My life as shoes

Wind Cheat Sheet

A good nights sleep

The neoair, see how it inflates and keeps me off the ground,  almost as much as my actual mattress? This thing was heaps expensive when i bought it off ebay, but it certainly has paid itself back in comfort and warmth. I used this a heap of times in Japan and not once did i feel my back cold. from parks, to snow covered fire escapes to a night out in niseko. My back was definitely the least of my worries. The best aspect of it, is you are not limited to sleeping on your back, somehow this pad magically keeps you lofted above the ground even when you are on your side. Also converts into a chair quite easily with my Big Anges fabric chair Downside, blowing it up =P 

It doesnt't sound like much but for only 260 grams (i got the short one, goes from shoulder to knee), it is a solid piece. heck, i dont think i'll ever go out without it. 

nifty gear for my new wallet

my new wallet from tokyu hands, japan is truly awesome, so awesome now I regret not buying two. its as minimalist as you can get with three visible panels allowing you to quickly show any form of id and a quick access slot allowing you to slide out that credit card or cash at a moments notice.
But the true gem that makes this wallet work is this card right here. it's called a electromagnetic separation card allowing you to put two touch based cards, in my case my office access card and my go transport card, back to back whilst ensuring they still not interfere with each others RF response. With three cards constantly interfering with each other previously I had to find the card in my wallet, remove it, swipe it and place it back in the wallet. yeah no big deal they are bigger things in life. let me just say this they are touch based cards! we might as well go back to magnetic stripes if that's how they are going to be used. it's like when I saw one iphone user take a photo of someone elses iphone so they could get a copy of a photo. *facepalm*
Anyway with this ESC I just swipe with my wallet if it gives me an error flip and swipe again. one everyday annoyance down for a measly ¥1680.
blogging this from my phone is interesting, maybe it'll mean I'll post a but more this year. I've been buying loads of gear here and there and I but done to good use in my last trip to japan, so much to write down for future reference.

Sugru fixes and creates awesome stuff

The idea for the joby gorrillapod slider was an idea I actually saw at one of their exhibitions but it never became a reality so I decided to make my own. This coincided beautifully with the fact that I figured out how to make my phone take time lapse shots, so hopefully i can set this up on a tree, and set up my phone to capture the sunrise for me in case i miss it.

Anyway forming the joby gorrillapod slider was HORRENDOUS. The material is sticky enough, but once you start using your fingers and giving it a bit of body warmth it is insufferably sticky to your fingers. I struggled quite hard until I used the most primitive shaping technique, just jamming it in.

So i stick a glob of it on the back, bigger then it needs to be and then put a finger behind it to hold it into place. Then i aggressively just jam the gorrillapod over it. Turns out if the motion is fast enough it moulds the shape but doesnt stick to the gorillapod. So keeping it fast and rapid i kept at it until the shape was formed. semi-SUCCESS!

semi-SUCCESS because in all that yamming it wasn't exactly on the same plane and the tip is rounded and kinda allows the camera to roll and tilt and in addition start ripping the sugru mould off the back (yeah i was impatient as well didnt give it 24hrs to cure). So I broke out another packet and restarted the moulding process. A more precise motion led to a better shape and its cured for 12hrs so far and holds the camera like a trooper! now time to write the timelapse script for my phone =)

The black diamond headlamp broke its little hinge. I wonder if sugru holds up to drilling much, well will find out in a few hours.

Time lapse of Queenstown skyline

Sugru > noise

 

Not so much gear, but hoping to do a few other things with sugru, not sure what though, grip thingies for my cup for when it gets 2 hot for one. Also fixing my headlamp which has a broken rotator. Ideas ideas.

Pot Cozy V2.0

you maybe asking whats new? (no your not but...)

 

a new lid for sipping!

