Twin Peaks

Our friends at KEEN have launched a new hybrid hiking boot fit for outdoor play and urban exploration

KEEN Feldberg WP in anthracite grey suede; £140

When we heard that KEEN’s new hiking boot was being named after two famous mountains in Germany, we started to take notice. The two peaks – the highest mountain in the Black Forest and a popular urban climb on the outskirts of Frankfurt – give a clue as to what the Feldberg is all about: grappling rugged peaks in the wilds and treading asphalt on the high street. 

The Feldberg Mid WP (£140) is essentially a hybrid hiker – a versatile, European-made book that epitomises the duality of our outdoor lifestyles. Since their inception in Portland 2003, KEEN have focused on crafting innovative, hybrid outdoor footwear – boots, shoes and sandals that perform just well in the asphalt jungle as they do on hill treks. 

The Feldberg is positioned firmly in this compelling ‘hybrid’ space. It is for those of us who embrace curious and adventurous lifestyles – who invite exploration into our everyday lives, see just as much potential in an urban ramble on the streets of Manchester as an overnight camp in the Peak District, and who like to stay curious about the discoveries on our doorsteps.

The boot is available in two colours – a rather handsome earthy brown nubuck leather or an anthracite grey suede with dashing red laces. Both styles are made with a highly breathable KEEN.Dry® waterproof membrane, providing reliable protection against the elements, and are identical in terms of fit and comfort. A closer look reveals…

A waterproof, breathable membrane
Direct inject PU midsole for long-lasting comfort
Robust, strong metal eyelets and classic lacing
An integrated heel cushion to maximise step-in comfort and shock absorption
Optimum grip and durability in the rubber outsole

If you’re after a durable, versatile hiking boot, this is definitely one to look out for this autumn!

Follow KEEN's Feldberg adventures using hashtag #feldbergiswhereyoustand.

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We’re partnering with KEEN in issue five and six of Ernest Journal. Meet Laura Kennington – everyday adventurer, kayaker, sea swimmer and circumnavigator of islands – and hear about her journeys with the UNEEK sandal in issue five (Aug 2016). Delve into the stories behind the Feldberg in issue six (Jan 2017), and keep an eye out for more stories and a chance to win hybrid kit on the Ernest blog throughout autumn and winter. 

Feldberg Mid WP, £140, keenfootwear.com. Read more about the KEEN story in the Ernest Journal directory.

Kit review: the Onja Stove Duo from Primus

ITV's Coast and Country presenter and founder of Dryad Bushcraft Andrew Price puts his outdoor cooking know-how to the test on the new Onja Stove Duo from Primus while adventuring on the Gower Peninsula

Primus Onja Stove Duo, complete with oak board and utensil roll, RRP £105

Back in the 1980s, when I first showed an interest in camping, my friend’s father gave me an ancient brass camping stove in a rusty tin box to help get me started. The thing hadn’t been used in decades so I eagerly polished the tarnished fuel tank to a mirror shine with Brasso before marching up to my local ironmongers to buy some paraffin. In those days paraffin was sold by the gallon, and since I didn’t have a container my friendly ironmonger sold me a jam jar full of the stuff for 10p along with a new leather washer, and sent me on my way. 

When I got home I filled the fuel tank with paraffin, and with the help of my friend’s dad I changed the old and perished washer for the lovely new one, unscrewed the pressure release valve, primed the pre heater with methylated spirits and lit it with a match. Just before the meths had completely burned away I re-tightened the pressure release valve and apprehensively began to pump the stove. Within seconds it roared to life with a noise reminiscent of a Vulcan bomber ready for takeoff. Magic.

That was an old Primus no.23 stove, and it served my friends and I very well for years. It could boil a pot of water in a few minutes, and with its thunderous roar and bright blue flame it never failed to get the job done, whatever the weather.

Over 100 years of craftsmanship

Primus have been making camping stoves since 1892, and they’ve played a vital role in practically every significant expedition of the 20th Century, from Scott’s ill-fated South Pole expedition, to the first successful ascent of Everest.  

The Onja stove from Primus continues in that great Swedish tradition of quality and practicality, all packaged into a compact two burner design that offers a lot of versatility for the wilderness gourmet. One burner is fine if you’re making tea or thawing out some pemmican on the frozen wastes of Antarctica, but if you want to sauté asparagus while pan frying a couple of freshly caught seabass fillets, two burners is definitely the way to go.

The Onja Stove Duo is the most compact two burner stove in the Primus range, and with its neat folding design and handy shoulder strap you can take it anywhere, from a picnic in your local park to an extended canoe trip in Scotland. In its folded state it can easily be mistaken for a messenger bag, and it only weighs 3kg.

The stove uses Primus bottled gas in either 100g, 230g or 450g sizes, and each burner has a separate fuel source so you will need two bottles of gas to power both burners. The gas isn’t supplied with the stoves, but they are available in outdoor shops all over the country, so resupply shouldn’t be an issue unless you’re in the middle of nowhere. The gas bottles can be carried fitted to the stove so they are out of the way. 

A thing of beauty and practicality

Heat can be adjusted precisely with the neat folding steel switches, and I had no problems using it to boil water or gently simmer a pan of soup. The sturdy steel construction is very stable and the burners are at a very useful height for cooking while sitting cross legged on the ground, or on a table top.

The lid of the stove top is a beautifully polished oak board, which can be used as a chopping board or as a level surface for a couple of glasses of Chablis. The features in brass, leather and fabric are a nostalgic reminder of its Primus heritage, so typically Swedish.

