The Kelly Kettle is an ingenious cooking utensil which is worth every cent. When I initially came across the Kelly Kettle I thought it was an overpriced cooking tool which was all show and no go. That is until I saw it in action.

The Kelly Kettle is a simple concept, it is a water jacket that surrounds a chimney. This exposes a large surface area to the heat allowing water to be heated quickly and efficiently. The Kettle sits on a burner which allows air to be drawn in, burning a wide array of fuels efficiently. This creates a draught drawing in more air and getting more heat into the fire. It is also one of the few stoves I have seen benefit from wind, which can get the kettle cranking. The design originated thousands of years ago and can be seen in the Samovar Tea urns of the Middle East and Asia. Companies have adapted the more recent design but the Kelly Kettle itself came into existence in the 1890s. A young Patrick Kelly from County Mayo required a kettle to accompany him on his fishing trips and after many hours of tinkering settled on a tin kettle which quickly evolved into a copper chimney kettle. Its popularity spread and more and more people bought the Kettles turning a simple hobby into a full-fledged business. The kettle's roll was a simple and humble, boil a cuppa to have when you fish.

My initial grievance with the Kettle was the cost, they are expensive and I could not understand how the Kettle would replace my trusty cheap billy. However, my old man took delivery of the Kelly Kettle despite my qualms. He proved me wrong! On first inspection of the Kettle, I was impressed by how much gear could be packed into such a compact design. Packed in the base were bowls, pans, cups and accessories with a few extras accompanying. All the gear you need to accommodate a couple camping. Weight wise it is pretty light, especially for something which can hold 1.6l of water. The time it takes to boil that 1.6l was nothing. With a strong wind and good fuel, I had it boiling and whistling in six minutes. The Kelly Kettle enables you to boil water for the masses and if that is not impressive enough it can cook breakfast at the same time. With the simple cross-shaped attachment that you can place on top of the chimney, you get a highly efficient stove. I usually chuck a can of beans on top while boiling the water and when the water has boiled quickly chuck a bun on the coals. Breakfast is done in no time at all and with a thermos handy I have enough water for tea during the day.

The Kelly Kettle is not without its annoyances, it is old technology and with that comes some idiosyncrasies. One of the biggest drawbacks I have found is that it is not clean. It is quite sooty and you find your hands will go black using it. I do not usually mind as I do prefer to rough it, but now and again I will use gas to avoid the mess. The stainless that Kelly Kettle uses is not non-stick and I find I use their pans and pots less. The Kelly Kettle is also not summer-friendly. In Australia, total fire ban days can be common and some campsites do not allow fires during the summer months. I would not recommend using the Kelly Kettle in hot dry weather for the risk of starting a fire. If you accidentally tip the coals over it could be disastrous. However, the Kelly Kettle can work well in wild weather and as stated earlier, operates well with the wind. The Kelly Kettle is too heavy for hiking and has too many trimmings to be considered lightweight for packing around. As a cooking method to replace a gas stove, it falls short as gas is simple and reliable and can be operated in a majority of conditions. Where the Kelly Kettle wins out is as a cheap, fast alternative to boiling water on a fire or gas.  I find myself going to the Kelly Kettle to cook breakfast and lunch, it is quick and easy to use and it will operate on twigs and bark in the immediate area making it cheap to run. It struggles for cooking dinner but by that time of day you usually have an established fire with the cast iron pan on one side and the billy on the other.

The Kelly Kettle is fun and at every campsite, it has drawn a crowd. It makes a great gift and its size allows for it to live in the Land Rover. I can trust it to provide hot water or a fire to cook on even in the harshest conditions. It is a simple and beautiful design and that is reason enough for me to use one.

