Skopje looks like the Himalayas ! - solo camping trip in the snow

  For those who enjoy snow, this winter has been particularly generous. There has been snow on the ground since december, and considering that 2011 was rather dry, this is a good predicament.
  The cold spell is coming to an end apparently, and with it goes the snow. So I thought I would take one of these last opportunities to have fun with winter.


  Or is winter having fun with me?
  
  I could not go very far, as the roads leading out of Skopje to the places I usually go to are not very good, and I presumed (correctly as it turned out) that there was a LOT of snow, and without snowshoes or skis, it makes moving forward a lot more physical.


  I love winter, especially in these conditions, the more snow the better. 


  Since I couldn't walk very far because of the conditions, I decided to go camping for the night. It's a rip camping in the winter.


  So I decided to head west, near Kuckovo. There are many great places around there, and I know the area well. 
  Which is important, because in these conditions, you never know exactly what you're going to find...
  A Yak, the abominable snowman, Angelina Jolie ( you never know, she's in the area these days )????


  I packed my bag, and off I went. The weather called  for snow and cold.
 This was thursday, the 16th of febuary.


Solid.


  Once I left the asphalt jungle and got on trails, I quickly got the impression that I was in for some serious hardcore hiking. Just my kind of thing.

  I started going up, and there was all the snow I wanted.  

The beginning of  the trail. Peace on earth.

  I had some luck at first; some dude with a horse or donkey had  traced a path in the snow with a sled of some sort, presumably for fire wood. Made my life easier.


  But it didn't last long...


  I kept on walking to the top of my hill so that I could have a better view of the conditions awaiting me. I had a vague idea of where I wanted to pitch my tent, but I still had to get there. No gain without pain, pal.
  Things got more difficult as the snow increased. It is quite difficult to walk through snow up to your knees for very long, and the weather was shifting, 
  I got a few snow showers interlaced with sunny spells.

More snow near the top of the hill.

No more human treks, just rabbit and bird, and maybe alien.

     When I got to the top of the hill, I evaluated the situation and figured that it would take me too long to get to my final destination the usual way, so I "cheated" a bit and took another path towards the road to Kuckovo. Once there, a couple hundred meters away was another path going up to the hills, closer to my destination.
  The higher I went, the more snow I found. I was really in luck.


  The barometer on my watch indicated a serious deterioration in weather conditions. Things change fast in the mountains, particularly in winter. As long as you know that,  have the proper gear and know what to do, you're ok.


  As I was going up towards my bivouac, I got hit by a violent snow storm that came out of nowhere, like they always seem to in the mountains; one minute you have nice sunny weather, the next a storm.
  So I had to find some shelter, I couldn't see very far and the wind slowed my progression.
  It was actually exhilarating, I love this kind of freaky situation! 
  I found a little tiny church to hide from the wind, and waited for things to calm down.  
  No, I did not pray ( yet ), for those wondering.
  The daylight was quickly coming to an end and pitching a tent in the dark and in a snow storm is not  usually very easy.
 There, I scared the hell out of an enormous rabbit, who once seeing me proceeded to jump over a fence and into the storm. This was one of the biggest ones I'd seen in a long time, and I thought to myself that if he got this big, he must be a wise rabbit. 
  Then I imagined what he'd look like with carrots and potatoes around him.
Never mind.
It was cold.

  I went a bit further, and since the storm didn't feel like taking a break, I decided to find a suitable place for the night.
 I started clearing the snow and took out my tent and set it up.


  Now, I don't like tents so much, I much prefer spending the night in a hammock, but in these conditions a tent is nice, at least it gets you out of the wind.
  By the time I finished, it was dark outside. I got my gear organized inside the tent, and proceeded to melt some snow in view of a delicious dinner.

  That's one of the great things about winter and snow, water is not a problem, it's all around you. 
  I will  give tips, for those who do not know, on how to camp in winter. It has it's rules and the equipment is obviously not the same, it is however great fun and has advantages, like the food stays fresh and NO insects or mosquitoes !


  I would like to point out that this is the way I do things, but there are other ways of course, such as Ultralight backpacking, where everything is as light as possible and you just bring along the bare essentials. I like the principle, and use some of the ideas. However a lot of the specific equipment is not available everywhere and usually fairly expensive. Some of these ultralight dudes get all their gear into 35 litre backpacks, pretty amazing. I guess I am a bit old school when it comes to the rugged outdoors, I want my gear to be tough and strong, but that of course makes it weigh more. You can't have everything! And I also want quality gear that will last long, because if I break or wear it out, it can be difficult to find over here.
  And I ain't rich either, so... 


