Blogs, Gear Reviews and Outdoor Articles

Posts from Original Outdoors and Richard Prideaux

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The Six-Bundle Fire Lay
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REVIEW: Helikon-Tex Bushcraft Satchel
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Extreme Low Tide Foraging - How to find the lowest tides
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Survival Tips for Travellers
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REVIEW: Country Innovation Raptor Waistcoat
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REVIEW: GP Xplor PHR15 Head Torch
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REVIEW: Wunderbird Gyrfalcon Hoodie and Kestrel Tee Shirt
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Sharpening Bushcraft Knives and Axes - a 2018 update

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

The Six-Bundle Fire Lay
November 11, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

This fire lay requires six bundles of dry, straight dead wood and a good ignition source. It relies on good airflow at the beginning, and the fire lay ‘collapsing’ in on itself in the later stages to ensure a good bed of coals and ash to cook over. It is also a good option for making a ‘One Match Fire’. Continue reading →...
Read more →
Extreme Low Tide Foraging – How to find the lowest tides
November 1, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Extreme Low Tide foraging is becoming popular and one of the increasingly common requests we get for a private coastal foraging course over here in North Wales. It’s easy to understand why – when all of the most interesting and edible parts of the beach are under the water for part of every day then there’s a lot more to see when the water has retreated to its lowest point. The UK is home to one of the biggest tidal ranges in the world – the Severn Estuary can have a difference of as much as 15m (49ft). The tidal range...
Read more →
$helikon-tex bag review$
Survival Tips for Travellers
October 30, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

As you have probably guessed – what Lonely Planet wanted was somebody to write some unique content for them (for free) and then for them to make money from selling that content as one of the ‘expert voices’ in the book. Apparently they “never pay interviewees (they benefit in terms of exposure)“. Well, quite. Exposure can be a dangerous thing – too much of it and it can kill you. That’s why our survival courses always include some training in awareness and prevention of hypothermia. However, it prompted me to write this post – are there any generic survival tips I...
Read more →
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...
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Read all articles

Outdoor Gear Reviews

$helikon-tex bushcraft satchel review$
REVIEW: Helikon-Tex Bushcraft Satchel
November 6, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

It won’t take long to run through the features of this bag – but that is, I suppose, a feature in itself; the Helikon-Tex Bushcraft Satchel is pretty simple. There’s an unpadded adjustable shoulder strap running between two clips, and slightly curved ‘ends’ where these clips attach. There is no padding anywhere on the bag, and it hangs symettrically – it isn’t contoured or ‘handed’ to fit on one side of the body or other. Continue reading →...
Read more →
REVIEW: Country Innovation Raptor Waistcoat
October 30, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Photography waistcoats like this are basically load-carrying vests and systems for a very civilian market, and the Raptor waistcoat from Country Innovation seems to be pitched straight at that market of photographers, birdwatchers and anybody who regularly points optics at wildlife. I admit from the start that Country Innovation was a new brand for me, but a quick look through their website shows that their kit is trusted by the outdoor and wildlife photographers that I admire - so if it's good enough for the likes of Simon King and Bill Oddie then it might be good enough for a scruffy...
Read more →
REVIEW: GP Xplor PHR15 Head Torch
October 19, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Head torch technology has come on a long way since I started working in the outdoors. My first 'proper' head torch was a Petzl Zoom. It had a massive alkaline battery and came with a spare bulb - it was also like a candle in a jam jar. LED head torches started to creep in soon after, with the early ones being fairly disappointing affairs - and quite expensive. Now it seems we can't move for fear of tripping over inexpensive and fairly powerful LED headlights - is the new Xplor range from pocket-power supplier GP Batteries worth a look, and...
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REVIEW: Wunderbird Gyrfalcon Hoodie and Kestrel Tee Shirt
October 8, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

The two Wunderbird items I have been trialling are the Gyrfalcon Hoodie and the Kestrel Short-Sleeve Tee. Both garments have some interesting design features, including slightly padded shoulder areas and zipped pouches on the chest and similar pouches on the front of the stomach area. The Kestrel is a technical base layer and the Gyrfalcon is more of a thermal mid-layer shirt. The idea with this range of garments is to provide the user with technical outdoor-appropriate clothing that also supports (literally) the use of binoculars. The chest and stomach pouches both support the weight of binoculars when worn from a...
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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 →

Read all gear reviews

Latest bushcraft blog posts

The Six-Bundle Fire Lay
November 11, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

This fire lay requires six bundles of dry, straight dead wood and a good ignition source. It relies on good airflow at the beginning, and the fire lay ‘collapsing’ in on itself in the later stages to ensure a good bed of coals and ash to cook over. It is also a good option for making a ‘One Match Fire’. Continue reading →...
Read more →
$helikon-tex bushcraft satchel review$
REVIEW: Helikon-Tex Bushcraft Satchel
November 6, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

