Had a brief excursion into Newcastle to pick up some items from Mmm (more blueberry infused balsamic, some smoked sea salt, dried mushrooms and some garlic sea salt - Mmm!) and naturally was ready for a cup of tea by the time I got back. Especially as I couldn't find an X82 bus stop on the West Road, and ended up walking to Newcastle General before I eventually found one...

Anyway, seemed like a good opportunity to try out my new stove and cook set. All the kit below comes from Backpackinglight.co.uk who I can wholeheartedly recommend. Excellent service.

What you see in the shot below is the Evernew Titanium Solo Cook Set, packed in it's mesh bag, containing a 125g/225ml gas cartridge and the Crux Stove in its protective pouch. I guess the Crux pouch isn't really needed. It does stop it rattling about, but the same effect could probably be achieved by packing other kit in there too. A folding spork would easily fit, but I only have a plain spork, and am not feeling ready to cut the handle down! Not sure if I really like the idea of folding cutlery - surely it's not easy to clean? Maybe it's just me!

This combination as shown below weighs in at 490g. Not ultralight maybe - but I think it's going to suit me fine. The mesh bag is pretty important as, although snug, the mug and pot lid would not stay together without it.

As shown in the photo below, it unpacks to the 750ml pot, a 400ml mug, there's the gas cartridge and Crux stove, and finally the mesh bag, stove pouch and MSR Mug Mate which I pre-loaded with a level teaspoon of Keemun tea, purchased earlier in the day from the Pumphreys Tea Shop.

It all fits together nice and easy, with a brief hiss of gas as you tighten the stove - just before it locks into place - so ventilation is important, unless you feel like getting high! However, even on our fairly sheltered patio, light gusts of wind were definitely affecting the flame, so I think a windshield would have been a good idea. Having said that, half a pot boiled in just over 2 minutes and I'd gone easy on the control valve, so that the flames stayed below the base of the pot. It lit instantly with a single scrape of a Swedish FireSteel.

I would like to say that a cup of tea never tasted better. But, at the end of the day, it was just another cup of tea! The Mug Mate is a fabulous contraption; weighs almost nothing. I've been using it in the house for the last few days. Very convenient access to a mug of proper tea.

The pot cooled down very fast and could easily be handled after a few minutes. The stove top stayed hot for longer, but had cooled down by the time I drank the tea. It was while enjoying that first test-cuppa that I began to wonder how easy it would be to set something on fire... as you do.

I collected a few dry leaves, twigs and dead grass, and scrunched them up on a piece of folded kitchen towel. Took a few strikes, but it lit easily enough. Probably not the best tinder - I guess. I'm sure I read somewhere that the fluff from a tumble dryer filter works very well. Tomorrow is washday, so the pyromanic in me will be watching the dryer and waiting for it to finish. More entertaining than the X-Factor anyway!

Cycled to the Metro Centre on Saturday with the idea of looking for a new pair of walking socks and picking up a couple of waterproof stuff-sacks that were on special offer in Field & Trek.

I can confirm that cycling is quicker and almost infinitely preferable to the two buses I'd have needed to make the same trip. It's a pretty leisurely 20km round trip, about 30 minutes on the way down, and that's the scenic route along the Tyne stopping for a few minutes for a drink on the river bank. If you're a cyclist bound for the Metro Centre and have ever wondered about the nature of the "six secure and covered bike parking areas" their website proclaims, they consist of a plastic smoking shelter, outside, with a rail to chain your bike to! I guess I shouldn't have expected armed guards and retina scanners. Maybe there's a camera pointed at it? They seem to have plenty.

My plan was working perfectly up until the point I walked into Field & Trek and saw the poster saying "Terra Nova Laser Competition" followed thereafter by the words "£140 while stocks last". Half the RRP, and at least £60 cheaper than I'd seen on the web. Had to give into temptation. There were two left, and someone else was eyeing up the other one. The Photons were also reduced, but only to £245.

Had a quick test pitch in the back garden this morning, in a slight breeze. It's actually bigger than I imagined and, compared to my old Robert Saunders Fellpacker, a bit fiddly to pitch. Still don't think I've got the tension exactly right, and in the setup above, a strong gust would probably bring the fly into contact with the inner; but with modern materials, maybe that doesn't matter as much as it used to. Bit more practice required, but OK for an initial test run. At about 6'1" (I guess) I can sit cross-legged in the inner, head just brushing the top if I sit up straight.

Unless I'm missing something obvious, the pitching instructions consist of a small printed label inside the tent bag, less than A5 size. Might have been nice to have had a few more tips, but I suppose a few practice runs will sort it out - and there are tutorials on YouTube, and a video on the Terra Nova site. While looking for such hints and tips, I re-read this article over at BlogPackingLight where there's also some really useful mods to the Laser Competition that help resolve some of the more fiddly aspects of the pitching.

Still on the lookout for a rucksack, stove, and decent sleeping bag, but will just keep an eye open for any bargains and stick with day-walks for the time being. I'm thinking Skiddaw might be next, via Ullock Pike and Carl Side. Blog post to follow later this week!