For some people it is breakfast in bed – well Jeremy is still in his sleeping bag and has not yet got out of the tent.
Below is the cooking area – using the board we found in Dunbar.
The wind shield is there to protect the windbreak from any stray flames from the burner.
Above you can see the Crusader burner with the meths burner unit from a titanium, Vargo Triad XE dual fuel stove.
Breakfast in Dingwall Read More »
After looking for two weeks in most of the bigger outdoor shop we have passed, I have finally found a case to protect my iPhone 4 from bad weather and is not an Aquapac.
It is a Haglofs Watatait mobile pouch. There were two models and after trying them both out in the shop I chose the smaller one. For testing I fitted the power jacket to the phone so it was larger. I found that the smaller one would work – although it is snug but not tight – and it requires just a little manipulation to get the phone with it’s jacket through the zip lock fastenings. I wanted the smallest case possible as I carry the phone when walking in one of the concealed zippered chest pockets in my Rohan vest.
The pouch looks well made, but it is very light when compared to an Aquapac, and it uses cloth and plastic in it’s construction, rather than all plastic. The water tight closure is a double ziplock with a Velcro roll over top – rolling down this extra protection also reduces the size of the pouch. The front is completely transparent so the whole of the smartphone screen shows. The rear is obscured by the nylon panel and the roll down closure and to use the camera I have to unroll the closure and make sure the iPhone is positioned high enough to avoid the nylon panel – a small amount of trouble to be able to use the camera in bad weather.
Over the coming days I will take some comparison photos both in and out of the pouch to see by how much the quality drops when shooting through the plastic.
There is a long neck strap provided, long enough to go over my head and then still put the pouch in the vest pocket and fasten the zipper, it has a cord lock fitted to this strap can also be used as a wrist strap. There is a tape clipped fitted for another carrying option.
This pouch is not as waterproof as other brands – you could not use it whilst swimming but for protection from the weather when walking it looks ideal. I’m in Scotland at the moment and it is core sat to rain tomorrow so I will be able to test it quite soon!
The pouch could also be used in the real world! We have a client who is a builder and his phones are always out in the weather when he is onsite – when I get back to the office next week I shall drop round and show him this one. Aquapacs were not suitable for him but this Watatait pouch is small enough and looks alright for business use.
Waterproof Case for the iPhone 4 Read More »
I am keeping a careful track of the equipment I am using on these lightweight walks, so afterwards I can assess what worked, what didn’t and what I did not need to carry next time.
My rucksack – it was called retro at the campsite last night, and that’s true it is. Using it on these walks is at the limits of its capabilities. It is not comfortable. I added the hip belt (about 25 years ago), it is not padded nor does it put this heavier load load onto my hips. So a new pack is – I really want a GoLite Jam – there was one in a shop in Aviemore but I think I can get one much cheaper online.
The cooking gear is very light and performs well – although if it is very windy it needs a bit more shelter than the wind shield provides.
The tent cost me less than £20 in the end of season sales last year – it performs well, gives lots of space and once I had changed the heavy steel pegs for titanium ones it is not overly heavy. But looking at Emily’s tent last night I can see the advantages of a specialist one man tent. The extra space I get in my tent is because it can sleep two – so I am now looking for a one man tent, that will save weight straight away. Her tent packed away very easily this morning – mine I have to fold exactly right to fit in my backpack. I also want a tent with a much better porch than on the Bedrock 2, in really bad weather it gives no space to use, even, my small meths stove let alone a backpackers gas stove! (I know it can be dangerous to use a stove in the tent, but we all do it – so just take extra care!)
The food was enough for me – but the weather was not cold, I think if it was colder I’d add more.
I did not use the monocular, didn’t use it last walk either so I will not bother to pack that again.
Other than the repair kit, FAK and other medicines, I used all the items in sundries bag.
Replace the steel pegs with Ti ones.
Did I miss anything – not that I can think of.
Update
Yes there were a couple of things that have now come to mind
I must put a couple of my business cards in the iPhone wallet.