Kelly Kettle Review

Henry Davis 13/11/2024

Some of the simplest designs can stand the test of time with simple logic; it was right the first time, so why change it? The core design of Opinel has not changed for 132 years and has never needed to, it was right the first time. To highlight Opinel's' significance as a brand earned its place in the Larousse dictionary, defined as a "closing knife with a wooden handle with a groove in which the blade is housed in the closed position". The knife seeks to meet the working man's needs most simply and cheaply possible. Originally designed by the son of a blacksmith and against his father's wishes, Joseph Opinel designed his knife for French farmers. It was an entrepreneurial success, with several sizes intended for differing hand sizes. As Joseph's commercial success boomed, he needed to increase his manufacturing capabilities to meet demand. In 1909 the knife adopted the famous emblem of the crown hand, representative of the hand of Saint Jean-Baptiste, a symbol associated with the town Joseph Opinel had come from. This trademark harks back to 1565 when King Charles IX of France ordered each cutler to provide proof of origin and quality, A feature on the knives to this day.

The knife now sells in its millions annually and its popularity is warranted. For such a simple design, the knife itself is extremely practical and versatile. The knife uses a Yatagan-shaped blade, a Turkish sabre shape. It offers strength and efficient regrinding allowing for easy maintenance. Its construction of beech means it is light but still fills the hand for a comfortable grip. I have been fortunate enough to own multiple of these knives in both carbon and stainless steel in a range of sizes from no.7 to no.12. The stainless steel (12c27 Sandvik Swedish Steel) holds a sharp edge but being stainless is prone to chipping. Carbon steel, the more traditional of the two, is stronger and less brittle. It can hold an edge and is very easy to keep sharp, where it falls short is its corrosion resistance. Despite its aversion to moisture, the carbon steel builds character over ownership with light corrosion leaving patterns across the blade. Both options have their place with both being equal. I use the stainless for anything associated with human consumption as the carbon steel leaves marks on food. The stainless blade lives in packs or places where I want to have a knife spare but I know I will not touch it for a while. The carbon is my go-to daily driver or hard-working tool knife. Because I use it more regularly I can maintain it and avoid corrosion. The carbon blade can tackle the demands of harder tasks. I have found when it comes to hunting both steels play their part. The carbon is useful in a larger size (no.12) to tackle the initial stages of butchering and the smaller steel blade for more intricate work.

If I have one bugbear with expensive hunting knives, if you lose one or break it, you are up for a huge bill to replace it. In the case of Opinel, you can just go out buy another and have done. They are also tools, they wear out. While living in the territory in a hunting camp I noticed all the guides used cheap kitchen pairing knives as their go-to. On enquiring, I found out that this blade of choice was derived from the low cost and ease of sharpening that these blades provided. The Opinel might not be seven dollars like the kitchen knives but it is not far off. You can wear an Opinel out and just replace it. The shape lends itself to being great for hunting and the thin blade allows you to get the knife razor sharp and maintain it. The thin blade found on the Opinel makes it sharp and easy to sharpen. The guides found thick blades might be stronger but they required more effort to sharpen and more effort was required to maintain an edge  The guides believed that a blade no matter how good a knife was, would still be blunt. A knife that only needed a few passes of the whetstone to stay sharp was a winner.

The knifes design as alluded to before is simple and safe to use. The first iteration of the Opinel knife did not have a way of securing it open. That changed in 1955 when the Vibroloc system was introduced. It allows the blade to be locked when open, ensuring that it does not guillotine the top of your fingers off while in use. In 2000, a little notch was added to the Virbroloc to ensure the knife remained closed in transport. These changes were minimal keeping the overall design simple and practical. Where the knife falls short is in one-handed operation, sadly it is difficult to flick the knife open, but it is not impossible. If you tap the heel of the handle on your leg, it will open up and a quick flick gets it fully open. Unfortunately as light as the beech is, it is prone to swelling when moist. If the knife does get swollen it can be nearly impossible to retrieve the blade. There is no practical workaround for this except to dry the knife out however, if it does concern the user, you can purchase Opinels made of different materials. Opinel’s can be made out of almost anything, there are plastic ones with serrated blades, beautiful ebony and oak ones and you can get endless engraved designs. The range of Opinels is massive and they have branched out into kitchen knives, spoon and fork attachments, oyster knives, pruning knives, mushroom knives, oyster knives and many other iterations. Opinel has found ways to infiltrate different markets and build tools for a wide array of industries. They can be ornamental or used just to get the job done.

