Having used microfibre for car detailing (wash and polish to you and me!) I should really have already known that these are a fantastic material for water absorbency and softness.   Somehow though I struggled to make the mental leap between drying off paintwork to drying off skin.  I’ve used a microfibre towel whilst out fishing too, in order to clean the stench of bait off my hands but this is scarcely a decent test as a bit of old cloth would work just as well for that.

Out in the woods or on camp I usually use the Sage Deoderant Wipes as an alternative to those flimsy deo-wipes you see in the chemists or supermarkets and they do an admirable job of keeping me fresh enough for polite company.  At the Bushcraft Show this year though it was so hot and sticky on the Friday I knew that more drastic measures were going to be needed if I were to avoid repelling customers!   As we were pitched near the shower block I liberated a block of Bug Geroff soap  from the stall and snuck off with a Snugpak Microfibre Travel Towel to wash down.

Now I will admit I was sceptical, this towel (I had the large version 80cm x 124cm) was a whole lot smaller than the bath sheet back home and there’s a lot of me to dry!  So having soaped down with the lovely smelling Bug Geroff soap and rinsed off I made a start with the travel towel.  What a relavation!  Not only was the absorbency fantastic but it was a very soft feel to the towel and if it gets saturated then a simple wring out leaves you good to go.  In short order I was dried off and ready to go.  Once done you can put the towel back in the bag as it has a mesh back to avoid getting skanky but if you string it out in the breeze you’ll be surprised just how quickly they dry out.

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Well if you haven’t already received your Helle Temagami as your competion prize then I’m afraid you ain’t gonna!

Mr J. Smith from Wimbourne says:

Hi Mark,

Just a quick note to say thank you very much for the Helle knife designed by Les Stroud.

It arrived today and what a beautiful knife it is!

Still can’t believe I’ve won it!

It will go into my collection right next to my Ray Mears Woodlore knife.

Many Thanks

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1. Don’t miss out – sign up today
2. Win a Helle Temagami

Sadly this sort of thing isn’t as unusual as one might hope.

Most holiday makers taking a stroll around a working harbour might expect to see the odd fish.

But when David Copp came across a fishing trawler moored in Ilfracombe Harbour he took great offence and complained about the “disgusting” smell.

The 46-year-old was outraged that his children, aged seven and nine, had been forced to endure the sight of 12 crates of dead fish and crabs, piled up on the quayside.

He said the ordeal had left them “quite distressed” and demanded to know why the harbourmaster was not more considerate to tourists.

“There were flies flying around and the smell was awful,” he said. “The ship was just sat there not doing anything, and there were 12 crates of dead crabs and fish just lying there covered in flies.

“It’s not the sort of thing you want to see on holiday, there was a real stench.

“My children were quite distressed by it. These people should be a bit more considerate to the holidaymakers.”

 

Whilst those of us who subscribe to the bushcraft or low impact living lifestyle or aspiration understand that the countryside or a harbour can be a smelly noisy business, there are a whole lot of people out there who have an idea in their heads of a silent sweet smelling playground.   It’s a shame that so many people are so far removed from the reality of outdoors living.

Ah the age old sleeping bag argument – down versus synthetic!
We all know the pros and cons I guess, but if not here is quick reminder:

Down

Pros:
Lightweight
Low pack size
Weight
Comfort

Cons:
Price
Loses loft (warmth effectively) when wet, then takes an age to dry

Synthetic

Pros:
Price
Retains loft when wet, dries more quickly than down

Cons:
Bigger pack size
Weight

So there you go, swings and roundabouts. If you had the cash and were sure you weren’t going to be getting damp then down is the way to go. If pack size isn’t an issue, you’re on a budget (who isn’t these days?) or you stand a fair chance of getting your bag damp then synthetic is the choice.

Is there a third way though? You betcha!
The Nanok Airlock!

The Airlock features a two layer construction with the outer layer being synthetic fibre for protection against damp and the layer closest to the body being of down construction for maximum comfort. The bag also has a ‘patented self closing baffle’ for added snugness!

I’ve converted from the Nanok Endurance and I’m convinced. Certainly the comfort is a definite improvement over the purely synthetic bags and whilst I’ve not had a try at it’s rated temperature I’m convinced the -5C bag at least as warm as the -10C synthetic beast.

Just in time for spring (!) Nanok introduced the -10 version of the Airlock a bag that deserves to be a popular choice for those colder nights out.

My only gripe about the bag is the red stuff sack they come in, whilst the bag itself is a outdoorsman friendly colour. It’s only a minor thing and I suppose if it offended you that much you could get a different sack for your bag.