It won’t take long to run through the features of this bag – but that is, I suppose, a feature in itself; the Helikon-Tex Bushcraft Satchel is pretty simple. There’s an unpadded adjustable shoulder strap running between two clips, and slightly curved ‘ends’ where these clips attach. There is no padding anywhere on the bag, and it hangs symettrically – it isn’t contoured or ‘handed’ to fit on one side of the body or other. Continue reading →...
Read more →
Extreme Low Tide Foraging – How to find the lowest tides
November 1, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Extreme Low Tide foraging is becoming popular and one of the increasingly common requests we get for a private coastal foraging course over here in North Wales. It’s easy to understand why – when all of the most interesting and edible parts of the beach are under the water for part of every day then there’s a lot more to see when the water has retreated to its lowest point. The UK is home to one of the biggest tidal ranges in the world – the Severn Estuary can have a difference of as much as 15m (49ft). The tidal range...
Read more →
$helikon-tex bag review$
Survival Tips for Travellers
October 30, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

As you have probably guessed – what Lonely Planet wanted was somebody to write some unique content for them (for free) and then for them to make money from selling that content as one of the ‘expert voices’ in the book. Apparently they “never pay interviewees (they benefit in terms of exposure)“. Well, quite. Exposure can be a dangerous thing – too much of it and it can kill you. That’s why our survival courses always include some training in awareness and prevention of hypothermia. However, it prompted me to write this post – are there any generic survival tips I...
Read more →
REVIEW: Country Innovation Raptor Waistcoat
October 30, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Photography waistcoats like this are basically load-carrying vests and systems for a very civilian market, and the Raptor waistcoat from Country Innovation seems to be pitched straight at that market of photographers, birdwatchers and anybody who regularly points optics at wildlife. I admit from the start that Country Innovation was a new brand for me, but a quick look through their website shows that their kit is trusted by the outdoor and wildlife photographers that I admire - so if it's good enough for the likes of Simon King and Bill Oddie then it might be good enough for a scruffy...
Read more →

Read all bushcraft blog posts

Latest mountain blog posts

$helikon-tex bushcraft satchel review$
REVIEW: Helikon-Tex Bushcraft Satchel
November 6, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

It won’t take long to run through the features of this bag – but that is, I suppose, a feature in itself; the Helikon-Tex Bushcraft Satchel is pretty simple. There’s an unpadded adjustable shoulder strap running between two clips, and slightly curved ‘ends’ where these clips attach. There is no padding anywhere on the bag, and it hangs symettrically – it isn’t contoured or ‘handed’ to fit on one side of the body or other. Continue reading →...
Read more →
$helikon-tex bag review$
Survival Tips for Travellers
October 30, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

As you have probably guessed – what Lonely Planet wanted was somebody to write some unique content for them (for free) and then for them to make money from selling that content as one of the ‘expert voices’ in the book. Apparently they “never pay interviewees (they benefit in terms of exposure)“. Well, quite. Exposure can be a dangerous thing – too much of it and it can kill you. That’s why our survival courses always include some training in awareness and prevention of hypothermia. However, it prompted me to write this post – are there any generic survival tips I...
Read more →
REVIEW: Country Innovation Raptor Waistcoat
October 30, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Photography waistcoats like this are basically load-carrying vests and systems for a very civilian market, and the Raptor waistcoat from Country Innovation seems to be pitched straight at that market of photographers, birdwatchers and anybody who regularly points optics at wildlife. I admit from the start that Country Innovation was a new brand for me, but a quick look through their website shows that their kit is trusted by the outdoor and wildlife photographers that I admire - so if it's good enough for the likes of Simon King and Bill Oddie then it might be good enough for a scruffy...
Read more →
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 →

Read all mountain blog posts

Original Outdoors on YouTube

Latest video blog posts

The Six-Bundle Fire Lay
November 11, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

This fire lay requires six bundles of dry, straight dead wood and a good ignition source. It relies on good airflow at the beginning, and the fire lay ‘collapsing’ in on itself in the later stages to ensure a good bed of coals and ash to cook over. It is also a good option for making a ‘One Match Fire’. Continue reading →...
Read more →
$helikon-tex bushcraft satchel review$
REVIEW: Helikon-Tex Bushcraft Satchel
November 6, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

It won’t take long to run through the features of this bag – but that is, I suppose, a feature in itself; the Helikon-Tex Bushcraft Satchel is pretty simple. There’s an unpadded adjustable shoulder strap running between two clips, and slightly curved ‘ends’ where these clips attach. There is no padding anywhere on the bag, and it hangs symettrically – it isn’t contoured or ‘handed’ to fit on one side of the body or other. Continue reading →...
Read more →
REVIEW: Country Innovation Raptor Waistcoat
October 30, 2018 by Richard Prideaux

Photography waistcoats like this are basically load-carrying vests and systems for a very civilian market, and the Raptor waistcoat from Country Innovation seems to be pitched straight at that market of photographers, birdwatchers and anybody who regularly points optics at wildlife. I admit from the start that Country Innovation was a new brand for me, but a quick look through their website shows that their kit is trusted by the outdoor and wildlife photographers that I admire - so if it's good enough for the likes of Simon King and Bill Oddie then it might be good enough for a scruffy...
Read more →
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 →

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.