Blogs, Gear Reviews and Outdoor Articles

Posts from Original Outdoors and Richard Prideaux

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Sharpening Bushcraft Knives and Axes - a 2018 update
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REVIEW: Wisport Raccoon 45L Rucksack
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COURSE REPORT: Woodcrafter Course July 2018
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REVIEW: Firepot Dehydrated Meals
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Can you eat mussels straight from the beach?
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REVIEW: Olight I1R EOS Key Ring Torch
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Course report - Wild Camping Weekend June 2018
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Elderflower Foraging Recipes

The Original Outdoors Blog

We’ve had a blog page on the Original Outdoors site ever since, well, we’ve HAD a website. The posts are a random mixture of UK-centric outdoor articles, opinion pieces, trip reports, gear reviews and even some video tutorials.

Most of the reviews are written by Richard Prideaux, with occasional blog posts by guest writers and contributors.

Latest articles from Richard Prideaux

Sharpening Bushcraft Knives and Axes – a 2018 update
August 10, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

We cover knife and axe sharpening at different levels on our bushcraft and campcraft courses, and it’s one of those subjects where the course participants ‘lean in’ to the topic – most of those who attend the course have tried to sharpen their own equipment and had, shall we say, a variety of results? Continue reading →...
Read more →
Can you eat mussels straight from the beach?
July 19, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

When you teach people about foraging and ‘wild food’ you often run the risk of sounding negative or over-cautious about the potential hazards that come from eating shellfish, or fungi,or whatever else it is that you are solemnly warning people about. I do this with good reason – people are paying to attend on of our North Wales foraging courses to learn more about the subject, and I have a duty of care towards them as an instructor, and just as a (mostly?) decent human being. That said – there IS a difference between laying out the potential risks and...
Read more →
Why tracking doesn’t work for misper SAR in the UK
June 13, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Here we go… this post will attract a minimum of two types of response: 1. “you don’t know what you’re talking about, if your skills were as good as mine you could follow a flea across a glacier” 2. “tracking is too slow/doesn’t work/is overrated” Well, quite. Both views have some validity, and that’s the point of this post. Tracking, within the context of SAR/non-combat scenarios, is often represented by evangelists who want to present tracking as a panacea to locating any human OR by those who have sworn off it having tried the techniques (sold to them on a course) on a live operation...
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2018 UK Knife Law Changes
May 1, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

In the past weeks the news has featured several stories on UK knife crimes, knife law and the perception of knives as weapons as well as tools. This was followed by the announcement of a new Offensive Weapons Bill which will begin the process of changing of what is considered a legal knife, where they can be used/carried by the general public and how they can be acquired. Last year a consultation on offensive and dangerous weapons was published, which caused a lot of discussion online from knife makers, owners and collectors from all sectors. Whilst this is currently a bill (not...
Read more →
GPS, Smartphones and Operational Security – is Strava the only problem?
February 7, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

The recent hullabaloo over the Strava heatmap reminded me of a strange case from a few years ago... If you have any kind of interest in GPS, fitness apps, unusual maps or just technology news then you were probably at least vaguely aware of a story about the fitness app Strava and some analysis of the heatmap they published last month. This publicly-viewable heatmap of anonymised user data isn't new - but the last update was from 2015 data. The 2017 data release included over 1 billion activities and 10 terabytes of raw data. The total distance clocked up was 27...
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Outdoor Gear Reviews

