Posts by JimRidesThis!

Quote from philipbarrett

I was a medium grade fan until I got to work with them on the Work Tour, a very impressive bunch of guys & an amazing live show. The wife has seen them many times, including the night before she gave birth to ur 2nd! She tells him that his love of music was due to his almost appearing at an REM concert.

I like a lot of their music, also the fact that they held their egos in check right through their career as a band. They never fell out over ‘musical differences’, shared the money equally and remained friends from to end. Or so the story goes.

By coincidence I was listening to their ‘Out of Time’ album on my bike trip yesterday 👍

… as well as Primal Scream’s ‘Give Out But Don’t Give Up’ and ‘Screamdelica’ 😁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😁

On the A6 north of Kendal. I think I was up to ‘Come Together’ (one of my favourites) about then. 😂

There’s a special space for sausage entries? (oo er) 😐

Snugpak Navigator Update:

I have now used the sleeping bag in camping manoeuvres. My initial thoughts informed by one nights use…

Pros: Thoughtfully constructed - no snagging zips; box-baffle construction, so no cold spots; warm enough for 3 season use.

Cons: It’s a bit bulkier and heavier than I would like.

Verdict: It’ll do until I find or make my perfect ‘bag or blanket. I’ll probably go with down for lightness and compressibility.

There does seem to be some talk of a larger displacement Himalayan. Whether that’s a larger single or based on the 650 twin I don’t know. Could be interesting 🧐

Says here non-members are welcome - https://www.campsites.co.uk/se…and-caravanning-club-site

Quote from LargeWayRound

Last day to get a picture on this thread ......

Classic! 😂

Bends, you can’t beat bends to lighten the mood 😁

Looking across the border 👍

Add me to the Master List please Craig. Something to look forward too!

Well, at last Wee Jimmie Krankie’s set out a plan. Flyfifer can book in for bouffant and hopefully Three Dawg’ll get some bookings in his holiday gaffs 👍

More importantly, I can now plan a camping trip somewhere up on the west coast 😁😁😁

Keeping with the Scottish bands theme, I'm back on to...

Primal Scream in their let's be Rolling Stones era.

Though this is back on my regular playlist too...

Good news about your insurance Three Dawg, that takes some of the financial pressure off 👍 and I totally agree on the efficacy of Boris’ words ... or any other politician north, south, east or west of the border for that matter.

I don’t think the plan to ease lockdown is particularly ‘cheery’, but it has given businesses and the public with some dates to tentatively plan around. Whether things go to plan, we’ll have to wait and see, but driving that stake in the ground is probably responsible for the increase in bookings in England. A colleague who has a rental property in Keswick is now booked solid until the end of June - every booking coming after the release of the ‘roadmap’ last Monday.

Sturgeon’s plans seem much less clear (have any been publicised?) and the general tone seems to be that visitors are not welcome. On the local news (SW Scotland & The Borders) it seems that the Holyrood power base is more focussed on another referendum and squashing any suggestions of complicity in the Alex Salmond affair. 😂

Quote from Three Dawg

I think this year is going to be a rerun of 2020. The south west of England is reporting good forward bookings, especially self catering, but we're seeing absolutely nothing in our sector up here at the moment. So brace yourselves for campervans clogging up the NC500 and yobs shitting in hedges and leaving their 'disposable' camping gear all over the shop.

Chin up Three Dawg. I think the problem is that while there's a well publicised outline of what will open when in England, but the information about Scotland is less clear.

My usual spring Scotland trip with the Sunderland Posse has been rebooked for October (keeping my fingers crossed for that one), so I've been organising a summer long weekend camping to keep us going. We're looking at the Peak District rather than north of the border because we have all the information about when campsites should be able to reopen. I guess we'll just have to see what happens.

Quote from Three Dawg

We've reinstated the weeks we blocked out. Doesn't look like foreign travel is going to be easy any time soon.

