Minimising to Essentials

[yonny]

15 minutes ago, elmoputney said:

That's what I do every year

Standard operating procedure innit......

[elmoputney]

2 hours ago, yonny said:

Standard operating procedure innit......

I'm starting to like my non essential car bag idea tbh, i could leave my net, unhooking mat, scales, camera,rods & reels  pretty much everything I don't need to not catch fish, might as well just park up and sleep in my bivvy, game changer 😂 

[bluelabel]

Korum opportunist mat bag, 2 rod quiver with landing net and brolly, chair... Job done... 

My back and osteoporosis has called time on overnighters now so I have to travel light... 

Does tickle me the amount of gear we lug about...

[framey]

It’s the mats that do my swede in…

blooming cumbersome unwieldy things.

didn’t worry about it in the 80’s and early 90’s lol

my latest try is a Aqua atom self inflating one…

Probably got 20 mats of different t types and sizes in the shed

Edited April 1 by framey

[Roughtor]

10 hours ago, yonny said:

Nah, you're doing it all wrong fella. The correct way is to clear it all out in spring, then slowly add it all back in, plus more, over the course of the year 😅

Yeah it's tricky to justify hauling stainless around nowadays with such decent ali, carbon and titanium stuff available. The obvious answer is your mrs buys you some new stuff 😅

Good advice Yonny,looking at carbon stuff now...😊

[salokcinnodrog]

19 hours ago, Roughtor said:

One thing I won't get rid of is my original lockey stainless ,my wife bought it for me ,so I appreciate it even today ,when there is much light options ..to be honest ,much of my inspiration comes from the Bushcraft/wild camping crowd,they seem to have it down with minimalist ideas 

 

10 hours ago, yonny said:

Yeah it's tricky to justify hauling stainless around nowadays with such decent ali, carbon and titanium stuff available.

I must admit I do like my Solar P1 pod and sticks, with the buzzer bar adaptors so I don't have to use the full pod. The buzzers stay on the bars unless I go single sticks, so the pod carry bag is handy.

I did have an aluminium pod years ago, a decent Dragon item (!), but discovered stainless locking screws would wear out aluminium threads, so went to stainless. I have a horrible feeling that I would break carbon.

 

51 minutes ago, framey said:

It’s the mats that do my swede in…

blooming cumbersome unwieldy things.

didn’t worry about it in the 80’s and early 90’s lol

my latest try is a Aqua atom self inflating one…

Probably got 20 mats of different t types and sizes in the shed

My first unhooking mat was a baby changing mat that I covered in green parachute cloth. I tend to leave the big Monster Mat in the shed and use my Chub mat, which doubles up as Sky's bed if she wants it.

The fold up mats were a game changer, I could strap it to the rucksack, now they are mahoosive.

[elmoputney]

1 hour ago, framey said:

It’s the mats that do my swede in…

blooming cumbersome unwieldy things.

didn’t worry about it in the 80’s and early 90’s lol

my latest try is a Aqua atom self inflating one…

Probably got 20 mats of different t types and sizes in the shed

I wouldn't not have a decent mat though as much as its massive, on the odd occasion I do catch something I want to know it's well protected. 

[jh92]

11 hours ago, elmoputney said:

I wouldn't not have a decent mat though as much as its massive, on the odd occasion I do catch something I want to know it's well protected. 

I use mine to carry some bits as well 👍it takes a groundsheet, pegs and sling🤣

[greekskii]

1 hour ago, jh92 said:

I use mine to carry some bits as well 👍it takes a groundsheet, pegs and sling🤣

This is why I like my walled mat. So much lives in it when it’s on the barrow or being carried. Throwing stick, distance sticks, collapsible bucket, any loose items pretty much. 
 

ideal if stalking too as you can just throw loads in it and off you walk. 

[greekskii]

On minimal kit, I take the same basic kit whether I’m doing 1 night or 4, more bait and more food but everything else is the same pretty much.
I could probably cut down further, and likely will this year for a new water with long barrow journeys. However all my kit fits on the barrow so nothing on my back. 
Under Barrow bag with spares and other things like sack, tripod, etc. bedchair on top, rucksack, food bag and unhooking mat on top, rods on top of it all. 
 

I’m like a few of you, I have loads of bits of end tackle I never use but just keep in the tackle box because of the dreaded “you never know” that hasn’t happened for 5 years+ 😂 need to sort that out this year! 

[salokcinnodrog]

13 hours ago, elmoputney said:

I wouldn't not have a decent mat though as much as its massive, on the odd occasion I do catch something I want to know it's well protected. 

 

2 hours ago, jh92 said:

I use mine to carry some bits as well 👍it takes a groundsheet, pegs and sling🤣

 

58 minutes ago, greekskii said:

This is why I like my walled mat. So much lives in it when it’s on the barrow or being carried. Throwing stick, distance sticks, collapsible bucket, any loose items pretty much. 
 

ideal if stalking too as you can just throw loads in it and off you walk. 

