Right at the end of your video I saw your boots are Asolo! We love Asolo boots. The first time we bought 2 pairs for a hiking trip in Ireland, wore them for the first time on the first day of the hike and neither of us had sores or sore feet. I personally cannot wear full leather boots except in the cold weather though.
I used to deliver Cement Bags as a young bloke in the late 60s, early 70s and hardly anyone had a fork lift truck, so it was one bag at a time. The bags then weighed a Hundred Weight or 112Lbs / 50.8Kgs. I'm a big Norse / Irish Viking and would carry one under each arm so that I finished my run quickly and could spend time in the pub or having a snooze. No wonder my back s now trashed. That canoe looks good! Well done.
Did the same to my back, only the goods were logs and firewood for a logging company in Tennessee. A chiro can do wonders if you find the right one. An acupuncturist can also work miracles.
As for the billy pot, you can use the steamer pot to put chocolate in... like a fondue for strawberries or marshmallows. They use this technique in a professional kitchen and its called a “Bain Marie” where water is used under chocolate to melt it without it splitting
I've broken more bail handles on more pots and when I saw the handle you made I started to do the same....smartest thing I've seen in a long time. Thanks
Cheers Andy - It was a bit of an epic build!! But good fun and the sense of achievement at the end outweighed all else! Plus it’s a beaut to paddle! You should check out Jason Eke here in the tube - an inspiration to me when I was researching and building mine! Cheers buddy! Simon.
great post Simon and some really interesting items on show each with it's own merits. You cannot beat a really good pair of boots, need not be expensive but need to be tough and dependable. When you reach the point that you forget you have them on but stll have dry feet you have cracked it! Love the Canoe, splendid. All Best.
Excellent choices Simon. My first would also my canoe. My solo boat is an old Wenonah Solitude. I also enjoy my hammock rig, my Spyderco Delicate 4, Karhu Multigrade Nordic skis, and my 25 year old Stanley vacuum bottle.
Thank you! Great choices there - love Wenonah canoes!! I’ve coveted them for years! Like you, I’m a big fan of my hammock for spring/summer camping. I didn’t even think about my flask!! I too have a Stanley flask, I’ve had it about 10 years and I use it every single day for work. It’s on its third cap, lost the cup and the handle is broken, but still keeps hot water hot for 12 hours minimum!! Great choices! Thanks for watching. Atb, Simon.
Thank you! It was really hard to narrow down the choices to five! Except for the canoe that is - that was always going to be number one! Cheers and Atb, Simon.
Thanks for the tag and shout out Simon! I like your choices mate...The zebra pot is absolutely a brilliant bit of kit...i use mine all the time in the kitchen at home and my wife has her 'Hands Off' instructions ! i have always coveted your canoe and must admit that if it were mine, i would spend more time on the river than in the mountains! The knife, a great choice and pretty much a given...the tarp, sweet!...the boots, i actually owned a pair of Leather Asolo's the same as yours...i loved those boots...but after twelve years climbing around these rocky crag's they finally gave out...i tried to replace them...but sadly they were discontinued...Thumbs up all around amigo...Look for my 5 favs vid next mid week...thanks again...be well...woods
Cheers Woods! Some kit is just built to last!! Shame about your boots - and a shame they stopped making them too - they were such a good boot and the replacement model doesn’t look as well made. Looking forward to seeing your choices mate! Thanks for taking part!! Atb, Simon.
HI Simon, Man, I thoroughly Enjoyed this video also. I like ALL your Top 5 Items you picked out. I sure do like your canoe🛶 It is gorgeous. Thanks for your input on this❕
Great vlog . amazing building your own canoe.and love your old boots .I liked your green with envy comment about Sweden and how you like Montana that's how I feel living more East Anglia direction,but you certainly make the most of your terrain !
I love the canoe Simon...a real labour of love and what a wonderful tool to have at your disposal. Your other selections were great also and I share your fondness for the DD 3 x 3 tarp. Paul :)
Cheers Paul! Yes, it was a labour of love!! But worth every second! I keep looking out for a lighter weight replacement for my tarp, but, I’ve yet to find anything I like better - they are good, well- made tarps! So, I think, until it’s no longer serviceable, I’ll keep it! Atb, Simon.
You are Dead on on Your Favorite Gear. As for that Beautiful canoe, and Myself working My whole life in boat yards n Marina's restoring wooden boats and an expert in glass work and gelcoat . I'd ask You to consider wrapping that Hull on the outside with 10 oz. Cloth n glassing it in.... It would give alot of Deapth to the Beautiful Cedar while Protecting it for Life against scuffs etc. West System resin which is an epoxy resin is amazing and was designed for experimental aircraft.. it is amazing on wood.. anyway, Damn I wish I was Close enough to take a canoe camping trip with ya Bro.. I bet We would have a blast.. I just turned 49 years young lol..
