BG! » Just for fun

Bandit at two o’clock

Posted by BG! on July 1st 2008 in Just for fun

Tags: Chinook

The afternoon peace was shattered by the distinctive sound of a Chinook circling above the village.

By comparison, the giant mutant bee in hot pursuit was the epitome of stealth, swooping down from the cloud-cover, closing in fast on its prey.

We'll probably never know the outcome of this encounter, but bearing in mind the track-record of the mechanical monster, my money's on the insect.

OK, one last time. These are small... but the ones out there are far away. Small... far away... ah forget it!

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Wassat? #2 – 3 for the price of one

Posted by BG! on June 28th 2008 in Just for fun, Making stuff, New tricks for an old dog, Shiny new kit

Tags: Alpkit

OK, time for me to fess up. Last time I was out on a wildie, I lost one of my standard-issue U-Dig-It folding trowels. Well, actually, it's not really lost, it's within 20 yards of the summit of Kentmere Pike, but I'm damned if I'm going back for it. Anyway, I considered buying a replacement, but had second thoughts. You see, I'd been tinkering with a prototype titanium version for a while, but never got around to finishing the job (no pun intended). Then I got to thinking about those times when I want to go lightweight and give the Jetboil PCS a rest. Mike Bell had kindly distributed free samples of his beer-can stoves (pic) during the OM Beddgelert Meet, and I was keen to try out mine. The only thing missing was a pot-stand and somewhere to stash it. So I came up with this idea. A digging tool, stable pot-stand and windshield all in one. And just for good measure, it fits neatly into my Alpkit Mytimug, leaving plenty of room for other stuff. It's been suggested that it could be used as a mouse-trap, but frankly I fear for the sanity of anyone who could conceive such an idea. This prototype's made from 1mm aluminium alloy, cut with secateurs, folded over the doorstep, neatened up with a Brummie screwdriver and curved by forming it around the drainpipe on the side of the house. OK, so it's rough-and-ready, but it works well enough to prove that the idea's worth following up. The next version will be in a decent grade of 0.5mm stainless steel and made with proper tools. I'm not sure if it's worth wasting good titanium on a final version, but time will tell. Anyway, here's the pics and stuff, sadly there are none of it in use with the beer-can stove, as it's been terminated (I stood on it by accident):