backpacking

Tiny titanium pens

Three Points of the Compass takes a glance at mini titanium pens, suitable for keyring, EDC kits and lightweight backpacking, these are tough little fellows, just don't lose them!

Gear

Fire Maple Petrel Titanium Ultralight Backpack Stove

Easily the world's lightest commercially made remote canister stove, Fire Maple's new offering is a welcome addition to the choice of lightweight stoves, providing something a little different.

Cooking

Fire Maple 800ml Petrel Ramen Pot

This wide-base 800ml offering from Fire Maple is the latest in their Petrel range of heat exchanger pots and goes some way to improving both efficiency and stove compatibility, but not ease of use.

Electronics

Nitecore NB Plus 10000mAh ‘energy bar’

Three Points of the Compass has long been a fan of Nitecore Powerbanks, using them across many thousands of trail miles. Does the latest NB Plus 10k have anything new to offer?

art

Ultem: is this the ultimate material for lightweight EDC pens?

One type of plastic has been exciting comment among the Everyday Carry brigade. But does polyetherimide have anything to offer? Three Points of the Compass purchased a trio of pens to try them out.

Gear

Youth, learning, enjoyment, retrospection… and a set of scales

A few items of new gear have been carried over the threshold of 'casa Three Points of the Compass' in the last few days. While carrying out a few necessary preliminary tasks, retrospection and consideration of 'what it is all for' came to mind.

Gear

Gear talk: Zpacks Ultralight Camp Shoes

Three Points of the Compass ignores over a decade of personal preference and adds the Zpacks Ultralight Camp Shoes to his gear. Why!

Trail talk

The Hebridean Way- Days 10 and 11: Lewis, trail’s end

Three Points of the Compass winds up his Hebridean adventure. A last couple of days would throw midges, bogs and yet more road walking my way

Trail talk

The Hebridean Way- Days 7-9: Harris and Lewis

Three Points of the Compass continues his Hebridean adventure, moving from the shining sands on the west of Harris, to cross to the mountainous east and north of the island, before continuing to Lewis, his tenth and final island

Trail talk

The Hebridean Way- Days 4-6: Benbecula, Grimsay, North Uist, Berneray and South Harris

Three Points of the Compass continues heading north(ish) across the Western Isles archipelago on the Hebridean Way

Trail talk

The Hebridean Way- Days 1-3: Vatersay, Barra, Eriskay, South Uist and Benbecula

It was May. That means one thing- backpacking in Scotland. Three Points of the Compass sets off to traverse ten of the Western Isles archipelago, on the Hebridean Way.

Gear talk

Sleeping base layers

Three Points of the Compass takes a look at the base layers he uses as sleep clothes. There have been recent changes, not much, but at least these now lack the holes and rents of the old un's.

Gear

The trials of trail shoes

Three Points of the Compass delves into his love/hate relationship with trail shoes. Now everyone, sigh and shake your head, pity him...

Gear

Unpacking from the trail. Scotland has been wearing me down!

...or rather, multi-day hikes punishing gear over time. It looks like Three Points of the Compass will be hitting the summer gear sales.

Gear

Packing for the trail: my hygiene kit

Packing a few items that may, just may, keep me slightly cleaner on trail. It's not hard, its not difficult, just needs a bit of thought.

Gear

Packing for the trail: goodbye old friend

OK, so it Is just a flexible water bottle. But it is (was) amongst the oldest items of gear I have been using continually on just about all of my backpacking trips over the past decade.

Trail talk

Trail talk: Fjällräven Classic Chile 2024- Day 4 ‘The Torres del Paine day’

Three Points of the Compass heads to the finishing line on the final day of Fjällräven Classic Chile. But there are still a few ups and downs to contend with first.

Trail talk

Trail talk: Fjällräven Classic Chile 2024- Day 3 ‘The Lakes day’

It was now day three on the Fjällräven Classic Chile 2024. Today would see Three Points of the Compass hugging the shores of the beautiful Lago Porteno, Lago Maravilla and Lago del Toro in southern Patagonia.

Trail talk

Trail talk: Fjällräven Classic Chile 2024- Day 2 ‘The Mountain day’

After an excellent day in the forests of Southern Patagonia, Three Points of the Compass begins a second day, with high expectation of mountain views, on the Fjällräven Classic Chile 2024.

Trail talk

Trail talk: Fjällräven Classic Chile 2024- Day 1 ‘The Forest day’

Three Points of the Compass strides out on the first of four days on the Fjällräven Classic Chile 2024. Much of the day was spent amongst the trees, with distant mountains only occasionally slipping in to view.

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