5.11 Backpack Rush 72-hour

As someone who has everything required for an pleasent outdoor weekend in the bush, not alot of kit catches my eye these days, but I came across this bergan by 511.   Looks pretty good and I've always liked the US MOLLE mounting system.   This bergan looks almost perfect, but it's capacity is only 47 litres... not quite big enough for me, but never the less a nice bag if it suits your needs.

My last post to this Blog

The link on the right that was to a selection of photos will no longer work because I've removed the folder. I've been doing some housekeeping and having a tidy up and no longer wish to share that folder. TG if you want the photos from that folder then drop me a line and I will fire them over and you can upload and host them in your space. Chances are you should already have these photos stored somewhere.

I liked the idea of YouTube for the videos and the idea of this Blog. But sadly the YouTube account suffered from abuse so I closed that.

This Blog has gone nowhere fast. None of our crew have bothered to signup or comment, and the public input as been zero. It's only kept alive by myself and TG, and that's a shame and now seems pointless us two posting when we can share our thoughts, ideas and adventures via email etc...

This will be my last post to this Blog. I will still contact the crew in the way that I've always done, as there seems no point in posting it here anymore.

Thanks TG for creating this Blog, it's a shame that it's not been used.....Cheers mate ;)

Videos & Slideshow videos

Sorry that the links to my videos and ones that TG has linked to will now fail. I've taken them down because I closed my YouTube account. TG, if you want any of the videos then chances are you already have them, if not buzz me and I'll send over any that you might want to store in your own space. Sorry for this but my YouTube account was getting more abuse than good sensible comments, so rather than keep having to police it, I've closed it.

Topgear breathes new life into satnav

It's usefull having a gadget freak in your crew, especialy when he can bring your satnav back to life after you'v given up all hope of it working again and had tossed it too one side.
Cheers mate, she's working like a dream again.

October 2010 Forest Camp

Well guys I have to say that was a great weekend. Good to see old faces and a new one. The tree climbing was a lark, as was the slingshot shooting. Great company and nice BIG fires, which in my case were needed after my encounter with that ditch ;-)

October 2010 Camp

Here's some video from our October 2010 Camp, special thanks to the Big Guy for the camera work and editing.   Highlight of the weekend, appart from it been too warm and too many bugs, was the tasty spit roast grey squirel!

Photo slideshow from the weekend can be found here


Looking forward to the Christmas camp.... subzero temperatures and possibly snow!

How to prolong lithium-based batteries

As some of our regular readers might notice, the Big Guy and myself are know flashpackers out in the field, which means lots of batteries to keep our techo kit running while we are away.    One recent innovation in battery technology is Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries.  We like them because they hold more change for their size and they work well in the cold (but not below freezing!).

I found this article particularly useful on how best to look after and prolong the life of Lithium Ion batteries.  Here's the simple guide for looking after your Lithium Ion batteries : -

• Avoid frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on the battery. Several partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for lithium-ion than one deep one. Recharging a partially charged lithium-ion does not cause harm because there is no memory. (In this respect, lithium-ion differs from nickel-based batteries.) Short battery life in a laptop is mainly cause by heat rather than charge / discharge patterns.
   
• Batteries with fuel gauge (laptops) should be calibrated by applying a deliberate full discharge once every 30 charges. Running the pack down in the equipment does this. If ignored, the fuel gauge will become increasingly less accurate and in some cases cut off the device prematurely.
   
• Keep the lithium-ion battery cool. Avoid a hot car. For prolonged storage, keep the battery at a 40% charge level.
   
• Consider removing the battery from a laptop when running on fixed power. (Some laptop manufacturers are concerned about dust and moisture accumulating inside the battery casing.)
   
• Avoid purchasing spare lithium-ion batteries for later use. Observe manufacturing dates. Do not buy old stock, even if sold at clearance prices.
   
• If you have a spare lithium-ion battery, use one to the fullest and keep the other cool by placing it in the refrigerator. Do not freeze the battery. For best results, store the battery at 40% state-of-charge.

letsomebodyknow.com (where to find the body?)

Here is a handy free $30 service for all us adventurers out there :-

http://www.letsomebodyknow.com/

"Want to stay safe but don't want to bother people by always telling them your plans?  Use LetSomebodyknow.com to quickly log your plans and have the choice of only notifying people about them if you don't return."

or should that be 'going somewhere you shouldn't be and don't want to tell anyone... but just incase you dont come back they will know where to look?'

Joking aside, it is very important to let someone (or a website) know your travel plans, your expected locations with date/times and your expected return date/time.  Be safe, be happy.

Topgear.

Fiskars Axe or a Gerber ?

Fiskars say that the handle is a virtually unbreakable FiberComp^® fiberglass handle, and the head locks in a permanent, wiggle-free position.

 

Well I knew our axes were strong, and I have to say that in all the years that myself and TG have had them, they're as good as the day they were new.

 

Now the reason for this post is to spread a little known tip when buying one of these axes.

 

Fiskars and Wilkinson Sword, are one in the same.  So if you see one of these little orange gems with Wilkinson Sword or Fiskars on the handle then buy it.

 

The main tip comes here.......the Gerber axe sells for a shed load more than my Fiskars which only cost me £17.99 about five or so years ago, and at the time then the Gerber equivalent axe cost closer to £50.  Now a few of you know this but not everyone, so here goes......a Gerber axe is realy a Fiskars axe that's got a black handle and a badge that reads Gerber.  So save yourself some money and go to the gardening store to buy a Fiskars rather than an exspensive outdoor store that's selling the same axe in a different jacket !

 

Water in a meths burner !

I just recieved this response to one of my videos......

Now here's the WARNING......I'm not endorsing this as a tried and tested method because I've not had a chance yet to test it myself, but I am interested in anyones comments with regards to this and have they used this method and does it work and what sort of results did you get.

 

Good video. a small tip: I've found that adding a TINY amount of water to the meths in the burner doesn't affect it's efficiency, but certainly prevents the base of the pans getting "sooty", so to speak!