Category Archives: Canoeing and Bushcraft
Autumn on the River Wye
At the first sign of it getting colder and the leaves turning we loaded up and headed for an overnight trip down the Wye to catch the early autumn mood – leaving enough time for a late Autumn trip to follow before winter hopefully…
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Autumn is Axe Time…
Just sought out a new axe for Autumn and Winter ahead. Found this lovely one from B&Q of all places: Has a real Hickory handle and 2.5lb head… superb action and excellent strike force. It’s big for taking on trips although it will soon be a permanent fixture in the Landrover, but I love it so much I may yet take on the next canoe trip rather than my small hatchet.
The weather finally cleared up for several lovely days of perfect September “Indian Summer” sunshine, and gave me the chance to use the axe in some “Backyard Testing” and also to get some real iconic photos!
River Wye – Get Out and Stay Out!
A Late Summer trip on the River Wye – just a 24 hour ‘get Out & Stay Out” trip, but a great one – highlights included a 2 foot Pike jumping out of the water within about a foot of the canoe – teeth bared!
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River Wye – Summer Trip Report
Finally documented our Summer Season Wye trip. We decided to start at The River Lugg – I arrived in daylight (just) and went down the Lugg until it met with the Wye and made camp on the far bank and then waited for a text saying TheRangerD had arrived at Mordiford. That meant I had to cross back over the wye just as it got dark at midnight, and teh bad news the mist suddenly thickened up like gray soup about 5 feet high on the surface of the water – my headtorch did nothing but bounce back in a white-out, so it was torches off and pretty much doing the maneuver blind! Lucky I practiced it a few times in the light eh… But I made across and after walking back to teh main road and meeting with The Ranger at 1am we began the trip in earnest – with a long portage of canoes and gear across the fields near Mordiford as the Lugg wasn’t anywhere near safe to paddle in the dark. Then we loaded up and crossed the Wye in the dark around 1.30am just where it meets the Lugg – the swirling water, mist and perfect bright moonlight made it an incredible start to the trip! Sleep came about 3am just as the sun began to lighten up the sky again. The swags held out the sunlight and we slept pretty well until 6am or so. And so the Summer Trip began…. Enjoy the pictures!
Summer on the River Wye- In Pictures!
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Dry Bags – Storage for canoe travel
Looking into what gear you need to keep your stuff dry there’s various options – many canoe-hire companies will give you a big blue plastic barrel which seals around the top with a metal clasp and that takes care if it. In a capsize event the barrel will be buoyant and worst case it’ll float off down the river and you can grab it later out of a tree as you go by, but your stuff all stays dry.
classic canoe barrel
But that means traveling with a giant toxic waste barrel in your boat – I’m not a fan of them on that side – they’re big bulky and inflexible, make a lot of noise banging around and if not the noise then I reckon the sight of a chemical barrel coming down the river is enough to “spook wildlife and fish”….
So what choices? The standard canoe/kayak drybags like those from SeaLine or Ortlieb are mostly PVC which is tough and usually shaped in a long tube with a roll-sealing opening at open end.
These are good and can be carried in and out of the boat easily, stow well, and will be waterproof of course, if they’re well made and the seams last. But the downside is you’re forever trying to reach down into the sac to get things out through the narrow hole – you can bet the stuff you really need suddenly is right at the bottom – it always is! Also the narrow shape ‘tube’ doesn’t fit a lot of odd-shaped items, although it’s great for clothes, so you still end up with stuff you can’t put away. I’ve had the same problem with my usual gear choice of a classic ex-army ‘kit bag‘ (with drybag liner) – the shape just isn’t that great for being in an out of all day…
When it rains you have to get your stuff out one by one and put it to the side where it gets wet while you get the one thing you really wanted out, then put it all back in again! In a canoe you don’t want tonnes of stuff sitting in the bottom of the boat
So I’ve been looking for more of a holdall shape, and found the Lugga Cargo 90 on sale at the giant outdoor store GoOutdoors.com.