Joseph Opinel stepped away from tradition and used machinery to create the Opinel silhouette we still see globally today. These tools are cheap and easy to make, allowing for mass production and easy replacement. Opinel is a brand that stands next to Victrinox and Leatherman for their influence in the pocket tool world. Everywhere I have travelled I have picked up an Opinel to aid me on my adventures and if I forget that I have one on me and TSA finds it, it's alright I just go buy another. If you are after a reliable partner in your adventures, hunting trips or day-to-day, you can't go wrong with an Opinel.

An Opinel Review

Henry Davis 11.08.2024

5/10/23 - 9/10/23 Te Anua  to Milford Sound to Queenstown 

While in Te Anua I had planned to catch up with a friend living there and he recommended some great trips I could do while I was there for the next few days. The first one was to catch a tour bus to Milford Sound to do the boat tour. I usually stay away from tours as I can find them crowded and working as a tour guide has put me off them slightly. However, when you start number crunching and looking for access to Milford Sound it ends up being the best option. So, I dragged myself out of bed early in the morning and headed into town to catch the bus. Te Anua is small and has few supermarkets, cafes but sits alongside a beautiful lake. The country is fairly flat but is surrounded by an imposing mountain range full of snow-capped mountains. The bus drive from Te Anua climbs up into the mountain range and winds its way past the lakes and stunning countryside. The tour is accompanied by a narration which covers the history and points of interest along the trip. It is very lightweight but entertaining. The bus pulls into Mirror Lakes and Monkey Creek, allowing guests to stretch their legs. The bus driver talks about the local Kea, who are mischievous parrots that love anything rubber to tug on. I was able to spot one from the bus window while stopped at the entrance to Homer Tunnel. The Homer Tunnel was built from 1935 to 1953 and offered access to Milford under the Homer Saddle allowing people to visit the Milford Sound. The Tunnel is 1.2km long and is a portal to another world as you leave the green mountainsides to a baron and hostile environment. You eventually wind your way through the rainforest to Milford Sound where you jump off at the ferry terminal.  From bus to boat, the tour winds its way through the Milford Sound, ducking in and out of waterfalls and under sheer cliffs. It is a lot to take in despite, the dreary weather. It made for an ominous feeling as the mist lay low and the waterfalls were in full flow and as we neared the Tasman Sea, Bottled Nosed Dolphins and seals played around the boat. The camera was working overtime and many hot coffees were consumed as we sailed through waterfalls on our way back. Despite the tour feeling a bit crowded and very touristy, it was a great experience and a wonderful rest bite from hiking.

After a break from hiking, I planned an overnight trip on the famous Kepler trail which starts just outside of Te Anua. I set off early to shop for essentials and left town around 10 am. The hike from town to the car park is only 5km and very pleasant as you wind your way alongside Lake Te Anua. From the car park, it is 13.8km to Luxmore which on paper is fairly easy going however, the track ascends from the Lake up to the mountain range and a good percentage of the distance covered is vertical. The first part of the trail is easy going but when the trail turns away from the lake the walking begins to get harder. The track zig-zags its way up through the forest. It is stunning and you can hear Kea calling through the trees, unfortunately, I did not see any. About halfway up I ran into a French bloke about my age and after sharing lunch we fell into step with each other and pushed our way up. It is funny how not a word needs to pass our lips about joining together for the hike and we ended up hiking for the next two days together.  It was not long before we puffed our way up to above the tree line but sadly the track continued to ascend. We walked through a baron landscape taking in the breathtaking views. It is not too far from the tree line that you start to level out and pick up the pace. As soon as you have got your speed back up a very large hut will appear in sight, this is Luxmore hut which is quite an illustrious hut with lots of wonderful features, like a fireplace and running tap water. We had made good time and had plenty to spare before evening so we decided to go explore the Luxmore caves. These caves are quite impressive and not overly decorated but are very friendly to poke your head into and offer some more intricate calcite decorations to observe. Equipped with head torches we set out exploring the cave but I would not venture too far as it could be easy to get lost. We clambered our way down the narrow cavern seeing how far we could go before we chickened out. It was not too far before we started to question our route and decided to turn back. This seemed to fill our afternoon and we settled into card games and cups of tea for the evening.

