Vintage Mountain Club Logos

Adirondack Mountain Club

The Alpine Club of Canada

The American Alpine Club

Appalachian Mountain Club

The Colorado Mountain Club

Mountaineers

I have been attempting to round up some old mountain club logos and I thought it might be interesting to compare the current marks with their earlier incarnations. I love every one of these. If there are any more vintage club logos out there that should be included please let me know; this may well end up as part 1. I'd particularly love to get my hands on some European, Asian or Russian marks.

Camp Trails 1977 Gear List

Camp Trails Packing List

I came across this gem in the 1977 Explorers Ltd. Source Book. Camp Trails was founded in 1943 by Jack C. Abert, frustrated with the carrying systems of the day he went about designing a pack that was both light weight and comfortable. Camp Trails was born, and went from strength to strength expanding its offering beyond just packs. Although Camp Trails has been bought a few times the name still lives on.

“Maps Firepermit Fishing license Note Book Pencil Hunting License Identification - Medical allergies & restrictions Plastic Bowl Plastic of Sierra Cup Pot Tongs Table Spoon Waterproof Matches Sunglasses Lunch & Trail Snacks Quart Canteens (2) Cook Kit Backpackers Grill Stove (if needed) Food bags Extra bags GI Can openner Rubber bands Condiment Kit - Sugar, milk, coffee, tea, powdered juice, cooking oil, salt & pepper Toilet Kit - Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap (hotel size), paper towels, toilet paper Scouring Pad Flash Light - Spare bulb & batterys Airmatress and Repair Kit, or Foam Pad Tarp and Ground Cloth, or Tent, or Tube Tent 30ft. Nylon Cord Underwear & Socks bandanas (2) Wind Breaker Jacket Stocking Cap Rainwear First aid kit Sunburn Ointment Repellent Chapstick Whistle Matches in a Waterproof Case Candle 2 Dimes Needles & Thread Signal Mirror Safety Pins Water purification

Carried on Person Knife Compass Waterproof Matches”

— Explorers Ltd. Source Book, 1977

White Vinyl Design

Light Pillars by Luke Twyman

I just stumbled on this exquisite set of illustrations by Luke Twyman at White Vinyl Design.

Sun Dog by Luke Twyman

These are just magical. I love the isolation, the contrast between hard cold edges and the loose freehanded brushstrokes.

Glacial Milk by Luke Twyman

Fantastic stuff, Luke has some real talent and he's a smashing bloke too. You can see his whole portfolio here.

VHD Poster Pt. 5

VHD Poster#5 - Petzl Torch

Here we have it. The fifth and final VHD poster. Please feel free to share, pass on, pin, tweet whatever you think. As always I would love any feedback. This one was probably the most challenging. I am going to start getting these printed so watch this space.

Update: The posters have arrived and are available for purchase here

Tips from the Archive #006

John "Lofty" Wiseman - SAS Survival Guide, 1986 

This is from one of my all time favorite books, The SAS Survival Guide by John "Lofty" Wiseman. I got my hands  on a copy when I was about 10 and read it cover to cover many times. I even made my own SAS survival kit based on Lofty's instructions. This book is full of useful stuff. Wiseman is the real deal he served with the Regiment for 26 years. He was "Sergeant Major, B Squadron (Sabre Sqn) 22 SAS, Sergeant Major 22 SAS Training Wing, Head of Operational Research 22 SAS, set up the SP Team (Counter Hi-Jack), he set up the SAS Counter-Terrorist Team and trained the first members of the US Green Berets to return to the USA to form the famous Delta Force (US Special Forces)." Like I say - the real deal. It is still in print and is easy to find.

This is a great tip for dealing with wet matches.

Tip 006 – Drying a wet match.

“If your hair is dry and not greasy, roll a damp match in it. Static electricity will dry out the match.”

— John "Lofty" Wiseman - SAS Survival Guide, 1986

Buddy Burner

Buddy Burner

I haven't made a buddy burner in a long time. In-fact the last time I made one I didn't even realize it had a proper name. The principle is extremely simple, it is a paraffin wax fueled burner with a large cardboard wick. I used to make mine in an old Kiwi Shoe Polish tin but any small metal can will do. I recently picked up a copy of "Roughing It Easy" by Dian Thomas, which jogged my memory about these great burners. She has excellent instructions for making your own.

Roughing It Easy

Thomas suggests a tuna tin, her instructions are:

“Cut a long strip of corrugated cardboard (across the corrugation so that its holes show) into strips which are the same width as the height of the tuna can. Roll the cardboard and place it in the can, then pour melted wax over the cardboard. Heat the wax in a double boiler because if it is overheated, it will burst into flames. The cardboard in the buddy burner serves as a wick, and the wax serves as a candle to provide the heat for the stove. A small wick can be in the corrugated cardboard for fast and easy lighting. It is also helpful to turn the can on its side so that the flame can spread along the cardboard more easily. Filled with wax it will burn for 1½-2 hours. To lengthen the time of the buddy burners use, place a chunk of wax on top of the corrugation while it is burning.”

— Dian Thomas - Roughing It Easy, 1974

Thomas also constructs a stove from an upturned number-ten can; she places the burner inside it, punches smoke holes around the top edge and a door in the side to control the burner. The bottom of the can (now the upturned top) can then be used as a cooking surface. She also advises making a damper from the lid of the can attached to a coat hanger.

Buddy Burner

I made my stove as per her tuna tin instructions and used it with a Snow Peak titanium mug. The burner lit very easily and boiled 2 cups of water in about 15 minutes. I propped the mug on rocks and used aluminium foil as a wind shield. The burner worked well and it was cheap and easy to make. I have to admit it smelt odd and it sooted my cup to all hell, if I had the choice I would probably choose an alcohol or haxamine (ezbit) stove, but for a cheap, reliable alternative the buddy burner does fine.

If you come across "Roughing It Easy" pick it up. It's not too hard to come by and there is a lot of good stuff inside.

Tea Chronicles Pt.9 – Chris Yates

Chris Yates making the perfect bankside cup of tea

Chris Yates is one of the UK's most beloved anglers, he is a prolific writer, contributing to many fishing journals as well as publishing his own books. He is a major proponent of vintage gear and old fishing methods. His love for fishing, nature and the outdoors is infectious and his calm, level manner and slightly eccentric style have made him a real fishing character.

I always loved Chris the angler, but recently I found he was a tea lover as well, this puts him in the REAL hero category for me. Shown here is a little piece he did for gofishing.co.uk about how to make the best riverside tea. He favors the Kelly Kettle an item he's championed for years. In "A Passion for Angling" it gets called out by name multiple times. He also chooses a loose leaf Ceylon blend  from Miles.

If you have not seen "A Passion for Angling" you are really missing out. For me, there is no other fishing program that capture the magic of fishing so vividly. There is no pretension or machismo it is just about the pure love of angling.

Lt. Colonel Percival Harrison Fawcett

Lt. Colonel Percival Harrison Fawcett

I just started reading the excellent "Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon" a book by David Grann which follows the footsteps of Lt. Colonel Percival Harrison and his search for the fabled lost city. Fawcett was a distinguished British artillery officer, an accomplished archaeologist and possibly the greatest South American explorer of all time, another truly great adventurer with a truly great family motto. His disappearance in 1925 during an expedition to find "Z" is one of the true mysteries in exploration, inspiring countless others to trace his steps, many to their own demise.

“Nec Aspira Terrent. – “Difficulties be Damned” ”

— Fawcett Family Motto

World's Fair Knot

I have to say, they don't run contests like they used to. I just learnt about Dupont Corps' "Great Knot Search" contest. A panel of outdoor writers went through nearly 500 entries, looking for the best new, easy to tie, all-purpose fishing knot. They settled on Gary L. Martin of Lafayette, Indiana's design. Martin named the knot after the 1982 Knoxsville Worlds Fair where he unveiled and demonstrated it to the world for the first time.

How to tie a Worlds Fair Knot

Here's how its done. A clip from the always excellent Video Fishing Knots. I absolutely love this, I wonder if I've got enough pull to launch a "best new knot" contest. I doubt it.

Tips from the Archive #005

Tree Bark to Find North

A good tip from Berndt Berglund's "Wilderness Survival."  There are hundreds of ways of finding north but this is the first I'd heard of this method.

Tip 005 – Using a tree stump to find north.

“If you find a stump, it’s easy to tell north by looking at the annual growth rings. Annual rings are formed by living cells just inside the bark of a tree. These cells serve as a transportation system from the roots to all parts of the tree. To protect this delicate system, the tree protects the cells from the cooler northerly winds by growing a thicker layer of bark on north and north-east sides of the tree. These facts have been known by woodsmen in many parts of the world. A recent study by one of our leading universities proved this fact beyond doubt.”

— Berndt Burgland - Wilderness Survival, 1947

This book was intended as a guide to North America so I'm not sure this counts for the rest of the world, but it's still interesting.