On our radar: German army combat boots

I’ve been through a fair few pairs of walking/work boots in the past few decades. There have been long shifts on my feet working as a chef in kitchens, as well as daily dog walks in the hills of the Pennines and Ceredigion.

I favoured Doc Martens in kitchens and Brashers for outdoor use. A few years ago, Brasher was bought out by another company (Black’s, I think) and the quality dropped. A pair of their boots that once lasted me over 5 years, now wear out in less than 5 months!

I decided to look into army surplus – I don’t need any fancy names or gimmicks – and boots for the armed forces are definitely made for walking!

In my search I came across a local company, Epic Militaria, who are based in Aberystwyth. They’re not a shop as such; they’re a mail-order company based in a nondescript warehouse on an industrial estate. However, they’re willing to have you come to visit via appointment – like I did, to try on the boots before I bought them.

The boots I chose are the ones above; German army combat boots. They’re extremely well-made and very comfortable; the integral tongue keeps your feet completely dry if you step into a deep bog or puddle. They’re surprisingly lightweight and, usefully, they’re available in half sizes.

Recently, when I’ve been out in my new boots, lots of people have commented on them and enquired as to where they were bought. I’ve recommended Epic Militaria to at least half a dozen people in the last few weeks… and I’m not on any kind of commission!

As well as a huge range of shoes & boots, Epic Militaria stock very affordable coats, trousers, bags, hats, socks and other accessories.

Our week that was: Apple picking, a play date and moon missions

We’re still playing catch-up here on the blog after another fun-filled week – time is whizzing by in a flash. It does, doesn’t it, as you get older?

Apple picking

One of my friends from the Women’s Institute has a garden with an orchard. She invited a couple of us over to pick some of the apples, as she’d never be able to make use of them all.

The apple trees are old, rare Welsh heritage varieties such as Baker’s Delicious and Cadwaladr.

As well as apples, there were a few, much less commonly found trees in the orchard… including these walnuts that were almost ready to harvest.

We spent less than an hour apple picking, after which I returned home with two large sacks, heavy with fruit, with not much of an idea of what I was going to make with them. A pie and an upside-down cake are most likely; I have so many apples, I can attempt things I’ve never done before; apple juice, apple jam, hard cider?

Play date for Barley

A few weeks ago, we encountered a lady out walking her dog near the Arch near Hafod. After a tentative 30 seconds or so, we were all really pleased to see that her dog, Tala, and Barley hit it off splendidly. They’re about the same size and possess the same energy levels. They got on so well, in fact, that we agreed to meet the following week in the same place for a doggie play date.

The afternoon of the play date was a welcome chink of lovely, warm sunny weather in an altogether damp and dreary week. Tala & Barley loved it; tearing through the woods, chasing each other for most of the hour-long circular walk. We hope it will become a regular occurrence.

For All Mankind

We’ve just binge-watched 3 series of For All Mankind. The series proffers an alternative world history that hinges on the ‘space race’ not ending with the USA landing on the moon in 1969. The series broaches many subjects such as male chauvinism, feminism, sexuality, politics, technology and conspiracy theories. And I’ve just found out – there’s going to be a series four at some point in the near future!

Our week that was: Walking, walking, cycling

It hasn’t been a terribly action-packed week – no events were hosted or attended. We had a short, sharp, torrential downpour after almost a month of drought – the garden is thankful!

We’ve been – as per usual – doing lots of walking, but we’ve also been gearing up (see what I did there?) for the cycling. That is to say, we’ve been watching it… not physically doing it!

Walking

This week, I stumbled across the official OS benchmark online archive. I was surprised to see how many of them there are to be found in a little Welsh village like the one where we live!

…benchmarks were fixed points which were used to calculate a height above the mean sea level. Benchmarks have been around for a long time, much longer than our trig pillars. While the first systematic network of levelling lines and associated benchmarks was initiated in 1840, some benchmarks in our archive date back to 1831.
There were over 500,000 benchmarks created, but this number is reducing as roads change and buildings are demolished. Ordnance Survey

Of course, I had to go out in search of them. Alas, I could only find one out of the supposed nine that I walked past! Perhaps mid-summer isn’t the best time to embark on my bench mark discovery quest. The roadsides and hedgerows are completely overgrown – I’ll try again after the winter dieback. Also, I fear that many old stone walls that the bench marks have been chiselled into have collapsed or have been demolished.

More walking

StepsApp is a new (to me) walking app that I’ve been trying out on my phone. Unlike Strava, I don’t have to remember to turn it on and off again. As long as I have my phone on my person, it tracks my movements all day, not just when I’m out on a walk or hike… and the app doesn’t even need to be open to work.

I’ve set myself a goal of 10k steps per day to keep me motivated to move. On a Monday morning, it alerts me to how well I did during the previous week.

Cycling

The Tour de France starts at the beginning of next month; 3 weeks of world-class cyclists vying for the most prestigious jerseys in the sport – the white, the green, the polka dot and the yellow (the Maillot Jaune).

We got into the spirit early by watching the newly-released series, Tour de France Unchained, available on Netflix. The 8 episodes give a brilliant fly-on-the-wall insight into the various teams and riders. The ups, the downs, the friendships, the rivalries, the wins and the losses. If you’re into cycling – this series is a must.

Price Points: Foraging pouches

Justin bought me a pair of knives and some secateurs for Christmas this year. The secateurs are special as they’re designed for left-handers. Trying them out for the first time, I didn’t realise how odd it has felt pruning in the garden all these years.

The knives are for when I’m out walking and using to collect wild berries, nuts and fungi. Rather than simply slinging the knives in my coat pocket, I’d like one of these attractive foraging pouches to keep them safe… and for storing my elderflowers, bilberries, chestnuts and wild mushrooms.

Bushcraft foraging pouch: £14.50, Etsy
Made from 12oz quality British waxed canvas and secured with a wooden hazel toggle and strong 550 USA cordage. Belt loop is 2.5″. This foraging pouch is perfect for adventures and everyday use. Size approx 7.5″ wide by 9.5″ long.
Leather & canvas foraging pouch, collapsible, water resistant: £28.98, Amazon
This handmade foraging bag is made of high-quality water-repellent canvas, vintage style leather, and solid hardware parts
TA foraging pouch: £49.99, TA Outdoors
The handmade belt carry pouch is made from high quality premium 3mm veg tanned leather which has been hand cut, dyed and polished. The khaki green pouch itself is made from 8oz washed and waxed cotton canvas. It features solid brass rivets and press stud and it is fitted with a nylon drawstring and dyed wood toggle.

shop foraging pouches

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

TA foraging pouch
£49.99

Leather & canvas foraging pouch, collapsible, water resistant
£28.98