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Re: Lochailort no more ... 2016 TGO day 1

Hello folks,
to clarify, lurcherlad is me John Jacklin.
Lurcherlad? Because I have kept lurchers as pets for 20 years.
Thank-you for all the kind comments about the blog and thanks too to all the other people who have posted blogs. I love reading them, looking at the pics and especially following the routes.

jj

Re: Lochailort no more ... 2016 TGO day 1

I greatly enjoyed reading your well-illustrated account. You began on a route we planned to do in 2010 (I think) but I realised a few days before setting off that the pathless South Loch Beoraid Ridge looked great fun, avoided the lowland bogs which I'd heard were full of ticks, and kept high with great views. It also avoided those awkward places and river crossings - though it has both crags and river crossing issues as you descend towards Glenfinnan or wherever. We have now been that way three times, so it's time we actually took the loch shore! As a matter of interest - talking about Karrimor - it was my husband Mike's family business, and his old designs are still out there performing (in fact, another well-known Challenger, Denis Pidgeon, still has and uses the full range of their old top performing sacks!) Unfortunately, since the company sold through a couple of times and ended up in the hands of Sports Direct, the stuff just ain't up to scratch any more. Sad.
Looking forward to Day 2!
Best wishes,
Merrylegs.

Re: Lochailort no more ... 2016 TGO day 1

Marian,

Thank-you for your kind comments and how right you are about the Karrimor gear not being up to scratch these days. When I bought a Jaguar IV rucksack many years ago it WAS up to scratch - and cost at the time a bloomin' fortune. The rucksack would not past muster in today's environment of super lightweight equipment, but at the time it did, and would still be a serviceable pack, if too heavy, today.

I parted company with it five years ago. I hadn't used it for years, but I appreciated it for what it was, or had been - an excellent pack that was actually waterproof. It was a reminder of some great walks, SWCP in particular.

Dumping it was like offloading an old pal.

I can't remember what weight it was, apart from being too heavy, but it served me well, hence my ingrained belief that Karrimor gear is still okay. The power of marketing, I guess. Your mention of Sports Direct puts matters regarding quality into context, and explains why the Karrimor brand is not what it used to be.

It would make for interesting listening if Mike could share a tale or two about the development of equipment, because he must have been at the forefront of the development of lightweight backpacking gear back in the day. The mid-seventies felt like they were a pioneering time in the outdoor gear world.

As for my 2016 challenge, the next and another long instalment, involves ticks - sadly for me.

Re: Lochailort no more ... 2016 TGO day 1

You are right about Mike being at the forefront of the lightweight revolution. He has written a book - 'Invisible on Everest' - together with a textiles historian Prof Mary Rose: this is a history with anecdotes, about how gear developed.

Day 2: Lochailort no more ... 2016 TGO Challenge

Hello folks,

the next installment of "Lochailort no more ..." is up and running.



Day 2: Lochailort no more ...

Day 3: Lochailort no more ... 2016 TGO Challenge

Hello folks,

Here's a third instalment from my 2016 TGO Challenge crossing.
It's long ...

Day 3: Lochailort no more