Scarpa Boot Cleaning!

After an odd couple of years which you may have noticed I’ve not managed to blog as much as I should, not just Covid but other personal issues, health etc I’m doing a quick blog just to try and get back into the swing of things.   

It’s been a long time since I’ve written about walking kit, or gear as some like to call it, so I thought a nice simple but none the less essential bit of advice of how I do things, doesn’t mean to say it’s the right way but after over 3 decades I’ve picked up a few things along the way. 

Boots! Or more accurately, our (me and the missus have the same boot make/model) Scarpa Terra GTX boots.  In previous blogs I’ve explained that I’m not a kit guru, I find a bit of walking kit and if it work’s I stick with it.  For crying out loud my base layer, a bog-standard Lowe Alpine short sleeve I‘ve had since 1995 and still use it when out and about.  I used to use Karrimor KSB boot for most of the 90’s but when the old boots gave up the ghost, I found the replacement update didn’t suit my feet, not because they’re a bad make, just didn’t suit me.  I tried a pair of Meindl’s which were a nice boot, but again didn’t suit my feet so after a few miles tried a pair of Scarpa’s after the missus had chosen a pair when I got the Meindl’s.   

I know exactly what I like about them, the leather is soft but durable.  They’re light and fit around my feet perfectly.  They’re made from a really soft leather; I’ve heard it called Buck leather or something but it is still hard wearing.  The only thing is they do need to be taken care of to get the maximum wear from them.  So, with that in mind for anyone out there I would like to pass on how I take care of ‘our’ boots, I say ‘our’ as the missus doesn’t even know where I keep the cleaning kit.

 

The first thing I do takes place on the last walk we do before cleaning, I find a stream or long wet grass and clean any dirt off.  Get home and the day after, or ASAP, take the laces out and get them over the sink and using an old plastic bristled pan scrubber I clean off any excess dirt.  I DON’T scrub them within an inch of their lives, the bristles are just useful for getting in the knucks and crannies.  Then while the boots are still damp, I squirt a grape size blob of NikWax leather cleaner onto a soft bristled boot brush.  Massage the cleaner with the brush all over the boot, into the tongue area and the stitching.  I then let the cleaner dry on the boot before putting the laces back in.  At this point some of the cleaner will have collected in the lace loops which the plastic part of the lace will push out, I just rub the little chunk into the leather. 

It isn’t a kick in the arse off the instructions on the NikWax tube but it works well for us, and unless you spend your next route trapsing through cow fields and farm yards, that clean should last about 4 or 5 walks without having to clean again.   

I have walking buddies who never clean their boots and I just don’t get it, they are replacing the boots every 3 to 4 years and complain after a year when the water starts to seep in!? 

Guys I’m not sponsored by these manufacturer’s and don’t sell for them, it’s just my opinion! 

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Lowland Leader Course!

As I storm into retirement, I have slightly more spare time on my hands, well, after I’ve finished all the housework and hack away at the never-ending list of jobs given to me by the other half and my mother in law.

I decided to book myself onto a Lowland Leader Course which are conveniently ran by one of my old mates.  I had to join the Mountain Training Association first to get on the course and register onto the website and commence a Digital Log Book (DLOG).  My mate told me to get a few quality Lowland walks onto the log to put me in good stead for the course.  This wasn’t too difficult as I have numerous walks under my belt so it was just a case of filling in all the drop-down boxes on the DLOG and adding a brief description of the walk.

The course, if I’m successful, would allow me to take small groups out in Lowland areas for walks and also allows me to take out bronze award Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) candidates.

I turned up on the first day of the two-day course early Saturday morning at a local (ish) cricket club.  The instructor was there to greet me and it was great to catch up with my old friend.  There were only 3 (including me) candidates for the course, but this is better for us and it means the instructor can focus more individually.

The first half of the first day was taken up by kit, weather, walking group dynamics and checking the candidate’s navigation knowledge.  This is a very full couple of days as you could imagine so bait was eaten at the table to get everything covered,  which to be fair is fine by me as I’m not one for standing around gossiping, which I find is the norm in one hour’s meal breaks on these sort of things.

Then it was out into the area with a pretty good route to navigate.  The route was broken down into sections which we took turns in leading.  We used 1:25 for this section of the course and we had some pretty tricky routes to lead.  The afternoon went very quick and we returned back to the base in dusk, mentally knackered.  A couple of glasses of wine were needed back at home and an early night.

The next day we met at Hutton Rudby in North Yorkshire for day 2, the weather Gods were our friends today as rain had been forecast but we were met with broken cloud and sun.

Today was a full day of navigation, risk assessing, first aid scenarios, timed pacing and step counting.  We were using a 1:50 map for this day and route, I don’t like 1:50’s!  The first half of the day was using the ‘5 D’s’.  Distance, Direction, Duration, Description and Dangers.  The instructor showed us individually the section of the route he wanted us to lead.  We then had to study and give a full brief of the 5 D’s we expected to encounter.  Stopping mid walk if we wanted to change anything we had predicted.  Mentally draining, plus we had to described features, wildlife and any other points of interest as if we were out with a group, to make it more interesting.