REVIEW: Wisport Raccoon 45L Rucksack
August 3, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Wisport is one of those brands I had heard of or seen in product catalogues and on websites, but had no direct experience of. Military 1st offered the Wisport Raccoon 45L rucksack to me to try out on some of our courses and I gladly took the opportunity. It’s not like I NEED another rucksack, but it’s a different style to what I am used to and I was curious to see how it performed. Continue reading →...
Read more →
REVIEW: Firepot Dehydrated Meals
July 20, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Firepot are a relatively new supplier in the UK expedition food market but the information both on their website and what I had heard from other users was encouraging. I’ve been trying them out on wild camping and bivvying trips over the past few weeks – and so far I haven’t died. Continue reading →...
Read more →
REVIEW: Olight I1R EOS Key Ring Torch
June 27, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Cheap, stupidly-bright Chinese LED torches have been around for several years now and there are many to choose from. I’ve used several over the years with varying degrees of success – and to be perfectly honest my hopes weren’t THAT high for this tiny keyring torch from Olight when it was offered as a review item. But it turns out to not be that bad – in fact, to be quite good. With a few important caveats that I will come to later… Continue reading →...
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MSR WindBurner Group Stove System Review for UKHillwalking
April 20, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

The MSR WindBurner range has been updated for 2018 with a wind-resistant remote canister stove, new pans and even a huge 4.5L stockpot. Richard Prideaux has been reviewing it in the mountains of Snowdonia and Scotland over the winter of 2017-2018 for UKHIllwalking.com Continue reading →...
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$helikon-tex windproof fleece$
REVIEW: Helikon-Tex Classic Army Fleece
April 7, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Rugged fleece jacket with windproof membrane Helikon-Tex have been on the radar of outdoor enthusiasts and professionals, hunters, military personnel and security contractors for a couple of decades now, and they produce good kit. I have been wearing the Helikon-Tex Classic Army fleece for nearly 5 months and I think I’ve got a good angle on it now – it’s not perfect, but it’s pretty damned good. Continue reading →...
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Latest bushcraft blog posts

Sharpening Bushcraft Knives and Axes – a 2018 update
August 10, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

We cover knife and axe sharpening at different levels on our bushcraft and campcraft courses, and it’s one of those subjects where the course participants ‘lean in’ to the topic – most of those who attend the course have tried to sharpen their own equipment and had, shall we say, a variety of results? Continue reading →...
Read more →
REVIEW: Wisport Raccoon 45L Rucksack
August 3, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Wisport is one of those brands I had heard of or seen in product catalogues and on websites, but had no direct experience of. Military 1st offered the Wisport Raccoon 45L rucksack to me to try out on some of our courses and I gladly took the opportunity. It’s not like I NEED another rucksack, but it’s a different style to what I am used to and I was curious to see how it performed. Continue reading →...
Read more →
COURSE REPORT: Woodcrafter Course July 2018
August 1, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

...
Read more →
REVIEW: Firepot Dehydrated Meals
July 20, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Firepot are a relatively new supplier in the UK expedition food market but the information both on their website and what I had heard from other users was encouraging. I’ve been trying them out on wild camping and bivvying trips over the past few weeks – and so far I haven’t died. Continue reading →...
Read more →
Can you eat mussels straight from the beach?
July 19, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

When you teach people about foraging and ‘wild food’ you often run the risk of sounding negative or over-cautious about the potential hazards that come from eating shellfish, or fungi,or whatever else it is that you are solemnly warning people about. I do this with good reason – people are paying to attend on of our North Wales foraging courses to learn more about the subject, and I have a duty of care towards them as an instructor, and just as a (mostly?) decent human being. That said – there IS a difference between laying out the potential risks and...
Read more →

Read all bushcraft blog posts

Latest mountain blog posts

Sharpening Bushcraft Knives and Axes – a 2018 update
August 10, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

