Travel Kit

I had a look at what I usually carried on a regular basis. One would be a walking stick solid wooden, crook handled chestnut or ash. The other is an Kit NHS issue tin one. Both of these are really stable and comfortable to use. But then you know this already. (The tin one, slid in on itself is probably one of the   best CQB weapons ever devised).

I’ve a collection of sticks and canes, a couple of blackthorns, silver topped canes and a couple of new ones on trial.

Flexyfoot an original one and another Sunday going to meeting one on an Ossenberg stick. Thats the really grown up one.

Google flexyfoot, it’ll tell you what you want to know as in how it looks. If you cant wait its the blue one below.

The ferrule is the bit thats the entertaining  piece of kit.

I’m hard on my sticks. I do use them to to hold up my six foot and fifteen stone. The great thing about the design is it grounds itself. You get the edge of the ferrule down and it flattens itself out. (You know what I mean) you don’t have to worry about the edge of the ferrule skidding in the wet and pitching you on your bum.

Meant to be particularly good on uneven surfaces which these days counts for most 21st century european pavements. If I find somewhere good I’ll let you know.

Ossenberg stick. Thats the really grown up one. The black one on the right recent additions in the UK, but widely available in Europe. Thats a folder and it too is fitted with a flexyfoot ferrule.  Did i mention it has a built in shock absorber. Bit weird, but it works.

Well it did, for a while, then the handle came loose and broke. I sent it back to Ossenberg in Germany, that was six months ago. Nothing. 

As for travel clothing I didn’t think I bothered about that sort of kit. But I had a look anyway.

Everyday and whatever else is Levis , and timberlands. With Barbours and fleeces.

This has been augmented with an insulated jacket (military grade softee or if its really cold a Snugpak ebony)

And Rohan stuff. Their trousers are mostly bulletproof, impervious to greek kebabs, comfortable and they aren’t jeans. That and the fact they take up little or no room in the bag. No I don’t wash them in the sink or beat them with stones in a fast flowing river..

Have a look at rohan.com  Not cheap, but……….

One of the problems with eating street food in a sitting position is that you’re going to spill stuff on you Jeans and Rohans will scrub off. You can wear them just about anywhere even though these days the better the hotel, the less they care what you look like.

And Rohans come with winter lining, you remember that bit about sitting in a wheelchair or scooter and travelling around on a cold day. Sling on a pair of thermals and you can consider yourelf reasonably impervious.  (I’m talking continental Europe here, not Siberia)

They also do hats, gloves and fleeces . The great stuff about this kit is its well put together and wont fall apart.

For the fashionistas among you. I really have no idea what to tell you here. I’m going for comfort and practicality here. Although Ive been told I become achingly fashionable every so often . That’ll be the Barbour Motorcycle jacket, dockers  and timberlands then. Ive moved on to whatever corporate Shemagh is around these days. 511 or TAD do good ones. They cost a bit more but then you’re more likely not to lose it. These things really are worth their weight in Guinness.

A scarf is good for an extra layer (yes I do go to warm places, its much easier dealing with the heat than it is shaking of a chill)

The old Barbour needs a fleece or soft lining to work in the cold, but the length for sitting in a chair or a scooter is spot on for the motorcycle jacket or the bedale.

Rohan do a lined field jacket, which is light, warm with pockets and looks smart. I’ve an ancient black Alpha M65. which I’m not allowed to wear anywhere foreign.

The  Barbours a long term personal favourite, either loved or hated. Don’t buy a copy, a good rainstorm will wash out the waterproofing in thirty minutes.

They aren’t warm, so a lightweight fleece or sweater will be a must.

Gloves Rohan or Sealskins, and they do hats too.

You may have noticed that theres very little on  heatwaves and sunny climes kit. Wear a hat and sunscreen. Ditch the manual wheelchair you’re going to be hot and miserable enough without sweating like a pig in the process.

flexyfoot, odd, but it works Thats the Ossenberg a German folder with the Flexyfoot ferrule.  if you’re heavy on your stick, the anti shock ferrule works.