In the past I’ve said how I use Jolt Gum in the morning if I just want to break camp and get going for whatever reason (like it’s pissing down). It gives me that morning hit of caffeine without having to brew up. Now I’m not a breakfast person my routine is usually get up possibly brew up, break camp and then have a breakfast maybe an hour or so down the trail.

Perky Jerky allows you to combine breakfast and the caffeine hit into one tasty (well I am assuming it is I’ve not had any yet, that would require money) snack.

This is how they describe it on the website:

“Perky Jerky is caffeinated beef jerky, made from 100% all natural beef, with an invigorating additive derived from Guarana, a natural energy booster with approximately twice the caffeine content of a coffee bean. The result? A beef jerky with outstanding flavor and a powerful jolt. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll be hooked.”

As we know caffeine can be addictive, so they probably are correct in saying that you’ll be hooked, they might as well of added crack to it for us caffeine addicts.

But this looks like another great example of a product that would be great for our hobby.

If you get any or have already tried it please let me know what you thought of it.

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Also until the 4th April you can get 10% off Look What We Found and Sharrow meals, for the full details of the offer go to the following post.

My GPS And Mobile Coverage

It was bought to my attention by a very good friend yesterday that although on this blog I have been doing a lot of coverage on using a mobile in the outdoors and the apps that can be run on them. What I haven’t been doing is promoting that people should not be relying on their mobile whatever the make as their sole method of navigation.

I don’t think I have ever advocated that people do use a mobile as their sole navigation aid. I wouldn’t. Then again I wouldn’t rely on a GPS as my sole navigation aid either (although out of necessity I have, before anyone points that fact out). I would use both to compliment a map and compass. But definitely not to replace them.

But this is the same argument that people have made in the past about the use of GPS in the outdoors. So it’s nothing new. And frankly the arguments are well known by both sides of the discussion, and are well worn out. Do we really need to carry this debate over to mobiles as well?

I would hope that I shouldn’t have to at the end of each post about a GPS or using your mobile in the outdoors also have to put some sort of warning or advice on their use, and advise taking a map and compass. And then advise that they also learn how to use a map and compass.

We’re mature adults on here, and I would like to think that readers of this blog are intelligent enough to know this already. Well I know you are. The sort of person that would go off and rely on a GPS or mobile only is the sort of person that wouldn’t know how to use a map and compass any way. They would also be the sort that we usually see walking up the mountain inappropriately dressed as well. Not the typical reader of this blog.

So I’m going to continue with my coverage of these subject areas as I have been, and pretend that you are mature readers who know what they are doing and capable of making your own decisions.

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Depending on if there are cars where we park I make the decision which way round we walk. If there are no cars like today we head straight to the ponds in hope of spotting the heron.

But as we got near to the ponds a body came round the corner from the direction of the ponds. Which meant there would be no chance of the heron hunting round the waters edge, because if it had been there it would of flown off, spooked by the person I was about to talk to.

Yes the dogs and I knew the person who had come from the ponds. We often exchange heron sightings when we bump into each other.

Coming up not too far behind me were a couple of women with three dogs. They were going to feed the ducks and swan. How do I know that? They always do. You get to know people and their dogs.

So I moved on with my pack, Barney is a bugger for wanting to eat the food that people bring to feed the birds.

Over the last couple of days the coots have reappeared on the large pond, along with a couple more moorhens on the smaller of the three ponds. While the tufty duck seems to have moved on.

While the two women where feeding the ducks I was hoping that the swan would be in a hurry and fly over to where they were, instead of gliding gracefully over. Luckily the ducks have no qualms about appearing so graceful. They get across the pond as quick as possible, whether that is swimming or flying. All they are interested in is getting the food. Something Barney and to be truthful I would agree with.

As the swan fed on the remains of the food on the bank of the pond, the women had caught up with me. So we walked and talked for the short part of the walk that we had in common.

After we parted our ways I bumped into a couple from Gro-Green Landscaping doing some work at the reserve. Being in a talkative mood I asked about the work that they were doing. Which lead on to a long conversation.

I found out about what looked like clearing some streams going in to a pond was in fact, an unblocking of the stream further back in the trees, so that the water drained into the ponds to keep them topped up. Apparently further back the stream had filled up and was flooding the land around, and thus the water was not getting in to the ponds. Not much of a problem now. But later in the year it sees the water levels of the pond drop after a few days of dry weather. Apparently while he had been digging out the stream there had been loads of frogs/toads around.

We also talked about the wildlife that the ‘reserve’ was home to. Considering that the ‘reserve’ had only been formed since 1986, and was still only days old compared to somewhere like Fleet Pond. The amount of wildlife that has made it home is incredible really.

