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Actually no not everywhere. Obviously the high mountains are though. There are a lot of plantations but also increasingly areas of native woodland. They are mostly birch and willow but I think since the peninsula came into the care of the Knoydart Foundation the stance on deer management and...

I’ve spent a fair bit of time in Knoydart and though it is wild it isn’t wilderness in my mind. Pre the Clearances I read that there were a thousand fighting men living in the peninsula which would suggest the total population would be perhaps 4-5 times that. In some of the glens that are empty...

Personally I wouldn’t go for the Ionesphere. I can’t comment on the quality as I’ve not owned one. Essentially I think you’ll miss the space to sit up and cook in the porch if the weather is poor. It’s also hard to keep your kit dry / get dressed for the same reason. If you only camp in fine...

Gaberdine is windproof, lightweight and quick drying - it’s a tight weave cotton fabric but it’s not especially robust. It used to be used for smocks for SF Troops and Royal Marines, although plenty of other military folk would wear them as the standard issue smock wasn’t as nice to wear.

Why would you not want to use the hip belt? I do 100s of miles over the hills each year and it really is crucial in a comfortable carry. I know some military guys cut them off but their rucks usually sit on webbing.

Not in the UK buddy. EBay UK banned knife sales years ago and you can’t bid on overseas knife sales. Anyway here’s a Big Swede I got recently from the Car Boot sale.

Anything sold by Survival Aids (old shop)!

I live in Scotland and they can be very bad in some areas up here. I’ve been involved in a few missing person searches where I’ve literally been brushing them off my trousers because we were searching through deep bracken / foliage. If you can avoid these areas and wear long clothing even when...

That’s an interesting reflection on the AI that eBay gets users to use to describe items for sale - they’re absolutely useless as it doesn’t actually describe what you are selling.

I’ve done both - I did the Journeyman with Paul Kirtley in 2007 (when he was with Woodlore) then when Paul set up Frontier I did the Frontier Intermediate course. One of the reasons Paul left Woodlore was he wasn’t given the freedom to create new courses. He created the Intermediate course...

The mitts and inners I was issued are sized correctly. They come with a waterproof outer gauntlet and inner pile lining. I wear a size M and these are M. These are a few years old but would probably still be available on the surplus market. A lot of the MTP kit is the same design just different...

The earlier smock was 100% cotton I think, took an age to dry and not very waterproof. Hoods were quite a big improvement on the later version - particularly for Falklands dets! I think as lots of folk used to wear SAS and Arctic Smocks some of the features were copied. The material was also...

If you’re new to Bushcraft I would look at a British Army issue Basha. Although smaller and heavier than a DD tarp they are very robust and cheap to buy. DD tarps are well made but they are quite fragile if you’re rough with your gear.

Cheers, might be a good windshield for the Swiss M71 stove. I’ve never seen one though so maybe as you said it wasn’t a winner.

Wasn’t this on trial with the British Army? Was it successful, any good?

Thanks for sharing, that’s a good story. I was on the Aonach Eagach last month doing some CPD with a Mountaineering Instructor, plenty of places to fall off there too! I don’t think I’ve met many folk who had to jump to stop their oppo falling - your friend had a great presence of mind.

I’ve probably traversed Crib Goch 30 times and have been involved in quite a few rescues on it (as a member of an MRT). It’s best to approach from Pen-y-Pass and do the horseshoe anti clockwise so the harder bits are completed first. You’ll need a good head for heights as there is some exposure...

I’ve spent a lot of time walking and climbing in the Highlands over the years. My advice would be to go in May or Oct. Both periods are generally not too busy (apart from the BH) and there are few midges. It seems common to get a week or more of clear, dry windless weather in both months. May is...

Nothing wrong with the quality of insulation in my opinion. I think they just use false information to sell products (perhaps unintentionally). I use a Nautilus for bunkhouses etc - the design is clearly for non serious use but it is rated for comfort at 3*c whereas I would rate comfort in the...

I’ve used Snugpak bags for 25 years and the ratings have always been optimistic IMO. I do like the brand and think the products are good quality but the ratings are off.