The following morning we had planned to set off back down to Te Anua but knowing that the descent would not take us long we wanted to hike up Mount Luxmore. Leaving our bags at the hut, we set off on the short trek to the summit. It took us about 30 minutes to get to the top and it was worth it. As an Australian who is not exposed to high mountain ranges regularly, this view was breathtaking. We spent a good 15 minutes soaking in the view of the surrounding mountains, valleys and lakes. Pressed for time as I had an afternoon bus to catch back in town, we darted back to the hut, collected our packs and enjoyed a stroll back down to the lake. The distance on the way back seemed shorter but my knees told a different story fortunately, my new hiking partner was parked at the trailhead and so ran me back into town. We tucked into some NZ pies and I attended to some washing at the laundromat before saying goodbye to my new French friend. 

The next goal was simple, get to Queenstown. I wanted to attempt hitchhiking but with my luck on the previous day, I opted for bus travel. This time of year in South Island is fairly quiet and lifts are hard to come by. Buses are fairly limited but the Milford Sound tour companies cash in on travellers and offer a service between Te Anua and Queenstown. The trip to Queenstown is very scenic and I would avoid falling asleep. I spent the night in the Black Sheep Hostel in Queenstown, a trendy hostel with a great vibe. Dinner was easily resolved by the discovery of a very well-priced Thai restaurant, Thai Cuisine Queenstown. I would advise, buy a cheap takeaway, head down to the harbour wall and watch the tourist boats roll into the harbour as night descends. Enjoy the sound of buskers and the crepe stand nearby provides a great opportunity for dessert.

Travel South Island New Zealand

Henry Davis 08.08.2024

The new defender feels like a pampered pooch that has bred out its working dog roots. However, it still rests on its loreals when it comes to heritage. The Defender has been out a while now and has made an impression on the automotive market, resulting in automotive journalists and influencers gushing over its practical and comfortable offerings. It is a technical and engineering marvel that can be considered class-leading and leaves the driver open-jawed at what the vehicle can achieve. It has an aid to help you work your way through every off-road obstacle and is considerably more capable than its older counterpart. Reading the brochure or watching a review does not capture the impressive technology utilised by the defender to master its terrain be it a crowded street or the remote high country.

The new Defender has a large arsenal of tech to help it go bush. It has cameras that cover every angle imaginable so you can see the rock or log that dents your door. It happily climbs over ruts with air suspension raised and you no longer have to worry about getting hung up on your diffs. The IFS feels solid and supple, allowing you to travel terrain in relative comfort. The chassis is extremely stiff meaning you can open the driver’s side door when you have one wheel in the air. River crossings are swiftly dealt with when you put it into wading mode and it raises itself to offer a 900mm wading depth. You can also watch the fish swim past on the underwater camera. The different driving modes adjust the throttle and braking response and maximise the efficiency of the low box. Hill descent is a breeze to use and is controlled on the cruise control stalk. It does make a racket as the brakes a steadily applied but it holds steady in some of the steepest descents. If you are lucky enough, you can have a mode fitted which is the opposite of hill descent, hill ascent. This mode allows you to just point and shoot while the vehicle accelerates and brakes for you. The list of party tricks just seems to keep on going and even if you decide that you do not need the air suspension or all the trickery, the base model is immensely capable. At its core, the defender has a triple locked system which also engages traction control to maximise grip on any surface. Unlike a more traditional set-up where you lock your diffs individually, you just tell the new Defender what you want to do and it will choose what to lock and what to engage. I get the feeling if it were to sit next to you at a party, it would be immensely boring however, it is easier to let it do its thing rather than try and understand it.

