You can find here various short pieces and longer articles I have written, with a few useful resources. It will alter and be added to over time. Dip in to it, you might find something of interest…

• Pin badges associated with outdoor activities, clubs and campaigns have been produced for decades. A large number of examples can be seen in the following links-
  • The Camping Club- a catalogue of badges
  • Co-operative Holidays Association
  • Cunningham Holiday Camp
  • Holiday Fellowship
  • Out O’ Doors Fellowship
  • Ramblers’ Association
  • Robertson’s Gollys 
• Bothies– a glance at some of those visited
• Calculating temperature change with elevation and wind chill
• Drones, are they an intrusion?
• Et mortuus est– handling grief through walking
• Every Day Carry, or EDC
  • A glance at bringing together a particularly useful set of ‘stuff’ for commuting and travelling. My Every Day Carry
  • Altoids tin- creating an Urban EDC
  • Zebra F-701 pen, possibly the best choice for EDC
• The Fibonacci Sequence- useful maths for hiking
• Food on trail
  • Some thoughts on food and drink on trail, plus a look at the challenge of resupply.
• Foot care
  • Sad experience recounted and learnt from. Nothing too horrific. Plus a little advice in the extra links above
• Guide books for rambling in Kent– a brief history of their development
• ‘How to stop a mad dog’
• A hikers Library
  • All of us have a few books, or printed resources, that we like to return to or rely on. Here are some of mine
• Knots, on trail and a retrospective, plus some resources
• Lego- really! Yep, there have been a few brick minifigures released over the years that may be of interest, here are ten of them:
  • Lego Advent Calendar Hiker (2008)
  • Lego ‘Creator’ Log Cabin backpacker (2011)
  • Lego Mountain Climber (2013)
  • Lego Hiker (2016)
  • Lego ‘Creator’ Boy Camper (2016)
  • Lego Ninjago Zane Hiker (2017)
  • Lego Hiker (2018)
  • Lego Boy Camper (2018)
  • Lego Brand Retail Manager’s Conference- Camper (2018)
  • Lego Backpacker (2022)
• London- A fascinating history of the free printed maps produced for walking in the capital and largest city in England the UK, in four parts:
  • A history
  • Transport for London maps
  • Royal Occasion
  • Sporting occasion
• Map Measurers
  • A brief history and series links looking at some examples from my personal collection. These are intriguing instruments and deserve more attention than the scant information to be found elsewhere.
• National Parks– Seventy years old in 2021- a family album
• Navigation
  • Maps
    • A-Z Adventure Series ‘for walkers’ maps
    • Harvey maps– a growing relationship with these excellent maps, particularly on longer trails
    • Ordnance Survey maps: Three Points of the Compass has had a long relationship with the finest maps ever produced. A retrospective glance.
  • A few lessons learnt on navigation and some advice, take it or leave it, your choice of course.
  • Highlighters for use with maps
  • Using a slope card to determine gradient
  • Making a set of Pacer Beads
  • How to use the Sun Clock on the Silva Ranger SL sighting compass
• Outdoor Magazines and Journals
  • The printed medium has produced some classic (and less so) publications over the years, how many do you remember?
• Outdoor organisations in the United Kingdom
  • A brief glance at the various outdoor organisations that have pioneered the way for us in the UK and abroad, plus some links where I look at a few in more detail
• Pedestrianism
  • A look at the mostly 19th century form of competitive walking-. An absorbing piece of almost forgotten history.
• Pooping on trail– mostly just a look at what I carry to facilitate the necessary. Not gross, honest!
• Street Furniture- one thing is guaranteed while hiking in the UK. That is encountering a fascinating array of street furniture. A closer look at what might be seen.
  • Post Boxes
    • Airmail boxes of the 1930s
    • The ‘Ludlow’ post box
    • The ‘Nigerian’ pillar box
    • Post boxes on the London LOOP
    • Post boxes on the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path
    • Wall boxes- the ‘one in every village’ scheme
  • Sustrans Millennium Mileposts– occasionally encountered on the National Cycle Networks
  • Telephone Kiosks– can you tell your K2 from your K6?
    • Also- a look back at when both change and a Phonecard had to be carried on trail
  • Trail signage– a totally random collection of signage from the trail
  • Village and Town Signs
• Whisky-
  • Ardnamurchan
• Yews– a look at this venerable tree, witness to history and frequently found in churchyards