for dessert.

Extras

Extras

There are tea bags and dried milk in the red neoprene pouch.

The two 60ml Nalgene bottles contain fresh ground coffee and dried milk. If fresh milk is available at the campsite I shall buy some.

Some of the mint chocolate is going to be broken up and added to the hot instant custard.

The breakfast biscuits are for having with my early morning tea whilst still in my sleeping bag.

Breakfast

Breakfast

I am going to mix the jam and dried fruit into the porridge – which can be made with either dried or fresh milk. The yogurt flakes I will eat with fresh coffee.

I am heading home after breakfast so no lunch.

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iPhone camera bracket – Square Jellyfish

/ General, Photography / , ,

The new iPhone bracket I had ordered from Square Jellyfish the US, arrived this morning.

Square Jellyfish

Click on the above image for a larger version

The bracket from Square Jellyfish, holds my iPhone securely on the small tripod above. It can be rotated for both horizontal and vertical shots.

This is the second device I have bought to hold an iPhone onto a tripod. The first one only fitted on my previous iPhone 4. This one is universal, so it does not matter if Apple changes the size of the iPhone 6, I will be very unlucky if they make it bigger than this bracket will cope with. (See the Square Jellyfish website for the specifications – it is called a Spring Tripod Mount.)

I use the above mini tripod, strapped onto a walking pole when walking, converting it into an effective monopod. The Velcro strap is quite long so it is possible to use it fixed to a fence post, branch or some other pole.

spring tripod mount, pocket tripod and iPhone 5

I have a soft plastic case on my iPhone (in the photo above) which gives excellent protection when I am using it outdoors and everyday. If I had bought an iPhone 5 specific bracket it would not have fitted because of this case – and not having a case is not an option when using my phone when camping and backpacking. So I was looking for a universal tripod solution.

I had been looking for several months before finding this Square Jellyfish spring tripod mount – I eventually found it because it showed up on Pintrest.

Weights

Here are the all important weights for when I am lightweight backpacking:

Pocket tripod 47g

Square Jellyfish Spring Tripod Mount 43g

Details of my 2014 Backpack Gear and Backpacking Gear itemised spreadsheet

The photos today were taken using my iPad Mini.

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Not light enough!

/ General

Richard and I went to a new camping shop, here in Lincoln yesterday. Where we saw some useful gear, he looked at a new lighter down sleeping bag and I looked at a weekender tent for Diana and myself. We also saw some more eccentric “backpacking gear”.

Inflatable sofa

An inflatable sofa for that extra bit of comfort. And if your pack gets to heavy with this extra comfort.

Trolley

Not light enough! Read More »