GU and Barefooting

So it took me a while but i found some brown rice syrup and so i tried to make some carbo gels today. Copying the recipe i found here i added chia seeds and coffee granuales. The coffee was a bad choice either way too much or just don't use instant. The chia seeds give the whole thing nice texture though and are still every as nice to munch on. Using the gel every so often in my combined 5km bike 6.5km run 5km ride felt pretty good. Not that i would generally have a lull in such a short distance but I never felt empty either. I could be onto something there and for basically $3.54 for 500ml of this magical syrup its almost worth its weight in gold. Perhaps i'll go get some more.

Right now what's slowing me down is my running style, after going barefoot i just can't stride out like i can with shoes. I try to push the speed but it inevitably results in a higher propensity to heel strike which eventually leads to pain. So i must adjust my style first i think before pushing the pace. What's good is the ITBS that has plagued since i started running has faded into the background. I mean its still a little there but it certainly doesn't flare up as much as it used to. I guess i'll know better tomorrow.

It feels good though to bring in the kms with my barefeet, looking forward to upping the distance.

Gear for Girraween

The Gear Pile

sleep set	warm gear
bits and bobs	FOOD

what i did leave out is the rain gear sticks and water bladder.

Where's the water?

So the rain began on our little adventure out at giraween national park, it was ominous with visibility very low and the rain unrelenting. Even as we arrive out our campsite we were faced with erecting the tent in the rain. However, quick hands make light work and in no time we had a fire up, sausages going and shelter for the night. All's good then ends with a suasage in my stomach.

The rain let off eventually and the morning was crisp and fantastic. I'm glad i got up and got out to watch the sun rise over the land, a bit of a stroll and a bit of quiet time really sets the mood. Girraween is a awesome area with stark granite always around the corner littering the landscape sometimes and imposing on others. I say sunrises aren't worth it but the stillness just as the sun brings light to the land is surely precious.

It was destined to be a roller coaster ride though, The next 12-14 hours would bring many emotions but as we packed up camp we were just happy that the rain had let off and we were set for a great day. So off we marched into the bush.

the crew smiling

mist on the river

then we stopped, then we started again, but then we stopped again and started, and jolted up a peak then down a peak, then there were rocks to jump on, water breaks and sneaking water into random cups. Oh the hilarity we had even, it was 11 and we had only made 4kms of which 1.5km was on the trail. There was no way we were going to make it all the way to bald rock today but big deal right? there'll be creeks to stop at. No probs.

The landscape was quite amazing it would be forest then granite slopes, hiking up over mt norman and back over the ridge. We picked up a few injuries on the way though, N's ankle started playing up and my left ITB started getting tight and restrictive. Solider ON though, just looking at the landscape it draws me deeper and deeper.


Speaking of drawing me in, the granite creates little outcrops which years of erosion has formed giant boulders with tiny squeeze gaps in them, forming tiny nooks and crannies that are just asking to be explored and so i obliged, crawling on hands and knees leaping from top to top. With the pack off i forget the tightness in the thigh and wile away the time finding the next crook.


Certainly the time did wile away, because before you know it the sun was setting over the tree tops and the light was fading. We were still 3-4km from our new target campsite but we were on the fire trail and making good time. As the sunsets we arrive at the creek crossing. It seems we have made an error, no running water just a dank stagnant pool. That's not as we planned. A quick camp committee was formed, who wants to drink the water? noone. k, to the next creek! what else could we do? The sun had set behind the hills leaving us only teasing glimpses of light and warmth. It was going to be a long night i thought to myself.


It was quite the irony that it was raining so heavily as we began our journey and here we are trudging thru the darkness trying to find a hint of running water but it wasn't to be. After disappointment upon disappointment we were unable to find adequate water sources that we could camp by and get a fire going, and by gosh did we need a fire. It's not kosher but team morale was low and the fire really helped. So we dreged up the local waterhole and filtered and boiled it for food. The water was dodgy but nothing a boil shouldnt knock out *fingers crossed* On top of that, a meticulously cooked pasta in red sauce really hit the spot. Who said camp food tastes bad? a bit of water flour butter and milk powder goes a long way. I supplemented it with my own pasta in avocado sauce which was another treat. However, this would all pale in comparison to what we would be treated to on our final night, if we made camp without ED ( you can guess what that is)

Dehydration can do funny things to people, make us say funny things and take some strange risks. Here you see a double hammock setup, like mobile bunk beds. Seems like a great idea, who would have thought that you could run out trees in a national park. Yet we did, out of the 4 hammockers, we have two sharing a tree, one slung under a dead tree and me bivvying on the ground. But it was a bright day and a good day! with a cup of dank coffee and a steamed muffin, ahhh it twas a good brekky! to the underground creek!