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1. 3 Season Sleeping Bag

August’s competition is a corker, you can win a Helle Temagami survival knife as designed by Les Stroud AKA Survivorman.

Les worked with the people form Helle to produce this knife which he named Temagami in honour of his Canadian roots. The blade features a full length tang exposed at the spine and includes grips for the forefinger which can be used when skinning game.
It is available in carbon or stainless steel and includes a leather sheath.

Blade Length 11cm
Curly Birch Handle 11.5cm
Overall Length 22.5cm
Blade Thickness 3mm
Weight 160g

To be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize enter your details below.

You will need to confirm entry by email and by entering you agree to join our mailing list.  Don’t worry we won’t give your details to anyone else and you can always unsubscribe after the draw if you wish – but we hope you won’t!
We’ll make the draw sometime after the first of September 2011.

The prize is a the winner’s choice of carbon or stainless steel Helle Temagami  which will be delivered to a UK address only.  As the prize is a knife all entrants must be over 18 and we will need to verify this before the prize can be claimed.

Good luck!

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John Fenna thinks the eight years it took to develop the Fallkniven F1 Knife “were not wasted”.

It took Fallkniven eight years to develop the “F1” knife, and as well as it being used by the Swedish Air Force as their aircrews’ issue survival knife, it has proved very popular as a civilian hunting/utility knife.

Available in several variants, the basic “satin” finished “F1” has a 97mm blade of laminated VG10 steel that has a full convex profile across its 27mm width.  The blade is of a drop-point design 4.5mm thick at the spine and the tough VG10 steel core that is hard (HRC 62) but not brittle, holds its edge superbly, while the sides of the blade are of 420J2 steel which is very rust resistant.

The combination of shape, profile, length and steels, give a blade that is tough and performs well across a broad range of tasks.  Some folk do not like the convex grind, but I have found it performs well for most tasks, including fine carving and even “feather sticking” a matchstick!

The handle is of heavily chequered and contoured thermorun over a broad, almost full width full length tang, which extends beyond the hand for “hammering” tasks.  There is a lined lanyard hole towards the flared butt of the grips.  I find the handle comfortable and almost totally non-slip.

The F1 comes with either a leather sheath, or for those who want a fully washable sheath (i.e. commercial game suppliers), there is a moulded Zytel sheath that is very tough, has leg tie holes, a large drain hole in the base, a synthetic webbing belt loop and a press stud closed “security loop” that goes around the narrowest part of the handle.

There is a “friction grip” built into the Zytel sheath, but I found this weak and not up to holding the knife in place if the sheath is inverted (definitely not needing the moulded thumb push platform to help you draw the knife) though I suppose enough for most use.

Unless you must have the Zytel sheath, then I would recommend the leather option.

As a lover of carbon blade and wood handles on knives, I was not sure I would like this – but I do!  Although it is very “modern” and minimalist to look at, it is strangely appealing, and as a tool it performs extraordinarily well and is an excellent all-rounder that is very strong indeed!

Those eight years were not wasted….

The Fallkniven F1 is a top quality knife that costs around £96.95 with the Zytel sheath, £102.95 with the leather option, and comes with a 2-year guarantee.

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1. John Fenna Reviews the Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet
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John Fenna reviews the 5.11 TACTICAL trousers endorsed by Ray Mears.

Made from a tough and durable 8.5oz 100% cotton canvas, the 5:11 Tactical Pants have loads of features that make them great field trousers.

The partially elasticated waistband sports a snap closure and 7 solid belt loops, and is very comfortable, while the metal zip fly has a separate button closure on the flap behind the zip as well.

There are 2 deep bag front pockets and 2 big back pockets (built into the double thickness seat) with Velcro-closed, diagonal openings.  A D-ring is positioned over the right hand front pocket and a webbing strap above the right hand seat pocket, both great for securing kit on the move.

There are twin leg pockets with inverted pleats and Velcro-closed cover flaps, while on the left leg there is a bellowsed “mobile phone” pocket which could also take a good sized knife etc.

The double layer knees can take knee pad inserts and the hem is eyeleted to take draw cords.

The trousers are cut to give freedom of movement without being baggy, and have small front pleats. The construction of the trousers is to the highest level with double stitched seams, reinforced lower corners on the front and back pockets (for knife clips etc), multiple bar tacking on stress points and all using quality materials.

Coming in sizes 28-54 waist and a range of 11 colours and leg lengths, the 5:11 Tactical Pants are tough, comfortable and quiet in wear, good looking, functional, easy to wash – in fact the only thing I don’t like is the “tactical” name, which is a bit off-putting.

