After a couple of days feeling sorry for myself with a heavy cold, I decided to get out from under the bedcovers and head for the woods. With a certain amount of coughing and spluttering, I climbed into the van and made it to Broaks Wood. I took the minimal amount of kit, just a sit mat, water, and sandwiches. The weather was still an incredibly mild 17 degrees C and the sun was shining like a spring day. Just what the doctor ordered for lifting the spirits and sweating out a cold.

An ulterior motive for going out today was to test out my new pre-mac pocket water purifier. I had often thought about water purification and how I was going to address it. Being one of the key survival items, I’m surprised at myself for leaving it so long before I did.

Where I live in East Anglia UK, there is very little flowing water. We have very few flowing rivers and streams quickly dry out especially in summer. We have the lowest rainfall in the UK, so if you don’t take water with you on an excursion, it will be hard to come by. But what if you do run out? On hiking or camping trips in other parts of the country with access to running rivers, you could probably get away with collecting water a merely boiling it.

In this part of the country, it’s another matter. Looking through the web forums, I decided to buy a Premac water filter. There are several types of pre-mac, the pocket being the smallest and cheapest, but it is a throwaway version lasting about 60 litres. I have heard that if you look after them and use a secondary filter (like a pair of tights or stockings) they can last longer. Mrs Pablo might get a shock when she finds the toes of her tights cut out. Wasn’t me. The quality of the water source is obviously another factor which will increase filter longevity.

The pre-mac couldn’t be easier to use. Put the filter in the water source, and after priming, pump away until the water comes out of the outlet. I was quite surprised how quickly you could pump a litre of water. I used a baco foil tin to collect the water and you could easily use a second tin to collect the water from the source to make things easier. On the instruction label it said that the water should be left standing for 2 minutes to allow the chemicals to work. After that, you’re all set. It’s recommended that the water source is flowing and preferably over a gravel bed which really goes without saying.

I was a little dubious about drinking the water straight, and decided that in an emergency situation it could be done although boiling first would be preferable. I was a little more assured as I read on the pre-mac label that the unit had been tested and approved by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine. That’s good enough for me. This little bit of kit will certainly be a permanent feature in my small utility bag.

Well, that was all I could manage this weekend. A couple of short outings but I certainly feel a lot better. The picture was taken with my phone, hence the lower quality image.

A great day for a bit of bushcraft. The temperature was down to about 4 degrees C. A bit of frost but the sun was warming the woods nicely. I didn’t really have a project today. I just went out to enjoy the woods.

On the spur of the moment, I decided to build a fire to cook lunch. I always keep a bit of tinder in my shoulder bag and of course the firesteel is ever present. I made a couple of feather sticks (not very goods ones it has to be said) and chopped some kindling. The sparks came off the firesteel and it wasn’t too long before the silver birch bark slivers and dried grass caught. I prefer to start off a fire by the ‘fire bed’ method of layering the kindling parallel to the ground as opposed to the pyramid affair. I also make a small hollow in the ground underneath the fire for extra circulation. I must admit that fire building is not one of my best points, but I seem to be improving and getting quicker at starting a fire.

It was a good ‘lazy-mans’ lunch of beans, sausages, mushrooms and whatever-that-is-at-the- bottom. All from a tin. It did of course taste better being cooked on a open fire. The whole was washed down by a mug of tea. Even though I use my trusted crusader mug, I do like to actually drink out of my wooden kuska cup that is normally found hanging from my belt when not in use.

After lunch, I tried to work out how to put the Karrimor side pouches onto the yoke. The pouches were sold with the Sabre pack, but it came without the yoke. I ordered a yoke last week for £11-50 and I was keen to see whether the conversion of the side pouches into a day sack would work. The yoke actually looked like a spider because it has that many straps, but I finally worked out how to fix it to the pouches (or was it the other way round?) Once I got the hang of it, it only took 5 minutes from taking it off the main pack to making it into a day sack. Wearing it is quite comfortable but there isn’t any padding on the straps. Of course the two pouches total 30 litres so there’s stacks of space for day kit. I’m not sure if I prefer this over a standard day sack. I’ll have to put it through its paces at a later date.

I hadn’t realised that it was so late. I had let the fire go out and it was getting quite cold again. The sun was going down quickly. I would have loved to restart the fire again and stay out even later, but I hadn’t brought a sleep system with me. With the remnants of a cold still lingering, I also didn’t want to tempt fate.

