Even as a kid, I thought slingshots were cool. I made them from forked branches, post-office rubber bands, and a scrap of leather. I’d shoot pebbles and marvel at the power of such a simple tool. Years later, when my bushcraft and survival hobby took off, I discovered more powerful hunting slingshots. UK bushcrafters fitted … Continue Reading
May 1st, 2025 I spent a night in the woods with my nephews Luca (13) and Renzo (12) in Lelystad, The Netherlands. We made a campfire, cooked some food, shot our slingshots, explored the forest and slept under tarps. Good fun and this time nobody had to be picked up at night by my parents … Continue Reading
January 13 to March 31, 2025, I was for the second time in Bansko, Bulgaria, for 2.5 months. Besides daily skiing in Bansko’s ski resort, I did ten sweet ski tours in Pirin and Rila National Parks with Patty, Kiwi Mark, James, Paul, and others. Some tours were guided by Nikolay and Pavel of Split … Continue Reading
I’ve been doing quite some streetfishing in Amsterdam this year, mainly for predatory fish like Perch, Pike and Zander (Dutch: Baars, Snoek and Snoekbaars). To protect your main line from Pike biting through it, or from sharp objects under water, it’s smart to use a leader which is stronger. You can buy ready-made fishing leaders … Continue Reading
In 2023, I went on remote working trips in Madeira, Tenerife and Cape Town, South Africa. These places have beautiful nature and because I like hiking, I went on many day hikes in the hills. After about 20 of them, I had developed a little preparation routine that might be useful for other hikers too. … Continue Reading
Sep. 1st to Oct. 30th, 2023, I was working remotely for two months in Cape Town, South Africa. Bordering the city is Table Mountain National Park which stretches from Cape Town in the north to Cape of Good Hope in the south. The park includes the iconic Table Mountain (1,086 m) overlooking the city and … Continue Reading
June 12th to July 12th, 2023, I was working remotely for a month on Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, off West Africa. It includes Mount Teide (a 3,718 m high dormant volcano) and the nature preserves Anaga (in the East) and Teno (in the West). The subtropical island has dramatically different landscapes depending … Continue Reading
14 April to 14 May 2023 I was working remotely for a month on Madeira, a Portuguese island off the northwest coast of Africa. It’s a stunning subtropical place with great mountains and beautiful nature. I did five hikes there (total distance: 55 km). Here are some photos. Hikes Name Dist. Gain Route on Strava … Continue Reading
TREK REPORT 11-17 March 2023, I went on a 6-day ski tour and freeride week in Switzerland with the Dutch mountaineering club NKBV. We were based in the Heidelberger Hütte (2.262 m), just over the Swiss border near the Austrian town of Ischgl. Everyday the group of 16 participants + 3 Dutch instructors was divided … Continue Reading
This how-to post consists of two parts. This first part contains general information on how to prepare for a nature trek. The second part is a checklist called a TrekDoc (with sample data) that you can fill out in preparation for your own trek. IntroductionGoal of your trekWhere to goWhen to goTrekking routeFitnessWeightWater & foodSleepingWashing … Continue Reading