  - To start, clothing. The basic rule of thumb here is layers and no cotton. Mountain people have always known about the layering principle. The modern manufacturers have invented nothing. It traps air in between different layers of clothing, and since air is the best insulator, it's this that keeps you warm. 
  Also, you can add or remove layers according to the weather or your physical activity. It is usually best to start with not too much clothing, and add some  if you get cold. 
  Most people leave home with too much clothing on, and end up sweating, thus getting cold the minute they stop walking.  Even in the winter we sweat, and the thing you want to avoid is getting wet, which is why cotton undergarments are no good in the winter, they absorb water, stay wet and take forever to dry. 
  Now, I realize that many people here do not have access to modern sport undergarments, which keep you warm and dry fast. They are mostly synthetic, (the best are made from fine wool) and they're nice, but expensive and hard to find in Macedonia. Pro-Sport in the Trgovski center and Elipsa TCS in front of Ramstore have them. 
  But, you can find  affordable 100% wool or wool-acrylic undergarments in Macedonia. In Skopje, I find them at the Bit Pazar. My freind Dime explained to me that when he used to go up in the mountains, he wore only old wool underpants that he'd had for years and synthetic waterproof pants on top, he had been doing this for a long time and with great results. 
  So, to resume, some wool or synthetic garments next to the skin but definitely no cotton, then layers on top, such as polar fleece or again wool, even thick cotton shirts if that's all you have, and then an outer garment that will protect you from the wind/rain/snow. 
  The modern technical garments are manufactured with weatherproof "breathable" membranes such as Gore-Tex, which are supposed to keep you dry from the rain and snow, while evacuating the humidity from your perspiration. 
  These garments can be expensive, however they don't work as good as they say. They will keep the heavy rain out, but after so many hours, you will be humid, and the other problem is that they don't breath as well as they suggest; you will get wet inside from your own perspiration.  
  There are few alternatives though. But garments made from "Ventile" cotton, waxed cotton and good old wool are good. Or you can use the classic waterproof ponchos in milder conditions; they keep the rain and some wind out, they breath fairly well as they have a generous shape, but they are big and cumbersome, and suffer in the wind and bush. Good thing is that they're fairly inexpensive, pretty strong and are easy to find.  You can try putting a belt around your waist to help with the wind problem.

My Zajo Dakota  jacket, from Pro Sport Skopje. Lightweight, good quality, well designed, works  great and not too expensive for this kind of  jacket. Several different models are available.

  - Same thing for socks. No cotton! Wool and synthetic, or at least a majority of wool. If your feet are cold, you will feel cold all over. When you go camping in cold weather, remember to bring along a second pair for sleeping in.  Dry socks are a must. 
  Always bring along some plastic bags, because they can be worn directly next to your skin if it gets too cold, or if your boots get wet. This will keep you warm and dry.


  - Gloves are important too. If wet snow or ice is involved, you may get your hands wet, and that is no fun in the winter. Many outdoor and ski gloves are good for winter, but difficult to find here. A technique I learned from the French mountain special forces is to use dish washing gloves; you have one pair on the outside (or some other type of rubber glove), on the inside you have some wool, fleece or synthetic glove, and in extreme cold, another pair of dish washing gloves next to your skin. This works great in cold, humid and icy conditions, and is cheap.


  - For boots, the idea is to keep your feet dry and warm, and to offer adequate support for your ankles. Hiking/mountain boots are great, but again can be expensive. Lots of choice on the market, try different models and brands and if possible get the best you can afford. Very important piece of gear.

Salomon Discovery GTX  trekking boots, with Gore-Tex membrane, keeps you dry. Available from the Salomon shop in Skopje.

   An alternative used in northern countries is rubber boots; they won't get wet, and should keep you warm providing you have the right socks. Here, you can find Tigar boots from Serbia, they have a model with laces that is pretty good


  - I also use gaiters regularly in the winter and summer, they keep the bottom of your legs dry, protect your pants from brush, thorns and rocks and keep snow and junk out of your boots. I use a French military mountain model made out of a special cotton canvas fabric that breathes very well; when they get wet on the outside, the fabric absorbs the water and expands, thus blocking penetration of water on the inside.  