After that roller coaster ride, people were quite happy to strike it back to the cars and have a bit of a chill out and so we made it back to camp at 10. A quick loop in 24hrs, we were beat, bushed and buggered. Into the easy chairs and the beers came out over a friendly competitive game of badminton. But no we couldnt come out all this way and just sit at camp can we? no we are burly men of the bush! We found the biggest rock we could find and climbed that. Once we were at the top fo that, we found the biggest rock on the peak of that and climbed it all the way to the summit of the Pyramids.


last but not least was the most stellar camp dinner that man (me) has had in a national park cooked by resident bush chef D.


Gear that worked:
walking sticks with tarp for shelter, not leaving home without these ever.
camp muffin for the morning,
camelbak is still a winner
converse as walking shoes, a little sore on the last day.
water is awesome, lack of water is less.

hammock can be strong from really long trees

brew kit with coffees and powerade

Stash bag ath the top of the bag for quick retrieval without pack removal was GOLDEN

polaroid in the right pocket was quick draw and secure.

Gear that didnt:
hammock without trees.
gaiters were useless

tree huggers are barely hugging

Too much food was taken, didnt consume it all

Problems
water purification system
a ground sheet
a way to hang my bag on the hammock line so it doesnt get damp on the floor.

hammock?

got a new hammock now to replace the one in the video for el cheapo, its got a mosquito net and quite a roomy interior. A big upgrade indeed. I'm loving it but looking to see if i can get it slightly modified so i can get in from the top. I still need that sewing machine!!

So my current shelter is a hennesy ultralight hammock and a integral design silwing tarp and weighs in at a total of 1.17kg. This competes with my msr hubba tent weighing in at 1.4kg which is strange considering it has tent poles and all that.


so i wonder next time i'm out, hammock or tent?

Travel Electronics Kit

I generally try and carry as little electronics as possible when travelling, but i will always bring my ipod, camera and wifi-enabled phone. So i've been thinking putting together a kit which is light and I can make sure I can keep charge up quickly.

1. USB Charger (2x USB outputs)
2. USB Charger wall plug
3. Australian converter
4. Airline headphone converter
5. Retractable USB cable
6. Spare camera battery
7. Spare mobile phone battery
8. USB charger for GPS logger
9. Ipod charge head
10. Nokia charge head
11. usb mini to usb female head
12. usb mini head
13. SDmini converter
14. USB multicharger can charge any of the spare batteries
15. DC to DC converter to step up voltages from 5.0V to 5.5V
16. Sames

weight: 240grams

with all the electronics: 610grams

with just enough to get by: 514grams

Slacklining with the packed pack =)

Winter packing ~9kg

bag 1250 1250 emergency warmth 794 thermal leggings 170 sleeping 1632 thermal top 172 foam mat 182 gloves 64 sleeping bag 1450 snowboarding socks 102 marmot face mask 70 clothing top 770 down hat 128 merino top stuff sack 26 down jacket 450 insulating soles 62 shell jacket 320 hygiene 194 clothing bottoms 968 towel x 2 28 shell pants 354 toiletries cargo pants 344 first aid kit 166 thermal shorts thermawrap 270 luxury 710 harness + carabiner accessories 1901 emergency water bottl 28 walking sticks 450 vacuum flask 332 harmonica 64 tarp 0

knife 136 hammock 350 cooking kit 396 thongs compass 33 water bottle + bladder clothing accessories 444 journey guide 58 shell mitts 216 fuel bottle 18 underwear and socks x3 228 emergency carry 64 electronics 270 camera 384 total 8635 -1135