Combined with the Primus campfire stainless steel cook set, utensil roll and a bit of imagination, this stove should give you many memorable outdoor dining experiences.

Andrew carries the Onja stove packed up neatly like a messenger bag

Primus Onja Stove Duo, £105. To locate a store near you, visit primus.eu/storelocater. For more about the story behind Primus, read our Q&A in the Ernest directory. 

Andrew has worked as an outdoor pursuits instructor for over 20 years, teaching rock climbing, abseiling, gorge walking, coasteering, kayaking and canoeing, before specialising in bushcraft and survival skills through his company Dryad Bushcraft. He's also presenter of ITV's Coast and Country.

dryadbushcraft.co.uk

Issue five is on sale now!

We're thrilled to announce that issue five of Ernest Journal hits the shelves this week and it's a corker of an issue, exploring the interconnected themes of time travel, slow journeys and solar exploration. Read on for more about what's in store and order a copy today...

24-page guide to Vancouver Island

Seek out old growth forests and storm-battered beaches in Tofino, before exploring a puzzle of islands characterized by fiercely independent and resourceful people and a finely balanced ecosystem.

Curious histories

Enter the unruly world of made-up languages; meet the small cryonics community striving for immortality; conduct time traveling experiments in your sleep and explore everyday tales of radiation. 

Spaces

Meet the photographer capturing every RNLI station in Britain using a Victorian photographic technique; learn about the humble geologist and map maker that changed the world, and explore time bending images that have been painstakingly restored to change the way we think about the past.

Slow adventure

Seek out simple shelter in the mountain bothies of the northwest Highlands; follow in the footsteps of The Peregrine author JA Baker, and journey with Tres Hombres as she ploughs across the Atlantic, carrying cocoa and barrel-aged rum in her wooden belly to herald the start of a new slow cargo movement.

Timeless style

Chart the evolution of British style through the post-war era of burgeoning café culture, modernist architecture and rock’n’roll, and explore the social history of the fisherman’s smock. 

Workmanship

Pick up the journey of an antiques restorer who plies his trade on the open road; explore the practice of solargraphy, a long exposure technique that records the path of our sun, and discover a movement that sees artists, perfumers and chefs blend their practice to create intriguing multi-sensory experiences.

Wild food

Unravel the history of the vindaloo; reimagine the strange, unsettling, yet magical recipes of The Futurist Cookbook with Bompas & Parr, and gather wild plants from the forest floor to make your own herbal first aid kit.

Issue 5

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The vampire squid

Imagine this thing leaping on your face during a late-night skinny dip. The vampire squid is a strange, finned octopod, black with large red eyes and two luminous organs glowing on its back. It was discovered in the early 1900s and given the name Vampyroteuthis infernalis – the vampire squid from Hell...

Images courtesy of Opulent Oceans, by Melanie LJ. Stiassny, published by Sterling 

Vampire squid have been found in temperate and tropical oceans, living at depths between 600 and 900 metres. We now know they're not true squid and are also not vampires – in fact, they are the only known celaphod that is not an active predator. It feeds on detritus (the remains and waste of marine organisms) that rains down from the surface waters. It collects this ‘marine snow’ in mucous produced by a pair of modified arms; and forms it into balls of food that are passed into the mouth and ingested. Just heavenly.  

You can hang a fine print of the vampire squid up in your bathroom, along with other vintage prints of marine creatures, including sea urchins, jellyfish and whales, which come with the new book Opulent Oceans, published by Stirling.  

Opulent Oceans is published by Sterling. The stunning book includes essays and accounts from early naturalists and comes with 40 frameable art prints of sea creatures. You can order a copy from easternbiological.co.uk; £38

Ernest curates: beauty in simplicity

Enjoy Ernest's curation of carefully-crafted things for the home, made in Britain and Ireland, from Simple Shape

The (Not Just For) Bread Basket
Woven in willow, this basket is simple, practical, beautifully made and will last for a very long time. £34

Elliott Ceramic Cup 
Simply stunning hand-thrown cups. The stain is worked into the clay leaving a delicate marbled pattern. £24 each

Jono Smart ‘Centre’ Egg Cup
This slate-black egg cup will cradle a large egg beautifully, but its architectural design may steal the breakfast table limelight! £15

405 Line Blanket
A statement piece, not an over statement. The monochrome palette is reversible, woven in 100% wool in Wales. £320

Ash Trivet
Each ash segment in this trivet is carved and linked together by hand. An aesthetic object that will protect your table. £70

BTU Studio Glass Cylinder 
A hand-blown glass cylinder threaded with white glass strands.  £50

Sue Pryke Charcoal Pourer
A jug for milk, cream or whatever you fancy, handmade by Leicestershire potter Sue Pryke. Simple. Gorgeous. £25

Wooden Owl Toy
This stackable owl is skillfully designed and beautifully made by Saturday Workshop in Dublin. For children big and small. £30

Mr Badger & Mr Fox
Wonderful creatures handmade by textile artist Mimi Soan. They are lightly weighted so they stand up tall. £65 each

Jigsaw Food Board
Whether your dining setting is formal or relaxed, chic or rustic, these boards will look striking as the centre piece. £30 

READER OFFER: Ernest readers receive a 10% discount with Simple Shape – just quote ‘Ernest10’ at the checkout. Discover more simple yet beautiful craftsmanship at simple-shape.com 

This is a sponsored blog post in collaboration with Simple Shape. To find out more about advertising with us or joining our Directory, email advertise@ernestjournal.co.uk