Take 50ml less meths
Update – 23/8/2011
I have been using the mug/stove today on the beach near Dornoch – the windshield worked to allow me use the stove in a medium wind, however the stove consumed about twice the fuel for one mug of tea and two instant noodles as it does when used in a sheltered location. I will have to take that into account for “windy” trips.
I think I will look around for a lightweight pot lifter to use with my Ti mug when using it as a pot – the handles can get hot, and using the cloth bag protect my fingers can be difficult. It could also be used to lift the mug lid when it is hot.
Grantown on Spey to Aberlour 17-18 August 2011
Day 1 – 14.5 miles
Day 2 – 12.5 miles
Karrimor Hotlite 30l sack
2x 3l side pocket
Karrimor 1100 sleeping bag
Silk liner
Air mat in black plastic sack + 2x elastic and 2x mini bungees
3x dry sacks
Belt lens case for brewkit – ease of access on the trail
Coleman Bedrock 2 Tent
12 Ti pegs
4 steel
white bin liner – to pack the tent in if wet on the second day (it was)
Plastic sheet/sit mat 60cm x 30cm
Cooking
Ti stove inc copper mug support
2 fuel tablets -emergency fuel
100 ml meths
100 ml meths
50ml meths
Half aluminium wind shield
Stove board/stand
Ti mug and lid
Beaker with lid
Small brewkit in neoprene case – 4 teabags, 1 Indian tea, 15mls dried milk and 2x brown sugar
2x lighters
High absorbent cloth – drying up
Pot sponge
5ml washing up liquid
Small LMF spork
Folding spoon/knife
Wide mug
Cutting board – plastic 5cms x 12cms
Headlamp
iTorch – led wind up
FAK includes hotel sewing kit
Safety pins, gaffer tape, needle and thread, cable ties and paracord
Two clothes pegs
Light weight North Face jumper
Spare walking socks
Spare underwear
Hat, headover and gloves
Small wash kit and high absorbent cloth
Camper SAK
Leatherman P4 Squirt
whistle
LMF fire steel
Compass
2l Camelbak
75ml SIS bottle in belt case
1l Platypus roll up bottle
Nano iPod and headphones in neoprene case
iPhone 4 with extended battery
Booster battery for iPod/iPhone
Aquapak
Monocular
Headphones for iPhone
Swisscard
Money £10
Pencil and notepaper
Personal medicine
Sunglasses
Cricket hat
Compeed stick
Lip balm
Sun stick – factor 50
Trail food for two days
Glucose tablets
1x spice oat cakes
Nutella and Italian crackers
Salted cashew nuts
Banana chips
2x 2in1 coffee for brew stop
Lunch
Can of tuna and sachets of BBQ sauce
Evening meal/Supper
Noodles
Tomato cup a soup
Salami
Instant custard
Tea and coffee
Italian crackers and jam
Hot chocolate
Breakfast
Instant Porridge with dried milk and jam
Cereal Bar
Tea and coffee
Lunch
Salami
Italian crackers
Indian tea with 100mls Rice Drink
SIS Rego – 50g
2x Boots orange energy tablets
SIS PSP Energy- 50g
1oz whiskey
Spare food
2x cereal bars
Wearing
Rohan vest
Lightweight long sleeved polartec shirt
3way Crag Hoppers
Northface Boots
Walking socks
Underwear
High Tech Notes
iPhone 4 – 32GB
Protected from the weather in an older version Aquapac – I was able to use the phone in the rain but unable to use the camera as the reverse of the case is not transparent.
I had two extra power options.
An extended power pack jacket which I kept fitted to the phone and a spare booster recharger which I did not need to use. If I need to use this booster I have to remove the power jacket first.