From the conversation it was apparent that the couple had been looking after the ‘reserve’ for a few years. I asked if folks could fish there, because I had been asked that question myself in the past by fishermen at the gate where I park the car. The short answer was no. The ponds had not been stocked with fish by anyone. However the guy had seen fish in one of the ponds. He seemed to think that they had got there on the legs and under bodies of the swans and ducks from other water sources.

I now know which pond the fish were spotted in so I will be when it gets warmer keeping an eye out for them. I’d love to get photographic proof or even video of them.

Going back to the earlier point of about the variety of wildlife here. I have to say nature is amazing. What was a waste land created by man has been taken over and turned into an oasis. We see this all the time. Man creates a mess, rapes the land, and leaves it. Nature comes along and reclaims it for it’s own. Sometimes it may need a little hand to manage things so that it remains a home for a wider variety of wildlife. But that is just a tweak to the amazing work nature does.

So apart from enjoying the Spring sun, me being in a chatty mood has meant I have learnt a bit more about the ‘reserve’. Sometimes it pays to stop and talk to strangers.

Yeah I know some folks are bored of the swan and duck photos. But hey I like them they make great subjects. Well I’ll leave you with this photo of the sky reflected in the surface of one of the ponds. I like the way the surface breaks the reflection up and makes it more blurred and ‘arty’.

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If you have any comments or suggestions please leave them in the comments for this post below.

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As some of the more observant readers out there will of noticed that on some posts the photos appear much much larger than normal. Yesterdays post was a good example of that.

Well that post is an example of one that was written on my iPhone using the Wordpress v2.2 app. Those larger images only started appearing once the v2.2 came out. It appears this is the correct behaviour for the app. The old behaviour was a BUG! A bug that a few users of the app liked, as we prefer the smaller images in the post.

There is some hope they may sort this out so that we can chose the behaviour we want, but there are no details of if and when this will happen. I’m not holding my breathe as they have been promising another feature I’ve wanted in the app for bloody ages and there are no signs of it yet.

What is more worrying is a new bug they introduced in this version which was updating a saved local draft will lose any new content added to it when you save it. I experienced this twice yesterday while writing the post, and Steve Horner experienced this while on his hike of the West Highland Way last week. It was Steve that alerted me to this problem.

This bug really does make the app unusable for those who want to blog from the trail, or start a post and add to it through out the day (a bit like Paddy Dillion uses his Psion Series 3 to write guide notes while he is walking).

It’s a shame as this update has ruined a really good app. Until they fix these bugs in the next release I’m going to have to look at alternatives (preferably free) to this. And that is what I recommend others to do as well.

PS I’m sorry to those out there that don’t have iPhones or no interesting in knowing about the tech used behind this blog, these sort of posts must be really boring for you.

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Also until the 4th April you can get 10% off Look What We Found and Sharrow meals, for the full details of the offer go to the following post.

Well over the past two or three weeks I have been covering in a post or two the discussion and possible implementation of by-laws North of the border that will be used to ban wild camping from some areas. In that discussion others and myself have pointed out that there are already laws that would allow the authorities to deal with the problems they are experiencing. What isn’t happening is the enforcement of these existing laws. For whatever reason our law enforcement establishment doesn’t see this as a priority and does nothing to deal with it. Usually on the rare occasions when they send an officer out to investigate they turn up hours after the event, making sure they miss it, and thus don’t have any paper work to do, or deal with the problem. That may not be the real reason, and there may be very valid reasons, but that is the perception myself and many others have based on past experience.

See the relationship now between the opening story and the outdoors now? If these rules/laws were being used and enforced, and they were found to be lacking, in-effective whatever. Then yes I would say go ahead and start looking at alternative solutions to solving the problem. Amongst those alternatives new by-laws would be an option.

But when (and I have said this before) they aren’t putting in the resources to enforce the current laws what makes us think they will do this for any new laws they introduce? Making a ranger a special constable really means diddly squat, they have no powers of arrest (other than a citizens arrest), they would have to call in a “real” copper to do anything (that will of upset a few people making that comment). By making a ranger a special constable it’s just trying to fudge the man power argument of enforcing any new legislation, and making the job harder for the ranger. And it’s not the answer to the problem.

Let’s enforce what we have and see how that does before we rush in adding new laws.

UPDATE: Obviously I don’t check facts or research stuff before posting. So please read the comment from PhilT where I am corrected in what a special constable can do, like they can arrest some-one. I was confusing them with a community policeman it appears. Oops. Thanks PhilT for correcting me.

Back on the “Reserve”

Anyway I’m going to end on an even lower note with more photos from the “Reserve” as I am now calling Oakenshaw. You have the usual crowd in there. Some of the photos are from a couple of days back, and some are from this morning. The easiest way to tell is, is the pond frozen? If it is then they are from today.

There is a reason there is a picture of a nesting box amongst the pictures I present to you today. According to a fellow “photographer” (yes I know I’m not really, and he has proper cameras compared to my point and shoot one) who I bumped into Friday, this could be the nesting box used by an owl. So I will be trying to observe this box to determine if it is. That would be sooooo cool getting a photo of an owl. Also to see one in the wild as well. It would be awesome.