In the last 2 weeks we’ve experienced torrential rain, hot sun, and a cold frost. I’ve been out in it all and I’ve enjoyed every minute. Perhaps I’m not as much as a fine weather bushcrafter as I first thought.

Well, I’m coming up to celebrate my first year of my return to bushcraft and the first anniversary of this site. Over the next few posts I’ll try to summarise the year which should culminate in the anniversary of my first post on this journal…pardon me, ‘Blog’.

I thought I’d start by having my own academy awards. I’ve certainly bought some kit over the year to get me re-started in bushcraft and life in the woods. I’ve probably bought more than I should have (as you do), but I hope now to regress a little and start building or making my own kit. So, what have I found the most useful? What’s been the best buy, what can I do without and what is not very efficient? Of course it depends on what sort of excursion I’m doing so I’ve got to be careful not to ignore something that would be useful for say, a longer excursion, when I’ve not really done many. Anyway, here goes.

Category: Best shelter. Nominations: Vaude Ferret 1 tent; Kathmandu tarp. No contest really. I love the tent but I would only take it on a hiking or camping type excursion where hammock hanging is frowned on or impracticable. The tarp is far more flexible and I’ve used it on every major excursion. Winner: Tarp

Category: Best sleeping method. Nominations: Brit Army bivvi bag (ground dwelling); DDHammock (tree-dwelling). Winner is the DDHammock. Again, no real contest. I don’t mind ground dwelling, but the hammock wins every time as long as I’ve got some insulation under me (and of course a couple of trees to hang the hammock from). Even so, the bivvi bag does increase warmth when you slip it over a sleeping bag even if you’re in a hammock.

Category: Best tool. Nominations: Frost clipper; Bahco folding saw; Opinel 8; Granfors SFA; Hunter’s folding bow saw; crooked knife. A big category this one and hard to choose for obvious reasons. For value for money, it’s got to be the Frosts clipper but if I could just take one tool in the wood it would be the axe. So the overall the winner is…the Granfors SF axe.

Category: Best carry system. Nominations: Eurohike day sack; Eurohike Wilderness 55 litre; Raider shoulder bag; 1940’s gas mask bag; Karrimor Sabre 75 litre. I started out with very cheap kit at the beginning of the year and have upgraded. Again, the carry system depends on the type of excursion. It’s not really fair to even consider the Sabre as I’ve only used it a couple of times and not for an expedition it was designed for. So the winner is the Raider bag. The idea of a shoulder strap and back straps is excellent, even though I probably wouldn’t be able to fit ‘overnighter’ kit in it.

Category: Best cookset. Nominations: Swedish Army Trangia; 27-2 Trangia, Crusader cooker. Easy winner: Swedish Army Trangia.

Category: Best utility item. Nominations: Plastic folding kuksa; Webtex folding bowl; pre-mac water purifier; green bungees; Tikka XP head torch; leather possibles pouch. The winner is the Tikka XP head torch. The sliding filter is a great idea. It’s not the most powerful torch in the world, but for walking around the woods (slowly) and camp site work, it’s ideal. Close second is the folding bowl.

Category: Best hat. Nominations: Kakadu mainlander; Tilley T3; Kakadu southern cross; Peter Storm fleece hat; ‘no brand’ boonie. Winner is Tilley T3 although the boonie is a very close second. The brim is smaller which I like, but it’s not as waterproof as the Tilley. What makes you think I like hats?

Category: Best clothing. Nominations: I’ve not really addressed this area in any detail. I buy fleeces from the local market and the only item I’ve bought specifically for bushcraft is a poncho and some cargo trousers. So the winner is the poncho as it can be used as an emergency tarp or lean-to as well.

Category: Best fire-lighting method. Nominations: Matches, fire-steel, fire-by-friction, plastic lighter. The fire-by-friction is a rank outsider from the start because I haven’t got to grips with it yet. Winner is the Fire-steel.

Category: Most useless bought item. Nominations: Spec Ops ‘pack-rat’ bag. Luckily all my purchases have been calculated and researched. I stuck my neck out with this one. It was expensive and although a good idea at the time, I can find no use for it whatsoever…at the moment at any rate. It’s meant to be a pack organiser, but it’s too big in itself. Never mind.

