Photo: camp at Japanese Gardens

After one of the most intense days of paddling and sailing in swell against rebound against high cliffs the sheltered camp location we found was stunning.
The carefully arranged although natural setting of little ponds and low vegetation reminded me the look of Japanese gardens.


more images appear on my photo blog

Polished granite slabs make camping easy as nothing gets dirty while sitting down and dinner can be had without sand in it.
Sunset only came very late and was not fully dark when we finally retired for the night.
Sea kayaking at very high latitudes has its advantages even if sea temperatures are not as balmy as back in Queensland.

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Photo: candle lit tent

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First outing with the new "summer tent".
I need a roomy tent for tropical conditions, for when the nights are humid and hot, or for when it's raining. Small tents are a sauna in the Queensland heat and ventilation is critical.
While not super light (2.7Kg) and not very compact it still allows me enough elbow room for maybe a game of cards with a few buddies?
I got this one for a steal at REI...

VIDEO: Swedish Baltic coast

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It rained all day and the wind was blowing hard from the land as we paddled to a remote island to meet with Pia and Erik. All we had was a name for a location that was marked on our map, no other details.
We were not sure if our friends would show up: conditions were not that great for camping.
In the afternoon the rain eased and the clouds parted to reveal a colorful sunset. Shortly after our friends landed to then join us for a few days on our 4 weeks expedition along the Swedish Baltic coast.


 for a better viewing experience select HD, if you aren't using a mobile device

I love the outer islands of the Stockholm archipelago with their polished granite shores.
The sensual shapes are very inspiring luring me back to experience them again.
This summer (Northern hemisphere) I will be kayaking again in the rocky labyrinth, possibly crossing to Finland.

Contact me off-line at gnarlydognews(at)gmail.com if you want to catch up.

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GEAR: outstanding customer service at REI

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 As avid consumer of outdoor gear I have purchased enough stuff to fill a small house. OK, maybe not but I am getting pretty close.
It was not always kayaks; it used to be mountain bikes, backpacking and dirt motorcycles before that.
I haven't ridden seriously in years, backpacked much less lately but I still acquire light camping gear for my kayaking trips.
When I lived in USA the local REI shop employees thought that I was on their payroll, I was that often at their store. Eventually I took a job at REI, as Master Tech managing one of their bicycle departments. Half my wage would be "reinvested" directly into gear that the shop sold. I would not buy anywhere else as the warranty offered by REI was outstanding.

 I use my gear, some of it a lot. If a manufacturer offers lifetime warranty I have no reservation buying that item. I am confident that REI will honor a possible claim. Gear that I buy is not cheap, often the very best in that category and I believe in buying quality that lasts and offers the security of service when I need it. Cheap big box stores don’t appeal to me as I don’t like replacing failing items just because they are cheap while I have to deal with sub-standard equipment robbing me of my outdoor experience.

 REI sells excellent tents for hot climates under their own label, design and specification. Of course their tents are made in China, just like 99% of the most reputable brands are. I purchased two tents that were light, compact and sturdy, offering ease of pitching and good ventilation.



I used them on many trips and I never felt that they would not stand up to what the weather was throwing at me. They never failed, never broke a pole and never got wet in them. Solid, as I expected. Then one day the seam sealing tape of the fly of one tent started to deteriorate and peel off in chunks. The fabric became a bit sticky and the crumbling seam tape compromised the waterproofness.



I purchased that tent 5 years ago, online.
I was not sure if REI would really stand behind their promise of lifetime warranty since I often I hear manufacturers interpreting “lifetime” as lifetime of the tent. Nowhere is disclosed what that means and how many years that warranty is good for; it’s at the discretion of the manufacturer to establish that, of course after I have a problem with my item.
I contacted REI via email and told them of my problem. The next day (time zone difference) I received a reply that I should take my tent to my local REI store (they have over 130 stores, all in USA tho) or send it in for them to inspect.



When I lived in USA I returned a faulty item to REI and they replaced it there and then without any fuss. This time I was supposed to send my tent to USA; the postage via Australia Post would be worth half of the tent! (shipping from USA via USPS is substantially cheaper)
I asked if detailed images of the tent would be acceptable to REI for assessing my claim. They agreed and I supplied the images. Two days later I received an answer from the Technical Department confirming what I thought: the tent was found to be faulty in material and a refund was organized for me. They were kind enough to understand that sending the tent to them for assessment was not economically feasible and rectified the problem with a refund (they would not send me a new tent as it was purchased in USA and not originally shipped to Australia).
Now, that is what I call customer service!