The traditional 4WD experience was a challenge that man and machine faced together and the sense of achievement is felt equally between owner and loyal vehicle. It is not uncommon for older four-wheel drives to develop an air of character about them but the new Defender feels too clinical to develop that same type of character. It starts with the immediate lack of a visceral driving experience associated with traditional four-wheel drives. The electronic steering feels numb and disconnected from the surface that you are driving on. The break-by-wire also feels expressionless and is overly sensitive. It adjusts with the endless customisation you can tweak with the terrain response. It makes the brakes clinically accurate but does not capture the feel of the vehicle, leaving the driver clueless about the vehicle's overall state of being. Despite Land Rover's proud claim that the Defender has a commanding seating position, you still can't see the front of the vehicle. Because of this, you never feel like you have a complete sense of the vehicle's dimensions. Not to worry, there is a gadget for that. The new Defender is so reliant on technology for every attribute associated with off-roading that the driver is left with little to do but hold onto the wheel. The sense of achievement that a driver used to feel in a traditional four-wheel drive when man and machine conquered an obstacle is now dominated by the achievement of the wizardry found in the new Defender. It completely steals the show and leaves the driver a passenger in its off-roading prowess. As an expedition vehicle or a vehicle you could live in the bush with for a month, cutting new tracks and throwing tools in the back of, it misses by a country mile. That's the point, it's designed to. Land Cruiser will meet your work-related requirements, the new Defender is for the modern man, the weekend warrior. The defender on top of being a show stopper is also so complex, that the owner would be reluctant to even take a flat head near it. No longer is the trusty old truck held together with bale twine and barb wire, that may void a warranty. No, if you do break down just make sure you are subscribed to the built-in EPIRB or help button to get you out of trouble.

This off-road machine is designed to hit the trails every blue moon and live comfortably in a cityscape. The new owner could point to a poster in North Face and proudly claim that their new Land Rover could climb that mountainside, and it probably would, with a degree of ease, well an ease that only the driver can perceive. The new Defender is your tech-savvy brainiac who deploys clever gadgets to overcome difficult challenges. It encapsulates the meaning of working smarter rather than harder. Your more traditional four-wheel drive was all about strength and raw torque rather than finesse and computer trickery. One would not be comfortable roughing a Defender around in the bush just as an old Defender can struggle around the city. The new Defender is designed to tackle each challenge with a degree of finesses and craft and then go grab a coffee in the inner suburbs on the way home.

Driving the new Defender left me frustrated with how capable it was at effortlessly climbing rutted tracks and crossing rivers. I even cursed how ungraceful the old Defender can be when tackling the same obstacles. The trip back also rubbed salt in the wounds as I connected my phone with ease, got the music pumping and cruised back in comfort. However, I would never trade my old battle bus for anything, it has an endless amount of character and we have been through too much together. The new Defender was fun and friendly but I grew bored of it. I felt like a passenger offroad, rather than the driver and despite the lack of a heater, I missed the very visceral driving experience of the old Defender. Don't get me wrong, I would own a new Defender, it would be my commuter, an expensive one at that. I would maybe take it out on the odd weekend trip, go mountain biking or skiing somewhere and return to my 9-5. It has its customer base, and for those individuals, it is the ideal vehicle. When it comes to my do-it-all tourer, I prefer to keep it old school.

Also, a side note for Land Rover, the old body shape changed names numerous times, why did this new generation need to hang on to Defender? If it was a name association to increase sales, the old guard feel a bit betrayed. Land Rover, it would have been nice to see a new name in the historical progression of your vehicles. Series 1, Series 2, Series 2a, Series 3, Stage 1, County, Defender, _______. Let us fill in the blank!

New Defender Review

Henry Davis 13.07.2024

2/10/23 - 5/10/23 Queenstown to The Divide

After a wonderfully eventful and alcohol-infused wedding in Queenstown, I turned a very hung-over shell of a human towards the mountains. My goal was a simple one, see as much of the South Island as I could in ten days, for as cheap as possible. This also had one caveat, I had to include as much hiking as possible.