Category: Most used item. Nominations: Everything listed so far (getting lazy now!) and an Aquapac. The winner is the Aquapac. This item is excellent for keeping that necessary (but evil) and debatably ultimate modern survival device safe – the mobile or cell phone. The Aquapac is fully waterproof and will protect the phone (or any other content) from sand, dirt, knocks and scratches. An unexpected but deserved winner. The Thermarest is a close second but that’s only because I tend to fall asleep so much in the woods!

Well, I guess that’s it for this year. Not a great deal but it’s a start. I’m sure there will be more items and categories next year. I’d like to hear other people’s nominations if you have any deserved recipients of your own awards. It just remains for me to thank all the people in the world who made this possible. My Mum and Dad, my friends (sorry friend) … pet goldfish etc etc. Sorry, getting carried away with the award ceremony. Where’s the party?

It seems we’ve done it again. As Sam reports on the delivery of his NRA kit, I’m planning how to put the same kit through it’s paces. Again courtesy of American Bushman and JRE Industries, I’ve received the same package. Also in the package was a shiny new Bark River PSK that American Bushman has already looked at. I admit to having a bit of a play already but can’t wait to really try it out. I’ve decided to do a bit of extreme testing. More about that later.

Following on from my awards ceremony two posts back, which was more kit orientated, I now turn my attention to what I’ve learned in the last year and what I could have done better. (You can tell I used to be a trainer). I’ve really been quite generalist about my approach to bushcraft letting many things soak in. I wanted to achieve two main objectives though. One was to make fire by friction and the other was to learn about trees in the UK, their properties and their main uses. I didn’t achieve either. A wisp of smoke on a couple of occasions has made me more determined to pursue fire by friction with a vengeance later.

Even though tree ID wasn’t fully achieved, I was pleased that my knowledge of wildflower ID hadn’t suffered too much over the years and I was able to identify many plants and mapped it across to their uses.

I hadn’t camped out since my army days, and I was pleased that I didn’t suffer flashbacks of ankle deep mud, shouts of “gas, gas, gas” and fingers frozen to bits of metal! Seriously, I took to a new way of sleeping out (hammock and tarp) like a duck to water. I even ventured into ground-dwelling during the later part of the summer. I wished I’d experimented with ‘man-made’ shelters a bit more, but I think I might be able to do more of this through the winter. It’s a case of having to really. That hammock’s pretty cold even now.

Crafts have never really been my strong point. I was pretty pleased with myself for making a couple of spoons. I actually can’t stop making them now and I really need some inspiration to carve something different. I want to do some leather work next and venture into making some primitive tools.

Putting aside bushcraft skills, my main joy this last year has been to be reacquainted with the woods and all its inhabitants. The delight of seeing and indeed living with even the smallest of animals and birds. The elation of picking up a track and providing myself with an educated guess of what made the track and what the subject was doing at the time. Even indulging in the simple pleasure of eating a tin of beans which have been heated up on an open fire that you’ve created yourself felt good.

My first year’s journey into the world of bushcraft has been literally awesome. I’ve realised that there are so many different aspects to it that it can be mind-spinning. So many things to learn and not a great deal of time to learn it all in. But the most important thing for me is to enjoy every minute, even if it does mean dropping everything and falling asleep in your hammock.

I’ve been practicing with the bow nearly all weekend. Oh…you’re back then! You didn’t need to spend so long there! Unlike the game, this is getting quite an expensive past-time as I’ve lost 2 arrows and broken 2 others. At this rate I won’t have any arrows left for the field shoot next weekend. I’ve decided that I’ll buy an arrow jig and have a go at making them myself. I’ll probably do this after Christmas. At least I’m hitting the target most of the time and the grouping is getting a bit better. No more practice now until the big day next Sunday.

With a cloudless sky but a fresh cold wind which made me put on my fleece gloves, I ventured into the woods this morning. I travelled light with just a flask of tea, folding sit mat, the usual tool bag and the NRA survival kit. I wanted to have a general look at all the contents in the field but not put them under any great test…yet.

I wanted to have a good look at Blastmatch first of all. My first thoughts were, “Wow, this is big.” It’s nearly 4 inches long and a little heavy. I weighed this up with the fact that it is a survival tool and not really a bushcraft tool. Even though I had read the instructions, I scratched my head for a while before I actually managed to get it to work. And when I did…I was literally blinded by the number and strength of the sparks. This thing is awesome! I just had to get some tinder (without using the wet-fire tinder in the NRA kit) and try starting a fire. I needn’t have bothered with the tinder as even damp, unprepared wood just about caught with the extreme heat of the produced sparks. I actually wondered if there was any magnesium in the striker.