   Most other gaiters on the market are some sort of waterproofed nylon that condensate inside, which actually wet your pants (unless you are wearing waterproof pants) rain or not rain. You can find gaiters made with breathable Gore-Tex type design, but they are more expensive and can be fragile in certain conditions. 

French military mountain gaiters

Ferrino Zermatt gaiters, top quality design and protection, but they condensate a bit depending on the situation.

  - Don't forget accesories, like a hat, and things like scarves and sunglasses.


  After clothing, you need some camping equipment.
  As I have mentioned in a previous entry, you will have to carry this equipment on your back, so you better make sure that you take the right things and as light as possible. In winter, you need more gear, so here is an idea of what to take with you.

  - A backpack. They come in many shapes, sizes and prices. You will need a fairly large one. As an example, I camp solo most of the time, so I have to carry everything with me. My backpack has a volume of 80 litres. You can find larger ones, 100 litres and more, but then going up a rocky hill or down an icy slope becomes difficult, so I purposely limit the bag to 80 L.
However, if you camp with other people, you can distribute the gear more evenly, so a smaller backpack could be sufficient, such as 60 L. It depends on if you're a woman or a man, what kind of gear you have, also how long you intend to camp for, etc... One person can take the tent, or part of the tent, the other food, etc...you have to figure it out.  Or better, have an experienced person show you. And, you have the pack the bag correctly, but I will explain this in a future entry.

How to pack your bag correctly.

 - Next is the sleeping bag. There are two basic types, synthetic filled and down (goose or duck feathers) filled.  Down is warm and lightweight , but not to be used in humid conditions, and they're fairly expensive. Not available in Macedonia. Synthetic is heavier, cheaper, less fragile and doesn't suffer from humidity. These bags are also bulkier, so for winter conditions you have to be careful not to take one that is so big as to not fit in your backpack!
 Then you have to choose a bag according to the temperature ratings ( European norm EN 13537). You have three ratings listed; comfort, comfort limit and extreme. You have three or four temperatures listed. The comfort rating sometimes has two temperatures, the warmest one indicating the maximum comfort limit without sweating too much.
Official description, followed by my translation.

Lestra winter sleeping bag.

 - Upper limit is the temperature at which a standard man can sleep without excessive perspiration, bag zippers open and with arms out.
translation; if it gets too hot, just get out of the bag, fool! or use it as a blanket
 - Comfort is the rating where a woman will  sleep comfortably in a relaxed position.
translation; everybody should catch some happy zzz's at this rating 
 - Comfort limit is the rating where a man will sleep in a curled position for eight hours without waking. 
translation; if you're a tough dude, you'll sleep fine, for the others you may be a bit cold
 - Extreme is the survival rating; the minimum temperature at which a standard woman can remain for six hours without risk of death from hypothermia
translation; if you're a really tough dude with thick skin and alien blood, you'll be ok, otherwise all the others will freeze their @#&+£*% off!


  This is the general idea. I look at the comfort rating when buying a bag, and work around that.  Some people sleep warm, like me, but some are always cold, so you have to take that into account when buying a sleeping bag.  For example, if you're a normal sleeper and going to sleep in -5° C, then the bag above would be a good choice. If you're a cold sleeper, then maybe a -10° C comfort  would be good for you. There are many variables, such as did you eat before going to sleep, are your clothes dry, are you protected from the wind and humidity, is your sleeping pad good enough, etc...
As an example again, the bag below would not be good at all for anyone sleeping at -5° C

Lestra three season sleeping bag.

  However, there are ways to sleep at -10° C with a bag like the one above. 
  My main sleeping bag is rated at 1° C comfort. So, to make it go lower, I simply stick this bag into another sleeping bag, rated at 7° C comfort, it's the same layering principle as the clothes. I keep my synthetic and wool under garments and a fleece sweater on, and I make sure my clothes are dry. I change socks of course, and since feet are always cold in sleeping bags in the winter, I added some "Kalchunki" hand-knitted wool low cut socks, made by my "baba" here in Macedonia. I also put all these bags in a bivy bag, which doesn't really add much warmth, but keeps the wind, humidity and ice off my sleeping bag. It went down to -15° C on my night out, but I was warm in my sleeping bag system. And since it is a modular system, I can use it year round in all types of weather. I do have a very lightweight sleeping bag for those HOT summer night here, but more on this in another entry.


