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I'd love to see the bottle Vladimir's opening with that...!

But surely, if one can afford a Woodlore Pro knife, one should have one's man to open one's bottle for one...

Although I'm not hard/mad enough to try the sitting on an ice block trick, I can say that the German army folding mats are great, offering versatility and comfort across a range of situations. I always use a combination of either the German army mat or the Savotta mat with a Robens inflatable...

A wee bit of an update: apparently, the reason for the Forest Smock being somewhat more expensive than the usual run of Ridgeline products is the new fabric, the updated(?) technology and Ed Stafford's considerable involvement in the design and testing of it. Greed might be one way of looking...

Absolutely! It is an admission on the part of Ridgeline that they got the pricing of this thing pretty horribly wrong. As I said earlier, it is a very well-made garment with the inherent flaws of a smock but with the added mystery of a light azure coloured lining. I know that that is Ed...

I agree - there's no doubting the quality behind Ridgeline's stuff and I think you're right about it being for those more static moments outdoors. I've had a look at one and the fabric feels very soft and is 'cotton rich' at 70% which makes me think that, when wet, it'll become increasingly...

I tried a 5.11 RUSH pack but really didn't get on with it. There seemed to be so many sections, pockets and pouches, each of which would only weaken the overall pack. It carried poorly and, even with things cinched down, seemed to stick out beyond the average day pack. I remain rather...

I have to admit that I think smock-type garments to be the devil's clothes. My experience of them has always included uncomfortable sweatiness, inconvenience and the most appallingly and inconveniently placed pockets. Quite why I raised this subject is, on reflection, beyond me; I suppose that...

So it seems that the verdict is: yes, it's OK but not at that price. Is that fair?

I still have and use a Thommen altimeter, which is an aneroid barometer for measuring your metres above sea level, as it is great, not only for navigation but also for picking up the approach of bad or good weather when I'm out and about. I inherited from my late father a mercury barometer...

Anyone know anything about these: https://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/ed-stafford-forest-smock---moss-61228-p.asp ? It looks a bit of a shapeless mash-up but it might work well; I have heard that Ridgeline are a pretty good company and Mr Stafford has been involved in some fairly hard core...

I have got a Munro which I used to use as my day pack. It is a simple, arguably fairly crude beast when compared with the Savotta Jaakari M that I now use for that purpose. I reckon that, if you want something that offers a bit more flexibility and is significantly more comfortable, go for the...

They are brilliantly comfortable shirts. I'd love another one in a size 43, preferably unissued but simply cannot find one. Any ideas?

My first knife was bought from the Scout shop. It had a stacked handle built up of bits of fibre and a wodge of antler that was far to thick and knobbly for viable sustained use, a Sheffield steel blade and the most useless sheath on the planet. It was only when my father brought back a knife...

For their gorgeous, comical faces, it's the puffin. Having said that, I do love blackbirds for their distinguished appearance and heavenly song. For non-U.K. species, I rate the Kea for its extraordinary 'intelligence'.

It's great to see the new(-ish) Pro being used, rather than merely displayed in an uber-shiny fashion. I'm really looking forward to reading about your findings but initial impressions seem/look really positive - would that be a reasonable assumption?

Is that Jeremiah Johnson?

Since you're personifying the knives they've named, Ben Orford makes the Ed Stafford one and a very useful beast it is, too. I think that, it terms of out-and-out knowledge, good ol' RM would win the ticket, followed by Stafford with the hyperactive Grylls and his dreadful, monotonous...

Going back to the original debate, I reckon that, without clothes, Ed Stafford tops out but, with clothes on, it is hard to beat the calm familiarity of Uncle Ray. For me, Bear is a little like a firework: flash, pop! and then it's gone. Perhaps we should judge them by the knives to which...

That is great work! It has inspired me to have another go...