Journeys by hiking, running, cycling and touring
I decided some time ago that I'd not go back to finish this walk. The loss of momentum caused by the pandemic made me re-evaluate the worth of doing it compared with something a bit more rural and/or remote. And so nearly 4 years has passed, in which time I've accumulated several bits of uncompleted … Continue reading Thanks for the directions (not!) (Jubilee Greenway Part 3)
Rather than knocking out the usual self-aggrandizing post, going to great lengths to describe every adventure of the year, I thought this year I'd again make it more of an index to the year's content (which is what I mainly use it for anyway) and keep the remarks about how the year went to a … Continue reading 2023 Index
I've been a bit slack in posting over recent months, and the ever growing pile of things I was planning to write about has made catching up with the posts a bigger and bigger task. Last time I left you in Sanquhar at the end of the first chunk of the Southern Upland Way, which … Continue reading Flogging a Dead Horse (The Icknield way Part 1)
A friend recently asked me to make some tent pockets for him. A simple design - basically open pouches that would be secured to the tent inner with safety pins. After a bit of discussion we settled upon using my remaining scraps of Hilleberg inner tent fabric. I decided also, having seen a picture of … Continue reading MYOG Tent Pockets
A while ago, I decided I could do with something to use in the summer when it's warmer, as my other bedding options can be a bit too warm in the height of summer. So rather than spend loads of money buying one, I decided to make one. The design would be simple - it's … Continue reading MYOG Summer Quilt
Day 5: St John's Town of Dalry to Chalk Memorial Bothy Rain at first light meant a bit of a lie in, and when I finally peeped out around 7am, I saw Afke packing up. She'd gone by the time I was properly up. I set off handrailing through the forest and went wrong almost … Continue reading Southern Upland Way – Part 3: St John’s Town of Dalry to Sanquhar
Day 3: Beehive Bothy to Caldons A cold night and I never felt quite warm enough, but I seemed to have slept ok. Partly because I wanted to cherish what warmth I had, I was slow in getting up, and when I did emerge found Afke on the point of leaving, and Wolfgang and Sophie … Continue reading Southern Upland Way – Part 2: Beehive Bothy to St John’s Town of Dalry
Day 1: Portpatrick to Castle Kennedy A bowl of porridge with stewed rhubarb and scrambled eggs on toast inside me (I highly recommend the Harbour Lights Guest House in Stranraer), we headed to Tescos for a few lunch bits before getting the bus out to Portpatrick. Portpatrick seemed a pleasant seaside town. However, it had … Continue reading Southern Upland Way – Part 1: Portpatrick to Beehive Bothy
A bit of Background The Southern Upland Way is one of the "Big 4" of Scotland's Great Trails, being one of the 4 dating back from the days of Long Distance Routes, and predating the re-badging of the English and Welsh ones as National Trails, and the Scottish ones as Great Trails. The Long Distance … Continue reading The Southern Upland Way – Planning and Getting to the Start
When we started the South West Coast Path, back in 2008, we never expected that it would take until 2023 to finish it. At that time, we didn't even expect to do it all - it was just a pleasant revisit of the scene of some past family holidays. It was only after completing that … Continue reading Finishing the SWCP
A constant drip-drip from the trees above. The wind pushing the flysheet against the already damp inner, exacerbated by the fact I'd pitched on a slight slope. Condensation dripping from the roof of the tent through the mesh of the inner and onto my sleeping bag. A curious rustling noise that sounded like an animal … Continue reading The Unglamourous Side to Backpacking (The Wessex Ridgeway Part 1)
I've now had a chance to use the inner for a couple of nights and have some thoughts. Now I wouldn't usually review a product after so little usage, but my experience from my first inner build was that the flaws became apparent quite quickly, and more usage only made me appreciate the things I'd … Continue reading Making Another Tent Inner: Part 3 – Learnings and Field Testing
A number of fellow members of the Trek-lite forum agreed to meet up over the weekend of 25/26 February on Dartmoor, and I tagged along. To make it worth my while, as I was by far the one who lived furthest away, I decided to tack a couple of days on the end too. It … Continue reading A Meetup on Dartmoor
Now it's time for the scary bit - actually making the inner. Actually this wasn't as scary as it sounds, as the method I intended to use was fundamentally the same as for the first attempt last year. I embarked on the build with the hope that I'd make a neater job than last time, … Continue reading Making another tent inner: Part 2 – The Build
After making an inner last year, it's given me the confidence to do it again, this time with some refinements. I've now gone from a situation where the size, position and materials of a commercial inner no longer need to constrain my choice of tent - now I can just make my own. Provided I'm … Continue reading Making Another Tent Inner: Part 1 – Requirements and Design