Author Archives

Jools

UK backpacker, striving for lightweight while body gets increasingly heavyweight. Completed all of the UK national trails while fitting in local day hikes and other multi-day trails both in the UK and overseas. Walked across mainland UK on five month 2500 mile 'Three Points of the Compass' hike in 2018

Trail talk

Trail talk: Statues on the Jubilee Walkway

A select number of statues seen on London's Jubilee Walkway

Trail talk

Trail talk: Lego Hiker (2016)

Here's a little chap to sit on your desk and remind you of the trials and tribulations of navigation- Lego Hiker was a minifigure released in 2016

knife

Knife chat: Gerber Armbar Slim Cut and Slim Drive

Released in 2021, the Gerber Armbar Slim Drive and Cut multi-tools focus in on different features of their larger Armbar Drive cousin

Gear

Gear talk: knocking the grams off a sit pad

Three Points of the Compass catches up with the rest of the world and does something obvious- cuts a piece of foam to sit on

Cooking

Gear talk: The Flat Cat Gear Ocelot heat exchanger kit, with FMS-300T Hornet stove

The simple adapter plate from Flat Cat Gear enables a Fire Maple stove to be used with heat exchanger pots

Cooking

Gear talk: A lightweight windscreen for the Kovea Spider

A glance at the excellent Flat Cat Gear Ocelot windscreen for the Kovea Spider stove, and knocking up an even lighter titanium version

ditty bag

Knife chat: Adding functionality on trail with Leatherman accessories

Leatherman produce a small range of handy accessories that may mean a repair of specialised gear can be carried out on trail

map measurer

Map measure of the month: the Vistascreen ‘BP Super’

The Vistascreen map measure is a cheaply made item promoting BP Super fuel

Trail talk

Trail talk: The Medway Valley Walk- day two

The Medway Valley Walk provides a comfortable two day walk from Tonbridge to Rochester with an overnight halt at Maidstone

Trail talk

Trail talk: The Medway Valley Walk- day one

The Medway Valley Walk provides a comfortable two day walk from Tonbridge to Rochester with an overnight halt at Maidstone

map measurer

Map measure of the month: HB Curvimetre ‘Model No. 52 mesures anglaises’

The French manufactured HB Curvimetre 52 MA is a robustly made map measurer "pour mesures anglaises"

books

A hiker’s library: Village Signs

There has not been a huge number of books published on the subject of village and town signs. This is a look at twelve pulled from my own shelves

knife

Knife chat: Gerber Armbar Drive

The Gerber Armbar Drive provides the means to carry a small multi-tool that includes not only a decent sized blade, but also an awl and scissors, alongside a quarter-inch hex drive to enable repair and maintence while on trail

Trail talk

Trail talk- The Swale Heritage Trail

The Swale Heritage Trail crosses the north Kent marshes between Goodnestone and Sittingbourne, visiting medieval churches en route

Trail talk

Trail talk: Village Signs

Frequently both attractive and informative, village and town signs are often encountered when walking England's paths and long distance trails

art

Art on trail: a lightweight fountain pen

An easy alteration to create a good quality yet small and light fountain pen for use while backpacking

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Société des Lunetiers Curvimeter

The Société des Lunetiers Curvimeter is a simply made yet effective map measurer from a time of fraternal co-operation between French master craftsmen

knife

Knife chat: Leatherman Juice S2

The Leatherman Juice S2 may provide a compact set of tools for the backpacker requiring more than just blade and scissors

books

A hiker’s library: Knots

One or two books on knots and their uses on the hiker's bookshelf will not go amiss. These are mine and there is not a bad volume amongst them

Trail talk

Trail talk: Britain’s National Parks- A family album

The first of the UK's National Parks was designated 17 April 1951 and celebrated their seventieth birthday in 2021- A Family Album

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