A Simple Life of Luxury

Tales from a down-shifted family
- Making the most of modest means

Category: Sports

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Hiking / Travel

The Hebridean Way – Stages 2 & 3: Eriskay and South Uist

After another night at the hostel in Castlebay, we were up early for the bus to the Ardmhor Ferry Terminal on the far side of Barra. Over breakfast, Anna spotted a half-used gas canister on the free shelf — perfect, as I hadn’t been able to bring one on the flight. One less thing to...

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Hiking / Travel

The Hebridean Way: Vatersay and Barra

We met a lovely German couple over breakfast at the hostel. We later found out their names were Stephanie and Christian, but for now, we were calling them “The Germans” — I don’t know what they called us!! They were also walking the Hebridean Way. They hadn’t organised a taxi to get to Vatersay though,...

Uprights to hold boards 0

Windsurfing

From Wheelbarrow to Trailer: A Windsurfing Transport Upgrade?

Over the past 20+ years, various trusty wheelbarrows have served me well for getting my windsurf kit to the beach. Loaded up with two boards, 2–3 sails, two masts, two booms, a whole host of fins, extensions, tools and accessories — not to mention a harness, helmet and some spare parts — they’ve done the...

Spray Everywhere 1

Windsurfing

Making the most of the Wind

You can’t beat sunny days with a decent wind. Not if you’re a windsurfer — and since I’ve been out a few times lately, I think I can once again call myself one. Friday was a little more full-on than expected, with a solid 30-knot wind gusting up to 40 knots at times. There wasn’t much...

Steve 2

Wales / Windsurfing

New Board, New Session: Making the Most of the Wind

I finally got to try out one of my new windsurf boards on Sunday. The forecast looked perfect — warm temperatures, a warm sea, and a solid wind that would gradually build throughout the day. The really hot days were behind us, and the sun was shy, but that didn’t matter. The wind was set...

2

Windsurfing

Lightwind Weapon or Old Man Board?

Windsurfing kit doesn’t come cheap. I rarely — if ever — buy brand-new gear, and some of my boards, sails, and accessories are probably more than 20 years old. But it’s still nice to keep up with the times where I can. The relatively new 2021 Severne Nano 87 that I bought a few years...

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General / Hiking / Travel

Is It Worth It? Chasing Grams on the Hebridean Way

I’ve been preparing for my summer hike along the Hebridean Way — a two-week, 155 mile adventure across Scotland’s wild Western Isles. With my gear laid out and spreadsheet open, I faced a familiar dilemma: how much is it really worth spending (or sacrificing) to save weight? My base weight is already around 8 kg — pretty lean for a trip...

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Hiking / Wales

From Mountain Walk to Kitchen Wall

Do you like our latest framed print for the house? I think we’ll hang it in the kitchen where we’ll see it every day. This latest one was actually a gift from Lizzie herself. She wanted to scramble up and across Crib Goch and was planning to hire a guide. However, Rhys and I wanted...

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Running / Windsurfing

Wild Welsh Windsurfing

After a busy day in the hills on Friday, I had a relatively relaxed Saturday. Sunday, however, was far from relaxed! It started with a run in very blustery conditions—along the beach, through the dunes and around the boatyard. I then waited for the tide to drop before going windsurfing. By that time, the sun...