saxonaxe
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That's trial not trail... 
I've been out and about a few times on and off road with my Haversack containing brew kit and a few EDC bits. With a litre of water on board it weighs in at 7 lbs.....3 . 25 kgs? not a great weight but quite noticeable as far as balance is concerned with wobbly legs, especially off road. So today being a beautiful sunny day with a light but chill Easterly breeze I thought it was an ideal chance to see if I could remain upright off road carrying a heavier load.
Enter my old 1960's Bergan, a real one... Sticking to my self imposed rule to carry overnight capability if I venture far from home, I ended up- with a weight of 17.5 lbs ( 8+ kgs) including water, grub etc:
It immediately became obvious to me as soon as I stepped out of the door, that today's first load carrying wander would have to be a sensible one. So a couple of miles round the lake on the footpaths would do for a trial run, and I set off feeling very unbalanced...No, I don't mean my normal mental state, I mean the falling over kind of unbalanced...
I was reminded of another post on the forum about Fungi when I saw the very old dried up Bracket Fungus on this felled tree. To the touch it feels almost like a huge Barnacle that you might find on rocks or a seaside pier support leg.
First test, the slope down to the lake. Even after yesterday's rain it was still quite dry underfoot so not unduly slippery, but still hard work.
Safely down and looking towards the top end of the lake where a number of Springs and run offs bring yesterdays rain down to the lake. It was quite noticeable how the white water rushed under the old bridge and could be seen and heard from where I was, some distance away.
This Mallard Drake was within snatching distance, I wouldn't starve here if the Zombies took over the world...
The overflow Cill runs with a muted roar after heavy rain and on a silent windless night I can hear it from home.
Having reached the far side of the lake with just one double knee wobble, although I didn't end up on the deck thanks to my magic walking stick, I found the paths to be sunlit and almost completely dry.
Physically it's interesting to find out how much just 17 odd lbs makes to balance and load on the knee joints. Quite tiring really, well at nearly 77 it is, but a good guide to how much tottering practice is still required before attempting Pen y fan.
There is a good sheltered little brew spot about a mile from home. Once just one of the features of the Estate Parkland Woods, it still today provided somewhere to rest up out of the Easterly breeze and a chance to sit down.
Using the little meths stove today, even with the wire mesh over the flame it still boils a mug of water in about 7 minutes, but really..who's in a hurry anyway?
The Grotto is of Limestone rocks and was sensibly built facing South and today was really cosy in the sun and out of the chill breeze.
The Ramsons grow right to the front door here and fill the space with their smell. Next trip will be a foraging one as the taste is fully in the young plants now.
The sculpting effects of water on the Limestone are interesting and provide hidey holes for many happy insects and convenient Take-Away food stops for some pretty overweight Spiders that were waddling around while I drank my tea...
just about 2 miles in total, but enough for a start. Not a very dramatic day some would say, but Tea in the sunshine with a nice view and the smell of Wild Garlic filling the air, my life could be a lot less contended, and every journey starts with the first small step.
I've been out and about a few times on and off road with my Haversack containing brew kit and a few EDC bits. With a litre of water on board it weighs in at 7 lbs.....3 . 25 kgs? not a great weight but quite noticeable as far as balance is concerned with wobbly legs, especially off road. So today being a beautiful sunny day with a light but chill Easterly breeze I thought it was an ideal chance to see if I could remain upright off road carrying a heavier load.Enter my old 1960's Bergan, a real one...
Sticking to my self imposed rule to carry overnight capability if I venture far from home, I ended up- with a weight of 17.5 lbs ( 8+ kgs) including water, grub etc:It immediately became obvious to me as soon as I stepped out of the door, that today's first load carrying wander would have to be a sensible one. So a couple of miles round the lake on the footpaths would do for a trial run, and I set off feeling very unbalanced...No, I don't mean my normal mental state, I mean the falling over kind of unbalanced...
I was reminded of another post on the forum about Fungi when I saw the very old dried up Bracket Fungus on this felled tree. To the touch it feels almost like a huge Barnacle that you might find on rocks or a seaside pier support leg.
First test, the slope down to the lake. Even after yesterday's rain it was still quite dry underfoot so not unduly slippery, but still hard work.
Safely down and looking towards the top end of the lake where a number of Springs and run offs bring yesterdays rain down to the lake. It was quite noticeable how the white water rushed under the old bridge and could be seen and heard from where I was, some distance away.
This Mallard Drake was within snatching distance, I wouldn't starve here if the Zombies took over the world...
The overflow Cill runs with a muted roar after heavy rain and on a silent windless night I can hear it from home.
Having reached the far side of the lake with just one double knee wobble, although I didn't end up on the deck thanks to my magic walking stick, I found the paths to be sunlit and almost completely dry.
Physically it's interesting to find out how much just 17 odd lbs makes to balance and load on the knee joints. Quite tiring really, well at nearly 77 it is, but a good guide to how much tottering practice is still required before attempting Pen y fan.
There is a good sheltered little brew spot about a mile from home. Once just one of the features of the Estate Parkland Woods, it still today provided somewhere to rest up out of the Easterly breeze and a chance to sit down.
Using the little meths stove today, even with the wire mesh over the flame it still boils a mug of water in about 7 minutes, but really..who's in a hurry anyway?
The Grotto is of Limestone rocks and was sensibly built facing South and today was really cosy in the sun and out of the chill breeze.
The Ramsons grow right to the front door here and fill the space with their smell. Next trip will be a foraging one as the taste is fully in the young plants now.
The sculpting effects of water on the Limestone are interesting and provide hidey holes for many happy insects and convenient Take-Away food stops for some pretty overweight Spiders that were waddling around while I drank my tea...
just about 2 miles in total, but enough for a start. Not a very dramatic day some would say, but Tea in the sunshine with a nice view and the smell of Wild Garlic filling the air, my life could be a lot less contended, and every journey starts with the first small step.