  -You will need a sleeping pad also. They can be found at Pro-Sport Skopje. These are very important, as you have to isolate yourself from the cold ground, so thick pads are better. I don't like self-inflatable pads, as they are expensive, fragile and can be punctured rather easily, so I only use foam pads.  They are quite comfortable though. A cheaper way of getting a pad is buying those foam exercise mats that you find in Vero or Jumbo type shops. The minimum thickness for camping is usually 1cm, so in the winter you need more, and the average size of pads are 180X50cm. But remember that without a pad, your sleeping bag is going to be useless in the winter.

Ferrino NAP foam sleeping pad.

   - Now to the tent. There are many kinds and sizes available, it is good not to buy a very cheap tent because these never last long and when it rains outside, well it will eventually rain inside. Only place where I have seen a good selection of tents is again in Pro-Sport Skopje. So best thing to do is ask them to show you what they have, and then select the appropriate one for your needs.
  Tents come in two basic types, single wall and double wall. The first type is just a synthetic fabric stretched between poles, and the other has a lining inside to prevent coming in contact with the condensation which invariably happens in a tent. In general, single wall tents are not too popular because of the condensation issues, but they are lighter and cheaper, and if you know how to pitch a tent correctly and in the right place, you can minimize this problem. I have both kinds, but when I go solo, I take the single wall tent because it weighs 1.3kgs as compared to 3kgs for the double wall tent. All you have to do is occasionally wipe the condensation inside with a towel ( I use a microfibre towel used for cleaning furniture from Vileda, works great!).


  Here is my tent, it is a very classic and proven design made by a company in Scotland, so you know that it will withstand rain, wind and whisky. 
  And goddamn insects!

Force ten Vitesse tent from Scotland.

The Vitesse tent in action last summer.

    Considering the storm I was in and the crazy wind gusts all night long, it stood up perfectly to the elements. I've been in other tents in storms that have miserably failed, but not the Vitesse! It has plenty of room, you can sit inside which is very important if you have to spend some time in it, it is easy to set up and it just uses two straight poles to hold the tent up; if lost or broken, I could use my trekking poles or pieces of wood instead. This is important, as you cannot find replacement poles over here, and even less in the middle of the woods. And it packs quite small and is light. What more do you want, huh?
  The fact that it is a single wall tent is not a problem, because the condensation inside quickly froze up on my night out. It is for this reason that some mountaineering expedition tents are single walled. 
  

Ice on the walls of my tent. When the wind gusts were very strong, some of the ice fell off on to my face in the sleeping bag, but I later fixed the problem.

 The rest of the gear.


  - For lighting, I use a Petzl headlamp (available from the Petzl distributor here in Skopje), a Black Diamond led light inside the tent and a old favourite, a candle. The candle does two things; it lights up the tent, and gives you the impression that it is warming you up. It is cheap and if you get the right one, lasts very long. It probably adds a couple of degrees inside the tent, so it's not much. 
  Be careful though, most tents are not fireproof, and nor are you, so put it in a safe place. 
  I also use Eneloop rechargeable batteries that are by far the best I have ever found. Found them at Technomarket in the city. I am trying to limit my impact on this planet, it's not always easy, but every little bit helps.

Petzl MYO XP headlamp, a cheap 27 denari church candle that burns forever, and a Black Diamond  Orbit led light for the tent.

   In a small pouch I always carry a first aid kit (winter version), a Petzl E-Lite headlamp and some spare batteries, various lengths of paracord, a customized BCB Combat survival kit , and a fire lighting kit (only in winter; the rest of the year it is easy to light a fire ). The word "survival" sounds a bit over the top, but I don't use it as such, (in the worst case scenario I wouldn't expect to spend more then a night out if I got my ass into trouble). It is designed to have spares should I loose some of my tools or break something, and to get me out of a tough spot. Items like a sewing kit, commando saw, tape or even a razor blade come in handy sometimes. Who hasn't popped a button on a pair of pants in the woods? well, I can fix it with this kit. Pretty cool, huh?

First aid kit, BCB survival kit, fire lighting kit, paracord, Petzl E-Lite  headlamp, and spare batteries.

  I also carry a multi-tool, a knife, and a Garmin GPS. The GPS is used to trace routes, to find a waymark or to establish the elevation, to find my way if I get off course and in case of a problem in the middle of nowhere, I can give my gps coordinates to whoever would come looking for me.
 In another pouch, I always carry a Silva Expedition 15 compass, it is quite useful sometimes, since detailed maps are not readily available here.
  And a safety whistle, standard equipment in the outdoors.

