I parked in the same place I did on Saturday and walked north(ish) towards Bude – taking as many opportunities as possible to make images.
The light was particularly good as the weather was overcast – so no hard shadows but it did mean the distance was a bit hazy.
First order is the day was find somewhere for breakfast with a great view. With this is mind I found an out of the way drop in the cliff down to a spot – out of the wind but where the main sound was the crash of the waves.
This hollow kept me out of the windCliff top breakfast stopFood for the day
The plastic box is an up-cycled cake box. Breakfast was home baked wholemeal bread with cheese spread and homemade plum jam. Of course I brewed fresh coffee.
The biscuits (Oreo’s and breakfast biscuits), apple and fried rice is for lunch or snacks. In the box is also milk, curtesy of the hotel, a vegetable stock cube and soy sauce.
I found a spot out of the wind – after the rain stopped – for lunch. Tinned mushroom soup, buttered sourdough bread and coffee. The smoke was because I used some hexamine solid fuel tablets to heat the soup and water, but once I used them I remembered why they we still in my fuel box several years after I had bought them.
Compared to the Fire Dragon gel fuel the hexamine tablets gave off pungent fumes and left a sooty residue on the mugs and stove. OK for a standby, lasts forever, fuel but not for everyday use anymore. The British Army used it for years and the first outdoors stove I bought when I was at school, from the military surplus department in Millers of Grays, was an army folding cooker which included eight large blocks of hexamine.
Hiking haversack load – including a lightweight ponchoFinnish HaversackLone tree in the style of Ansel Adams
One useful bit of kit I do not mention is the fold-up stool. The steel and canvas construction is strong and it comes with a canvas sleeve that makes it easier to pack. It is heavier than an aluminium equivalent but this stool is more compact and stronger.
Having a comfortable seat for my breaks, easily makes up for the extra weight carried.
Just like last week I walked along the River Slea, with a haversack load and made coffee but this time I went in the other direction from the car park.
I was planning to go out for a lunch time walk and brew some camping coffee but the weather had other ideas – too much rain.
On a recent walk the wind shield I used was not effective so I was going to test out a new one I made from a used food tray. I moved the test to the doorway of the summer house office.
The wind break was cut to fit tightly around a Bushcraft Essentials mini twig stove when using an up-cycled Burt’s Bees tin as a gel fuel burner. As the fit was close I punched some air holes low down and on two sides for air flow.
Outdoor Pocket Micro Stove EDCBox with homemade wind shield
The idea of this stove is for me to have the makings for camping coffee or soup in my lightweight cookset bag. There is a very small gas burner in the cookset but no gas – the gel fuel for the Bushcraft Essentials stove is carried an up-cycled hand sanitiser bottle in the cookset stuff sack.
The Burt’s Bees tin for the gel fuel – alight!
To test the stove wind break I made coffee.
Making Camping Coffee
There are many gadgets on the market for making coffee when camping – I have a 750ml titanium bush pot/cafetiere for when I am car camping – but when backpacking and walking I like this lightweight solution.
For a while now I have been using a plastic tea strainer as a reusable coffee filter (see my camping coffee page). Since I wrote that page I have cut down the handle and made some cut-outs so the filter sits level.
The notches keep the filter level
The process I use is:
1 I fill the strainer mesh with ground coffee until it just covers the the plastic rim.
2 Wet the coffee grounds and then wait a minute or so.
For the best results the coffee grounds need a little hot water and a rest!
3 I then carefully add water to the brim of the strainer and let it drain through.
Care is needed when filling the strainer so it does not overflow
4 It takes about 100ml to 150ml of water to make a strong brew. I top up with hot water.
I never drip all the water through as it is not necessary
5 I take mine black and no sugar when camping – but I do carry coffee creamer and brown sugar for caffeine and energy boost.
This gadget and method only generates used coffee grounds to dispose of, no paper filters and there is no comparison when it comes to the weight or price of this coffee maker when compared to other backpacking/camping coffee gadgets. And it can be used as a strainer as well!
This is an excellent coffee making kit for my haversack gear
The 30ml Nalgene bottle shown in the photo when “tap” filled (start to fill the bottle and tap it to settle the coffee grounds and repeat until no more settling happens) can hold two measures of ground coffee.
The Wind Shield
It worked better than its predecessor, keeping the heat on the mug. It will also fold up small enough to store in the stove slip case with the stove and the Burt’s Bees tin.
The next test will be later in the week when I can get out for a walk.
As I had the day off because of the American Football, I made bread and went for a walk, took some photos in what may be the last of the summer sunshine and made some coffee. I grabbed my Finnish haversack and some lightweight gear and headed out before the rain came. (Some of this blog was written whilst I was walking and some when I got home.)
Bridge over the River SleaThis was the view from the coffee stop
Coffee
I found a log down by the river to sit on to make some coffee.
I have a small twig stove from Bushcraft Essentials, in my cook set but I use gel fuel in it, and use a Burt’s Bees tin as a burner. I carry the fuel in a re-purposed hand sanitise bottle. It makes a truly lightweight brew stove when out walking – when the tin/burner is brim of fuel it can heat about 250ml of water hot enough for coffee, noodles or soup.
gel fuel adaption for a twig stove
Rather than use the ground coffee and tea strainer from the cook set I chose to use a coffee bag – this brand from Taylors makes a good strong brew in the amount of water I had.
Weir and lock
Well there was a lock, weir and associated machinery here in the past.
I used the Camera+2 app for the long shutter speed motion effect.
The stove with the mug on it is in the background – the ground cloth is folded in quarters
For lightweight trips the Finnish Haversack can hold enough gear and I use it rather than one of my small rucksacks in the summer when I do not extra clothes and gear.
Small belt pouch – simple first aid kit, mini Petzl head torch, tea and coffee supplies, vegetable Oxo cube, salt packets, soup and chilli packs from instant noodles, Silva compass with thermometer, string, hotel sewing kit with some extra strong thread added to it, safety pins, Traditional Case mini Trapper knife, sharpening stone, duck tape patch, army style tin opener, refillable lighter, lifeboat whistle and lanyard for my Victorinox Camper knife, eye drops bottle re-purposed for hand sanitiser.
The little pouch is well packed for a trip like this but when I am on longer trips or away the lanyard and whistle are in use so making the rest of the items more accessible.
All images made with my iPhone 12 Pro Max which I carry in a belt case for lightweight trips like this.
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