We cover knife and axe sharpening at different levels on our bushcraft and campcraft courses, and it’s one of those subjects where the course participants ‘lean in’ to the topic – most of those who attend the course have tried to sharpen their own equipment and had, shall we say, a variety of results? Continue reading →...
Read more →
REVIEW: Wisport Raccoon 45L Rucksack
August 3, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Wisport is one of those brands I had heard of or seen in product catalogues and on websites, but had no direct experience of. Military 1st offered the Wisport Raccoon 45L rucksack to me to try out on some of our courses and I gladly took the opportunity. It’s not like I NEED another rucksack, but it’s a different style to what I am used to and I was curious to see how it performed. Continue reading →...
Read more →
REVIEW: Firepot Dehydrated Meals
July 20, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Firepot are a relatively new supplier in the UK expedition food market but the information both on their website and what I had heard from other users was encouraging. I’ve been trying them out on wild camping and bivvying trips over the past few weeks – and so far I haven’t died. Continue reading →...
Read more →
REVIEW: Olight I1R EOS Key Ring Torch
June 27, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Cheap, stupidly-bright Chinese LED torches have been around for several years now and there are many to choose from. I’ve used several over the years with varying degrees of success – and to be perfectly honest my hopes weren’t THAT high for this tiny keyring torch from Olight when it was offered as a review item. But it turns out to not be that bad – in fact, to be quite good. With a few important caveats that I will come to later… Continue reading →...
Read more →
Course report – Wild Camping Weekend June 2018
June 18, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

...
Read more →

Read all mountain blog posts

Original Outdoors on YouTube

Latest video blog posts

2018 UK Knife Law Changes
May 1, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

In the past weeks the news has featured several stories on UK knife crimes, knife law and the perception of knives as weapons as well as tools. This was followed by the announcement of a new Offensive Weapons Bill which will begin the process of changing of what is considered a legal knife, where they can be used/carried by the general public and how they can be acquired. Last year a consultation on offensive and dangerous weapons was published, which caused a lot of discussion online from knife makers, owners and collectors from all sectors. Whilst this is currently a bill (not...
Read more →
A Private Adventure on Anglesey
November 21, 2017 by Richard Prideaux

Every year we are asked to put together a private training day or adventure for somebody. This particular client first came to us in 2016 and asked for a 50km day in the mountains of Snowdonia for him and his friends - which we put together and executed one cold day in November. This year he wanted to push it a little further, and asked for something a little more exciting. After compiling a few route options they picked a run along the Anglesey coastal path - but how to get them to the start? We had spoken to the team at...
Read more →
We want your outdoor questions!
November 20, 2017 by Richard Prideaux

We want your outdoor questions! Pretty much every week we receive an email, Facebook message, Twitter DM or comment somewhere that is asking for advice, information or just somebody asking for help with their own adventure. Of course we try to help as much as we can, and it's not unusual to find ourselves on the phone for quite a while talking through one subject or another. This has given me an idea - why not make this more of a public process? The questions we get are often very similar to each other and I know that more people would possibly benefit...
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What’s with all of the gun videos recently?
November 20, 2017 by Richard Prideaux

What's with all of the gun videos? Is Original Outdoors a gun channel now? Well... No. But for the UK it's closely related to one of the subjects that we ourselves are closely associated with - foraging and wild food. Due to a number of UK laws the most accessible, legal and ethical source of wild meat for the keen forager is probably via a sub-12ft/lb air rifle. It's potentially a huge subject with a lot to explore, and to be perfectly honest there is a lot of very poor information online. We are pulling together a series of videos running through the...
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REVIEW: First Tactical Tactix 1-Day Plus Bag
September 28, 2017 by Richard Prideaux

MOLLE Day pack with versatile compartments From a distance the First Tactical Tactix 1-Day Plus looks like pretty much any other MOLLE daypack - webbing systems along the vertical surfaces, zipped compartments and compression straps. I admit to having a bit of a prejudice towards MOLLE packs. The MOLLE/PALS system (Modular Light Load carrying Equipment) works well with small packs and pouches, and is great for quickly changing the gear carried on say, body armour or a tactical vest. It doesn’t work as well when it comes to... Continue reading →...
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Tips From an Instructor Series

Ask Me Anything Series

Moments from Trips and Courses

The TGO Blogger Network

In 2017 TGO magazine launched their Outdoor Blogger Network, and Original Outdoors was part of the original group of outdoor bloggers chosen to be part of it.
If you haven’t already seen the list of bloggers that they have put together then please follow this link to find out more.