I have felt age creeping up on me this year, varifocals full time requirement, hair now has dark bits rather than grey bits (the old ‘it’s ash grey highlights’ isn’t working anymore, did it ever?). I have continued to lose weight though and i’m mid-way through my fourth stone of weight loss. Happy days, feeling better, feeling better about myself, doing less damage to my body or slower damage at least. Then my knee went, my left knee and it’s agony.
All the way through my bushcraft course I was in pain, I thought i could walk it off, I went for a walk on Mon night, very light only a waterbottle, it did not most definitely walk off as proved on Tue morn when I got up. It’s not helped driving for my job. I work on the west coast of Scotland and theres not a lot of motorways there so driving is very active. This comes at a time when my plantar fascitis seems to be in fading. I was given a prescription of anti-inflammatories over the course of two weeks and they gave temporary relief but that’s it. My night walk on Mon night gave me the motivation to get back down to the Doc soonest. Pleasingly I was able to get an appointment PDQ, through a robust and sensible triage system. I found myself trouserless on the doc’s bench this morning as he approached me with a large needle containing a mix of steroid and local anaesthetic. Initially numbness and relief, happy days, but through the day it’s back to it’s old self and quite sore. I’ll see how it works and take up the offer of physio (deliverable on line or via an app initially, haven’t tried it yet but will pass comment again) and get an X-ray the next time I’m in Perth.
Okay why am I telling you this. Well I am reluctant to get out and do more damage or dish out more pain to myself. The point of the blog was to talk about me being outdoors. For now my forays are likely to be limited to the back garden so apologies if it becomes boring. How can I maintain peoples interest when I’m stuck in a hotel room in Oban, unable to get out to do even a few miles for exercise? As I scanned around my study today looking for inspiration my eyes fell upon my possibles pouch, eureka. Everyone’s possible pouch is different and may provide an idea or inspiration.
A possible pouch is likely filled with good ideas from others that slowly morphs as it’s utilised, or more healthily isn’t utilised, to become a recepticle of handy kit. I have morphed my own from a large pouch to a smaller pouch, removing a few triplicates and placing others in a more convenient location in my pack, pockets or RIBZ. I carry it in my daysack when out walking, out bushcrafting and camping. When I camp it’s in the tent with me at the head end out of it’s dry bag. It’s contained in a red dry bag and I identify the actual pouch with with one of the tritium glow fobs so it’s easily located. I’ve used a few pouches to contain it. Up until recently I used a medium Kifaru pullout pouch Kifaru pullout pouch easy to get into but even easier to keep adding stuff to it. During my week on the bushcraft course I closely monitored what I’d used and what I hadn’t. I rationalised whilst I was camping a week or two ago. After rationalising it I shifted it to a DIY canvas pouch I made an age ago similar to a Ray Mears canvas pouch Woodlore canvas pouch. It’s pretty full in an effort to stop me putting more and more stuff in it. I’ve always like the pouch but I wish I’d made the zip longer, if I remember though it was all I had when the urge to sew took hold of me.
So what do I have in it;
From Top right;
Leatherman PST II, FRED, Petzl Elite, AAA torch, spare batteries for elite, hankies for loo roll, thermometer and mirror.
First aid (more later), Silva Ranger compass 27, lifeboat matches striker and tinder tabs, lighter. The black box holds the compass, spare batteries and matches/tinder mainly to protect the compass.
Paracord x 2, sewing needle, floss, black maskers, puncture repair kit, tenacious tape (red tube), goretex patch (red tube). I have two sailmakers needles in with the goretex patch.
Teabags, trek protein bar, peanut butter, chewing gum, juice powder and a ‘hot lips’ for my mug.
First Aid kit, kept in Aloksak. This is just a quick kit to augment my larger first aid kit. I’ve just realised that for some reason my fire steel is missing. I must have left it on my desk at home. Not much use there!
Antibiotic ointment, plasters, burn jel, butterfly stitches (I had to buy a large packet so I put them everywhere), water purifying tablets, antibacterial hand wipes and hand sanitizer spray.
I’m unsure of the weight, I forgot to weigh it before I left home. Weighed it when I got home with my fire stee 1.022kg or 36oz.
So that’s my possibles pouch, my go to for bits and pieces when out and about, in the tent or around camp. It’s got cutting tools, cordage, light, nutrition, first aid, repair and hygiene. I’ved used it a fair bit, the repair kit, first aid, tenacious tape, hand sanitizer and thermometer. The food has been used to augment a meal or just for a snack. I doubted it’s usefulness but time and again it comes to hand.
If you’re thinking about putting your own together make a note of what you use and what you don’t changing it as necessary. For me the struggle was limiting what to include and not having it take up half the room in my pack and weighing a ton.
I’ve added a number of links in my product page to some of the kit in my possibles pouch above. Please click the ads and links to help support the site.
Pack Your Bag 