It is in such a stark contrast with the service that I have received in a similar store here in Australia where the manager of the store belittled me, accusing me of causing the fault when a self inflating mattress delaminated and failed: he said I rolled it up too fast when deflating it (?). Needless to say his ignorance and arrogance ill served Kathmandu’s business and I no longer wish to shop there. After the manager shared his belligerent opinion with me he replaced the faulty mat anyway, so I did not understand his point/view of arguing with the customer anyway. Ego/power trip? Who knows…

REI has always met my expectations, often exceeded. Their gear is solid, maybe not the most trendy or desirable in the outdoor fashionista circles but nevertheless great value for money. And since it’s a co-operative all profits are shared back to its members in a yearly refund of approx. 10% (of purchase) , with a portion donated to environmental/community projects.

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Destination: Magic Island

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There is a place on the East Coast of Sweden, in the Baltic Sea, that I named “Magic Island”; I paddled to it on my recent Scandinavian sea kayak trip.
The seas were bumpy, created by the waves rebounding the rocky cliffs hitting the outer islands. I was paddling unprotected waters and the steady breeze from the preceding  days was sending a decent swell in my direction. My paddling companion Petra was a little concerned as her paddling experience was mostly limited to very different waters of land locked Austrian lakes; the last time she paddled salt water was in Pacific Ocean, Australia.
Rounding the South-East point still presented non land-able locations for a camp. The map showed a little cove but I was having a bit of trouble finding it; after all with 30.000 islands in the Stockholm archipelago alone I was now having doubts that I was in the right place… And suddenly there it was, as promised by my little map, a fantastic sheltered bay of polished granite.



The action of the glacier of the last Ice Age some 11.000 years ago managed to shape this very hard granite into smooth rocky waves. The location of this island away from the mainland prevented a lot of vegetation from taking hold and the winter storms have dwarfed and shaped the small trees. The presence of this windy place was palpable; I felt exposed and vulnerable here. The skies turned to dark clouds and storms could be seen approaching.



I climbed up a small rocky outcrop and could see lighting in the distance. The storm would be upon us soon and I made sure I secured our tent with extra guidelines anchored to the cracks in the granite. The wind came followed by a downpour and as we lay in the tent, I was glad that I was picky in selecting just the right tent site as small creeks ran down the smooth rocky slopes. We stayed dry and the tent proved to be solid. But as most summer thunderstorms this one did not last and eventually it passed leaving only a few puffy clouds around. The sun was getting lower and the magic hour was approaching (I borrow this term from my early inspirational photographer Galen Rowel. Galen describes the perfect time of the day to take photographs when the light is warm and the shadows long as magic hour). The rock was still wet but we wanted to see the sunset on the other side of the island, facing West.
We took a walk.





In Sweden, at such high latitudes, the sun sets later in the evening and the twilight lasts so much longer than at home in Australia; I did not have to rush to see the landscape in its best light but I could take my time to wonder around and pose to take it all in. Cold enough to wear a wind braking jacket I could feast with my eyes on the sensual soft shapes of granite waves sculpted by ice. A few birds were still trying to catch dinner before darkness fell and I kept on smiling, happy to be present in this magical place.






Video coming soon
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GEAR: the 10 NON essentials

I keep on coming across lists of the ten essentials; ten essential items that I should not leave home without.
Ten essentials to go backpacking, ten essentials to go skiing and of course ten essentials to go sea kayaking. I even heard of the ten essentials to survive a trip to Thailand's notorious clubbing scene :-)

Of course the ten essentials are a go-to list of items that we should not forget when going on a trip or outing, items that make our adventures safer or just simply more comfortable.
I often also see the opposite of this these lists where backpackers, riders or paddlers overload their packs and crafts with items that I really would not think of taking with me. Just because my kayak has an enormous amount of space inside the hatches I don't find the need to fill that void with "stuff"
Before I sea kayaked I did a lot of backpacking so maybe I have developed a tendency to streamline and go light, often leaving at the unnecessary things at home.
I find truth in the saying "less is more", where I feel that the less gear I take with me the more I get in touch with my surroundings.
There are items that I don't take with me when paddling; here is my list of 10 non essentials

1) I have written about light shelters before and I still think that a "walk-in" tent is really out of place when sea kayaking. It just weights so much and often is a bad choice on a windy beach where the sheer size of the structure makes for good "shaking and flapping". I prefer to go with something smaller.


2) A pillow; a full size house pillow. Nah, always found those thing suitable only for my bedroom. A small inflatable pillow does the job for me or even some clothing on top of my PFD will do at times.

3) Jeans. What's up with that? Jeans were originally designed for cowboys, to withstand the rough and toughness of mustering animals. They also work great for heavy labour and I condone their use in urban environments (however I don't wear jeans); but for sea kayaking? No, I don't mean just while paddling, (I have seen that too) but around camp. For me, only safari suit polyester pants are less comfortable while sitting on the ground.