Made of tough PVC and with plenty of straps and a big opening with a splash cover, I reckon this would be ideal – the barrel shape will squash into the bottom of the canoe easily, and it gives a possible ‘one-bag-for-everything’ approach. GoOutdoors has a sale on which makes this a ‘budget bushcraft’ buy at only £22.99 (with the discount card) down from £39.99.
So I’ll get one of these and do a trip – hopefully this will work out well. But its not totally waterproof of course – for that we found this: the UK-made Lomo 150L Monster Drybag!
What a Monster! 150 Litre dry bag!
Inside a Campfire Tent…
Update: See our latest test of the Green Outdoor full size Campfire Tent.
Why does everyone want a Campfire Tent? Well I think this photo below shows why – you’re open to your surroundings, but have the warmth and life-force-enhancing glow of a campfire at the same time!
This is a set-up using a tarp (Wychwood Rogue Shelter) and canoe paddles, but it’s the same principle as any campfire tent or Baker Tent.
The View From Inside a Campfie Tent set-up....
Sheltered but not Enclosed.... Campfire Tent Rig
Winter Trip – A look back
A look back at our Late winter trip – 1st week of March – cold crisp nights and chilly mornings, but what a trip it was! The second night featured hurricane force winds and snow in the middle of the night – it’s really something when you wake from a deep sleep to find all hell breaking lose in and around your camp, then you jump up in just your boots ‘n boxers to tie things down and the snow starts! I didn’t think the tarps would hold but somehow they did… Awesome trip though. Here’s the video from POTP-TV:
And the full set of photos:
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Military Swags – US Forces Bivvy
This is a kind of soldiers’ swag bag: the “Crysalis sleep system” – a US miltary issue bivvy bag made from a goretex-like material. It features a mozzie net built in a wire hoops to raise the cover up. OK it’s expensive at $300 USD but if the taxpayers are footing the bill while you keep them safe from attack then it’s no problem: you deserve to a) be camouflaged b) be safe from attack from any enemies while you rest and c) be comfortable in bad weather when those same tax payers are sitting at home in 3 season feather down duvets surrounded by fluffed up pillows and eating pizza.
more info see: US Elite Forces Gear.com
See also: Duluth Bedroll and Me ‘Ol Swaggaroo – the Australian Swag Bag.
Flamin' Great! Surviving the Original Mountain Marathon…
By Regular Guest Writer, Richard Dunne…
"At the ill fated OMM (Original Mountain Marathon) in the Lakes last October, many people needed rescuing and others stayed in the fells overnight. The deep low pressure that hit was some sort of freak weather event.
The rain was sideways and frozen like sand in your face, the gusts of wind were lifting people off their feet and the flood waters that swelled so quickly were sweeping huge rocks and cars away. It really did turn the 2 day event into a nightmare and it was cancelled half way through day 1 as the storm raged. This video shows what it was really like that day:
However me and my buddy were properly equipped and well prepared and actually enjoyed the challenge of getting back to the starting point safely and unassisted. We had reached the day 1 finishing point on time, unaware of the cancelled status of the event and it was just a case of get yourself back.
While other people stood around, wrapped up in emergency space blankets peering from the safety of farm sheds, we stepped out into the storm with many others and walked back, following the road which was mainly underwater at the time, with regular brew stops and energy bars to keep us going. If we had to, we could have stayed out through the night but it wasn’t necessary.
A Fast Boiler When You Need It – MSR Pocket Rocket
One thing that really helped us that day was my great ‘MSR pocket rocket’. A simple item in your kit that is easy to use, folds up and boils up water really quickly. A real morale booster – when things are too extreme or serious for other methods. The flame is intense, adjustable and won’t blow out. This is a great back up item to have without overloading yourself. We used it too in the Brecon Beacons in January on a 12 mile walk. There’s nothing like a hot drink in -10 winds. For canoeing and wild camping, it’s perfect too. Fast and efficient if you’re in the mood for a no fuss warming up. Recommended. It was about £30 and the gas canisters are a few quid. My one doesn’t have an ignition but that’s where my striker comes in. Flaming Great, and just what you need when things go bad like they did that day.
See http://www.penrithsurvival.com/ for details.