Category Archives: Canoeing and Bushcraft

All general canoeing and bushcraft items.

CRUSADER MUG as Used by Ray Mears, Bear Grylls

I’d seen both Ray Mears AND Bear Grylls using this steel mug type so figure that’s a good enough recommendation for anyone. I also like this design: has some real advantages – the shape means it can be used as a cup or a bowl; you can clean it with anything to hand, sand, grass etc. (because its Steel with not paint or coating, unless you like the taste of PTFE, I prefer sand), and cook direct on the flames with it too.

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It’s an army issue cup called the CRUSADER CUP CANTEEN. It’s an awesome piece of kit – you know it’s good if Bear Grylls takes it with him, as he travels with almost nothing! Only a knife, water bottle and this crusadar mug most of the time… it’s the ultimate example of “Get Tuff with your Stuff” minimal gear! The 0.75 litre capacity is incredible in a ‘cup’ and means it can be used for BIG drinks, re-hydrating dried food, collecting foodstuff in the bush, and for eating from – 0.75 litres of beef stew is enough for anyone, in one helping anyway! The design of the handle means it’s a really solid grip and also helps prop up the mug when used directly on the fire – being thin metal it also sheds any heat build up pretty quick. Designed to fit beneath the NATO ’58 pattern army water bottle, the Crusader Cup Canteen doubles as a drinking mug or cooking pot. Constructed from high-grade matt finished stainless steel. Compatible with the Crusader field cooking unit (also available separately). The mug also features handy internal measuring scale (0.25 l/0.5 l) ideal when rehydrating meals etc. Volume: 0.75 L (1.58 pints). Size: 13.5 x 10 x 10cm (5″ x 4″ x 4″). Weight: 290g (10oz).

Note: watch out for cheaper replicas, e.g. from Gelert – thay are NOT the real thing – but the real thing does come re-badged as a bushcraft item, but it’s made in the same factory – you can tell by looking for the serial numbers imprinted in the steel.

Prices from £15.00 each from StrikeForceSupplies.com, our favourite and local Army Surplus supplier – Friendly service, 15 years in the business and now with a new MASSIVE warehouse in Frome, Somerset chock full of gear…!

Here’s the Crusader in use on a recent Canoe Trip:

Coffee in the Crusader steel mug - out of the rain....

Coffee in the Crusader steel mug - out of the rain....

The Crusader mug used straight on the fire, cooking up some porridge for breakfast

The Crusader mug used straight on the fire, cooking up some porridge for breakfast

Swag n Tarp set up…

Australian ‘Razorback’ swag set up under a (British) Wychwood ‘Rogue Shelter’ makes a perfect open fronted campfire shelter like a one man Baker Tent also called the Campfire tent, but without all the poles and heavy canvas.

The shelter will catch the wind a bit in bad weather though, but perfect for normal conditions or even heavy rain without Big Wind… The Swag will shed any amount of rain that gets in, and the advantage of a big fire out in front is a big one: heat bounces around inside the shelter and you have a great feeling of being out on the open air.

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Pic Of The Day; "Old Red"

Old Red is our new canoe – an Old Town Discovery 158 in classic canoe red. We just returned from her maiden river trip, on the River Wye – here’s a great picture of Old Red pulled up at the bank, while Hawkeye looks out for birds in the woods on the river bank. We’ll post a full report of the trip here in the coming days – it was a great trip – still very wintery, no sign of green in the trees – just some early wild garlic out in the woods, and a few daffs and snowdrops. The birds were urging Spring on though with fantastic chorus of song coming from the woods and riverbanks.

"Old Red" with Hawkeye in spotting birds, on the river wye. Click for larger image.

Baker Tent Hunt – In Search of the Modern Campfire tent

Update: See our latest test of the Green Outdoor full size Campfire Tent.

We’re on a mission. To seek out the best modern version of a traditional canvas tent, the “Baker Tent”.

The Baker Tent- image from www.tentsmiths.com

The basic attraction of this kind of tent or shelter is that it provides a living and sleeping space that is wide open to nature and environment and views around you, and yet sheltered enough from the elements. IN addition the classic Baker Tent is flexible in design, with a porch/roof and side wings all of which can be adjusted to suit the weather conditions. The Baker Tent is also known as the ‘Campfire Tent” which also gives a clue to it’s main attraction, that you can place the tent in front of the campfire whilst remaining under cover and out of any wind etc. In hot climates bugs and Mozzies are an issue of course with an ‘Open Tent’ design and this fact is the main reason why many ‘conventional’ tents don’t offer an open option – they assume the need to close up and exclude any biting insects. Whilst of course you can use mosquito netting with this tent, and you would want to in a hot climate location, but here in the UK with our temperate conditions and lack of any really nasty biting insects the open Camfire tent can really come into it’s own (exception would be clouds of midges in Scotland at certain times of year!) .

Our hunt for a modern version is not limited to replicas of the original camfire tent design such as those made by hand at www.camfiretent.co.uk but also includes any tent or tarp shelter that provides the same basic principles or cover, flexibility and openness to your surroundings, and to your campfire. This traditional 19th century design of tent had been kept alive in book form by the Great Bill Mason canoe-tripper and author of “The Song Of The Paddle” and recently regained popularity through the TV broadcasts of Ray Mears.

We’ll be udating you as we research and find a way to build buy or make the perfect modern version of the campfire Tent, The Baker Tent.

Stay Tuned!!!