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: The Thames Path- Sonning to Marlow

Sonning to Marlow. 15.0 miles (24.0km) It was a hot […]

Trail talk

Trail talk: The Thames Path- Goring to Sonning

For the remaining eight days and 105 miles of this national trail, Three Points of the Compass is joined by Mission Control, who has stipulated good accommodation and good food. We hold out hope of a few decent pints of beer too...

Cooking

Gear talk: Heat Exchanger pots

What do heat exchanger pots have to offer the lightweight backpacker? Are they any more efficient, and if so, does this compensate for the increased weight, bulk and expense? Three Points of the Compass takes a glance at some of those available.

navigation

Trail talk: A-Z Adventure Series ‘for walkers’ maps

For those that like to venture out on a long distance path in the UK, be it National Trail or some other route, a physical map, with the trail highlighted through it's centre, is a useful resource. And if that resource comes with Ordnance Survey mapping, it is a match made in heaven, well, almost!

Cooking

Gear talk: my backpacking gear for spring in the UK

A glance at the gear Three Points of the Compass has packed for a weeks wander across Lowland Scotland. I have a mix of official campsites and wildcamping, and because this is in May, I can anticipate low to mid-high temperatures and dry or wet conditions.

Trail talk

Trail talk: The Ludlow post box

A glance at one of the most varied of UK post boxes. The Ludlow is increasingly threatened and becoming ever rarer. Keep an eye out for what was once a 'cheap' alternative to the more common cast iron boxes.

Trail talk

Trail talk: a return to the Medway Valley Walk

Coronation Weekend loomed. The nation was to enjoy an extra bank-holiday and I noticed that the prices one hotel chain was charging were at their cheapest that Monday. But where to go? I decided to reprise my Medway Valley Walk of a couple of years ago.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: the Royal Automobile Club ‘scale rule’ bookmark

Simple scale rules were included with some road atlases published by the Royal Automobile Club. These acted as both bookmark and map measure.

Gear

Gear talk: Gossamer Gear Shoulder Strap Pocket

Most hikers are carrying a phone on trail, but where to keep it? In a pocket, chest pouch, hip belt pouch... Three Points of the Compass has been using the Gossamer Gear Shoulder Strap Pocket for the past three years.

Cooking

Gear talk: cleaning the generator tube on a multi-fuel stove

Some stoves require just a little maintenance to keep them operating optimally. Liquid or multi-fuel stoves often feature a generator loop where liquid fuel is vaporised. This occasionally requires internal carbon deposits removing. It isn't a difficult task if carried out before it becomes a problem.

Gear

Gear talk: Arch Angel replacement insoles

Three Points of the Compass is trying out new insoles this year. Arch Angel are from UK based Healthy Feet and are an alternative to US Superfeet.

Cooking

Gear talk: looking at canister top ‘stove systems’ and stability

Many backpackers will simply buy what is reviewed as the […]

Electronics

Gear talk: USB-C coupler adapters, they don’t come much smaller or lighter than this!

It can be surprising how much weight a cable can add to electronics carried on trail. Here is one of the lightest alternatives available. This USB-C coupler has it's limitations, but could be a handy primary or back-up connector.

ditty bag

Gear talk: repair tape and patches carried on trail

Anyone who has been backpacking a few years will have invariably accumulated a plethora of repair tapes and patches along the way, be it a roll of tape from the local hardware store, self-adhesive flashing tape when making pot cosies, or repair kits supplied with shelters or sleeping mats. But what, if anything, to actually carry on trail? This is what Three Points of the Compass is packing along.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Uittokalusto O.Y. Karttamittari

This months measure is a simple brass 'Karttamittari' produced and sold by Uittokalusto O.Y. Finnish word 'kartta', from Swedish 'karta', meaning map. Finnish word 'mittari', from meter/gauge/indicator, or device for measuring.

Gear

Gear talk: sodium acetate crystallisation-type heat-pads

This type of re-usable heat pad has been around for a good few years now. The science is based around an old chemistry laboratory experiment with salt and water that was assured to wake up even the most bored of students.

Electronics

Gear talk: Pad-Pal, the world’s smallest and lightest electric pad inflator is getting smaller and lighter!

This is an update on the progress that Tyler Reeves is making in further reducing the size and weight of his home-grown pad inflator. It isn't available yet, and may differ substantially from the prototype shown here, but watch this space...

Electronics

Gear talk: my 2023 electronics

It is three years since I did a dedicated post on the electronic gear I carry on backpacking trips, so here is the 2023 update. Do note that this selection is peculiar to me. I am a UK lightweight backpacker who still enjoys a bit of luxury. As always, there is also a little experimentation underway at present so one item at least will be dropped later in the year.

Trail talk

Trail talk: National Outdoor Expo, 2023. Birmingham NEC

The National Outdoor Expo took place at Birmingham NEC over the weekend of 18/19 March 2023. Three Points of the Compass went along to see what it had to offer this year.

Cooking

Gear talk: Fire Maple Blade, Blade 2 and Volcano remote canister stoves

Three Points of the Compass looks at three similar remote canister stoves from Fire Maple- the FMS-117T Blade, FMS-117H Blade 2 and FMS-118 Volcano. These stoves range from three-season, to lightweight four-season, to heavier weight four-season options. There isn't a bad stove amongst them.

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