Islay's Journeyman - John Muir Award

[JeremyH]

Thank you all for positing these comments. We are looking forward to developing this course properly and running it as a five day programme with more bushcraft/foraging - thus giving tidal opportunities but still keeping it as challenging.

We really enjoyed welcoming you to Islay and on behalf of IB, ReIG the JMT and Islay Estate again THANK YOU so much fro taking time to be part of this exciting future. We hope that when this becomes part of Bushcraft mythology Gary, Leon and Jason will say - yep - we know ..we were the story!

All being well we may well run one before the clocks go back...watch this space and the Islay Birding website. :wave:

JeremyH

 

[leon-1]

Cheers gary.I was just wanting to compare what differencies in kit you all had,to see if there was much in it.

There was quite a variation in the kit that we carried,

Barmah bushhat
Ventile Jacket
Ventile trousers
Ron Hill Coolmax top
Asolo Globetrotter boots

Sabre 45 + one side pouch.
Ortlieb bag
Warm & Dry shirt
Warm Hat
Spare socks
Emergency kit (complete set of clothing waterproofed).
Liteflight jacket
Midge head net.
Jungle Lightweight Basha
Therma-rest
Hammock
Sleeping Bag (Blencathra Down Bag)
Bivvi Bag
Led torch on snow cape.
Lucido Lightwave and headband.
Compact Stove
Pan set
Metal Mug
Fuel for stove.
Spoon
2 500ml Nalgene
Insect Repellent
Comprehensive first aid kit
Inflatable Splint (leg, no foot)
PUR Explorer
250/1000 grit water stone.
Gene Ingram #30
GB Hunters Axe
Scout firesteel.

Rations
Salt, pepper, cajun spice and chilli powder
2 packs Noodles (Won Ton)
4 packs dried fruit
3 packs Beef Jerky
2 packs tuna fish
1 2litre water bag
2 1litre water bags

Jacket
Compass
Issue Firesteel
Lighter
Small first aid kit
2 Field dressings
Whistle
Led torch attached to the zip of the jacket.
Camera and Spare Batteries.
Leatherman Wave on belt.

The only place that I could of used the hammock was at the end when we came up through some trees, oh well never mind (hammocks can also be used as an emergency stretcher if need be) it was still worth carrying.

Jeremy that pan set is made by Gelert and they cost £10. :biggthump

 

[Gary]

Leon now I see why your pack weighed soooooooooo much! ):

Repeat after me - LESS IS MORE!! :rolmao:

 

[jason01]

I was carrying:-

Karrimor Condor 60/80
orange bergen liner
3 season HH down bag
Wild Country Scout bivi
foam Karri mat
Goretex shell
fleece
the clothes I was wearing, crag hopper trousers, Lowe light weight T shirt, canvas gaters, 2 pairs socks, soft brimmed hat, boots, watch (wrist waterproof)
midge head net
Tikka plus headlamp
some wash gear and lightweight towel & midge repellant
small first aid pack
fags and assorted means of lighting them
compass, whistle
10x25 binos
1lb dried fruit and nuts
2L water in a Sigg
knife
wooden spoon
Go Lite Lair, issued
Trangia, bluurrgh, issued to us
24hr ration pack, issued to us
Small water filter/pump, issued
One ski pole, I borrowed this to use as a centre pole for the Lair and to try out while walking, I mostly carried it.
couple metres of cord
bow drill set

I started out with the lightest pack I guess and it does make a difference I still feel it couldve been lighter. And once I'd added deer antlers, bags of rubbish and god knows what else it was plenty heavy enough!

Jason

 

[Gary]

Good point there Jason, and one to be aware of.

The kit we carried in was lighter than what we carried out as we did a beach clean up while there and these bags of rubbish then had to be man packed out adding weight to our packs and also (and probably worse) unbalancing them.

Hopefully future trips will not have so much flotsum and jetsum to haul but you never know what will wash ashore we found the float of a sea plane in the bay before the one we camped in!! :yikes: