damn fine coffee

I've noticed over the last week or so that there has been a few posts about coffee.

There's the flash funky espresso maker that litehiker found. At nearly 500g and at €99 way too heavy and expensive for my taste. I've watched the video clip several times now and am amazed that all you need to do is wave the end at a cup and the coffee appears.

Then there's java juice that Darren has been sampling. Despite the fact that the product is liquid I'd probably give a couple of sachets pack space on a weekend trip. Some hard nosed weight saving fanatics might balk at the idea; then again they'd most likely be instant coffee drinkers (enough said.)

I own a GSI mini espresso maker that I use on car camping trips. It's surprisingly quick and effective but you only get a wee amount of coffee for your trouble.

For all other trips I pack the MSR Mug Mate. It fits awkwardly in my Snow Peak 600 mug which is too wide for it to bridge across - I'm sure that there's a modification to be made here - but I get that mug of damn fine coffee in the morning. I don't bother with the lid/base thing so I get to save a few grams too.

continental divide home sick blues

Friends and family,

I am well and good but unfortunately unable to give you a proper update due to limited time (in the damn library!) I should have more time at next town.

Quickly though have just completed 250 miles without a town nor rest
day... ouch. Have done over a 1000 miles! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

Get ready for the stories...
'Escape from Bear (Scat) Valley!'
'The never ending bull field.'
Plus other things I'm sure in the next 85 miles. Also looking forward to crossing a small semi desert region called the 'great divide basin.' Rattlers and scorpions Watch out!

I've away two months now and I'm missing some things like mad;
family and friends, Indian food, Guinness, English bird song, pg tips, roast dinners, English humour, and more.

Don't take these things for granted!

Regards,
Andy

geocaching

Something I some times dabble with.

I got a Geko 201 for Christmas a couple of years ago and not long after I read an article in one of the broadsheets where they posted the geocaching.com web site. Initially I started looking for caches to learn how to use the device but it soon developed into a way of keeping my son entertained.  We'd spend sunny afternoons trekking back and forward over bits of west London parkland hunting carefully hidden Tupperware treasure troves. And having a GPS with me gave an accurate tally of the number of miles we were walking in our searches.

If you have kids, a GPS, and find that throwing a Frisbee along a footpath has lost it's edge in getting them walking then try and see if you can get them out caching.

swimhiking

Ultralight waterproof gear has a new use...

Already tackled by Nick Crane in Two Degrees West and possibly by many slavishly following their sat nav's - swimhiking makes a splash on the BBC web site.