Author Archives: Alex

About Alex

Eat - Travel - Collect, why be-cause! Eat - it is not just essential Travel - it is the university of life, Collect - what is important for you.

I / we walked the line – cross country skiing

2 Replies

Cross country skiing in Scheidegg / Hagspiel, the Allgäu region:
This weekend we rented cross country skies and did something totally irresponsible. We just took the stuff and went to a cross country run, no instruction, no certificate, we just went. And we came back safe. Yes it´s possible.

The activity itself is probably for people 50++ but it´s great fun. Some pro´s on the run/tack have their skies and there equipment and cloth since decades so be aware to se lots or unique retro pieces.

The if you do not start skating and only go traditionally the activity is quite easy. I would rate it between walking and running. The only danger is when you go downhill and the race/track is suddenly gone. The feeling trying to get some grip or control over these small skis is comparable to Bambi´s fist steps after birth.

Overall very relaxing, no ski lifts, no traffic jam and the driving time is only 20 minutes. Away from the lake and a bit up in the backcountry.

Peggy for president – a full box of x-mas gifts

5 Replies

Peggy for president. We left Germany for Morocco right on the 25th of December and missed one of Maria´s sisters. When we came bag a full box of all homemade presents were waiting for us. We were overwhelmed by the effort to create – craft – cook – prepare – distill all this stuff.

Just to name a view of the presents:
– bottle of apple and cinnamon liqueur
– bottle of “schlehen” liqueur
– bottle of quince liqueur
– bottle of quince essence
– bottle of chilly oil
– jar of chocolate and plum jam
– jar of quince jam
– jar of apple, plum and cinnamon jam
– jar of tomato and peach chutney
– selfmade muslibars
– selfmade nudels
– a bunch of various pralines
– a bag of dried fruits and chocolized
– a bag of dried lavender with a cute lady beetle
…

Thanks a lot for all of it. We appreciate the time you spent in your kitchen and try to payback soon.

Ray Mears Bushcraft – Choosing and Using an Axe

Gränsfors Bruks – Wildlife Hatchet

1 Reply

Gränsfors Bruks – Wildlife Hatchet:
It was time to give my buddy a bit of care. So it got a treatment on the wet stone. Now its close to razor-sharp again. Sorry I would have made the tomato test, like with kitchen knifes but no tomatoes available.

How to start this story about the ultimate outdoor companion?
Ok about 10 years ago I got a hint from a good friend about this company and their axes. A research in the net showed me some addresses and I decided to buy it at Lauche & Maas because they are a real down to earth outdoor company. A call there and the guy on the phone told me they are out of stock because it is winter. What ? He explained to me that the blacksmith hammer at Gränsfors is driven by water and in winter there river is frozen up in Sweden, so no axe. This really fixed me to get hold of one of their axes.

Every axe/hatchet has got the smith mark on the head and comes with a lifetime guarantee (MM for this one). My one, the wildlife hatchet has got a tough grain leather sheath and a hickory handle. It is about 26 cm long in total and weights about 700g. The size and the weight is just perfect. While weekend Rambos with their Bowie knifes are getting blisters by carving their marshmallow sticks, you have already cut town a tree with this hatchet. A serious tool, and probably the biggest danger on our trips when late at night and after some red wine someone goes away from the campfire to chop more wood.

Ah and not to forget, due to it sharpness it is great as a rough tool for shaping wood before you use chiseling tools and start carving.

Just found a guy who filmed his visit at Gränsfors Bruks.

Somebody That I Used to Know – Walk off the Earth

2 Replies

Guitar sharing in perfection. I think I might perfectly fulfill the job of the bearded guy.

DamnYak´s awesome pouch

4 Replies

Damn Yak Dry Goods Wool & Canvas Possibles Pouch:
A while ago Chris from DamnYak featured his handcrafted pouch. A conversation went back an forth, be-cause I thought the shipping fees would be much to high to get this item to Germany. However Chris calculated and I could not say no. The final price of around 30 Euros incl. shipping was by far not too much.

This post is actually waiting for too long, so its images were not shoot in good light conditions and I have to get used to the new camera. But I had the need to finally say thank you Chris. Ok when I got it, it took me a while to actually figure out the best use for it. And “TaTa” it will serve as my new and bigger “grab and you got everything you need pouch” when I´m going outdoors. The basic stuff and some extra stuff which are easily forgotten if you have them not bundled well together.

From the top left:
– Compass
– Earplugs (a must, against snoring guys in the mountain huts”)
– a nose flute (always fun to let people figure out how to play it)
– tape
– matches
– tooth silk (freaks me out to have some jerky between the teeth)
– energy snack
– spare laces for the boots
– Petzl LED light (you never can have enough of them)
– sugar, salt and pepper (tomatoes taste just so much better if you bring it with you)
– mouth drum
– film box, to store the salt and pepper stuff
– fishing line and hooks
– Leatherman tool
– a stainless flask with brandy for the campfire or the cheer someone
– Compeed blister pflaster (never needed it so far, with good boots)
– a candle
– wire to fix heavy duty equipment or to build traps
– tissues ? what for … hmm
– rescue blanket
– fritz the monster – my buddy !
– tobacco and papers (I usually don´t smoke but after a long hike, I have to)
– Sun-blocker
– Fire-starters

Everything fits in the pouch – nearly. The Petzl and the flask/Flachmann are better kept closer. This is just the raw version for the first trip with a more spacious bag, I guess some stuff will be removed and others will move in. Again thanks, the pouch could´t be more stylish for this use.

Lou Lawton – Knick Knack Patty Wack

Italian Sailor knife – Simav Napoli

3 Replies

Italian navy/sailor pocket knife by Simav – Napoli:
At a small antique shop in marrakech i found this great old sailor pocket knife. A copy of the famous WWI and WWII british navy/army knife made by Simav – Napoli around 1940. A small blade, a massive Marlinspike, a tin opener and a screwdriver all you need onboard. After a bit of a polish, some balistol oil and sharpening of the blade, it is ready to use.

Uschi Obermaier drawing

Morocco – Casablanca, Fez and Marrakech

1 Reply

Morocco – Casablanca, Fez and Marrakech:
Right after christmas we went to Morocco, on the way there we were hosted by good friends in Madrid for one night and on the 26th of december we arrived in Casablanca. Traveling via train to Fez we soon were astonished how green actually Morocco is (winter ?). Fez is probably the most breathtaking market I have seen so far, just try to get lost and leave the main alleys and you feel like you are in the middle age. Unfortunately on this trip my camera got stolen and only the images on the backup camera are available (operated by Maria, thanks!). But I hope the images get you a bit of a feeling how oriental Morocco still is. The food was great, the people really friendly and helpful and at some places you really think time stood still for a couple of hundred years. Sure at tourist hotspots you will witness all the comfort and uncomfort created by, be-cause and for them. But we will come back to go in the desert region and have a more detailed look in the atlas mountains.