If I am barrowing my gear to the swim, yep, The Monster Cabrio mat definitely does make a good tackle carry on the barrow, but with the back and hip problems lifting fish up causes so much pain as I have to reach over and down, so the standard Chub mat is the one.

 

57 minutes ago, greekskii said:

I’m like a few of you, I have loads of bits of end tackle I never use but just keep in the tackle box because of the dreaded “you never know” that hasn’t happened for 5 years+ 😂 need to sort that out this year

I said that, then when I tried to go to just 'essentials', or the 'never know', I suddenly found that I needed them, so back came the tackle box. 

You know the one, 'I've got spare identical rigs in the rig bin', so you rely on them, then run out after a few fish, or blunting hooks, so you retie some more on the bank. Then there is the occasional of 'I'm sure they are sussing it', so you tie something completely different.

[yonny]

8 hours ago, greekskii said:

On minimal kit, I take the same basic kit whether I’m doing 1 night or 4, more bait and more food but everything else is the same pretty much.

Same.

 

[Roughtor]

18 hours ago, framey said:

It’s the mats that do my swede in…

blooming cumbersome unwieldy things.

didn’t worry about it in the 80’s and early 90’s lol

my latest try is a Aqua atom self inflating one…

Probably got 20 mats of different t types and sizes in the shed

What do people think.of those pop up walled mats ,like the Carper,or NGT,Korum and Fox versions ..?

 

I quite like the look of the Carper version with handles ..

[Roughtor]

1 hour ago, yonny said:

Same.

Spot on ,exactly the same as well..

 

If I do more than a 24 I got a lidl cool bag that I leave in my car as a hub ,is that the right word lol,so I return to it every 24 hrs ,

 

Also water is really heavy ,so I only carry 2 litres, so I have back up or use a farmers tap ,I also use on occasion a sawyer water filter ,but only now and then ...

[jh92]

19 minutes ago, Roughtor said:

What do people think.of those pop up walled mats ,like the Carper,or NGT,Korum and Fox versions ..?

 

I quite like the look of the Carper version with handles ..

I've got the older version of this

https://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/sonik-bank-tek-unhooking-cradle?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwwLO_BhB2EiwAx2e-3yno14iH5CajoaE3702KPdYpQ_02gpsqOtzE1fkvA_KY62lR_nS8DRoCNh8QAvD_BwE

Brilliant bit of kit, I use it to carry all sorts of kit 🤣

[kevtaylor]

20 hours ago, Roughtor said:

Good advice Yonny,looking at carbon stuff now...😊

Jag Black is decent, worth a look - got it all cannot fault!

[salokcinnodrog]

4 hours ago, Roughtor said:

Also water is really heavy ,so I only carry 2 litres,

1litre of water is 1 kilogram, so yes, that's a fair weight. I do always keep water in the car, a 5litre container for Sky so if she needs it on a walk or drive she has it available. That's my usual backup when we are fishing. Stupid thing is fresh water in the bowl is often ignored, and she has a preference for lake water.

 

[Roughtor]

These just turned up 

[framey]

1 hour ago, Roughtor said:

These just turned up 

Pfft 

nescafe 2 in 1 

used to be 3 in 1 but without the sugar it’s less weight now 😜 

if I want a tea it will be QT lol

[Roughtor]

I like those 3 in ones n all ,cept I find having a wee,wee a lot ,after drinking them ...lol

 

Oh dear

[framey]

2 hours ago, Roughtor said:

I like those 3 in ones n all ,cept I find having a wee,wee a lot ,after drinking them ...lol

 

Oh dear

Good for the kidneys to have a flush through lol

[Roughtor]

I'm looking at the speed flex pop up bivvy/shelter for overnight sessions ,instead of using my MHR brollies..

 

Or a fox or quest version ...see how it goes ..

[yonny]

18 hours ago, Roughtor said:

I'm looking at the speed flex pop up bivvy/shelter for overnight sessions ,instead of using my MHR brollies..

Not sure it's worth it mate. The Speedflex is 4.5 KG vs the 3.75 KG of the MHR.

Might save you 30 seconds set-up time but not sure that's worth the extra kilo.

[Roughtor]

I think your right Yonny ,I gotta reign that bivvy fetishism in 😊

[yonny]

7 minutes ago, Roughtor said:

I gotta reign that bivvy fetishism in 😊

Me too.... I bought a Pioneer Ultralight last year.... not used it once.... it's just sitting there.

Like you I chase the weight. I'm always looking to save a few grams here or there (in fact I just bought a titanium cup for silly money (🤦‍♂️).... that's how anal about weight I am). I have several shelters but I always use either the mk1 Tempest Brolly or mk1 Lo Pro.. just because they're light. I still have an original Supa Brolly kicking about somewhere... also mega light.

One thing that winds me up.... as new versions are released (Tempest mk2 and RS, Lo Pro mk2 etc etc) they ALWAYS put on weight. Thicker material etc. I hate that!