This bit of kit is a survival ‘ace’. The design allows the unit to be used one-handed which is a great advantage. This is because the thumb pushes against the catch which contains the striker. By pushing against this, and pushing the tip of the rod against a hard surface the rod is pushed down the spring-loaded tube. Looking closely, I realised that this very system might have one disadvantage. The part where you press your thumb to cause the necessary friction against the rod was also the tube catch which keeps the top closed. This part of the unit had already part-melted with the intense heat thus, because the top is closed under the pressure of the spring, it now occasionally springs open.

A point to note. Don’t push the flint rod too far down when striking. I wondered if this was a design fault. All it needed was a stopper to stop the rod going too far down the tube. It’s also advantageous to have something solid to rest the tip of the rod against as you push down. It doesn’t take a great deal of pressure to create the spark, but you couldn’t create a spark by pushing the rod into soft ground.

I can’t fault this unit except to say that it is a bit bulky and heavy. It’s just slightly too big to go in my possible’s pouch (without taking something else out) but I would have no hesitation in packing it in my expedition survival kit. Will any of the other items in the NRA kit join it? We’ll have to wait and see.

Even though I was getting warm working with the Blastmatch, my feet were getting cold with inactivity and I decided to walk around the wood. I noticed that the leaves were at last turning, but some were stubbornly hanging on to the trees. The bright light shining through them made a wonderful autumnal spectacle.

The weekend’s weather was variable. This is standard UK phraseology for one day warm sunny and dry and the next day howling winds, cold and damp! And so it was this weekend. Saturday was warm and dry enough to for me to carry out a full load-out in preparation for next weeks Christmas bushmoot.

Although only overnight, I want to take all the sleeping options as I don’t know the area too well. Also I’m not sure about the weather, which will probably be…variable. I’ll write up a full kit list mid-week.

I started off by trying to get in and out of my new fleece liner, whilst getting in and out of my sleeping bag, while trying to get in and out of the bivvi bag and then trying to get in and out of the hammock(!) As previously reported, no easy task. It was so much easier in summer when there was only the sleeping bag. This is really putting me off even contemplating the hammock. Another option is to buy another sleeping bag, but I really can’t justify £90 for a Nanok bag that I’ve got my eye on just before Christmas. Looks like I’ll just have to struggle if I decide to go for the hammock option.

I also wanted to ensure I could remember the tarp knots. I tend to use an Evenk overhand knot for one end and a slippery knot for the other end of the tarp. It works quite well and I’m able to keep the ridge-line pretty taught.

The last thing to do on Saturday was to try out my new UCO candle lantern. I like this bit of kit and I originally bought it for my tent option. Being enclosed and thus protected from the wind, I thought it would also be alright for the tarp as long as the chain is long enough not to burn it. The result was that the tarp didn’t even get hot. I’m not keen on white light at night except in an emergency, but I think this little lantern makes a nice addition to a camp. It packs down small, very light, very safe and cosy. In a tent I can imagine the heat is just enough to ward off condensation. The candles are reported to last 9 hours, but I’ll let you know on that. I’ll do a full review later.

Sunday’s outing was very different. Overnight there was a storm and very high winds. I ventured out in the afternoon with my bow when the wind had abated a little. I noticed quite a bit of debris and some fallen branches and it got me thinking about the only reason I wouldn’t go into the woods. In woodland, especially unmanaged woodland, there is a real risk of injury by falling branches and even falling trees caused by high winds. It’s easy to think that it wouldn’t happen to you, but the felled tree in the photo is not too far from one of my regular tarp sites.

As the afternoon progressed and my shooting got worse, the wind started to increase in ferocity again. Taking my own advice, I withdrew gracefully from what I considered were dangerous woods. I reflected that this is probably the only occasion when I didn’t feel 100% comfortable in the woods.