Thanks mate. It is sheathed both inside and out with woven fibreglass and yes, I used West systems epoxy with their 207 special hardener - I wouldn’t consider anything else except West systems. It’s had a few bumps and scrapes over the years and I’ve had to make a couple of repairs - but with this construction, it’s not hard to fix a crack or hole. 👍👍
Impressive about ,making your beautiful canoe, as well as the duration you've had those boots, good on Scarpa for making such high quality goods. Also a subscriber to Andy at Kent Survival!
Can't beat old school boots, I still have my pair of leather Brasher Gore-Tex lined boots from the 90s they've done the West Highland way Great Glenn way the Rob Roy way and the Speyside way along with many trips to the lakes, Wales the list goes on.
Love the canoe. Might see you on the Broads sometime? We are not far from Barton Broad. We haven't used our Perception Caroliner kayaks for sometime so we'll have to dig out the paddles again.
Cheers! Love the broads!! I also have an old (very old) perception mirage kayak - doesn’t get much use these days, as I always opt for my canoe. I’ll keep an eye out for you! (Well, your kayaks!!) Atb, Simon.
An awesome line up, Simon and most informative. Like many here, very envious of the canoe and can see you cherish it - patting it like a faithful dog! The ultimate personal transporter to those wilderness places least populated by and effected by human impact. A talented craftsman indeed to build it and marriage intact. Zebra billy can is a fave of mine - I tried your chicken roast and modified the handle clips using a coat hanger as the original plastic ones melted off (not sure why zebra even use plastic flammable clips lol). Old leather friends are great and I'm sure your will be wearing them in your 80's as indeed will LiveSimplyFilms: Mountain Mike be still wearing his. ATB Stephen.
Thanks Stephen! Yes, I do love that canoe! It was a close shave with regards my marriage though! The first thing I did when I got my Zebra was to take those plastic clips off - they are, as you say, a complete waste of time! If you get your Billy from Firebox stoves, they replace them with metal ones, not sure why Zebra don’t just supply them in the first place! I guess they were never designed for campfire cooking originally. How did your chook come out? Good old Mike obviously has good taste in boots too!! Cheers! Simon.
I think zebra think that people still use the cans for a lunch box to take to work maybe and not actually put them in a fire! The chicken roast worked well and experimented a few times... a bit burnt in places and since tried it on a bushbox xl using trangia stove - turning it regularly (used trangia due to non stop rain). Still ok and little burnt on the outside which is fine by me so long as cooked inside. Experimenting part of learning and fun! Stephen
Very well done Simon you have put the rest of us to shame. I’d forgotten about your canoe but fully agree it has to be No1 (I’m really envious). Yes I knew your knife would appear and you described it very well, however, what on earth is a Scandinavian grind??? Many thanks for participating but I didn’t expect you to outshine everybody else 😂. Well done Simon and as I’ve said before you are very talented. Cheers! PS I’ve got the very same boots and had them equally as long as you, they are as you say brilliant. ⛺️
Thanks Mike! Yes, the canoe had to come first!! A Scandinavian or Scandi grind just means the edge is ground to a flat bevel on both sides of the blade, no secondary bevel like some knives have. They are brilliant boots - I bought mine for a trip to the Jotunheimen mountains in Norway that I went on in 1990 whilst at school - happy days!!
Great job canue.I have the same,bought second hand,really appreciate the price I got it for,considering the time,it took 3 months to build.But making it yourself must be great satisfaction in that alone
Another nice and informative video. I mostly use a trangia burner or butane/propane canister and an attachment like the msr pocketrocket 2. If you don't object, I'm going to order you a couple of different hand chain saws for you to try out. You reminded me I mentioned them previously when you nominated a British guy in Sweden. The friend who suggested making a bow saw from the wire hand saws spent some time wild camping in Sweden 6 months ago.
Thanks Euan - that is very kind!! There is really no need - you were generous enough before to send me the egg holder to try out! I like the idea of the hand chain saw - if you let me know which one you recommend, I can order one. 👍 I too use a Trangia sometimes, great stoves, and nothing to break!! Cheers mate!
Cheers Azze! It is really difficult to narrow down the choice to just 5!! I’m sure it’s the same for you, but I have a LOT of gear that I have built up over many years to choose from!! I’d be interested to see what your 5 are - you have some very cool kit!
Also Simon have a look on Dailymotion. There is a fella on there who makes a pair of bail handle clips for a Zebra pot from a wire coat hanger. Ingenious and costs nothing.
Ah, thank you! I had a go at making some myself, they work (sort of haha!) but don’t clip back like the genuine ones, so you can still lift the lid with it suspended over a fire. I’ll take a look buddy, thank you!
Nice and practical...we would get on fairly well! Less is more when you have quality...although in the Southern U.S., tarp only shelters are tough with the copperheads etc..
Simon, a bloke in the woods...hello again, what is a good contact to message you? I have some questions and information that might help us both. Thanks and best of luck to you and your channel! Jeff
I feel real privileged tom own two of the five items you listed. I have the TBS boar, the BEST civilian knife I have ever owned, excellent for Bushcraft. I also own the DD Tarp and several other items from DD...Thanks for sharing your expertise, Simon.
