Pablo's Great Adventure - Equipment

Some equipment will be loaned to us for the duration of the expedition, which is just as well because the weight limit for the small aircraft from Windhoek to Hobatere and Mopane bushvelt is 15kgs.

 

This is what will be loaned  to us:

• Safari style tents.

• Waterproof bed roll and mattress (swag) quilt, pillow

• Machete/Panga.

• Axes

This is what's on the kit list:

• Holdall or rucksack (equipment is carried on top vehicles between locations). I bought the Highlander 100 litre bag shown above for £28-00.

• Water bottle (1 ltr min) and mug (Crusader - obviously)

• Knife, fork and spoon (What's a knife and fork?)

• Billy can (preferable) or mess tin (for cooking over open fires) (Old faithful Tracpac will be coming along)

• Fixed blade sheath type knife (probably clipper or EKA W11)

• Small pocket knife (SAK Hunter)

• Whistle

• Small day-sack (see below)

• 10 metres of strong nylon cord

• Note book and pencil

• Wash bag

• Camelbak water bladder or similar (Check)

• Binoculars or scope (optional, but recommended)

• Water bag (min 6 ltr) (MSR)

• Orienteering compass

• Head torch and spare batteries

I certainly won't be adding to that list except to pack my normal belt and possible pouch.

I haven't decided which day sack to take as yet but it will most probably be my super light-weight Camelbak Cloud Walker (which I bought for Mrs P's cycling and forgot to give back after borrowing it!)

 

This weekend I'm off to Devon with Shadowhawk. There's a full house of students and I'm instructing and also assessing some of the instructors (at their request). I'm also going to be put through the mill myself with some advanced tests and an exam(!!) Nothing like a bit of pressure!

Thanks for the visit.

Pablo's Great Adventure - Equipment

Some equipment will be loaned to us for the duration of the expedition, which is just as well because the weight limit for the small aircraft from Windhoek to Hobatere and Mopane bushvelt is 15kgs.

 

This is what will be loaned  to us:

• Safari style tents.

• Waterproof bed roll and mattress (swag) quilt, pillow

• Machete/Panga.

• Axes

This is what's on the kit list:

• Holdall or rucksack (equipment is carried on top vehicles between locations). I bought the Highlander 100 litre bag shown above for £28-00.

• Water bottle (1 ltr min) and mug (Crusader - obviously)

• Knife, fork and spoon (What's a knife and fork?)

• Billy can (preferable) or mess tin (for cooking over open fires) (Old faithful Tracpac will be coming along)

• Fixed blade sheath type knife (probably clipper or EKA W11)

• Small pocket knife (SAK Hunter)

• Whistle

• Small day-sack (see below)

• 10 metres of strong nylon cord

• Note book and pencil

• Wash bag

• Camelbak water bladder or similar (Check)

• Binoculars or scope (optional, but recommended)

• Water bag (min 6 ltr) (MSR)

• Orienteering compass

• Head torch and spare batteries

I certainly won't be adding to that list except to pack my normal belt and possible pouch.

I haven't decided which day sack to take as yet but it will most probably be my super light-weight Camelbak Cloud Walker (which I bought for Mrs P's cycling and forgot to give back after borrowing it!)

 

This weekend I'm off to Devon with Shadowhawk. There's a full house of students and I'm instructing and also assessing some of the instructors (at their request). I'm also going to be put through the mill myself with some advanced tests and an exam(!!) Nothing like a bit of pressure!

Thanks for the visit.

Pablo's Great Adventure - Health and Fitness

You can't go on an expedition to Africa without getting advice about inoculations. It's also advisable to have little fitness training behind you.

My fitness has been an uphill struggle because from October last year until about April I was literally immobile because of a ruptured Achilles tendon. After the go ahead from the physios, I was determined to put a few miles behind me in preparation for the trip and I've been in training for about a month now.

My reasoning is that it's going to be hot and I don't want to be struggling with extra body weight. I also want to be able to walk some distance without having to worry about being puffing and panting or being uncomfortable. In short, the less I have to worry about, the more I will enjoy the trip. I've already lost half a stone but I need to lose another half. I'm walking and running a mile and a half and I want to raise this to 3 miles walk and run before I go.