Things I used my iPhone for;
* Making and taking phone calls, texting and emails – built in apps
* Browsed the web – built in app
* Camera – both the built in camera app and Camera+, and reviewed the photos with the built in app
* Navigation – MemoryMap both 25k and 50k maps with the Speyside Way marked (I downloaded the gpx files from here http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk)
* Writing this blog – using the WordPress app, to which I wish they would add basic text formatting
* eBook reader – Stanza app
* I watched a movie – I have the no longer available VLC app
* Checked the weather – built in app
* Taking notes – built in Notes app
* Reviewed a quote one of our engineers sent me – Documents To Go (PDF, doc and xls files)
* Remoted into a server to discuss an issue with one of our engineers – Mocha RDP app
I used an iPod Nano, third generation, to listen to music, podcasts and a full screenplay version of Isaac Asimov’s Fantastic Voyage whilst walking. I keep it in a neoprene case, in an inside pocket of my Rohan Vest to protect it from the weather. It can be recharged using the same booster pack I use with the iPhone.
Speyside Way Equipment Read More »
Had a good night at the site, it rained overnight but stopped before I got up for breakfast. Tried out “instant porridge in a bag” – making it in a mug is OK but then cleaning out the gloopy porridge afterwards is a chore. So my solution was put the instant oat breakfast, dried milk and sugar in a poly bag, and then use that as the bowl – and it was a success. Dirty bag in the bin afterwards.
Crossing the Spey
Unlike yesterday the route today keeps reasonably close to the Spey.
The door was open at the distillery
Below the foot bridge over the Spey at Aberlour – for me the end of a real good overnight trip. Now off to the cafe to await Diana and a ride back to Aviemore.
The Speyside Way – day two Read More »
A Curling Club in summer
Don’t miss this turning on the right (below) at NGR NJ 06982 28725 – I did – it is the path down to the disused railway track that makes up the path as it passes Cromdale. If you walk over the bridge over the old line you have gone to far. Watch out for the bridge sign on the right – the path markers are not very prominent,
Lunch, tuna with BBQ sauce and tea with some cashew nuts and banana chips. I found a convenient, and comfortable pile of logs, in a sunny clearing.
I was charged by a deer (above) – which leapt the fence on the right to avoid me.
I got caught in a shower during the afternoon but it had stopped by the time I reached the campsite at Cragganmore and I got the tent up in the dry – and got a chance to dry out my rain jacket. The site is free and has a toilet, a stand pipe for water, a bin and a couple of picnic tables which made unpacking (and packing) the rucksack very easy, as well as having somewhere to cook and eat in comfort.
One other thing the site had was midges – lots and lots of midges.
Having got my tent up, I was just sorting out the brewkit for a mug of tea when I was joined at the site by another lone backpacker, Emily. So whilst she put her tent up I made us both some tea. We then spent a very enjoyable couple of hours chatting, and sharing bits of our evening meal – her contribution was chilli flavoured olives and some milk sachets from the B&B she stayed in last night, mine was fruit and spice oat cakes and introducing Emily to whiskey in her tea! (She also let me use her midge spray – she borrowed my compeed stick.)
The Speyside Way – day one Read More »
The weather has finally taken a turn for the better – so I was able to get outside to make some fresh coffee using the Crusader stove and my coffee maker. Jeremy saw a “camping gadget” the folding java I think it was called, basically a fold up reusable coffee filter, that was held over your mug on three plastic legs, for that individual coffee experience. Mine is a plastic tea strainer, 19p from Asda. Gently pack in two heap tea spoons (mini spork) of coffee, press it down with the back of the spoon and then dribble hot water through it. Job done.
6.30am coffee Dunbar
It finally stopped raining! For all the waking hours since we pitched the tent on Saturday it has rained, soft rain, hard rain, drizzle you name it, we had it! But at about 8am this morning it stopped.
We have spent the morning exploring the coast and stopped for lunch down by the Forth, at Ferry Ness, sitting in front of some World War II beach tank defences.
We also tried some Polish pate for lunch, chicken and tomato, it was very good and so I have added it to my hiking food list. A can of this and two packs of Italian crackers would make a good sized snack for lunch or with noodles an evening meal.
Lunch Overlooking the Firth Of Forth Read More »