backpacking

Gear talk: Toaks FRM-02 and FRM-03 windshield and pot stands

The Toaks FRM-02 and FRM-03 are small and simple titanium three or four-piece combined pot stand and windshield. Each is suited for use with smaller meths/alcohol burners, solid fuel and gel.

Cooking

Gear talk: Camping Moon Rocket Stand Z-23 OD

The Rocket Stand Z-23 OD from Camping Moon provides a stable platform that converts a favourite canister top stove to a remote canister stove. It also allows you to use two stoves from a single canister. However, it isn't a particularly lightweight option and may not suit everyone.

Gear

Knife chat: minimalism in the pocket, the True Utility ‘Bare’

The TU580 Bare "skeleton style minimalist knife" knife from True Utility is a very well-priced knife and worthy of consideration by those looking for a simple little blade, at a decent price.

Trail talk

Trail talk: Fjällräven Classic Sweden- heading north on the Kungsleden. Sälka to Abisko

Three Points of the Compass continues northward on the Fjällräven Classic Sweden, toward the Abisko National Park and finish line.

Gear

Gear talk: HydraPak 42mm Filter Cap

Eschewing fancy names, HydraPak adds their own filter to the small but growing choice of 42mm water filters that will connect to wide mouth bottles, bladders and flasks.

Trail talk

Trail talk: Fjällräven Classic Sweden- heading west to the Kungsleden. Nikkaluokta to Sälka

Three Points of the Compass hits the trail in Swedish Lapland, participating in the annual Fjällräven Classic, a 110km walk above the Arctic Circle.

Gear

Gear talk: converting a 42mm neck HydraPak bladder to fit a 28mm water filter- Plug-N-Play

HydraPak have produced a number of accessories to fit their wide neck bladders and bottles. Three Points of the Compass has a glance at two of these, that permit a 28mm threaded water filter to be fitted.

Gear

Gear talk: converting a 42mm neck HydraPak bladder to fit a 28mm water filter- the hack

In the first of two posts, Three Points of the Compass looks at two ways to fit a 28mm thread Sawyer Squeeze water filter to a 42mm neck HydraPak water bladder.

Trail talk

Trail talk: Fjällräven Classic Sweden 2023- application, logistics and stats.

In the first of three posts, Three Points of the Compass looks at his participation in Fjällräven Classic Sweden 2023, a 110km hike through Swedish Lapland.

Gear

Gear talk: Mountain Laurel Designs Bug Head Net

Midge ridden evenings on the Cape Wrath Trail, clegs on an evening walk through Kielder Forest to a bothy on the Pennine Way, mosquitoes on a lakeside section of Sweden's Kungsleden, these are amongst the times I have scrambled for a bug headnet and been relieved to pull it over my head to distance myself from the wee beasties.

Electronics

Gear talk: the Pad-Pal v5.1 sleeping pad inflator

Following trials, a 'final' production version of the Pad-Pal electric sleeping pad inflator is now available. Weighing less than ten grams, including valve adapter, this bit of luxury on trail is now an ultralight option for all.

Cooking

Gear talk: a Primus Micron retrospective

Twenty years ago, Primus released an innovative new stove on to the market. In the intervening years the Micron has undergone design changes, refinement and had features added. How is it holding up in 2023?

Gear

Gear talk: cleaning a tent zip

The zip on one of my tents has been sticking and jumping teeth. It was time to clean and lubricate it.

Gear

Gear talk: some thoughts on gear used on the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails

a quick glance at the gear I carried for a summer hike of the two trails, with some brief thoughts on it

Trail talk

Trail talk: Iceland’s Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails. Básar to Skógar

Three Points of the Compass rounds off his 56km hike of the Laugavegur Trail with the 25km Fimmvörðuháls Trail, passing high between two glaciers, to then descend to the sea, following the Skóga River and one of the finest collections of waterfalls in the world.

Trail talk

Trail talk: Iceland’s Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails. Álftavatn to Básar

Three Points of the Compass continues his Icelandic adventure. Two more days of hiking will see me finish the Laugavegur. But will the notorious changing weather conditions permit me to continue to the coast, on the Fimmvörðuháls Trail?

Trail talk

Trail talk: Iceland’s Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails. Landmannalaugar to Álftavatn

Three Points of the Compass takes a walk from Iceland's southern Highlands to the sea, across a landscape continually shaped by the forces of nature. Both Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails are exceptional.

Gear

Gear talk: the Fire Maple Polaris Pressure-regulator Gas Stove

Polaris is the name that Fire Maple has given to their series of stoves that each feature a pressure regulator. There are three stoves in this range- a remote canister stove, a canister top stove and an integrated 'cooking system'. Three Points of the Compass has a look at their Polaris Pressure-regulator Gas Stove

Electronics

Gear talk: Nitecore Carbo 20000, the world’s lightest 20000mAh powerbank

Most backpackers are carrying a powerbank on multi-day trips. As the need for additional power for a multitude of electronic devices increases, so does the search for the lightest and most efficient of high capacity 'bricks'. Three Points of the Compass has a glance at a 20k mAh option from Nitecore.

Gear

Gear talk: fitting magnetic door closures to my MLD Duomid

Three Points of the Compass has just completed a simple ten minute mod that makes magnetically securing one or both doors open on the MLD Duomid a lot simpler and quicker.

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