 

As far health and inoculations are concerned, I'm in the hands of the experts; well the NHS anyway. After 3 visits to the local surgery and five injections later, I feel like a pin-cushion. I've had Hep A and B and tetanus boosters, typhoid, and something else. I was past caring at the last visit. It must have shown as it was the injection that hurt the most!

I had to order my Malaria tablets as well. These were the most costly items and left a £68-97 pence hole in my account! Now that was painful! I was assured that these are the Rolls Royce of Malaria tablets and will have no side effects. We shall see, but at least I stand less chance of catching this nasty disease.

So, it's full steam ahead with only 31 days to go!

Pablo's Great Adventure - Health and Fitness

You can't go on an expedition to Africa without getting advice about inoculations. It's also advisable to have little fitness training behind you.

My fitness has been an uphill struggle because from October last year until about April I was literally immobile because of a ruptured Achilles tendon. After the go ahead from the physios, I was determined to put a few miles behind me in preparation for the trip and I've been in training for about a month now.

My reasoning is that it's going to be hot and I don't want to be struggling with extra body weight. I also want to be able to walk some distance without having to worry about being puffing and panting or being uncomfortable. In short, the less I have to worry about, the more I will enjoy the trip. I've already lost half a stone but I need to lose another half. I'm walking and running a mile and a half and I want to raise this to 3 miles walk and run before I go.

 

As far health and inoculations are concerned, I'm in the hands of the experts; well the NHS anyway. After 3 visits to the local surgery and five injections later, I feel like a pin-cushion. I've had Hep A and B and tetanus boosters, typhoid, and something else. I was past caring at the last visit. It must have shown as it was the injection that hurt the most!

I had to order my Malaria tablets as well. These were the most costly items and left a £68-97 pence hole in my account! Now that was painful! I was assured that these are the Rolls Royce of Malaria tablets and will have no side effects. We shall see, but at least I stand less chance of catching this nasty disease.

So, it's full steam ahead with only 31 days to go!

Find That Fox

I went out today with the specific intention of finding and photographing a fox.

Have you seen a fox? I thought not.

 

What about you? No I didn't think so.

 

What about you? Nothing to say eh?

 

What was that?

 

Did he go this way?

 

Or perhaps it was that way .

 

I get the distinct impression that someone's having a laugh at my expense.

Find That Fox

I went out today with the specific intention of finding and photographing a fox.

Have you seen a fox? I thought not.

 

What about you? No I didn't think so.

 

What about you? Nothing to say eh?

 

What was that?

 

Did he go this way?

 

Or perhaps it was that way .

 

I get the distinct impression that someone's having a laugh at my expense.

A Glorious Weekend in Sussex

This last weekend I was in East Sussex with the Tribe - a bunch of close knit friends who get together once every two months to share skills and have a good laugh in the woods.

This weekend some people had a go at chair making and other wood carving projects like kuksas and bowls.

Dave and Scotty had success with the the hand drill. I knew that my delicate office hands wouldn't stand a chance - so I just watched.  I would need to condition my hands for a while before I tried this. Maybe next year.

The weather was hot and sunny, so I made my way to the pond where I saw Common hawkers and Common darters. I managed to get myself on the flight path and inquisitive dragonflies came face-to-face with me frighteningly close-up. The Common darters landed on me, seeing me as a kind of protector and a respite from the bullying tactics of the hawkers, much to the amusement of the onlookers with binos.

As usual kit was compared. This is Joe's superb trio of new tools made by Roger Harrington from Bison Bushcraft.

I managed to get close to some Fallow deer on the Saturday morning. The younger members of the group stayed put ...

...while the mature doe tried to lead me away from them with bouncing jumps and barks. I'll put this video up on my YouTube Channel later.

Tom, Nigel and Neil joined me for a repeat performance on the Sunday morning, but only Nigel was in the right position to view what I knew was the same group.

Thanks to everyone for a brilliant weekend.