Some morning brewing

April 10, 2026#backtothehills, #littlemonsters, #morningbrew, Brew kit, Camping/hiking gear, Cooksets, hiking/backpacking/camping, outdoorsDarren

Instead of several posts I decided to just do one big post instead.

I start off with a morning brew using my trusty Trangia burner, triangle stand, and kettle.

I’ve been using these paper pour over filters to make the coffee. They work better with deeper cups. I think they’d also work with loose tea. But not sure how well.

After walking the little monsters I decided to shake things up and make porridge on my Trangia setup using a BCB canteen cup. I used one of my over night oats packs I made for camping. I finished off the oats with some golden syrup (a little packet liberated from the breakfast bar at a premier inn).

Then this morning I decided to finally fire up my SEROTONIN Firefly Mini Stove with the Firefly Easy Pot Stand. It’s been sitting unused for months since getting it.

I used a BCB canteen cup with a third party metal lid.

I did see some of that gasification burn taking place. Which is always cool.

I like the little “table” for protecting the ground underneath and for collecting any hot ash. It’s the reason I went with this model over the Alpkit version of the earlier model. Plus the pot stand is nice.

I used slightly less wood than I did with the Firebox 5” stove to get a boil.

And finally I’m going to finish with some photos of the little monsters.

It’s been fun sitting outside with them, allowing them to enjoy the good weather.

Windy on the Beanstalk

April 8, 2026deck building, netrunnerDarren

I’ve finally built my first NSG Netrunner deck.

It’s a standard deck. Which means I have been able to choose cards from the following sets:

System Gateway
Elevation
Ashes Cycle
- Downfall
- Uprising
Borealis Cycle
- Midnight Sun
- Parhelion
Liberation Cycle
- The Automata Initiative
- Rebellion Without Rehearsal
Vantage Point

It’s also been built taking into account the Standard Ban List 26.03

Naturally my first deck was going to be an Anarch deck.

I went with Esâ Afontov because he causes the corp to sabotage cards when he takes core damage (the new name for brain damage).

This deck is all about that sabotage mechanic and trying to mill the corp.

In general corp decks are going to be around the 45 card plus mark. Taking into account the opening hand and first card draw from their first turn. The corp will have at least 39 cards in their R&D.

3 copies of Chastushka if successful sabotage 12 cards.

2 copies of Finality allow me to use my runners ability. Plus if successful I get to access 4 cards in R&D.

So just those five cards that put fourteen cards into archives. But they aren’t the only cards in my deck that have the sabotage keyword. There are another fourteen cards that have the sabotage keyword.

To help increase the amount I’m sabotaging the corp I have some cards like Harmony AR Therapy that allow me to get cards out of my heap back into my stack or even better to hand (Katorga Breakout).

I also have cards that increase my hand size. Which I need to do if I’m taking core damage.

Here is the complete deck list.

Esâ Afontov: Eco-Insurrectionist (Midnight Sun)

Event (16)
2x Harmony AR Therapy (Uprising) ••••• •
2x Sure Gamble (System Gateway)
3x Chastushka (Midnight Sun)
2x Finality (Parhelion)
3x Katorga Breakout (Parhelion)
2x Strike Fund (The Automata Initiative)
2x Scrounge (Elevation)

Hardware (9)
1x Demolisher (Downfall)
1x Buffer Drive (Uprising) •
2x T400 Memory Diamond (System Gateway)
2x Marrow (Midnight Sun)
3x Time Bomb (Parhelion)

Resource (10)
2x Cookbook (System Gateway)
3x Avgustina Ivanovskaya (Midnight Sun)
2x Light the Fire! (Midnight Sun)
3x Cacophony (Elevation)

Icebreaker (6)
2x Buzzsaw (System Gateway)
2x Num (Parhelion)
2x Rising Tide (Elevation)

Program (14)
2x Chisel (Downfall)
2x Botulus (System Gateway)
2x Fermenter (System Gateway)
2x Leech (System Gateway)
1x Hush (Parhelion)
3x Nga (Parhelion)
2x Monkeywrench (The Automata Initiative)

7 influence spent (max 15, available 8)
55 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Elevation

Ideally I’d like to be hitting 45 cards in total. But at the moment I don’t know what I can cut. Play testing will help with that. So at the moment I’m trying to find someone to play the corp starter decks for me to test against.