4) Sitting on the ground, you ask? Who does that?
I do. Seriously guys: do I really need a reclining chair to camp away from home?
I rather enjoy being able to stretch my body on the ground on a simple light tarp or mat; it keeps me more connected to the place I am spending the night at.

5) Tables. Just like chairs I think that with tables I just want to replicate an environment that I want to escape from. I see no point to have my dining room in the stix. I want something different, something a bit more organic when I am away from home those few nights a year.



I do however pack a very light and compact butterfly table (the size of my kayak's bulkhead), if I know that I will be camping on a beach with sand and no grass. I dislike preparing my meal in the sand because inevitably it seems to end up in my food too. However, if I plan to go superlight, then a thin ground sheet will have to do and I will be extra careful in trying to keep that hot stove away from plastic.

6) A gas lanterns. Gas lanterns were the rage when there was very little alternative for illumination.
These days I prefer a super compact, less fragile, safer and much longer lasting LED camp light. They come in all sort of shapes and colors too.

7) A shower. Really, a shower? Yep, those big black plastic water bags, that I have seen people lay in the sun during the day planning to have a hot shower at night.

photo credit: grlfr
 All that stuff for a few days away from home? It's not like I am crossing the desert and I have been dusty for a week... when sea kayaking I tend to actually have a swim in a creek or the ocean if I feel the urge to clean myself. And if it's cold, I man-up enough for those few minutes of significant shrinkage :-)

8) iPod, iPhone, iPad or other electronic devices. Again, the beauty of going away from it all is to be away from it all. I see little point in distracting myself from where I actually am; silence is gold to me. Listening to and observing what's around me is way more soothing than the bobbing tunes that I listen to at home. I love being present in my new environment.
The only thing I take with me is the iPood

9) The mighty GPS, on an outing that I have done dozens of times before (I am yet to use a GPS anyway).  Maybe it's just me but I see no point "breadcrumbing" my trip, in details. Or even less know my top speed since speed, in a sea kayak, doesn't interest me.

10) Last but not least this little gem :-)

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New found love

We met in a carpark, a sunny day, I remember.
We hit if off immediately and I think it was love at first sight, at least for me.
For the next month we became inseparable and travelled on a road trip of the West Coast of USA.
It was a magical time, intense and unfortunately too brief.
Now I miss him...


select full screen, HD with headphones for best viewing experience

Rockit is just like the Foof, my first love; he is the legacy that my pooch left behind.
Extremely well trained and with great intuition Rockit backpacked with me in the Sierra (East side) to elevations just shy of 12000ft.
My preferred territory is above tree line where the vistas are only interrupted by high peaks.
There is a strange sense of vulnerability when sleeping in windswept high valleys; I had to keep a watchful eye on the weather or find myself camped for the night on exposed terrain with wind battering the flimsy fabric walls of the tent. Luckily the weather in the Sierras usually holds until late in the season as it did for me.
I huffed and puffed to reach the high valley under the load of a backpack with supplies for 3 nights: I am a "flatlander" these days and my legs see very little action. Rockit however seemed unaffected by his backpack and trotted ahead scouting the route.

It was after Labour Day and most of the crowd have dissipated. We did come across however a party of maybe 10 with about 7 dogs, all coming back from a camp up high. It is wonderful that the regulators in US have set aside remarkable areas where dogs are welcome, where owners of trusted canine friends can enjoy the outdoors, together.
I sat there, stunned by the beauty of this landscape and tried to absorb it all in, and "upload it" to my mental memory. It is in the high mountains that I feel the most serene, excited and peaceful at the same time.
Laying on my back I spent hours just watching the clouds rush push the peaks to then fizzle out into thin air. As evening approached they blushed, first a faint pink to full deep red as darkness approached. I slipped into my sleeping bag and Rockit borrowed my light down jacket. There was just a hint of frost in the morning.
Not extremely fond of the water Rockit would however leap onto boulders like a goat. He followed us without hesitation sharing the adventure that Edgar and myself wanted to experience.
Rockit added his curious and playful spirit to our mountain trek to then keep guard at night: we were in bear country and he could alert us of unwanted visitors.
There is special bond between myself and Australian Sheppards; a breed of exceptional intuition. Owners of these dogs know what I am talking about.

I chocked back a couple of tears as we parted at Los Angeles international airport; Edgard pulling back into traffic, Rockit perched out of the window watching me disappearing into the stream of people.

