I have returned from a long, mind expanding day at college where I’m renewing some certificates. Making the adjustment to being a wean again takes a wee while. Your writing skills go out of the window in our modernistic lives it appears, so that’s been fun. Still, it’s a good bunch in my class and I’m neither the youngest nor the oldest, the tallest or shortest in the group, so I remain anonymous. Aye…
Anyway, I have returned home to many boxes of joy which have come forth via vans and men with chits to be signed.
The SPOT tracker is here. I’ll look at it properly tomorrow, but it is really small and light. And orange.
The good folks at Lyon Equipment have supplied some vital pieces of kit from Exped. #1 is the Synmat 7, a synthetic insulation filled sleep mat, winter weight. I’m taking the hit on weight to have a good and warm night sleep. The pack size counters the weight gain though, it’s about the size of two magazines when it’s folded up. I just hope in fits in the sleeping bag sleeve.
Other Exped-ettes are a dayglo green sack liner from their new “Bright Collection” for nightime kit searches and a Bergen Liner. This is for sticking my sack inside when It’s lying outside the bivvy bag in weather which is as yet uncertain. Not going on the WHW, the DryBag Pro is a wee bit of genius which I’ll cover in detail soon. It’s a 300g, 25L waterproof rucksack with a clear stripe to see the contents, minimalist backsystem and compression/attachment bungee patch.
I’ve also done the grocery shopping with Expedition Foods. I want to try some now, they all look damn tasty. No that’s a lie, they sound damn tasty. “Chicken Tikka” Ingredients: Rice; onions; tomatoes; chicken; cream; vegetable oil; tikka masala curry paste; yoghurt; cornflower; garlic; chili. 130g dry weight. “Porridge with Strawberries” (note they spell porridge the right way as well) Ingredients: Porridge oats; single cream; whole milk; brown sugar; freeze dried strawberries. 124g dry weight.Reads an awful lot better than most of the stuff on the shelves for the tenty gastronome.
I wanted to get some miles on the legs tonight as well, but dinner at the folks, fannying about and endless cuppas have knocked that on the head.
I’ve just registered my SPOT (cheers Duncan!).
The 911 button looks pretty damn hard to have pressed accidentally, nice big raised section around it. And the three second press it takes to activate it. Does make me kinda twitchy though!
Dying to try it out. Will see what it makes of my wandering around Long Mynd on Saturday (before I nip over to the OS Show on Sunday where I’ll be trying not to hammer my gear budget even further).
One tip – if you use something to fill out the findmespot web registration form (like google toolbar Autofill) – then make sure you reselect “United Kingdom” manually or it will insist on a Zip Code and State!
Good lad :o)
I’m not at all sure with this kind of thing.
It seems to be one of those things that seem complex when you look at the manual (it did to me!).
But once you’ve stuck the batteries in, and signed up on the web site (easy enough) then it all becomes as simple as it seemed when you first saw the picture of it on the web site.
It’s just a curvy orange box with four buttons. Easy.
14 day battery life on tracking mode or nearly 2K messages on one set of batteries? Not to shabby that.
I reckon these will catch on… :)
Looking forward to watching you wander up the WHW and reading your thoughts on the little orange fella.
As long as I keep moving on the map I’ll be happy :o)
PTC*, make sure you don’t kayak to the end of Loch Morar.
Or accidentally fall onto a southbound train at Crainlarich…
Talking of that, got this from our esteemed and not forgotten friend out in Canada:
“ya buddy- it’s good your still in glasgow- i should and probably will do a trip back there-specifically to hook up with you and ride or hike or try and run that west highland way in 2 days- yeah- lardo’s, just good for ya!”
Ah, bless ‘im.