Operation Rovelló

Been out today searching for Rovelló mushrooms (Lactarius sanguifluus) which are a very tastey and worth a few bob if you can harvest a few kilos. Anyway i had the camera with me and made this three part video, i will post up the other two videos tommorrow so sit back, break open the popcorn and enjoy

The SurvivALL Kukri

Well i love knives of all sizes and a couple of months back when Gary from SurvivALL sent me his new kukri i fell in love straight away.
Yesterday and today i decided to make a few videos and demonstrate a simple technique for splitting down a large log without an axe.
Enjoy!

"I ain't going in no plane fool!"

Well i haven't had much time for myself in a long time but this is all about to change with the birth of a new adventure and hopefully a new and exciting business venture with a like minded and adventurous Irishman.

Are you a civilian pilot looking for a realistic and challenging survival package aimed at the aviator?

Are you a freelance journalist, 4x4 overlanding enthusiast or planning on entering the next extreme desert marathon?

Do you feel that your survival skills are somewhat lacking and are looking for something different?

Sick of the same old weekend spoon carving courses that are passed off as 'bushcrafting' when really they are nothing more than overpriced camping trips?

If this is you then look no further.............you need to hire the A-Team (sorry couldn't resist) no seriously watch this space.

Busy times

Well i have been very busy what with me and my wife having a new addition to the family and baby duty has taken over everything else including go out to the woods.This weekend though i have been going through my kit and giving everything a good going over.

Now this is something you should program in about every three to six months depending on how often or not you use your kit, you will find that by carrying out a days worth of husbandry you will save yourself alot of heartache when your miles away from nowhere and your favourite and most important nik nak has given up the ghost (Then again should you put so much trust into one item?).

Having a new baby involves alot of sterilizing of bottles and dummies so i removed the lids from my army canteens and gave them both (lids and bottles)a good boiling and left them to air dry, in fact this is probably one of the best if only thing to do in this warm weather we are experiencing here in Spain.

Your eating equipment should also recieve the same treatment, this will save you from those in the field stomach aches that lead to long periods of stay in the latrine/bushes.

With these busy times it is easy to neglect your gear but you will soon be reminded of your laziness..................................Happy shrafting.

How good is your map?

How good is your map?

Or more to the point how old is your map?

How relevant is it to your expedition that you are planning?

Remember that word PLAN? you should do.Its one of the best words in not only the English language but all of the latin based tongues so your map selection and study should be part of your planning.

You wouldn't just wake up in the morning,pack up a daysack and kiss your wife/husband/pet hamster goodbye and then set out to climb K2 so why is it every year throughout Europe mountain rescue teams are called out to look for 'lost' walkers and climbers?

Alot of these search's end up being a body recovery because no one knew where Bill,Jose,Willhelm was going or when he would be back,no one had a copy of hs route (i.e. a photocopy of a topographical map,route highlighted).

So how good is your map and what does a map look like anyway?





These two images are from the same map,a 1:50,000 scale topo map of Stanley,the Falkland islands.As you can see it is very different from a standard Ordnance survey map in Britain.The map was printed in 1982 (the time of the war there) from aerial photographs taken in 1958 by a canberra bomber so some parts of the map are blank except for the inscription "obscured by cloud".There is very little in the way of terrain detail except for contour lines and a few map signs,all of which are printed in black ink.



This map is another 1:50,000 scale topo map of the Pristina area in Kosovo,printed by the United States goverment in 1995 and there is something very unique about this type of map,it is readable by a red filtered torch (The military use these filters to retain nightvision and to not give away too much of their position away to the enemy).Looking at the map you find that the information used was from 1993 so the info used was two years old before the map was printed,i used this map in 1999.





This final map is again a 1:50,000 scale map of Alt Penedes in Catalonia,Spain and came free with the La Vanguardia newspaper.Printed in 2006 from map information from 2002 so it was already four years old before going to print.These are great maps,even better that the UK OS type as they use a coloured highlighting to show the contour reliefs.You can order these maps straight from the Institut Cartografic de catalunya
here www.icc.es and their website is in Catalan,Espanol and English.


Here are just three maps,all the same scale but each one very very different.

So how good is your map?

Finding your way isn't rocket science.

There is a certain mystic associated with navigation,images of bearded sailors holding up sextants and pouring over charts with "There be dragons" written on the uncharted areas.Its no wonder that people can be put off from learning how t read a map and compass.

Remember this if nothing else:

1) A map is nothing more than a birdseye view.

2) A compass never lies (even a cheap compass points north)


Now a map is a guide and nothing more,it advises you on potential obstacles ahead but it is no task master.A map should be poured over long before you go out on your walk,the map should be used to PLAN your trek (remember PLAN,part of Stop Think Organise Plan or STOP)So the map should be used long before you actually go out and put boot leather to mountain path.

Now the compass is an aid to direction,it will not tap you on the shoulder when you decide to go off in the wrong direction (i.e. a direction that you hadn't PLANned during those nights that you PLANned your walk).

A compass never lies but neither does it speak up and offer advice when you are 'geographically misplaced' for want of a face saving term.So as i was taught in the Army always trust your compass.

For the next few blog posts and some up coming videos (when i buy my camera in the new year)i will be demystifying navigation............where are my glasses? somebodies 'geographically misplaced' them.

Travel light freeze at night?

How much should you carry into the nature?

How much is too much?

What do you really need to be comfortable for long periods of time out in the nature?

Ever asked yourself these questions? Ever thought that you just had too much duffle and impedimenta to quote old Nessmuk?

I ask myself these questions everytime i check and pack my equipment before venturing out into the bush and find that it is not a bad thing neither. Maybe this mindset stems from my military background where personnal equipment is often sacrificed for more important items like 7.62mm link or anti-tank mines but i am no longer a soldier so does it matter now?

How many metal mugs do you need or socks or spoons, how many sporks is too many? Survivalists/Bushcrafters are known for their hording traits, especially when it comes to shiney knives but has it all gone too far?

Over the years i have learn't to be ruthless when it comes to packing my bags so i do now tend to carry the bare essentials and love the word 'multipurpose'. Just because that Gucci new rucksack is festooned with pockets dosen't mean that you have to stuff it with the latest wizzbang gadget,guaranteed to brake down when you need it the most.

How light could you go out into the nature and yet remain within the 'smoothing' zone?

How light could you go and still have a good nights sleep, remain dry and well fed?

In the army we had a great saying, hijacked by the cutthroat word of city workers but great non the less (the civilian sector would probably like to be run like the army) and we use to call it the seven P's.

Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.




Now where are my heated socks and Trangia fondue set?...................................