This weekend was the first outing of my hammock and I was very, very impressed.
It was a little tricky to find a decent spot, meaning I was right at the edge of the campsite and the first night was a bit chilly. The main problem was where my sleeping bag got compressed under me and lost it's insulation. On the second and third nights I used my thermarest and that worked better.
Reading around the net, it appears that a number of people have had success with reflective mats such as car sun visors and I plan to give this a try next time. It did stand up very well under the rain and wind though - much better than my tent.
Where the hammock really came into it's own was in comfort. Normally the second and third nights under canvas have me with a stiff back and a sore hip from lying on my side. The hammock was more comfortable than my bed at home.
Labels: Kit
What a good idea!
Perhaps a wider range of designs and styles would be a good idea. I'd love one without a zip that I could have printed up with my La Bete logo :)
One of my favourite elements of the anatagonistic arts is the stick fighting common in the 19th Century. The two areas that interest me the most are La Canne as taught by Pierre Vigny, the Maitre d'Armes at the Bartitsu club, and Irish Bata.
The former uses a particular design of stick, being light, quick and failry whippy with a brass knob on top. I've been eyeing the apparently high-quality training versions sold by Purpleheart for a while now but always kept putting off.
Well, today I was in Basingstoke and nipped into Natural World, a shop selling native crafts and the like. I bought a nice little cudgel from there a while back so thought I may as well see what they had. I spied a number of Vigny-style canes in there for the bargain price of £2.50 each. Turns out Natural World have gone bust so are selling everything off as cheap as you like. I bought all 4 they had in store, but if there is a store near you it'd be well worth a look.
The stick is very light and may not stand up for long, but since it is a cheaper than a pint of mild I thought it would be rude not to take advantage.
Labels: Antagonistics, Kit, Stick Fighting
Lighthound have changed their website (and very nice it is too!. However this means their lanyard instructions have moved here.
Oh, and Merry Christmas :)
Labels: Kit
Everyone loves paracord. Everyone loves a lanyard. This shows even the most fumble-fingered (i.e. me) how to do it.
Amuse your girlfriend and impress your friends!
Labels: Kit
I'm a big fan of bandanas. More usefu than a pocket hankie, I cary one with me most places. From wiping spills to carrying stuff when your shopping bag splits and the potential to improvise bandages and restraints (never know when one may need some emergency S&M!), a bandana is a must have. Now I have a larger than average head so I tend to find off the shelf bandanas a little small so I have got a load of material for the Queen to run through the sewing machine. Following a hint of TPI I found the following which looks good. I should have some made up next week so I'll update with how I get on with them.
The Ultimate Bandana
Labels: Kit
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