SINGAPORE (Team Geared Up) - Bearded Git (BG) emailed me looking for ‘airtime’ for the Legalise Wild Camping in Wales & England campaign - just like they can in Scotland.

They are looking to gather as many signatories as possible from UK Residents or Expats on the 10 Downing Street website petition. Sign it if you agree (and can).

There are lots of possibles they are looking at:

A card or licence system (like a rod licence for angling) has been proposed in some quarters. I think this has some merit and is worth examination.

Those that enjoy the rights of access should see this as a privilege rather than an inviolable right to used however they deem fit. After all it is someone else’s land! The concept of a privilege that can be withdrawn if certain codes of behaviour cannot be adhered to seems to me to be a good way forward.

BG has got lots of opinions on his blog too.

Further resources: http://www.legalisewildcamping.com/

I welcome debate in the comments section - hopefully BG or John will chip in too.

-Robin.

LONDON, UK (Team Geared Up) - A film crew joined us at EC2K7 last April to film a promotional video for Scouting Ireland’s 2008 Jamboree.

I was asked to get their camera women up a very big tree and rig her & the camera up there ~ 25m high! They then did takes of some of the Scouts climbing, myself tying them in, and a bit of chat too. The whole video is actually excellent and I suggest you watch at least the first few mins of it to get a great idea of what outdoor adventure in Ireland means to youngsters. It is very professionally made.

I’ve embedded the video below, but to watch yours truly waffle about the challenge of scaling a 25m giant tree using the bark as handholds you should jump to 7m 57s (click).

You can watch the full Scouting Ireland Jamboree 2008 video here. Thanks to ex-TGU blogger Darran for arranging the online version.

-Robin-

(Video Credit: Scouting Ireland)

Above we have the Exped Wallcreeper Sleeping Bag ($229) which is basically the drunken love child between a down jacket and a sleeping bag. At first glance you have a standard toasty down filled sleeping bag with a funny looking hood but then thanks to a bunch of zipper openings your sleeping bag then lets you to free your arms from the sides and put them in front side pockets and let your legs out allowing you move around or get out of your tent without you having to freeze your nads off.

If you are anything like me then you have watched to many movies like The Edge and Castaway and have now become completely paranoid that the next plane you get on will have you ending up stranded in the middle of Alaska or on an a uninhabited island and fending for survival. Ok maybe thats just me but anyway, (even though this kit isn’t as complete as mine) for $33 the Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak is small and cheap enough to have in your backpack, car, boat, plane or just about anywhere you might need it to give you that extra edge in surviving if the worst case were ever to happen. It contains the tools you need to help yourself out of a bind – a signal mirror; fire starters; a whistle; duct tape; a sterile scalpel with disposable blade; a compass; heavy-duty aluminum foil; waterproof paper; a magnifying lens; stainless-steel safety wire; 10 ft. of 150-pound-test braided nylon cord; nylon sewing thread; a sewing needle; fish hook; sinker; swivel; a pencil; safety pins; waterproof survival instructions; and a Pocket Survival Pak contents list. You may think you’ll never need it but when the unexpected happens and you are caught stranded awaiting rescue without even a match stick, what are you going to be thinking then?

I love simplicity and multi use gear, so whenever I find one thing that can replace two or three things to make my pack lighter and more spacious I’m definitely going to choose that over a more cumbersome alternative. Now this won’t make a huge difference but the heat resistant, teflon coated and funky colored Light My Fire Spork Original utensil which is a fork/knife/spoon hybrid is the first step in lightening the load.

If you have ever hiked/camped in very wet or humid places like the Amazon or the snowy Alps, you know how much of a nightmare it can be to get a fire going. The Light My Fire Maya Dust is an awesome fire starter that will make your life a ton easier when trying to light a fire in soggy conditions. This fire starter contains 80 per cent resin and the result is an extremely hot flame. It comes in a 1oz waterproof snuff box that fits in your pocket and sells for $4.50 a pop.

Lighting is essential for outdoor adventure and camping, that is if you ever want to get anything done in darker conditions. So its obvious that one of the most important members to anyone’s kit is a flashlight of some kind. But in the end technology will ultimately fail us. Why? Energy. Eventually (unless you have one of those hippy solar powered/wind up/shake-to-power lights) your batteries are going to run out. When that happens, you need some kind of fail safe. “Another flashlight or batteries!” you say, sure in most cases this is the solution but on longer trips where your resources are limited to what you can carry and there is no where to recharge but you need just enough lighting to cook at night or hang out in a tent there’s this: The Nuwick 120 Hour Candle. Yes 120 hours! The Eco-Friendly, FDA approved, paraffin based candle will ensure light, heat and is even safe to cook with when you find yourself needing to go back to basics. You can safely store the 120 Hour Candle indoors, in your vehicle or in your backpack without the worry of harmful emissions or a potential fire hazard, because it’s non-toxic, and contains no dangerous chemicals or flammable fluids. The candle comes with six movable wicks, a can of wax, tweezers and matches, and retails for approximately $9.99.