Day one was a bust with the weather leaving me trapped in Queenstown however, the next morning my luck changed while hanging around the Parks office, a friendly trail runner offered me a lift to the Greenstone Caples trailhead, where I found my first hike. Glancing over a map I created a plan, hike the bottom half of the Greenstone Caples (just the Greenstone section) and hitchhike from the divide into Te Anua where I would catch up with a friend. I was purely gambling on the traffic to and from Milford Sound as my means of transport into town but that was a problem for later.  The trail would wind its way along the valley floor following the Greenstone River the trail's highest point is only at 993 metres and its lowest 323 metres with a distance of roughly 40 kilometres. Day one of the hike was glorious, the weather was warm, the scenery beautiful and imposing, and I was making good pace along the 12 km section to the first hut. On exiting the tree line at the bottom of the valley I was treated to an impressive view of the mountain range I would wind my way through. The Green Caples hut sat where two mountain valleys meet providing a wonderful spot to relax for the afternoon as I settled into a good book and a cuppa. My night was warm enough as New Zealand huts are very comfortable, however, the school, group next door took some settling. Fortunately, coffee is a wonderful rejuvenator and I was overtaking those who had spent the night in the hut with me the next morning. The next section to McKeller's hut was 18 kilometres long, following the river this section was more exposed as the river widened in the expansive valley. The weather had resumed its bleakness from days earlier however, this did not dampen spirits as it seemed only to dramatize the scenery. There were numerous boggy and forested sections as the trail skirted the edge of the mountain range, avoiding the necessity of crossing the river. The trail was well signposted and the terrain fairly flat however, the uneven rocky sections did slow my progress. My distaste for heights was tested on the trail with the crossing of one flimsy wire bridge, which I quickly dispatched (thankfully). Due to the miserable weather, I skipped lunch and smashed the 18 kilometres out by mid-afternoon, allowing me to put my feet up in front of the fire and tuck back into that book. The next morning, I left McKeller's hut with more rest than the day before especially as this last section was about 10kms. This section left behind the open grasslands of the valley floor and entered more forested areas that surrounded freshwater lakes. The trail also ascended to the divide between the Greenstone and Caples valleys. When I reached Lake Lowden, I left the Greenstone Caples track and tagged onto the end of the Routeburn. Mist surrounded me resulting in a very ominous hiking atmosphere, adding to my concerns of hitching a ride into Te Anua later that day. The track ascended quickly from the valley floor and then just as quickly descended to the main road to Milford Sound. The descent passed a side trail which led to a lookout which was surrounded by fog so it was about lunchtime I made it to the shelter at The Divide. I commenced the three-hour wait, hoping I could catch a Milford Sound visitor returning to Te Anua. Being fresh off the trail, I was not that appealing after three days of hiking. I was fortunate that a young Italian woman took pity on me and picked me up in her hire car.

Travel South Island New Zealand

Henry Davis 02.11.2023

In 1975 Tim Leatherman and his wife were travelling around Italy, a trip Tim saw as a journey that would help define the next stage in his life. On his travels, Tim noted ideas down on a pad, innovative ideas that he could build a career on. Fortunately for Leatherman fans, one of those ideas was to combine his scout's knife with a pair of pliers, an idea that would result in three years of rejections, stress and hard grit, eventually taking that simple idea and turning it into a reality.

Leatherman has grown over the years and continues to bring innovation to their products while staying true to their heritage. The new Free range takes the more traditional design and brings it forward into the modern era by using magnets to create an easy-to-use one-handed tool. It is efficient and close to hand but unfortunately, innovation costs. Following in price is the Wave, another wonderful toolbox that slides into your pocket. With 18 tools at hand, this palmed-sized mechanical wonder conceals as many useful implements as Mary Poppin's bag, however, I find the Wave too heavy for my taste. The Wave also spoils you for choice, leaving users sorting through an infinite array of tools to potentially find the correct one. The Wave is still easy to use in one hand and despite the number of tools that can be engaged with a flick of a finger, I still find it cumbersome and hefty sitting in the bottom of the pocket or on the belt.