The second half was ‘blind leading’.  This is where the instructor gives you a section of the walk in private, not telling the others in the group.  Making the rest of the candidates navigate (which they should be doing anywhere to be honest) and show the instructor at the end of the section where they believed they were.  Throw in first aid scenario’s again, ending the day in dusk and individual briefings in the pub.

A great couple of days with top lads and a good few laughs.

Next, assessment day in April!

Daysack Upgrade!

What are we calling it, Daysack, Daypack or Rucksack?!

I think mainly ex military call them Daysacks as we used to use ‘Daysacks’ for range days or carrying a small amount of kit for day exercises etc.  The serious stuff went in our Bergans when we were out for days at a time.

But for my days out in the hills I have been using my trusty North Face 30 litre Daysack.  I’ve had this for at least 8 years now and it was starting to get a bit tired.  When I say tired, I mean bloody exhausted!  It has the old fashioned stretchy mesh compartments on each side, which I used to store my Sig bottles.  But over the years the mesh has become a bit ‘saggy’ and for the last couple of years my bottles have started to fall out when crossing stiles and when taking the Daysack off for whatever reason.  Which usually resulted in me decorating whatever landscape I was in with a deep colour of blue with my language.

Also I was finding the amount of kit I have been carrying has been increasing, especially in the winter, and my old 30 litre was starting to burst at the seams.  I prefer to have a bit of spare space rather than buckle straps at their maximum.  Plus, and I’m gonna get some stick for this, my pet hate out and about, is kit strapped to the outside of a Daysack.  You see them out there, hikers who set of with way too much clothing on and decide to strip off halfway up a fell, but instead of storing it away, they strap it to the outside resulting in bits of kit flapping about in the wind.  I understand hikers who are out for days on end having kit strapped to the outside, like roll mats etc.  I’ve even seen hikers with what appears to be a nearly empty Daysack, still with kit strapped to the outside!

Anyway, rant over, I’ve gone for the Osprey Kestrel 48!  My walking pal has been using an Osprey for some time and I have seen them in action.  He’s a DofE assessor and runs a troop of Explorers and gets the most out of his kit.  I’ve been saving specifically for a new Daysack and decided to take a trip to Go Outdoors in Stockton to have a look.  I saw the one I liked the look of, green of course.  I asked one of the blokes about the one I’d spotted and what’d ya know.  He fitted it for me, measured my back and altered all the straps, showed me how to pack it, the works,  I was waiting for a rub down and a Shiatsu, but apparently the service doesn’t include this!  Bless the bloke, didn’t have the heart to tell him I’ve been packing Daysacks for over 30 years, I let him have his moment.

This choice is no reflection on North Face kit, my old Daysack hasn’t gone to the great kit heaven in the sky, nope it’s been given a part time job as my course attendance bag.  Carrying much lighter kit like books, folders and pens!

G10 Watch, my favourite!

As promised, I would start having a look at certain bits of kit that I buy or come across in life.  I’m not endorsing the kit, I’m just saying why I have it, buy it or use it and have written about it.  If I blog about some bit of kit, I know there are other’s available which may be better, but I work (when possible) on a budget so what I write about may be of interest to my readers.

Christmas brought me something for which I’d been pining for ages, a Military Watch Company (MWC) G10 watch.  I had a good watch which had seen me well for a good 5 years and to be fair, there was nothing wrong with the Casio G-Shock, I had only one battery change in the 5 years, I guess that is average.  It sported so many features, those of which I didn’t use, I just wanted plain and reliable.

On Christmas day I unwrapped the packaging and my grin made me look like I’d slept with a coat hanger in my mouth.  I opened the slick silver metal box and there before me was a brand new G10 watch.  Immediately my mind went back to my first ever G10 watch that I was issued back in 1989 when I first started basic training for the Royal Engineers.

Now I know that the more avid military enthusiasts will immediately say, “The army didn’t get issued MWC watches, British squaddies, airmen and Seamen were issued Cabot Watch Company (CTW) pieces!”  This is true, however, for whatever reason my troop and I were issued MTC watches, and on issue the Cpl in the Quartermasters store brought our attention to this fact justifying the change saying, “They must be cutting back!?”  I was just chuffed to get a watch for nowt, well until I de-mobbed anyway.

They were all good watches but this one meant something more, it was bought by my loving wife and it brought back a few memories.  Even the strap was the same, Olive Drab webbing strap with no thrills.  A quality time piece which is used worldwide amongst military and law enforcement, anti-terrorist units plus marine companies and many more.

Click here for full details of this watch

It’s water resistant for 50m and ultra-reliable.  The strap lasts for ages and as long as you don’t want something all singing and dancing, it will with stand a nuclear blast, a bit like the AK 47 of watches for reliability but a Walther PK for coolness!

I don’t have to have a revisit to this blog for an update on this watch, as I know it will reach all expectations!