Day 12- Barnstaple to westermill farm, Exmoor 22.5 miles

   Today's route to me along the roads for a mile before dipping into a wooded valley. The path, although muddy in place, is easy and it's not too long before you reach Bratton Fleming. I dropped into a shop and bought myself some snacks and a swirl for breakfast, sat on a grass verge I hate both happily. A lady approached and we began to talk. I asked advice on wild camping on Exmoor. She said she knew there was a campsite somewhere along the way and while we couldn't find it on the map she knew it's name which was enough. Next time I had signal I found it and adjusted my route.

A captive audience

  From the town you wonder up along the road before you begin the real climb through the field and up into the moors. Apart from another field of cows taking a more than healthy interest in me I enjoyed the walk. I think since the cows a week or so ago I've lost my confidence.
  The higher up I got the wetter the soil became and more uni-formal the landscape. My mum and a few friends have described how cleansing they find the sea, I've never understood it. It feels too big and too foreign to me. The moors however seem to give me strength. I love their vastness and inhospitable.


Although by this point I'd climbed a good deal and walked nearly 18 miles my legs remained fresh. My boots however remained rubbish and by this point had absorbed as much as they possibly could of the water around them. It must be nearly a week now since they were dry.
  Past Pinkery Pond the ground gets very wet and treacherous but since my feet were wet anyway there was little need to hop across muddy areas. I did however fall a few times but softly and with no ill affects. Then I had a great time walking along a collapsed wall, the stones serving to create a really firm and flat path. Faced with another field of cows I decided that I couldn't let my fear get the best of me and puffing out my chest literally pushed the cows away from the fence and marched through them. Like the parting of the seas they separated but since my godly powers aren't the greatest they soon regrouped and took up the chase. I managed a calm pase for about a minute and then my nerve failed and I rushed to the nearest fence. I was never this cowardly before but its precisely the wrong season to be trying my luck out.













 After crossing a few more fields I began a decent towards Westermill Farm, a mile along a rather busy road and there was only a field crossing left. This was until I realised I was on the wrong side of the river. It took half an hour to find a way across. The farm seems to be more of a paddock: horse boxes everywhere. I stayed in the nearest of the fields, pitched my tent and dragged myself to the showers. My feet having been wet the entire day were in a poor state but not painful. In all, although the longest day so far, I'd thoroughly enjoyed it. Part of this could be the moors and being away from the coastal path, but I also felt I was beginning to hit my stride.

Gear Review - The Jetboil Zip Cooking System

• Drink-through lid with pour spout & strainer
• Bottom cover doubles as a measuring cup and bowl
• Compatible with all Jetboil accessories
• Weight: 12oz (345g)
• Volume: 27oz (0.8 litre)
• Boil Time for 16oz (0.5 litre) = 2 minutes, 30 seconds (avg over life of Jetpower canister)
• Water Boiled: 12 Litres per 100g Jetpower canister
• Dimensions: 4.1” x 6.5” (104mm x 165mm)

Bought : October 2013 

Cost : £71.95

Meals cooked : 100+   

 PROS

 I've just finished reading 'Wild, From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail' by Cheryl Strayed and while  I appreciate that it was written about equipment in 1995, descriptions of her stove make me appreciate just how clever this device is. I've so far used it in the monsoon season of Australia, in heavy rain, open moor land, sandy and windy beaches as well as the occasional backyard gardens. It has never faltered, possibly because in its design and manufacture its wonderful simple with very few parts that might go wrong. The materials are light and durable, and easily packed away. The insulation Cargo Cozy on the main cup means that the water heats quickly, and stays warm for a while after which means you use very little fuel. Also allows you to handle it without scorching yourself. On my week long hikes where I cooked at least twice a day I'd end with plenty of fuel left in my 100G cans.  I generally ate straight from the main cup, using the measuring cup to drink out of. When I pack things away they all fit together and I slip the matches or lighter between the heating coils at the bottom, trapping them in with the measuring cup. It means my entire cooking system can fit into the side pocket of your bag weighing only 12 oz, I don't understand why people would bring much else if only cooking for yourself.
  While your restricted to single pan meals there is some leave-way since it brings the water to boil so quickly. I was able to heat water for instant mash which I made in the measuring cup before heating the sauce and pouring it on top. Since the whole operation was completed in ten minutes nothing was too cool by the time I got to eat it.

 CONS

I stopped bringing the locking pot support very quickly as it made packing things away hard and served absalutely no use unless you're bringing another pot, which in turn makes the whole system pointless. That said is allows you to adapt the jet boil to accomodate more if you go on a trip with friends. It is simple enough to leave behind and while it hasn't served me any use at all its cetrainly not ruined the devide.
  The ground stabaliser is also a little tricky and unreliably, which is important when you're cooking in the middle of the dry season in Australia and bush fired are a real danger. Again I must temper my criticism since the twice the stove fell it was at least in equal measure my own stupidity and clumsiness. 
  I remember the first time I used it I found the temperature knob very sensitive and hard to use. Since the cup it insulated its hard to have the hob low enough that the contents is allowed to stew. I found I needed to turn it off once in a while to prevent it overflowing, and then you need unscrew the pan to relight it. When it did occasionally overflow its not simply a pan covered in muck but also the insulating material, and if you have a limited water supply (as in parts of Australia) you want stuff to be as easily washable as possible. The heating system, on the subject of cleaning, is also very tricky. Moreover the lid is black and while it may increase cooking speed makes it impossible to monitor any approaching overflows. I see on their website that they have made the lids see through now which would mediate this problem considerably.

Conclusion

Cooking lunch in the Australian Bush

  I've ended up listing quite a lot of faults but they are all with the accessories, and on the whole the Jet Boil is well worth the money. Its durable and reliable. I don't cook elaborate meals on a trail, in fact I limit myself to ten minutes cooking time, often simply mixing cuscus and stock or soup powder and instant mash. What I need is something to heat water quickly, use only a little fuel and provide me with hot chocolate after. For these uses Jet Boil is wonderful and after using it the idea of bringing pans and plates seems ridiculous. I guess the best test of a product is would you be willing to spend the same again on the product after yours breaks. I most definitely would.