The Wave and Free series are only a small portion of the Leatherman range, which consists of numerous models with differing iterations. Leatherman has the Signal for those inclined to go bush, or other lightweight tools like the Rebar, Curl, or Charge. For those who feel they were born into the wrong generation, one can go retro with the Limited PST edition based on the original. To be frank, Leatherman has a tool for every individual with tools for every job. This can make choosing the right one hard, and there is no right choice because you will end up wanting more than one, but I think I found one that suits most needs without damaging the wallet in both the financial and literal sense. My choice from the large list of pocket tools is the Leatherman Sidekick, it lives up to the cliché of a partner in crime. It meets its essential principle for efficient work, keep it simple. When it comes to working with machinery or hiking through the bush, the Sidekick will provide any of the necessary tools without unnecessarily weighing you down. The Sidekick also has a partner in the Leatherman range, the Wingman which only differs from the Sidekick by having scissors and a package opener however, I find it lacks in the great outdoors but might be better suited to urban environments.

Let us focus on the Sidekick for now. This stainless-steel pocket tool has 14 tools to hand all of which are built for a purpose, but the real winner is the spring-loaded pliers. The needle nose pliers capture the essence of what Tim set out to achieve, separating Leatherman from most other long-standing brands. This spring-loaded feature also makes it stand out from other Leatherman tools.  I will reach for the Leatherman as a pair of pliers over my purpose-built pair, especially as my Leatherman can fold away onto my belt and my standard pliers always end up never making it out to the job I am working on. It is convenient to have pliers close to hand as well as a sturdy stainless blade. A strong thick short blade is a must in any tool. A short blade offers plenty of control and a thick blade offers strength. My one grievance with the blade is that it is not the sharpest from the factory and does need a little run over the whetstone to get it razor-sharp. Once sharp I have found it easy to maintain and despite stainless being prone to chips the blade's contour makes it easy to sharpen them out. The steel itself is 420HC holds an edge rather well and sharpens easily. The blade is straight, without serrations but if you need a serrated blade, you can open the Sidekick and get out the little 420HC serrated blade, which comes sharp from the factory. It is also a great knife for doing delicate work in confined spaces. The serrations are handy however, for the lumberjack, the miniature saw is a better option. Now you will not be cutting down forests with this but for notching wood to slip a guide rope around, it proves to be useful. It is important to watch the tip of the knives, as tempting as it is to use a pry bar, it is not purpose-built for that task. That road bump is easily overcome by flicking the Sidekick open and digging the pry bar out with its handy file on the side and a small ruler on the other. This also doubles as a small flat head for those smaller screws. If you need more girth you can flick out the flathead screwdriver, which is a useful size and strong enough to act as a larger pry bar. Furthermore, no flat head is complete without a Philips head, which despite visually having more in common with a flat head, fits most Phillip head screws. After you have finished all your screwing you can crack open a cold one with the bottle opener which in true Leatherman fashion, doubles as a can opener. Attached to that same implement is also a wire stripper though I have yet to prefer it over a knife blade. The last tool that tops off the 14 is the lanyard ring, the only tool I have yet to find a use for, but I imagine it will present itself in the future.

The biggest winner with all Leatherman’s is their warranty. They are true to their 25-year warranty even if you beat the crap out of yours. They believe their product is built to last. So, when the spring went in my pliers while living in the UK, they fixed it within a few weeks. All I had to do was fill out a form and pay for postage. Simple! With this ethos and trust in their product, Leatherman becomes more than a tool but a partner in crime (please do not use your Leatherman for criminal activities though).

It is the simple fact that I used all tools on the list, excluding the lanyard ring, that I have come to prefer this Leatherman. It has yet to leave me wanting another tool attached to it. Most of the Leathermen range tend to be overachievers, a jack of all trades master of none. The Wave is guilty of this, especially as it is cumbersome and there are too many tools to choose from. Irrelevant of all the tools, the spring-loaded pliers were key to choosing this model over others. Yes, it was that much of a deal breaker. Furthermore, it takes up no room in my pack when hiking, and it fits snuggly on my belt when working around the farm or on an old 4WD. I still like a good set of pliers, a screwdriver, or a proper set of wire cutters but I will reach for the Leatherman when I need to get jobs done quickly. Out camping, the Sidekick is my toolbox! Fixing a breakdown on the side of the road, the Sidekick is always at hand. I no longer carry a can opener because I know the Leatherman will do it. The Sidekick is just a handy, pocket rocket to get you unstuck.

