Out with the old in with the new part 2

During our recent Fasach Ile course the old style Kelly Kettle won its strips ............now since they moved production of the kettles to eastern Europe I've not been a fan - the older models were bomb proof but the new???

Anyway as luck would have it being so impressed in Scotland I decided to search for a new and better item thats similar to the Kelly ............. and loo and behold I found one ..........made in Britian by the guys who used to make the old Kelly Kettles - happy days!!

Even better - where the Kelly Kettle just has a cork bung - these have whistles, which do two things - whistle when boiled but also by sealing the spout they also ensure both a quicker boil time and no boil over!!

Coming soon to the trading post the new Kettle is known as a GHILLIE kettle and as well as being better made, more varsatile it also comes in three sizes thus making it more adaptable to the users uses from the lone hiker to small or large groups!

It also comes with a decent carry sack which has sholder straps so it can be carried like the old school slipper bag!!

And .............phew the list goes on - if you seal the spout with cling film and replace the whistle its waterproof seal means you can carry it full of water - thus not depleteing you drinking water on day hikes!!

As you can see I'm impressed - thats why I decided to start stocking them!!

The king is dead long live the king!!

Out with the old - in with the new??

Once upon a time the wily woodsman could wander far and wide with just his possibles bag, knife and axe as his only tools.........

Nessmuks trinity - hatchet, knife and pocket knife are proof of this - but can the modern traveller do the same?

Can we, in a day and age of techno gear get by with just a couple of simple tools?

I think not - the trinity still exists but I think if Nessmuk was alive today - even he would use a multitool!




Over the last 20 years I've experimented off and on with various models from the original Leatherman - threw the Gerbers and SOGS - and back to the new Leathermans and I think it safe to say the Leatherman WAVE has come to be my favourite - its certainly earnt its stripes on the last few trips I've had and now if a perminent addition to my kit!

Another modern replacement is the possibles pouch or bag - not so long ago I was told by a top outdoorsman that wearing a possibles pouch made me look like a re-enactor. Not so long ago same said person was wearing one and now even sell them .....so proof of the pudding is int he eating a possibles pouch is a handy bit of kit ........but again in recent times I've found myself replacing my traditional leather pouch with the modern version of it - either a snugpak Responce Pak or the USMC 3 in 1 pouch its modelled upon.



Regardless which pouch you go for (the only real difference being the 3 in 1 converts to a shoulder bag) the room for gear is impressive offering us the ability to carry a waterbottle and mug in the main section, first and survival items in the side pockets and or the front pocket ect ect - and yet taking up no more or extra space on our body!!

Out with the old in with the new .............in those two cases I say YES!

Fasach Ile - the movie

Well I've been playing again - sometimes a picture paints a thousand words so enjoy!

Fasach ILE

Well another great course!! Well done to all who attended what was possibly the coldest, windest course I can remember!!

HNEFATAFL - good game good game!

Hnefatafl - The Viking Game
The game was popular in the Viking homelands of Scandanavia as early as 400AD and was carried by the Vikings to the lands that they conquered. Over the centuries the game developed and artefacts from the game have been found as far afield as Ireland to the Ukraine.

The name Hnefatafl means "The Kings Table", and through manuscripts which detail the game, the rules and instructions of play have been gradually worked out, although there is no doubt that there were many different versions of the game.

Hnefatafl was last recorded as being played in Wales in 1587 and in Lapland in 1723. Its decline began in the 11th century when chess grew in popularity.

'Tafl' is a great game for the bushcrafter too - a game requiring all the skills of chess but one of shorter duration buting it a excellent fire side companion!!