Note – 2026-08-17 14:45
My brand new smartwatch arrived today. Garmin, Apple, Coros, Google, Fitbit? Nope. A Colmi P81. Unbelievably it only cost me €22. Yes, that includes shipping from the mysterious far-east warehouse whe...
Tag: Gear
Note – 2026-04-23 16:14
Thought all you lightweight fanatics out there might like this tool, especially as we are all getting older and the knees creakier 🤣 "#Ultralight Gear Research - Browse and compare by weight. Search f...
Note – 2026-02-27 12:51
@cycletux @bergmeister I tried one of these a few years ago. The monthly fee was cheaper than the Garmin. The system did work but I found the Bullit software quite buggy. Bullit has since gone out of...
Note – 2026-02-20 16:42
@germantr I do use microspikes in late spring or early summer but microspikes won't be sufficient for what we are doing in the Pyrenees. Needs proper crampons. I think these might well be OK for that.
Note – 2026-02-20 16:32
What an absolutely cracking day. Couldn't ask for better mountain conditions. Testing our lightweight Petzl Leopard crampons ready for a late spring visit to the Pyrenees. How did they do? Well, they...
Note – 2026-01-26 16:27
@[email protected] we once came down from a 3 day hike across a range. Spring conditions lower down but definitely winter up high. We had axes, crampons and snowshoes tied to our packs. Late aftern...
Note – 2026-01-21 10:00
@alper I just love the sound of crampons crunching on the hard ice in the morning 😀
Note – 2025-12-28 08:11
@Ali congratulations, I think to get down to 8kg for NZ thru hike is really good. For comparison, same base weight as I would have for early summer trek in the Pyrenees also taking axe and crampons fo...
Note – 2025-12-18 20:49
@TimKStanton looks like you might have needed crampons on that summit ridge Tim? Looked very cold
Note – 2025-12-14 11:02
@Ali ponchos look naff but there are times when its really wet that they work well, including covering your rucksack. I find that modern, waterproof jackets just drip water off onto your thighs and le...
Note – 2025-12-02 20:45
@Ali @Robl will be interested to see your pack weight details when you get them fixed (scribbled down on a bit of paper I guess 🤣 ).
Smooth Move, Supermarket Chaos & Happy Hour Luck
Today marked a little shift in our Patagonian adventure. We said a temporary goodbye to the wonderful Gabriella at the Hotel Confin Patagonico (thanks to Claudia and Jorge who gave us a fantastic deal...
Note – 2025-10-22 14:01
Spent a few hours today thinking about a tent for Patagonia. Don't need expedition tent as only out for 3 days max at a time. Given ferocity of weather in Patagonia it needs to be very strong to withs...
Note – 2025-10-13 10:12
There are some amazing online & Management apps out there. I've tried most of them. As I get older & focus more on reducing pack weight, I realized that none of the existing solutions quite fit what I...
Note – 2025-09-29 19:40
For some reason I've not heard of the material, Polycryo until a few weeks ago. Some good reviews though so I just bought a Gossamer Gear Polycryo groundsheet. Tough, lightweight and relatively cheap....
Note – 2025-08-31 12:02
@TimKStanton nice idea but this can only use Long Range radio signals (LoRa). It only confirms my location at any point in time via satellite. Wouldn't think proprietary Garmin software would be very...
Note – 2025-08-31 09:16
The GPS on this cheap, small, lightweight Lilygo T-Deck Plus running is very accurate (screen shows connected to 12 satellites). Battery lasts for ages just using the map facility (not the radio ). Yo...
Note – 2025-08-29 06:22
@neil @postmarketOS I flashed PostmarketOS (Phosh) a few days ago onto an old OnePlus 6. Surprised at how functional it is. Enjoyed messing about with SSH & getting things working as I like. Waydroid...
Note – 2025-07-10 19:36
@killyourfm I've lost a few over the years, usually on tough descents in badly fitting boots. Inconvenient but will grow back
Note – 2025-06-30 08:42
This week was the first hike I've done which really proved the usefulness and worth of the Six Moon Designs Sun Umbrella. The sun was beating down as we reached the lake and bivvy site mid-afternoon....