We’re ready…
With the Xmas Bushmoot in a few days time, here’s the kit list:
Shelter
*Hammock
*Tarp
*Vaude Ferret 1 tent
*Bivvi bag
(* choice)

Sleep/Rest
Thermarest Prolite 3
Mtn Whse Sleeping bag
MicroFleece Liner
Folding sit mat
Folding chair (tent only)

Carry
Karrimor Sabre 75
Raider shoulder bag/day sack

Utility pack
Petzl Tikka XP Head Torch
Pre-Mac personal water filter
Tent pegs
4 small bungees
10m paracord
Black bin liner
Small plastic rubbish bags
Pocket sized waterstone
Uco Candle Lantern
Notebook

First Aid kit

Clothes
Highlander Poncho (packed)
Fold away waterproof trousers (packed)
Brasher walking boots
Waterproof gaiters
Base layer thin fleece undershirt
2nd layer Fleece jacket
Waxed Jacket
Cargo Trousers
Thermal underwear
Fleece hat (sleeping)
Tilley hat
Fleece gloves
Spare socks
Shemagh
Belt
Possible pouch with firesteel and tinder
Opinel no 8
Kuksa
Survival
NFA kit plus additional items
PSK knife
Mobile phone
Tools (in Raider bag)
Granfors SFA
Frosts Clipper
Laplander folding saw
Sandpaper
Crooked knife
Camera
Binos 8×30
Cooking
SA Trangia
Crusader cup
250ml spare meths
1litre water bottle
2 1/2 litre water bag
Food (in ration bag)
Instant porridge mix
Tin of all day breakfast
Boil in bag risotto
Pasta mix
Mini bars chocolate
Mixed nuts raisons
Fresh fruit
3 x packs instant soup
Tea & sugar
Wine
Mulled wine mix
Pipe & tobacco

Weather forecast is light rain, temp 4 degrees C to 2 degrees C. Height above sea level 220 feet. See you when I get back.

After a few days of downpour during the week, the weekend once again saw a bright sky with slight south westerly winds. The temperature was 6 degrees C . Again, just enough to make the fingers tingle if you weren’t moving about. I went to my normal woods with a couple of minor projects in mind. The first was to rig up the tarp again and think about whether it was big enough or not for hammocking needs.

During the recent bushmoot, I noticed that a lot of people had tarps about 3m x 3m. What I liked about them was that the tarp just reached the ground and still left quite a bit of head room, which was ideal for windy and rainy conditions. There seemed to be stacks of space for kit underneath the tarp. At the moment my tarp, which is a 2.5m x 1.70 Katmandhu is just long enough to cover the hammock, but the width wouldn’t really be suitable for really adverse weather conditions.

After rigging up the tarp and hammock, I weighed up the pros and cons of upgrading the tarp. What was in my mind was obviously more expense and the number of times I would use the tarp in adverse conditions. I had survived the summer downpours with no trouble. Even a 5-day expedition saw all of my kit under the tarp without getting drenched. I decided to defer the decision and prioritise the upgrade after looking at what else I needed in the new year. The project did get me wondering about drip rings, as I was sure that the wicking from the hammock rope had caused the dampness under my Thermarest and reindeer skin. I tried a couple of karabiners and they looked ok. In theory, this should work but of course I will only know for certain if I have some rain. But not today thanks!

The other mini project was to carry out the ongoing test with the Bark River PSK. I’m nearly ready to do a full review on this, which I’ll post in the New Year. I can say that I am getting quite fond of this little knife, and it now resides around my neck with the trusty Clipper.

I know some people who read this will baulk at this next item, enjoying traditionalist primitive methods. Conversely, there are some who like the more modern approach to bushcraft. I’ve often said that I probably fall into the latter camp with aspirations to become more traditionalist as skills improve but only up to where reasonable comfort allows. I purchased the Primus lighter in the photo on a whim not with actual fire starting in mind, but to light my trusty pipe. It turned out to be a bit more than just a pipe lighter when I thought of the possibilities of this item in emergencies (and of course when I was too lazy to light a fire or trangia stove with a firesteel.)

The blue flame burns at 1300C and is windproof. The butane fuel reservoir lasts for 30 minutes (plus) burn time and there’s a lock to keep the flame going without pressure from finger or thumb. It’s bit heavy perhaps, but at least you know it’s there. I’ve always used throwaway lighters, but this is a nice (non-essential) item is handy to have around.

A couple of interesting wildlife experiences this weekend. When plodding through the woods (not attempting to be particularly quiet) I flushed out what I thought was a pheasant, until I saw the flight pattern which continued low and winding through the trees. I’m still not 100% sure (as I’m sure I saw a curved beak) but it was most probably a woodcock. These birds have migrated (literally) from wading areas to the woods and make homes in brush and leaf litter. The other sighting was a silent, but slow and low fly-by of a sparrow hawk. I stood amazed as it approached from behind me at head height (I was standing) and glided effortlessly between a couple of trees at no more than three arms lengths away. A couple of wing flaps and suddenly it had accelerated to the top of a tree 50 yards away. I didn’t have time to get the binos out before it left the tree and headed out of the woods to the east.

