Out in the woods

I've ordered a few new toys, a hatchet, folding saw, high carbon knife (perfect for flint striking) and a crook knife for carving. I couldn't wait 'til they arrived though so I met a buddy and went out into the woods to mess around with his kit since he has the same hatchet and saw. I've already tried out the saw on my Leatherman that I bought in the States in August, and I'm actually quite impressed with it. It handles small branches pretty well and much quicker than batoning, but trying out the Bahco I felled a small Birch no problem and did so pretty safely and cleanly. One of the most important things to remember with a short handled hatchet is that it's really easy to bury it into your leg, so you should always swing it while kneeling so you can be sure that it'll bury itself in the ground if you miss the chop. In this case I played it safe and used the saw for felling, but the hatchet was of course handy for taking off the branches and bark. It has a really nice weight to it and it feels really comfortable holding it close to the head, and using it for dexterous work like carving. It's also pretty interesting owning something with a makers mark. His hatchet was an MM (Mattias Matsson) but I wonder who will have crafted mine?




















He had just bought a new tarp and wanted to set it up, getting used to the pitch and all. To be honest I'm still getting used to the Akto, it's tricky getting a really tight pitch, but I can't argue with the quality! I remarked that although I'm a little paranoid about sharp sticks when I'm picking a site, it's more about how much money I invested in the tent than that I don't trust it to cope. I'm sure it'd pass the test, just don't want to test it!















He had also just purchased a new Frost River canvas pack so he kindly donated me his old vintage pack. It might not be so light at a whisker under a kilo, but it looks the part and it certainly encourages you to carry less with it's compact size. Perfect for bushcrafting!

Over hill, and under Hilleberg

I was lucky enough to celebrate Midsummer in a cabin south of Stockholm and saw it as a fantastic opporunity to try out the as yet untested Akto, albeit in the garden. I had a wonderful nights sleep out, and even though it was a little chilly outside, the inside of the tent was very cosy in my Cumulus Quantum 200 bag. I kept all of the vents open, at both ends, as well as the wired door vent, and a touch of rain overnight didn't creep into the tent. The ventilation ensured though that I didn't have condensation issues which can prove problematic in any small tent.

In all I'm very happy with it, and as you can see there is enough room inside for two to sit up comfortably, (though not to sleep in, I should point out!) In green the tent is also somewhat stealthy and blends into it's surroundings quite nicely. This is a plus as I intend to use it on weekend walks around the city where clandestine pitches may be the order of the day (one has the right to camp in Sweden on private land, though not in the vicinity of houses. However if no-one can see me, I aint there!)

Hilleberg Akto

At the risk of sounding incredulous, I shall be going out to buy a Hilleberg Akto this weekend. Admittedly it's not the lightest, nor is it the cheapest, but I can honestly say that I've never read a bad review. Condensation issues sure, but that's to be expected with any double-skin tent, and proper ventilation should overcome the worst of this. (As an aside the person who informed me of these condensation issues, suggested that it was necessary to use a bivy bag inside the tent to stay dry. I had to point out that the sleeping bag would probably get wetter inside a bivy bag than from a little bit of moisture on the inside of a tent, a tent tending to breathe far more than even the highest quality bivy). It weighs in at 1500g, which will make it difficult to follow Fjäderlätt Jörgen's 3 for 3 method, but not impossible. If I have to invest in one specific thing for comfort, I'll make it the tent.
As my previous post is testament to, I was all set on an MLD order, however considering the fact that all MLD orders are taking 5-8 weeks to shipping, with at least another 4 weeks for that, that gives me perhaps a 3 month timescale for a new tent. I don't know how patient you are at waiting for your hard earned gear, but patience is not something I'm known for. I had looked at a TNLC, as many friends of mine swear by, but I'm not convinced of it's durability or survivability, year after year, and it's not worth the price demanded in Sweden. If I'm going to be paying 4000 SEK for a tent, well... it's said that a Hillberg is for life, not just for Christmas! Who to order from? KG Jonsson Sport & Outdoor are as a good a choice as any. I attended a job interview there back in February, and the guys working there not only know there stuff, but are great guys too, and right now they're offering a 500 SEK voucher with the purchase of any tent this summer. Actually, Hilleberg seem to be pretty strict on their wholesale pricing - there doesn't seem to be a tangible amount of money saved by purchasing online and the beauty of buying in store? Instant gratification!