I’m curious if mill is a thing in Netrunner.

Morning brew 7Apr26

April 7, 2026#backtothehills, #morningbrew, Brew kit, Camping/hiking gear, Cooksets, hiking/backpacking/camping, outdoorsDarren

“One from the vaults…” Frankenfurter

Today’s brew was made using a stove from my stove archives (2008) and is a real blast from the past. This stove is called the gram weenie!
This whole setup is about 110g if memory doesn’t fail me.
Yes that is an American Heineken tin as the pot, and chicken wire as the pot stand.
The stove has a wick inside, not sure what the stove is made from. I think the base from some small aerosol can if I was to hazard a guess.
I can’t remember who made the stove, but they are a genius.

Here is a video I did 17 years ago of the stove.

You are not going to be doing anything but boil water with this setup. Plus it’s not the most bombproof of setups. Well the burner might be. But the rest.

It’s a fun stove for the ultra light.

Morning brew 6Apr26

April 6, 2026#morningbrew, Brew kit, Camping/hiking gear, Cooksets, hiking/backpacking/camping, outdoorsDarren

This morning I brewed up using the Polymath Phantom. Which is the perfect meths burner to use with the BCB Crusader Mk1.

I really like the Mk1 as a complete system. I particularly like the stove firm factor. Sadly it doesn’t work with the Trangia without using a stand of some kind to put the canteen on.

However it’s not the end of the road because the Phantom, Speedster, or just the Fire Dragon fuel blokes can be used with it.

I’m trying to think why. But I’m becoming a big fan of canteen cups. I just like using them to cook or boil.

Even if I didn’t use the water bottle and mug from the Mk1, and took just the stove and canteen cup. The burner, fuel, lid, plus stuff for the brew would all fit in the canteen cup.

Ok would it be as light as say a similar set up with titanium pots etc? There wouldn’t be much in it I’d imagine.

Is it the form factor? Do I prefer the shape of the canteen cup over the “traditional” round pot? I think I do.

The only thing I’d change about this setup? I’d prefer a metal lid to the plastic one.

Operation A Dog Named Sue! #10

April 6, 2026#littlemonsters, #livefromperuDarren

This is technically both an Ace update and a Diogo update.

But primarily it’s to share a couple of recent videos of Ace.

The I spoil you with one of the most brutal videos you will ever see. Forget the Dare Devil corridor fight scene, John Wick, or the bus fight from Nobody. They look like kids fighting with foam weapons compared to what you are about to watch.

For your viewing pleasure I managed to capture two duelling Jedi, it’s brutal to watch. You have been warned.

Morning brew 5Apr26

April 5, 2026#morningbrewDarren

Easter Sunday and my morning coffee today was made using my Kelly Kettle Trekker.
I always use my KK on the support that comes with it to protect whatever is underneath from the heat. It works really well using it like this.
Yes lots of people will use it to heat/boil/fry while the water is boiling on top of the KK. I’m not one of them. For me using it that way is pointless. Considering how fast this thing boils the pot isn’t on long enough to do anything really of use. Plus it blocks up feeding the wood from the top.

This stove is so fuel efficient when boiling water. I used so little wood. I didn’t even use any of the birch chunks I cut yesterday.
On a side note I love the hobo stove attachment. It’s such a simple addition to the stove to make it useful for more than just boiling water.

I love the simplicity of this wood burning stove with it.

Morning brew 4Apr26

April 4, 2026#backtothehills, #morningbrew, Brew kit, Camping/hiking gear, Cooksets, hiking/backpacking/camping, outdoorsDarren

I started off this morning “processing” some kindling (bought from a garage ages ago) and chopping up a couple of small birch branches I’d picked up on previous walks. The tool I used for this today was my Swiss Army Ranger Grip 55 knife.