When camping, a shower is usually a luxury. “Nay!” says the people of Sea to Summit, “The days of subjecting your fellow outdoorsmen to your stink are over!”. Check out the Sea To Summit Pocket Shower. When fully unfolded it has a capacity of 10 liters and a 20 foot cord that can be hung up on just about anything. Its super easy to use with a convenient little shower head that also functions as the on/off knob. When fully open you get about eight and a half minutes of shower time. Not bad for an incredibly small and light shower bag that zips into a three-by-six-inch pouch and weighs only 4.25 oz. $24.95

I’ve seen ponchos and rucksack rain covers but the clever guys at Sea to Summit have decided it makes more sense to combine the two for maximum protection from the wet. And I tend to agree. The Sea To Summit Siliconized Cordura Tarp-Poncho is basically an over sized raincoat that covers you and your bag and its versatile tarp like Ultra-Sil material makes it light and completely waterproof. It can also double and triple as a ground sheet and with its cleverly added built-in guy attachment points it can become a make shift shelter. For $79.95 its a little on the expensive side but good luck finding a poncho with this many features. So whether you are hiking in Ireland (zing!) or a hunchback caught in a hurricane, this is an essential piece of kit for you.

Outdoor multi-function sport watches are great for you are outdoors and using all of its crazy features but they can often look a little too military or high tech for general use so when you get back to the office you either look like you still got a piece of your RoboCop costume still on or just got back from Marine training. Meet the Suunto Lumi Sportif watch, the most elegant looking sports watch you’ll find. Don’t worry though just because its high fashion, doesn’t mean its low function. On the contrary this watch has a slew of features to whet your techie appetite. The Lumi Sportif has a day counter which lets you know exactly when the sun is rising or setting in over 400 locations world-wide. On treks, it also logs the duration of the trip and your altitudes. Its barometer forecasts the weather and provides storm warnings; and the digital compass always points you in the right direction. And if you ever wanted to know what different weather conditions were in French or English or Spanish or German, for that matter, not to worry because the Lumi Sportif boasts all four of these languages.

Last on my list, and this one was just for fun, is the Coleman 5-IN-1 Quickbed Convertible Air Bed. This is just because I’ve never seen a multi purpose air mattress or what equates to an inflatable futon basically. Here’s what Campist Blog has to say:

The 5-IN-1 Quickbed Convertible Air Bed offers various mattress configurations, so customize it to suit your camp configuration. Need to accommodate a couple of campers? Use the 5-IN-1 separately as two twin mattresses. Camping couples may prefer to zip the twin mattresses together for a king-sized bed to share. If you’re sleeping solo, stack and snap the two twin mattresses for a comfortable raised twin. If the sleeping situations are all taken care of, and you need a place to lounge, convert the mattress to a sofa, which includes two smartly designed cup-holders. The Airtight System is guaranteed not to leak, and made of exclusive PVC, the 5-IN-1 Quickbed Convertible Bed will offer durability for years of use. Retails for $44.99.

Well thats about it. Check back in for future round ups as I scour the internets for some of the best outdoor gear around.

-Alx-

The Labour Party recently published draft legislation which, if passed, could give hillwalkers and other outdoor enthusiasts access to all land in the Republic of Ireland that is 150m above sea level that is not being actively farmed and is not a private garden. The legislation would also indemnify the owners of such land against injury or accidents on their land. No payment will be given to landowners if their land is deemed ‘access land’.

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Geared Up Blog) - Miha Valic of Slovenia climbed all of the alps 82 4,000m peaks this recent winter. His target was to complete the challenge in 82 days during the calender winter but delays due to weather meant he finished his final peak, Les Droites, on April 7th. He began his quest just after christmas on December 27th. He climbed with many different partners throughout the time and also soloed a few of the peaks. Visit his website to see all the routes he took and in what order he completed the mountains. Unfortunately there is no english version on the site.

Me Crawling Through Crooked Tunnel

Eoin Lead Climbing Tree

Video from the Mafikeng Assault Course 2007, that we created…

Here’s a list of the obstacles:

- THE COUNTRYSIDE - 200m looped run to start to get them going.

- VERTICAL SLALOM - Under/Over Beams in the trees. Done with rope they can’t touch.

- WHISTLERS CHILL - Whistle over the river (shallows) they each have to be held up to and blow.

- DRAGONS BELLY - Plastic Sheet crawl held down in the mud

- DRAGONS TONGUE - Plastic Sheet slide into Mud.

- DRAGONS GUT - Hanging PVC sheet (do we have any pvc groundsheets/ trucksides still?) We’ll hang this like a tube going diagonally from low to high they have to get out the top of..

- THE RACK - Horizontal Jacobs Ladder (horizontal spars/poles getting further apart diagonally going upwards).

- TOADSTOOLS - Balance logs (logs/milk-crates) to balance on with planks to bridge gaps.

- CROOKED TUNNEL - Same tunnel as last year, but can we have it 3 doors long in a U shape rather than L?

- INVERTED LOG - The pit under the log you have to go through on your back head first.

