To enter a canyon is to enter another world. The canyons of the Blue Mountains in Australia, carved over millions of years through sandstone, are home to myriad of creatures and unique plants. Ferns, mosses, lichen, fungus, yabbies, water spiders and frogs, all washed by the waters that continue to move, carve, tickle and dance over the ancient terrain to create nothing short of a … [Read more...]
47 things I learnt from reading Bear Grylls Kids’ books
Pretty much everyone I meet has an opinion of Bear Grylls. He’s a bit like a brussel sprout - you either love him or loathe him. I thought he was a bit of a tosser until I read his book, ‘Mud, Sweat & Tears’, and it changed my mind. Now, I actually quite like and respect the guy. Sure, I’m not wrapped in some of his tips (like being wrapped inside a camel carcass or drinking pee out of a snake … [Read more...]
What is a Bivvy Bag? (And can it replace my tent?)
Macpac Alpine Cocoon Gear Review When it comes to sheltering from the elements in our amazing outdoors, there are many options available to us. The obvious and most common solution is a tent, but it’s good to know that there are many other options available and better still, many of these weigh much less than a full tent - such as a Bivvy Bag. For years I’ve been Biv-Curious and until … [Read more...]
Book Review : Best Walks of the Great Ocean Road
The collection of publishers of bushwalking guide books in Australia is quite a narrow and select club. Historically, there’s folk like John Chapman or John & Lyn Daly who spread their net far and wide to cover a variety of different states and national parks. Sure, there are people renowned for a particular regions, like Ron Doughton’s Budawangs books, but in recent years, Woodslane Press … [Read more...]
How to choose Gaiters for Hiking & Outdoor Adventure
With summer racing towards us in Australia and the springtime sexual exploits of snakes making their presence known as they emerge from their winter snooze, it's a perfect time to talk about gaiters. In particular, how to choose the right pair of gaiters for hiking, bushwalking and general outdoors adventure. If you were to ask me if gaiters are an essential, a luxury or a paranoid … [Read more...]
Cheap Hiking Cooking Set & Stoves – A comparison
One of the best things about hiking, is that it costs nothing... sort of. Sure, putting one foot in front of the other on a bush track doesn't cost a thing, but the shoe and sock on our foot, the pack on our back and all the goodies inside can add up to a pretty penny. And if you're just starting out and building a kit from scratch, it doesn't take long to realise that nothing in life is … [Read more...]
1 simple thing that could save your life when hiking
Let’s get philosophical for a minute. Where are you going and how are you going to get there? It’s a foundational question for the bigger picture of our lives, but it’s also a critical foundation for our outdoors adventures as well. I know it sounds kind of basic, like hiking 101, and some of you might be forgiven for thinking that it’s something you can skip or don’t need to worry about … [Read more...]
Best Apps for Australian Hiking
With smartphone technology being as it is, by taking our mobiles out into the bush, we have the ability to take a whole range of helpful resources to add to our experiences in the wild*. I recently found myself sorting through and tidying up my apps and realised I needed a whole folder just for hiking apps. There are some I use more than others, but here's my collection of best apps for Australian … [Read more...]
Beer in the Bush
Roadtest: Pat's Backcountry Beverages How many times have you finished a tough day's hiking (or bushwalking!), pitched your tent, put the billy on and thought... 'Geez, I wish I had a cold beer.'? If only I could brew a beer in the bush or that fairly normal looking Blue Gum suddenly became the Magic Faraway Tree and Enid Blytoned me a nice, cold Little Creatures or 4 Pines... or two. Well, … [Read more...]
Rab Women’s Neo Rain Jacket Review
When I got approached by Cotswold Outdoor last year to do a gear review for them I was a bit curious, because as an Aussie, I was wondering why they'd want me to take a look at a product from the UK. https://youtu.be/-JFu6zcQm0Y Well, as everyone knows, the old Interweb and FaceTube not only makes the world a very small place, but opens up our eyes and wallets to markets and products that we … [Read more...]
Macpac Sololight Tent Gear Review
I can vividly remember the first meeting I had with the boss of Macpac as I signed on to become one of their brand ambassadors. As I casually dropped into the conversation that, 'not all of my gear is Macpac', he quickly responded with, "Why not?" https://youtu.be/PX4IbvcVWHY That conversation was over 18 months ago now, but I still remember explaining to him that although their Microlight … [Read more...]
Australian Defence Force Ratpack MRE – Taste Test
A little while back, I did a product review on the Strive Foods 24hr Ration Pack and after reading it, a wonderful member of the Lotsafreshair community, aka 'Secret Squirrel', sent me an Australian Defence Force Ratpack MRE (type C) to also try out. This was an insight into a part of the world that I've never really had anything to do with - the military - well, except that one time I flew … [Read more...]