Finally before I hand over to the slide show movie, what do folks think of me presenting the pictures this way? Do you prefer it or would you prefer a return to the old way of embedding them into the post individually? As always let me know what you think in the comments for this post.

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Here using the magic of cut and paste once more I present in PHD’s own words what you can look forward to getting your hands on this time around:

“WHAT’LL BE ON OFFER?

* MINIMUS DOWN JACKETS AND VESTS. Our most popular products, either in ultralight M1 or with the extra protection of a waterproof, breathable Drishell. Colours: Grey & Sage. Jackets £116 & £129; vests £79 & £89.

* MINIM 300 DOWN SLEEPING BAGS – a product only available during the sale. With a Min Temp rating of 0C (32F) and a total weight of 590gm (21oz) this bag is a great choice for Mountain / Desert Marathons or ultralight backpacking. On sale for £139 (our ‘DYO’ price is £216). Also available in Drishell, at £160.

* MINIM 500 DOWN SLEEPING BAGS – also only available during the sale. With a total weight of 810gms (29oz) and a min temp rating of -10C (14F) this bag gives another ultralight option for anyone extending their camping into the milder parts of winter. On sale for £169 (our ‘DYO’ price is £271). Also available in Drishell, at £190.

* BALTORO DOWN SLEEPING BAGS – a special range of these high performance sleeping bags. The 800 for low peaks and high-level treks; and the 1000 for serious expeditions. All are 1/3rd off standard pricing.

* ZETA BELAY JACKET GORETEX – Andy Kirkpatrick says our Zeta Belay jacket is “perhaps the best belay jacket on the market”. During the sale it is available in GoreTex with a fully taped shell. All this at a £92 reduction off the normal price.

* YUKON DOWN JACKET – Developed for the Yukon Ultra Race this lightweight, box-wall, hooded down jacket with zipped handwarmer pockets is on sale in red GoreTex. £94 below full price.

* ARCTIC DOWN JACKET GORETEX – With the full waterproof and breathable qualities of GoreTex over the thick box-walled down inner, this jacket is capable of withstanding extremely cold and inhospitable conditions. On sale at just £299 (standard price £455).

* KHUMBU WATERPROOF JACKET & TROUSERS – Fully waterproof in highly breathable Tempest fabric. Jacket £128, trousers £76.

* TUNDRA FLEECE MITTS – Fleece-membrane mitts which shut out the wind. £13.50.

Preview the sale now:

http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/special-offers.php?cat=79

As with all our gear, these sale items are designed, cut, sewn and filled in the UK.”

So how much discount are PHD offering on all these goodies? Well according to the email it’s up to 35%, which implies some will be less than that. I’m not going to go and work out the discount on each item, despite popular opinion I do have a life.

You also have to remember this caveat as well from PHD (once again their words):

“Please note: you cannot use your customer discount on sale items BUT purchases of sale items DO count towards your qualifying balance (customers spending £185 or more qualify for a 10% discount for the year they qualify and the whole of the next year).”

But still the gear is good I have one of their sleeping bags I use during the Summer that I got from one of these sales a few years back now.

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Also until the 4th April you can get 10% off Look What We Found and Sharrow meals, for the full details of the offer go to the following post.

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Also until the 4th April you can get 10% off Look What We Found and Sharrow meals, for the full details of the offer go to the following post.

One of the criticisms about the Look What We Found meals from a backpackers point of view is that the portion sizes for our needs are on the small side. Lets face it we need the calories (well some less so than others).

Well there is a new brand from the same folks called Sharrow that you can get from the Jolly Gourmand Site (you can also get the Look What We Found meals from there as well). The Sharrow meals have been created by the Michelin star chef at the Sharrow Hotel in Cumbria.The portions are bigger than the Look What We Found range, the meals come in 500g pouches and the soups come in 400g pouches. So what about cost? The Sharrow meals are £5.99 and the soups are £2.99.

Exclusive Offer

The folks over at Tanfield Foods (they who make Look What We Found AND Sharrow Meals) have been kind enough to give a discount to the readers of the this blog. So if you want 10% off any of the meals and soups, yep that’s both Look What We Found and Sharrow ranges, pop on over to the Jolly Gourmand Site, and when you get to the check out and it gives you the chance to enter a promotional code enter ‘whitespider’ (case is important, and you don’t need the ”). This is a time limited offer, and basically runs for ONE month from today. So it ends on the 4th April 2010.

So I’ll repeat the details again 10% off all Look What We Found and Sharrow meals and soups for one month from today using the promotional code ‘whitespider’ on the Jolly Gourmand Site.

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Also until the 4th April you can get 10% off Look What We Found and Sharrow meals, for the full details of the offer go to the following post.