Either of the two Mora knives I have could have been used for the kindling, and I could have used my Silky Pocketboy to saw the birch. However the one knife I know that is always in the bag for sure is the Ranger Grip 55. The reason I went for it was the size, and the saw blade. So if it can’t be used to “process” wood or saw branches it’s no good. Yes it’s a back up, but it’s also potentially the main tool as well. This was a good test. It wasn’t lots. Just enough for a fire or two. The branches were cut into chunks that could be used with both Firebox stoves.

The “processing” of the wood was not just for another day. My second brew of the morning was going to be made with my new Firebox G2 5” stove. The stove arrived at the same time as the titanium box pot.

It’s my first time using it since it arrived just over a week ago (if my memory serves me right, it might be slightly longer). This stove will be my go to stove when camping with the car. Backpacking it’s the titanium Nano G2 everyday.

I used one of my home made fire starters to start the fire. You can see in the photo below how much of the kindling I used. Add a couple of bits of the birch and that’s all the wood used to get water boiling. That’s not a lot of wood at all.

The canteen cup is a BCB British Army one. The cups handles meant it had to sit high on the stove.

I have to say I do like the leather wallets Firebox do for their stoves. They add to the experience, almost a retro, old world vibe.

Obviously once the whole brew thing is over the main draw back of using a wood burning stove is the soot on whatever pot/canteen you are using. Well soot gets everywhere. So it’s best to wipe off as much soot as possible with a damp cloth/sponge once everything is cool. And that’s exactly what I did.

No doubt about it a fun way to start the day with.

Getting all young and trendy!

April 3, 2026life, the universe, and everythingDarren

In the past I’ve never really been one to stick stickers on things like water bottles.

Since I’ve been watching the “modern” outdoors YouTubers, mainly American ones like Miranda Goes Outdoors, I’ve noticed they plaster stickers all over things.

So I thought since I have the MGO water bottle that Miranda designed (it’s a pretty good design) that I’d follow her lead and sticker up my water bottle.

The photo below shows the stickers it has on it so far. Plus nicely shows the two stickers I had made for this blog and Fenland Gamers.

Oh the top sticker is the one I got with the Parks second edition kickstarter.

Do you plaster stickers over your gear?

LiveFromPeru Part 12

April 2, 2026#littlemonsters, #livefromperuDarren

Monday saw Diogo and myself have our first session with the dog trainer.

It was an hour long session at home where we worked on Diogos barking in excitement at going on a walk.

This session saw us getting through a pack of dog treats. It wasn’t only Diogo getting the treat as part of his training. Every time Diogo got something Dolly was also there expecting, nay demanding she had one to. Once he cottoned on to what was happening Loki also wanted in on the action.

Diogo did really well. Although it did tire him.

Our next session is in just over a couple of weeks and will be in a local paddock where we will work on Diogo’s reaction to other dogs while on the lead.

Obviously in the meantime Diogo has homework of about 15 minutes a day going over what we practiced in the session. Plus I’m using the stuff getting ready for our walks.

Things are improving.

Morning brew 2Apr26

April 2, 2026#backtothehills, #morningbrew, Brew kit, Camping/hiking gear, Cooksets, hiking/backpacking/camping, outdoorsDarren

On this overcast, damp morning it was the turn of the Speedster Stoves 30ml Spill Proof Meths/Alcohol Burner to be used with the Fire Maple Lotus Titanium Solid Fuel Stove to make the mornings brew.
It’s a great combo that works well.
I should point out in the UK that we cannot use the intended fuel with this stove. The Fire Dragon fuel is not a good combo with this stove with the slots in the base. So this makes a great light, compact base for something like this speedster stove.
The pot is a Trangia small mess tin, which not only holds the stove setup above but also the Trangia small mess tin insert cover, the Trangia multi disc for the small mess tin, a third party chopping board (not decided which I like the most yet), a small Nalgene bottle for fuel.
All this is stored in the Trangia roll top cover for the small mess tin.
I like this as a grab and go brew kit. Mind you it’s not the only one I have. I like options so I can choose on the day. I’m weird like that. I let my mood on the day choose what stove set up I use. Along with my intended use. Some setups are better for just boiling water, while others are more flexible on what they allow you to do.