One big problem is how quickly they roll out the vaccine in less developed countries - how can accommodation be open when the disease could still be rife in the local population, even if we are protected by the vaccine.

From what I’ve read the thinking is, that until there’s a high level of vaccination world-wide, we’re all still vulnerable to new virus mutations that are vaccine resistant.

I’ve shelved my plans for a Scandinavian trip this year, my contact over there tells me that Norway has hardly started a vaccination programme yet and he doesn’t think they’ll be opening the borders for tourism any time soon.

What a great adventure! Looking forward to the rest ?

I’ve done quite a bit of research into quilts, but almost without exception they’re aimed at hammock users and have a tailored design. I’m after a square quilt and they seem to be much harder to come by.

As I said, I’ve been in touch with Snugpak (primarily because of their insulation material) and they seem to be interested, once they can return to normal business operations.

The other option is to make my own, which is an appealing idea (or should that be an appalling idea? ?). I have my old Vango bag for inner and outer material, the insulation is the sticking point at the moment. I wouldn’t mind using down for it’s packability, but I’d want to find responsibly harvested (i.e. not from China or Eastern Europe) hydrophobic down or possibly an old eiderdown bedspread to pillage ?.

My motocamping gear #6 | Snugpak Navigator sleeping bag

For a the last 10 years I've had a Vango Wilderness XL sleeping bag which, in most respects was a great bit of kit for me. I'm a fidgety sleeper, I really don't like mummy style bags and I also sleep hot so most of the time I don't bother zipping it up - a properly designed quilt would actually be of more use to me (more on that later). But, over years of use the Vango bag has lost its loft so, last year, I decided it was time to buy a new one. Enter the Navigator from Sungpak's Basecamp range!

As I haven't used it for camping yet, only indoors, bear that in mind for this review

Specs

Weight: 1750g,

Temperature ratings: comfort -2, extreme -7°C

Size: 220 x 80 cm

Compressed pack size: 28 x 24 cm

Construction: box baffle (not sewn-through)

Fill: Isofibre

My thoughts so far:

It's a well-constructed bag using decent materials throughout.

It's 500g lighter and less bulky than the Vango it replaces, and it's comfort rating is several degrees lower but it's also 20 cm narrower.

It's still bulkier than I'd like, but the extra warmth factor does that. I'm not backpacking, so it shouldn't be a real issue

Snugpak is a British company, but unlike Snugpak Softie range, the Basecamp range isn't made in Britain.

Finally, I can't wait to use it on a camping trip!

How about a quilt though? Well, I've been in touch with Snugpak to see if they could knock-up a custom quilt for me, using the Softie insulation which packs down smaller for it's given rating. Watch this space!

Quote from flyfifer

A pair of mini mole grips I really do get but I don't get the inclusion of other items, like for instance a wee file or screwdriver, which must be more practical even as small separate items.

I understand the concept of them all being in one place but I don't get the practicality.

Just my opinion of course.

I suspect my view is coloured by an apprenticeship where we made specific, separate, hand tools --- just so you knew how to make stuff, in case you needed to.

I still think £120 is a lot of cash for a no doubt sturdy device.

I’ve always thought the same (particularly with the over equipped Swiss Army knives) but I have used the screwdrivers on the Skeletool. They’re pretty good ?.

Mine doesn’t have a file, but I have one in my manicure set anyway ?

Quote from flyfifer

£120 , Jings Crivvens Help Ma Boab !

Excellent Sunday Post referencing there Flyfifer ???

They are expensive, but Leatherman are the kings of multi-tools. Very high quality piece of kit. You do get what you pay for, or in my case what my son paid for ?.

He bought me a Skeletool a few years ago, it usually lives in the car. I didn’t realise how expensive they were ? until I was scouting for a photo a few minutes ago. Not quite as expensive as Three Dawg’s Crunch, hmm ? that sounds like an alternative Country & Western band ?