I ventured into town to get some last minute shopping for Christmas. I hate shopping but something caught my eye on one of the market stores. It was a fishing tackle stall and to one side there was a fishing umbrella which had been set up. I had one of these many years ago when I was into fishing. I’ve often thought of adapting fishing gear for bushcraft purposes, especially a fishing umbrella. What could be easier? A touch of rain and up she goes. Instant shelter! What really caught my eye was the zip-on tarp skirting surrounding 3/4s of the umbrella. Feeling particularly guilty (well I didn’t because I’d bought my wife a nice new watch) I parted with £20 and whisked it home.

Yesterday I tried it out in the wood. The first thing I noticed was how long it was (about 4′ 5″ long). Now how can you put that in a rucksack? Doh!! Never mind. None to light either. Feeling as though this might have been my first complete waste of money for a bushcraft item, I persisted in dragging it into the woods. Up it went. No problem there. The adjustable spiked end stood nicely in the ground and I played about with the tilt (tilts to 45 degrees). This is getting a bit more promising.

I struggled with the skirting zip. None too robust, but once it went on it was fine. The anchor points were well made. They were reinforced and it even came with some cordage and tent pegs. Now that the whole thing was together, I was quite impressed. I fixed some cordage to the top. It wasn’t too windy, but if the wind does get up, it’s bye bye brolly.

I couldn’t help a smile. A PIDUS. Pablo’s Instantly Deployable Umbrella Shelter. I’ve no idea in what circumstances I’d use this over and above a tarp or tent. It’s too big to carry about as a matter of course but I suppose it might be handy to keep in the van.

All that remains for me to do now is wish everyone a Merry Christmas, especially to all the repeat visitors. I will certainly be in the woods this Christmas to walk off the excesses of the season and find a bit of solace from the madness. So, if you get bored with the atrocious television this year, log on and join me for a festive Woodlife. I wonder if Santa actually wears OG.

Best wishes, Pablo.

At last my new tarp has arrived. I decided a few months ago that the 2.50m x 1.50m Katmandu tarp might not be big enough for excursions over a few days. I was in a bit of a dilemma whether to get another one. I finally succumbed and ordered a Tatonka 2 tarp.

Coming in at 3m x 3m this tarp is really the business. This poly version only weighs 93 grams although the poly cotton version is a bit heavier. The tarp is well made as you would expect from a reputable company with reinforced loops on all corners as well as eyelets. There are also loops in the middle and in the centre of the ridge line. They’ve even put a small Velcro loop in the centre underneath the tarp so that you can run a utility line under the tarp. The advantage over the smaller tarp is that apart from more room to stash kit, cook under and cover the hammock or other sleep system, the 3m sides can be pulled almost to the ground in bad weather, and there will still be enough head room to move about comfortably. The smaller tarp certainly won’t be made redundant. I like this tarp because it is small and will be still be used for shorter excursions, use in closed woodland and for daily use.

I use the 10 meters of 7mm paracord for the ridge line and 5meters of 3mm cord for the guy lines. The length of the ridge line allows for a utility line to be rigged underneath the tarp. This is handy for hanging stuff on (like stuff sacks, torch, glasses etc). I took the opportunity of filming setting up and packing away the tarp. There’s definitely a knack to this and I think it’s good to keep practicing. There’s nothing worse than fiddling about when it’s pouring with rain. In inclement weather, the tarp should be first up. I’ve also demonstrated the knots I use. If these aren’t very clear, let me know.

The Evenk and slippery knots work quite well for me, being quite simple and more importantly, quick to set up and easy to release. The slippery knot helps keep the ridge line nice and taut. Since I made the film, I decided not to wrap the ridge line around the folded up tarp, but to fold it separately after the tarp has been put into the stuff sack. This way, when unpacking, time is saved unrolling the line from the tarp and there’s less chance of the line getting tangled.

All in all I’m very pleased with the tarp. I’m now going to experiment with different configurations but I’ll mainly use the ‘open front’ configuration (photo) unless it’s really bad weather when, of course, the whole thing will be closed down.

I must apologise for not posting the promised mid-week post as I had Internet connection problems. I’ll try and post mid week if all goes well.

Thanks for the visit.