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1. 5.11 TACTICAL the choice for outdoor summer wear
2. John Fenna Looks at the Maxpedition Keyper & E.D.C.
3. Maxpedition: S-Type Jumbo Versipack

The Aclima Lightwool shirt is one of our most useful items. Managing to keep you both warm and cool we’re sure you’ll like them as much as we do. Here’s Steven Hanton’s thoughts on this remarkable shirt:

Spending 6 months of the year living in the woods in the Lake District, and frequently travelling to extreme environments during the winter months,I require good kit. Although I am an advocate of knowledge over gear, I also value good sturdy clothing and equipment, built to last and able to perform when I need it most.

While picking up a few supplies at Lakeland Bushcraft for our courses, Mark suggested I try a new range of Merino wool clothing. I gladly accepted one of the new Aclima Lightwool 130gm T-shirts and told him I’d put it through its paces and give him my thoughts on it’s performance.

I should say that I am a staunch advocate of wool, Merino in particular, so I don’t need any persuading on the merits of the wonder-stuff. Its tough, comfortable and retains its insulating properties even when wet.

I wore the T-shirt for 10 days straight on two of our back to back courses, all day and all night. It was light enough to dry quickly (I sweat a lot), yet was warm and an excellent base-layer. Whats more, being wool, it didn’t hold odours, and that’s a requirement for the sort of work I do… where there are no showers and limits to the amount of clothing I can carry.

The only negative was that I probably took the wrong size. I’m consistently a medium, but this appeared to be quite a large medium. I prefer a more snug fit for practical reasons, and so I would suggest you bear this in mind when purchasing. All in all a comfortable, durable, lightweight base-layer with all the usual talents of wool.

Steven Hanton is an accomplished bushcrafter, an ardent naturalist and talented tracker. His interests have led him on expeditions to remote areas of Alaska, Norway, Namibia, North America, Canada, Indonesia and Malaysia.

You can read more about Steven and his skills over at Woodsmoke and on his blog.

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The 5.11 TACTICAL clothing range endorsed by Ray Mears, has been running off the shelves since we started stocking it last year. And the recent Bushcraft Show on the banks of Lake Windermere saw the TACTICAL range out in force.

Lurch really loves it and is more often seen in his TACTICAL gear than in civvies and it’s not hard to see why!

The shirt, with button up sleeves if the weather’s warm, has two pen pockets on the left arm. The double vented back helps to keep even the hottest hottie cool. And the triple stiching throughout is a sign of the true quality synonymous with the 5.11 TACTICAL range.

But for me as a writer and keen outdoorswoman it’s the Velcro document pockets at the front, behind the breast pockets, that I love. They’re big enough for my large moleskine notebook and plenty of room left over for maps, phone and anything else I can think of.

Coupled with the 5.11 TACTICAL 100% cotton canvas pants the 5.11 TACTICAL range is my choice for outdoor summer wear.

Simon Moorhouse recommends 5.11 TACTICAL: “It’s heavier duty cotton – perfect for working with scouts day in, day out.”

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1. 5.11 Endorsed by Ray Mears
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Bushcraft is an emotive topic and one that, eventually, seems to turn into an argument about what counts as real bushcraft and what’s just camping.

To some, if you’re out in the woods with anything more than a knife and loincloth, you’re glamping. Others would say a loincloth is for wimps, and why use a knife when you’ve got teeth?

So when does bushcraft become camping? Is it as simple as semantics would suggest? Is it even that important? Could it simply be that many people see terms like bushcraft and survival skills as the same thing? Isn’t it true that we actually just want to get away from it all? Get back to basics? Back out into nature?

Learning skills such as shelter building or flint knapping is a great way to reconnect with life as it used to be, but it’s not for everyone. The modern world has improved things for us and we have tents and carbon steel now. The purest might frown upon many of these modern developments but they’ve been created out of convenience. Even the fire steel is a much improved variation on an old method.

If your kit contains a lighter, gas stove and Aeropress Coffee Maker you’re not any less of an outdoorsman/woman than if you’d packed nothing but a knife and a mug. You’re simply taking an alternate route to the same end, that of enjoying the outdoor life.

And isn’t that what’s really important to us; being outside, away from the stress of the grindstone, with no walls and no one telling you what to do? Isn’t that more important than trying to find the right label for what we do and why we do it?

There are enough things to worry about in modern life without arguing about which of us is bushcrafting properly. Get out there and have fun. What kit you take, if any, is up to you.

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