Nappa soft leather Philippi Churchill wallet with cigar tube holder, cigar cutter and cognac heavy stainless steel tube flasks. Cigar inside the tube is a single ‘Christmas ready’ very mild Havana. Sir Winston Churchill style. Last Christmas cigar treat was a simple Café Crème. Cuban cigar choice is always far too much dosh! No smoking at all this year. My pipe still sits forlornly in the VeeDub (camper van) glove box. When the glove box gets opened to grab at the chamois window cloth an aromatic cherry tobacco odour and vanilla essential oil soaked into a felt cloth escapes. Even more for a Christmas treat? Fill the tubular ‘cognac’ flask. But with single malt whisky…… awaiting choice.
Zippo brass lighter to start the aromatic cigar. And maybe the candle under the metal burner dish for housing Frankincense and Myrrh resins that impart their wonderful winter linked aromas into the Christmas joyful atmosphere. And the Trangia hikers’ spirit burner to light up too.
Jack Daniels hip flask. Again awaiting alcohol inclusion. Haven’t touched alcohol all year so must be careful to take slowly at Christmas. Those four little tot drinking vessels means sharing. And the little funnel means no spilling on filling.
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Rite in the Rain pad and pencil and Cammenga compass for a jaunt over the festive season. The backpack has been prepared for the small, hopefully, winter snow white hike. Inside the backpack is a Trangia burner and appropriate utensils. A simple strong coffee can be brewed in a well chosen spot. A few mince pies or slices of Christmas cake to share with family or friends present. Or maybe a stranger well met too. Spirit of the Festive Season and all that!
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Various fountain pens, Visconti cartridges, bottle of Sheaffer black ink housed in a vintage Stephens 1930s ink glass bottle inside an aluminium Stephens Art Deco screw protection travel ink bottle container from the same 1930s period. Awaiting the Diamine cartridge choices to arrive in the post for more colour choice in Christmas card writing. Ancient Copper, Maroon, Chocolate Brown, and Majestic and Sapphire Blues sound colour perfect. Continue writing with the old Typhoo Tea fountain pen for a few weeks to bed it in. Make it feel at home with the others. It can’t take the Diamine cartridges, but may like a festive red and green Sheaffer ink from a bottle choice.
Ungaro and Khadi Paper small journals to grab and record the words that change Cold winter thoughts to Warm keepsake memories.
Depose late 1800s/19thcentury brass plated nickel medical folding magnifying glass. The glass is in great condition for it’s age. Used by French Physicians/Practitioners. As a staff nurse I simply wanted one because of the practitioner connections. Folding is also ideal for the musette man-bag. Kept protected in a soft leather case.
Booze and Baccy eau de cologne. A spice driven winter choice that shouts out bay rum, zesty orange and bergamot combined with luxurious base notes of honey fresh tobacco leaves, aromatic frankincense, maple-like benzoin and warm vanilla bean. These are layered with mid notes of fresh galbanum, white thyme and coriander. (The ingredients here are not from my ‘nose’ identifying them, but taken from the Captain Fawcett site). Splendid aromatic stuff to wake up the slumbering limbic senses. Makes you feel somehow special and all grown up too.
MP3 player (currently housed in the VeeDub) playing a choice of Christmas songs with the type of headphones here for Bluetooth connection or wire plug in. Nice to keep the ears warm too. May go earbud RockJaw, but the warmer choice is thumbs up at present. They are also extending to go over a beanie. Talking of the beanie.
The Universal Works wonderful and splendid beanie, finally owned after years of wanting one. A 100% woollen treasure for the colder weather that now affects my thinner hair presence. My crown of head has gone all tonsure driven in the form of a monastic crown related to religious devotional style. My inner voice shouts out the reality though. ‘Told you so! This is what happens when you’ve lived with too much work related past stress!’ My inner thoughts often whisper in a logical voice that far outweighs my outer spoken dream driven one at times.
Hey ho! This tip-tap-typed nonsense passed the past hour quite nicely. Hash tags typed in are overload on this one. They are worth the time though. Always there for my ease in finding posts of other WordPress bloggers with similar items in the future.
Now for some coffee…….
Gray Summers 
Nice kit! I have a herbal blend smoking mixture that works well in a pipe. It’s non addictive and great for the occasional smoke to satisfy that craving. I’ll give you the details when we next meet. Ix xxx
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Hi Ianto. Sounds like a plan. Used to smoke Honeyrose back in the 1980s. Asked in the Aberystwyth speciality shop if they had some a fair few months back. They said it is taxed higher than normal tobacco. They didn’t supply it because of this. I have a nature of being someone who can drop a habit easily. For years on end. It is the nature of the ambience of the whole thing that gets me. A walk with a herbal tobacco sounds grand. Have to arrange that coffee when you’re free. The kit. Well spotted by you in the charity shop re: the Churchill kit. Love it. It’s now my carry around wallet too. All the best.
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Yay! Sounds good. I tend to mix my own blends as it’s much cheaper that way. I’ll keep in touch. I’m a bit under the weather this week (UTI – groan!) but maybe next week. Big ones xxxx
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I looked up blending after the speciality shop visit. Forgotten the herbs suggested. Angie didn’t have them in her shop. So not the usual ones they sell. Honey was involved I remember. UTI? You probably know the treatments. Acidic drinks like Cranberry. Pro biotics too. And a good old water drinking driven flush out. I remember patients getting a bit impish with UTI symptoms. Their character became very much not their normal presentation. I had to dodge Zimmer frames and walking sticks coming my way at times. Antibiotics are becoming ineffective and a few new ones are being used nowadays. Watch it doesn’t get out of hand and decides to move up north to your kidneys. Look after yourself. See you when you are better. I’ll respond with a Xx too. Cheers. Xx
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Thanks Gray. Drinking plenty of water, taking paracetamols and getting Cranberry juice later.
I “mist” the herbal blend with a water and honey mix to keep it moist; used to use a slice of potato or apple back in the day, but the honey takes the harsh edge off some of the stronger blends and imparts a nice flavour.
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It’ll be nice to try again. When Angie and myself walked loads back around the Warwickshire countryside area, near where we lived, I used to light up the pipe with herbal blend. Very bonfire sweet aromatic but cemented memories of those amazing days in my head through the aroma association. When you’re up and running again, catch up and relax over a coffee. Either a cafe in Mach or outside the VeeDub. Whatever suits you best.
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Gray, I can always count on your posts to be both enlightening and to provide some insight. I love the fragrances of Christmas. It is most amazing to me that you would carry all these lovely, thoughtfully choosen items on a wintery hike. I find it most inspiring. One of my favorite things when hiking to to find a quiet place and simply close my eyes and take in all the world has to offer. All the best.
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Thanks very much Danny. Much appreciated. It’s good to read each other’s posts and get information that helps interests. Your last description of how you enjoy hiking. Reminds me of a mini Vision Quest. A window in your own time that gets you back to being at one with nature. It is an amazing fix for realising what’s important and getting back to wellness. I carry the stuff around in my Musette bag daily anyway and it is easy to transfer to a more comfortable back pack when walking as a hike. Fountain pens may well be reduced to a couple or three. But it is nice to write out in the open air. Like you, I do like those Christmas spice aromas. Oranges full of pushed in cloves is an amazing transport to Christmases long ago. All the best. And thanks once again for your thoughtful reply.
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