This is from the latest promo email from 7dayshop. It's been suggested that I order one of the Wahing Mitts just to see/hear what I get:
Archive for the 'Bargains' Category
A quick & dirty gear round-up
There's not much here for the technical-gear addicts, but we did try out a few bits of bargain kit to see how they fared during our week in the LDNP.
Fleece jacket: It's a Quechua Men's Hiking Warm Fleece Jacket SH500 X-Warm from Decathlon. I picked up a petrol blue / carbon grey and a black / carbon grey in the sale early last year. Each has waterproof bits, venting bits, breathable bits, stretchy bits, simple yet effective cuffs, a good pocket arrangement and a good zip-into-collar hood. Bargains at less than £30 a pop, with free Click & Collect at the local Asda thrown in.
Trousers: MOD-issue MTP PCS, I have a selection of sizes (mainly 80-96-112) in either temperate or warm fabrics to suit most conditions. Superb pocket arrangement, lightweight, quick-drying, fairly windproof, and tough as old boots. Prices and availability variable.
Baselayer: Good old Aldi merino long-sleeved tops. Always a bargain. I don't need to spend a fortune on anything more technical.
Headgear: In the fine weather there was no real need for tech-hats, but in order to keep the consultants happy I kept the UV off my sparsely-thatched bonce with super-cheap zandanas from eBay. They take about 20 minutes to wash and air-dry, and keeping a couple of spares in my pocket, along with a few face-coverings for pestilence-defence, is hardly a huge weight-penalty. I now have a fine selection of patterns to suit most occasions.
Footwear: I took the trusty Scarpa SLs but didn't wear them at all, opting for my Trezeta Incas. Had minor issues with them when they were new, the laces were stretching too much, replaced them with proper Scarpa laces and they've been fine ever since. Waterproof, grippy, and comfy. Nice to see that they're still using lasts nearly the same as Scarpa.
Headgear - jacket - trousers - boots - headgear - baselayer - trousers - boots
Pack: I used my trusty LA Alpine Attack 40 so no news there, but Chris was toting her new Forclaz Women’s trekking backpack 50+10L, another nice bit of kit from Decathlon. OK, so 50 litres is over-kill for a day-walk, but I'm not going to argue with her, she knows what she likes and she has to carry it so it's none of my business.
Comms: Not something that I use a lot on the hill, but when my previous handset died I opted for an outdoorsy waterproof replacement. I went for the Ulefone Armor X6 - it's MIL-STD 810G, IP68-rated and covered in all sorts of impact-resistant bits, so dropping it into water or onto rocks isn't too much of a worry. It's still passable as an everyday phone and it is way cheaper than any iThing.
Finally, there's Olga. Not sure if she qualifies as "kit" but she was a lock-down bargain and we wouldn't have enjoyed the holiday as much without her. She's built for comfort and for speed, and she has more in-built tech than I can shake a stick at, but I do wish that I could change the satnav's voice. I also wish that I could turn off the stupid alarm that tells me that the driver's door is open even when I'm sitting in the driver's seat right next to the door that I've left open on purpose.
One unnerving thing about her is that her warranty is longer than mine.
Why "Olga"? Well, here's a clue...
I couldn't bring myself to call it Bolg
Cheap no-brainer
These Socket Shelves cost 99p a pop at Screwfix, and even the most inept DIYer could install one in less than a minute.
Compare that to the time and money involved in having the moby repaired after it has been knocked off a perch or stood on.
Only nine more to install...
No comprende
I'm starting to believe that I'll never understand Tesco's pricing strategy:
Suffice to say that we bought the six-packs.
Hang on, let me see that map again
Looks like Mr. Virgo's O-Level Geography classes were wasted on me:
Ah… no problem, monkey-socks
As this is the 1000th post, I thought a few random recent pics would be appropriate.
I like random. Specific can be a tad boring.
After nearly 40 years of not making pies, it seems that I still have the knack.
This critter often visits but rarely stops. I think it's a Sparrowhawk, what say you?
Icicles on the observatory.
Soft-shell jacket in for review, courtesy of Berghaus.
Nearly-new used bargain: EQ3-2 mount complete with polar-scope and dual-axis tracking motor kit.
New price ~£300, acquired for a shade over £50.