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GEAR: light shelters

When I talk about outdoor activities I usually mean more than a few hours away from the comforts of home.
If I venture into areas not overrun with people and buildings chances are that it takes more than a day to get there and consequently I need to camp.
Camping brings an elevated sense of adventure to my outings.
While most outdoor pursuits might end at sundown (or way before) when I camp I extend my recreation.
Sleeping outside away from the mundane predictability and security of 4 walls is something that I cherished since very young.
Unfortunately my parents were not that keen on camping. Spending summer holidays in a caravan was not what I call camping either.
Good camping in my book is something that is usually found away from buildings, vehicles, fences and signs; a location that is not man made.
Reaching those places however involves walking, skiing or kayaking and therefore my gear selection is compact and light.
No other item symbolises camping more than a compact tent even though not always essential, in my outing (more on that later).
I love venturing to locations that are off the beaten track, literally.
My ideal campsite would be where there is no sign of previous human visitation.
That often involves remote locations that are regarded not "ideal" places to camp.
You will find me looking for a spot for the night on top of mountain ridges where my goal is having the endless view.
When I am kayaking I search for an elevated spot along the shore so I can spend the evening hours just taking in the distant scenery.
Those spots are often exposed and occasionally windy. Having a decent shelter is sometimes essential.

campsite below Mt Twynam, Mt Kosciusko National Park
My tents are always selected on two major factors: sturdy and light.
I dislike a tent that is going to keep me up at night if the wind picks up.
I want the peace of mind knowing that it will stand up in high winds.
Large tents usually don't offer that; they are just too big and act like a sail where the wind can easily push them to the ground or rip them apart.
Strong tents, if inexpensive, unfortunately are heavy.
After years of being a devoted user of Macpac tents for extreme conditions I finally found a better tent that is also lighter: Hilleberg.
Designed in Sweden, manufactured in Estonia a tent from Hilleberg will deliver better performance than any other tent I have owned (I lost count how many) and still be the lightest around.
The tent pictured below weights a mere 900gr.!

Being a modular system I can leave the inner part behind and use only the poles and fly. In conditions where bugs are not too thick it is the ultimate shelter for windy places. The complete tent weights just 1.9 Kg. (4 lbs 3 oz)!
Not being a freestanding tent it does not mean it can not be pitched on a slab of rock. I use a couple of little boulders to string out the ends.

Make no mistake: light is not always good, especially if cheap.
A badly designed tent will flap in the wind and occasionally let go. Cheap poles will snap leaving the occupant a bit panicky :-)

this little tent not coping well with the wind
My trips don't always take me to cold and windy places. I often camp in areas where my main concern is having a haven from biting insects or pouring rain in tropical conditions. On those trips I choose my 3 person tent that consists of a body made from mosquito mesh and a waterproof fly.
While it will stand up to decent winds it won't hold a candle to the Hilleberg in 80 Km/h winds.
In the REI Quarter Dome T3 I have enough space for 2 and plenty of wiggle room. There is no need for a small tent in tropical conditions; staying cool is more of a worry than staying warm.
I use a lightweight tarp over the tent to keep the rain out; it offers outstanding ventilation at the same time.

If the conditions are windy then the tent fly will keep me more comfortable.
At 2.2 Kg is one of the lightest summer tents that I can find that offers that much room, and substantially cheaper than the Hilleberg offerings.

REI Quarter Dome T3
When the buggy conditions are not present I select a tent that is just a bit more than a shaped tarp: the Black Diamond Megamid.

campsite at 11.000 ft in the High Sierra (USA) using Black Diamond Megalight
At 1.05 Kg this is probably the lightest shelter solution for 4 that can take the weather. If buggy conditions are predicted an inner mosquito net is available however it adds a fair bit of weight.
I have modified mine and added just a "skirt" of no-see-ums netting at the base and one entrance panel. While it doesn't have a floor (separate extra) it can still keep the bighties at bay and I added only 120 gr to my tepee.
When I plan to camp in areas of low wind and when bugs a re not a threat I simply use a siliconized nylon tarp.
Two of us have happily slept in heavy downpours under that tarp.

Nothing beats 365 gr for a tarp of generous dimensions (290cmx320cm).
On trips where weight counts (backpacking) the tarp can make a real difference on your shoulders.
I can configure that tarp to make it into a tepee as well and shelter myself from adverse elements (rain).
It does take a bit of ingenuity and a bit longer set up but a tarp is still my preferred shelter when conditions allow it (no bugs).

1Lt Nalgene bottle, the silnylon tarp and the REI Quarter Dome T3 tent
Last but not least is the "commando" shelter: none.
I have slept a few night outside despite having a tent in my pack.
Nothing beats that feeling of being very close to nature where literally there is nothing between you and the night, just your sleeping bag.

winter camping in the Australian Alps