I do like my Boar, although it has limitations, having such a thick blade! I chose the Stainless version over the carbon steel one - the blade is thicker. I like the DD products on the whole - I’ve had 3 of their hammocks over the years - all good. I wasn’t too impressed with their sleeping bag though, but that’s another story! 😁
Wow im considering to buy or build a canoe my self because i live in a area with more water the land becaus its far below sea level. Its nice to see that youre helping other youtube bushcrafters with getting more subs. 👍
Cheers! A canoe is a wonderful mode of transport - spending a day out on the rivers and canals is the perfect way to unwind and relax! 🛶 happy paddling! Simon,
Ahhh, a canoe would make sense in East Anglia. Love the Broads, in fact there's a fair bit in East Anglia to keep you busy but solitude is at a premium. Keep meaning to find a more undeveloped part of that coast to go on a serious forage/plant spot but life keeps getting in the way.
The Broads are lovely, especially out of season - winter time is my favourite for canoeing on the Broads. As for coastline, very little that isn’t used regularly, although there is the odd spot , again, better out of season! 😉
Very nice Simon, a good collection of kit. Mirrors my own pretty well except my canoe is a rather elderly Penobscot, my knife is an 8" Kukri and my boots are Trek Attacks. If I ask nicely would you make me a lovely canoe like yours? Pretty please with a cherry on top! 😊 All the best, Al
I have looked at the Zebra Billies in the past, but the price was a bit to much. After watching your video the other night, I did another search and bought a small one (1.4Ltr) and the next size up, (2 litre I think). They have plastic clips to hold the handle up. I'm not real keen on it, but I'll leave it as is for the moment and see how I go. I'm sure that I'll be going to a wire handle, but it is a once of thing, so I want to be sure (to be sure)!
Stainless steel comes in many different mixes. Basically there's 2 groups : FERRITIC STAINLESS, ( which as the name suggests contains ferrous material ie iron. AUSTENITIC STAINLESS, Which has a high chromium content and doesn't rust the same as ferritic can. Stainles steel is actually quite soft in ferritic form and doesn't stand up to punishment like a blade used in bushcraft would need to. Austenitic is HARD and is not as easy to work with and would be a better grade for a bc knife. It's so hard in certain mixes it can burn hss drills out before even penetrating much. I personally would go for a high carbon steel mix properly tempered and heat treated. You can tell how hard and tempered a steel is by the sparks when it's re-ground. Large bright sparks = soft Small dull sparks HARD. 👍😉
Thank you Lars! And thanks for the sub!! That canoe is my pride and joy - and thinking about it, I really should get out for a paddle soon! Really glad you are enjoying the channel. Atb, Simon.
I'm not sure why I'm missing your uploads Sime but I check my feed regularly. Fabulous choice on all fronts. I can't separate them although if I was to choose it would have to be the canoe. I want to get on the Wye this year. You interested in that with a couple of stealth camps? Would be good! Well, I have a folder with uploads yet to come so i'll leave it for now but thank you for the nomination. I learn a lot from you. Brilliant channel. I'll check them guys out. Take care Sime and all the best. Mark
Cheers Mark! It was a really difficult task, narrowing my choices down to 5! A paddle on the Wye would be amazing- it’s on my ‘wish’ list of rivers to paddle - actually it’s very high on the list!! Not sure why the notifications aren’t coming through, have you clicked on the little notification bell next to the subscribe button? Might be that?! Atb mate, Simon.
Well, you did a fine job Simon. A good list and run down. The Wye is a good choice - I'm here if you wanna hook for a day or an afternoon. Let you paddle. I have just clicked the bell. See if that makes a difference. Take care..
Great top 5 Simon. If I had a canoe like yours, it’d be in my top 5 too! Do have two of your other items...including the tarp (like most others in the UK!?) and a 24 year old pair of Scapa boots like yours (which just got recent clean & snoseal and came up like new again...love them!). Sorry if I missed it, but did you do a video on making the canoe? That’d be interesting to see... cheers, and keep up the great vids
Thanks Joe! Well, that’s definitely a mark of quality if you’ve had your that long too! In fact Mike who originally tagged me also has a pair as old too!! Great boots!! Unfortunately no video of the build - i made it before I started YouTubing and didn’t think to video - I did have loads of still photos of the build, but stupidly lost them all (they were on my phone and I deleted them accidentally!!!!!!) 😫 glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for watching! Atb, Simon.
I had to comment again.. I Love My Brass 1971 UCO Candle Lantern. I bought a little alcohol burner off Amazon for 5 or six bucks n run isopropyl alcohol in it ... Oh She is one great piece of gear... Hell, as soon as things get better here financially , I'm just gonna send You one... It would look great lit up in that canoe . Might need a little bracket though.
Great choice of kit there, that knife is a beauty, looks like itll last a lifetime too, but boy o boy that canoe..... its something else it really is. Blood, sweat and tears maybe but it must be so worth it now, the thing looks perfect. im well impressed. Great video, thanks for sharing. Subbed
