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  • The awesome MakerMoot is coming up (13-15th Nov 2026), Visit the TORM & ARM markets,and have space back at camp to work on projects and enjoy great company. PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
  1. Sooty22

    Really good budget clothing

    Alas, I live very far from Warwick, although I would likely be like a kid in a candy shop!
  2. Sooty22

    Really good budget clothing

    Makes sense with surplus stuff. Sounds like I will need to take the 'make a copy' plan seriously then!
  3. Sooty22

    Really good budget clothing

    Yip, the other thread highlights a common problem I found with 'loden' in the UK; it is usually not loden... Unless paying ca. £25 a metre as a minimum, I would not expect loden. A good source of quality woolen fabric in the Continent is activefabrics. They send to the UK too, but beware as the...
  4. Sooty22

    Really good budget clothing

    Happy days then, if Martii can still get his hands on some; my time is split between Scotland, Italy, the Czech Rep and Greece, so I have a few EU options to choose from! Martii, I will get my size tags and PM you.
  5. Sooty22

    Emergency signalling

    If you went for a pyrotechnic signal, I would opt for a 'day/night' one. It is a double-ended stick, one end is a flare and the other a smoke signal, both hand-held. Much better option for those long winter nights. They are quite small and you can easily keep two. Marine chandlers sell them...
  6. Sooty22

    Really good budget clothing

    Finnish M62 wool trousers and tunic. Bought them dirt cheap back in the day, and they have been absolutely incredible. Fantastic around fire as I believe they are 100% merino wool loden, very comfortable even when soaking wet, and seriously rugged. Very difficult to buy them now, especially in...
  7. Sooty22

    Anyone able to make a SAS smock up from a bolt of cloth?

    6 years too late, but I think I can do it now. Also, John Fenna definitely can, and he has the pattern ready for it. I have the 1942 pattern, which would need zips, a bigger hood and the pockets adjusted, but otherwise it would make a good starting point. If you can sew and just need a pattern...
  8. Sooty22

    What fuel do you use?

    I have a trangia, a couple of kelly kettles in different sizes, a couple of rocket stoves (a 'solo' and a heavier one by Petromax), a couple of tent stoves that work great for cooking on, and of course a small 'pocket rocket' thing that screws on top of a gas canister, and a couple of Primus...
  9. Sooty22

    Open question - Financial

    I think easily.
  10. Sooty22

    Open question - Financial

    Put it this way. The Iranians would rather Trump lost control in the mid-terms, and that means they will continue hitting, every time oil drops, to ensure the American public will be hurting at the pump. So, until November the 3rd, oil will be going up and down faster than the proverbial...
  11. Sooty22

    Melton ... or similar?

    I make smocks out of melton wool, and I can tell you that I have bought fabric that was advertised as 'melton' but the feel wasn't, so be cautious and ask for a sample first. 18oz could be ca. 600gsm, or 400gsm, depending on if it is oz per unit length of the fabric roll, or per unit area...
  12. Sooty22

    WHAT DID YOU MAKE TODAY?

    1 kilo of raspberry jam. 1h walking (or more like hovering around the same bushes!), then 20' in the kitchen. Went 50-50 fruit-sugar, a bit on the sweet side but still really tasty. Added a bit of lemon in it, and crushed the berries into a pulp. With seeds, couldn't be bothered straining it :smile:
  13. Sooty22

    EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic

    If you want a unit purely for backup and not to charge/drain all the time, and are looking at charging phones, running laptops and a starlink mini (which can run on a USB-C PD), then you do not need an inverter at all. I would just get a couple of large lead acid batteries (150Ah each, total...
  14. Sooty22

    The Elusive “One Knife” for Bushcraft…?

    Yip. Similar with the Nepalese and their kukris, which are about that size and usually come with an additional smaller couple of knives on the sheath for the finer tasks. I think one would need at least two knives, unless they had a hatchet/axe with them.
  15. Sooty22

    The Elusive “One Knife” for Bushcraft…?

    I have a Fallkniven F1, which I found was good for most things, from gralloching deer to slicing fruit to cutting through ropes and pointing sticks, and all sorts of other tasks. I think a similar knife of any make would be good. The only fault I have for the F1 is that I found it will chip more...
  16. Sooty22

    Smock, Windproof, 1942 Pattern (the original 'SAS smock'), but made in Ventile in 2026!

    As far as I can tell from what I read (not first hand experience though, never used it, thus the 'experiment'), it is not swelling 'tight' to the point it becomes waterproof, and it is letting a bit more circulation of air. Losing waterproofing, but more breathable, and still windproof. I was...
  17. Sooty22

    Smock, Windproof, 1942 Pattern (the original 'SAS smock'), but made in Ventile in 2026!

    Sooooo...I researched a bit the story with the 'sand coloured' smocks. There was never an official sand coloured version; they were all drab or camouflage. The 'sand' colour versions are the above, boiled for hours by the special forces folk operating in arid environments back in the day. They...
  18. Sooty22

    Smock, Windproof, 1942 Pattern (the original 'SAS smock'), but made in Ventile in 2026!

    Fantastic! I have never tried dyeing fabric, and I want to attempt painting the 'brushstroke' camo the original smocks were made of in their camo version. I guess different from dyeing. Ever tried painting fabric with anything other than acrylics? Any ideas?
  19. Sooty22

    Going green broke my fridge!

    My first thought was 'Plastic exacts revenge'! We use a lot of jars, but much heavier, for pressure canning. I had to reinforce some of the kitchen unit shelves before I was happy enough to stack them full. Even the metal lugs holding them on the cupboard walls are of questionable strength, and...
  20. Sooty22

    WHAT DID YOU MAKE TODAY?

    Looks cast. Did you use the dremel to sharpen it? How heavy is it?