- TEAM CRACKER - The first submersion, the whole team must go under this together (rather than one at a time) so it needs to be wide, but short time under. e.g. spar/branch or the fallen tree downriver of us?.

- THE TYRE - Similar to the ladder in the water- but I’d like to see it as a submerged tyre for a change.

- MOSES CROSSING - If we have a have access to a very thick rope ( e.g. an old runway line) they must cross the river on it.

- THE HILL - On far side of river almost under runway. Tie a long rope to a tree on a very very muddy patch. Make them climb it up it together.

- FALLEN STAR - Can we make a Muddy pool deep enough to put something like a laminated star in (”I’m a scout, Get me out of here” style) that they have to retrieve.

- ILLEGAL CARGO - Cargo Net tied to Weirs Bridge they have to climb up onto bridge from water. If better place nearer our site (e.g. that fallen tree) we’ll use that.

Washington Post have a good Antarctica website all about The Dry Desert. Nice photos.

The Gear Junkie features the Hero 3 digital camera. Straps to your wrist. Looks great but poor res for 2007. My phone isn’t much bigger and does 2MP, why can’t this?

Get Outdoors has a trailer from “Test Hopes”, where some lads intentionally throw themselves off ice routes to see how well their gear holds. This video “endeavors to answer that nagging question in the back of every climber’s mind; will it hold?”, Nice.

LONDON (Geared Up Blog) - Two mountaineering friends that Darran & myself worked with at the Kandersteg International Scout Centre (KISC) in Switzerland are planning to ski 570km unsupported across Greenland in an effort to raise funds to help Scouts rebuild Southern Lebanon and to celebrate 100 years of Scouting. Visit their website.

Scouts in Lebanon are coordinating the ‘Rebirth of the Phoenix’ project, bringing together Rover Scouts and leaders from around the world to assist in the rebuilding of Southern Lebanon after the conflict, distributing relief to displaced citizens, developing environmental and health campaigns, and educational programs for families and children.

Matt Franzke and Mustard Robley will be covering a total distance of just under 600km in under 31 days. The temperature will normally be about -10c to -15c (plus wind Chill) but they must be prepared for tempaeratures down to -40c. They will have regular Satellite Phone contact to receive up to date weather forecasts and to inform support teams of their current position. They already have a permit granted by the Danish Polar Centre which includes relevant evacuation plans. Their route will cross the Arctic Circle and hopefully be completed in less than 31 days.

We wish the lads the best of luck. If there was any 2 people I know with the highest chance of success in this - I think it would be you guys! You better have a video camera with you - and yes , I’ll be contacting you about getting some live updates on the web from the trip on your sat phone. Should be very possible to do.

If YOU would like to help the lads - and support their cause in the Lebanon. Please do offer them any gear or funding for the trip. Mustard has been working as a youth volunteer for 4 years now, while Matt has only recently moved on from the centre. I’m glad to see the local food shops & retailers that the scout centre supports has donated everything from team jackets to 6kg of Salami!

Keep it up! We’ll be watching, but unfortunately from the warmth of our offices! You have no idea how much I’d love to be sledge pulling beside behind you!

LONDON (Geared Up Blog) - Lee Valley Tools have produced a lovely little idea, “Campfire Back Warmer”.

Simple but surely effective. The only problem here is - I think I’ve only ever sat on the ground/log around a fire and never on a chair (unless it was a raised fire)!

Would you buy one?

Just though these photos might interest the people who haven’t been able to make it into town since the new shop opened. I know I haven’t had the chance to visit it yet! I think it looks pretty nice inside. Not too cramped it looks like which is defo a good thing.

From TNF’s website:

Thursday, November 2nd: The North Face® to open first retail store in Ireland on Temple Lane South, Dublin. The opening marks the Company’s twenty-fifth retail store in Europe.

Topher Gaylord, President Outdoor International, comprising The North Face® and JanSport®, states, “Together with our retail partner, Great Outdoors, and architectural design team, Brombini & Saccardo, we’ve been able to create the optimal environment to showcase the complete range of The North Face® products.” Gerry Collins, Director of Great Outdoors, added, “This is a fantastic opportunity for us and The North Face. The dual technical and lifestyle appeal of The North Face brand means that we can look forward to working with our existing consumers, as well as work towards attracting new Dublin consumers, too.”

The 124 sqm retail store will be located on Temple Lane South, in the heart of Dublin’s shopping and dining district. The store’s conception and layout were designed exclusively for The North Face® brand by Italian design firm Brombini & Saccardo. Using the latest in retail technology, The North Face® store is designed to be both sophisticated and inviting. Its warm wood features are balanced by its stainless steal and acrylic panels, and are complimented by natural light let in through a light well in the store’s rooftop.

Among the exclusive design features, customers will find product highlights combining the lightest materials and latest technologies, such as Polartec® Power Shield® and Gore DryLoft® technology in outerwear, HyVent™ materials in Prodigy, X-Static® textile fibres in Tekware®, BOA® lacing system in footwear, and E-VAP™ technology in backpacks.