A Leatherman SIdekick review

Henry Davis  02.02.2022

It is now one too many times that someone has jested to me that a Land Rover will get you from A to B but a Toyota will get you back again. I have yet to not make it back home in a Land Rover, however, I will concede that a few times it may not have been completely in "working order". If you want something reliable, safe, comfortable and watertight many numerous options on the market will meet your needs. However, if you want something that leaves you with the biggest smile on your face, captures the attention of the old and the young and will get you from A to B (maybe even back again) then I strongly believe the options are slim. The Land Rover Defender as an entity comes with a proud institutional heritage but is accompanied by a cascade of criticism. I will concede that when it comes to the Land Rover Defender, they consistently rattle, they have wiring akin to a nest built by the three blind mice and are just downright temperamental, but I would not have it any other way. It is very easy to question the sanity of a defender owner, but when I see the smile a Land Rover places on its owner's face, I wonder if insanity might be worth it.

I am one of those unhinged individuals who own a 1996 300 TDI square bucket of bolts that has left me poor in wealth but smiling all the same.  I understand the sentiments of Chris Harris, Will Sabel Courtney of Gear Patrol and Henry Catchpole concerning the crucial flaws associated with the Land Rover Defender. Inspired by the sentiments of those who believe that it is idiotic to own a Land Rover Defender and propose that its flaws make it a vehicle almost impossible to live with, I argue that its flaws are only endearing. The Defender was and is considered a pinnacle of four-wheel drive capability and its impact was undeniably felt globally. Even here in Australia where Land Rovers can often be the butt of a joke, their impact was felt, however, not as widely appreciated. The Defender followed on from the County models of Land Rover, a stepping stone from the bare bones utilitarian series models to the barebones, utilitarian but slightly more plush Defender models.

In Australia, this period was also accompanied by the introduction of the Perentie, a military version of the County model which came in a 4x4 format and 6x6 and has been available on the second-hand market for some time now. From the County onwards there have been multiple engine and transmission combinations, all with their list of pros and cons but one constant that even harks back to the series models, is that body shape. That shape is unmistakable, it is one of the first vehicle designs to be seen by distant civilisations globally and has been featured on televisions for decades. If you ask a kindergarten kid to draw a car or a 4WD there is a fair chance their scribbles match that of the blueprint used in the construction of Land Rovers. Cool n Vintage's Ricardo Pessoa has acknowledged that one of the reasons why Land Rover's are so special is that they are extremely photographic despite their disproportions. They are classless, welcome at a shoot on a great British estate, not out of place in Monaco and at home crossing the Simpson desert. Like a good pair of shoes, they can be dressed up or down, they are the working man's tool or the rich boys' toy. However, underneath that rough exterior is a vehicle that has provided many hours of tinkering, modifying and frustration.

Old Land Rovers have allowed young individuals to cut their teeth in a mechanics trade, allowed those lost to find something to do and provided many hours of parental enjoyment working with their kids. But that is the point, you can keep them on the road with the most basic tools, a bit of bale twine and sheer persistence. Broken down in the bush? There is a good chance you can get the old bus going again. The hands-on approach leads to immense satisfaction associated with making a vehicle that never 'fails to fail', get going again. The majority of Land Rovers you see on the road have a story to tell, individual to their owner/owners making them ageless. They will be in and out of the shop their whole life, but their life is always long-lived and funded by an eager owner.

Since Land Rover announced the end of the road for the Defender in 2016, people have scrambled to get their hands on Countys, Perenties and Defenders driving the price sky high. I find this a pity as I have always seen the old Defenders and Perenties as the perfect vehicle for a young person to learn essential mechanical skills and access the Aussie bush. However, I might be slightly biased as a current owner. Despite the bar of entry being higher than it ought to be, their value will never drop. There is no danger of the Defender or its counterparts ever becoming extinct, as long as interest in the next generation remains. The community that Land Rover ownership has developed, those unhinged individuals, is a welcoming one. Pity and misery are best shared. I hope the passion evident in current owners carries forward to keep the vehicles going as they age on the road.

Defender 300tdi review/insight

Henry Davis 06.03.2022