SOG Paratool multi-tool, French DOUK-DOUK knife and GARMIN Foretrex 301 GPS

SILVA Expedition 15 compass and  LIFESYSTEMS emergency whistle.

   For hygiene, I brought a mini toothbrush with mini toothpaste, some mini hand sanitizer, some mini lip balm and mini hand cream. All I need is a mini me to make things easier.

Lip balm, hand cream, hand sanitizer, toothpaste and mini toothbrush.

  - For water, I always have my old French aluminium military canteen with it's cup and bivouac stove. Why aluminium and not plastic like all modern canteens? Several reasons, first of all the water stays cooler in the summer, and in the winter I can put the canteen next to a heat source if the water freezes up, which happens. I can also put boiling water in the canteen and put it in my sleeping bag to keep me warm. Or boil water in it over a fire to drink in case I don't have anything else. I can tie a piece of paracord to it to get some water from a hard to reach place, such as a well, and it is easy to clean, I just put sand in it, shake the hell out of it, then rinse it out with water. If the joint in the cap starts leaking, I can fix it by cutting a piece of rubber in anything I find. All these things you can't do with plastic canteens. The cup is used for everything from cooking, making tea or coffee to shaving LOL. It's in stainless steel, because the aluminium cups are nice and light, but you'll burn your lips each time you drink something hot. The bivouac stove I use with a small alcohol stove all year round. It's safe, light and easy to carry. I also carry water purification tablets, which are impossible to find here unfortunately.
  Another useful tip learned from the French mountain special forces; if you don't want your water bottle or canteen to freeze at night, simply bury it upside down in the snow, the deeper the better. The snow actually insulates the water from the cold. And being upside down prevents the cap from freezing over. This technique is used in very cold conditions, -20°,-30°C, with great results.

French military aluminium canteen, with the stainless steel cup on the the top, the custom made stove for the cup, a fire starter, some water purification tablets and can opener, sharpening steel, and the crucial and essential corkscrew. 

   I also have a 2 litre and a 5 litre water collapsible water containers. However, with snow, they're not necessary, I just melt what I need when I need it. Simple.

   - For a kitchen, I have a mini Trangia cookset, it is small, light, sturdy and easy to maintain and very simply designed. The alcohol stove works in every type of weather and temperature, and it is easy to find the alcohol in pharmacies here. Not the alcohol stove unfortunately, but I will show you how to easily make one from a tuna fish can in another entry.
   In very cold conditions, you just have to keep some alcohol in a small container close to your warm body, otherwise it won't be warm enough to ignite and vaporize.
  There is a special winter kit for the stove that works great, and not to forget a aluminium plate to put the stove in, otherwise it will eventually melt through the snow.
  And I have a Trangia 0,9 litre kettle, used to boil water, make my Touareg tea, or for sterilizing water before drinking it. It is very light and boils water very fast. 

Mini Trangia cookset and kettle. It consists of a special fuel bottle, an alcohol stove, a wind shield, a 0,8 Litre  pan, a non-stick frying pan and a pan grip.  The optional winter kit (pictured below) consists of an aluminium plate, and a pre-heating cup that attaches under the alcohol stove; you add some alcohol in it, light it up and it then heats up the alcohol in the stove so that it can ignite and burn. 

 - In sub zero temperatures, most gas stoves stop working properly. Butane gas doesn't vaporize properly under 5°C and not at all under 0°C. The cartridges found here, such as the CV470 plus below, are a mix of 80% butane-20% propane (propane works till -40°C, but you need too much pressure to stock it in a regular gas cartridge)  to help the stove work normally in colder temperatures, however it is very limited in practise. In sub-zero temperatures, you get a small flame (if one at all) and you're actually burning up the propane first. When that runs out, the stove might stop altogether. Even if you keep the cartridge warm, it will quickly get cold, so I would suggest to use these gas stoves over 0°C only.
   I do use the Campingaz Bleuet micro plus in warmer conditions and when not alone. You can find them in Vero supermarkets and a few other places. The CV470 plus  gas cartridge lasts a long time, about 5 hours, and is safe and practical to use to use for camping, especially with the new "Easy Clic" system, makes it easy to carry around. 
  Great for making Turkish coffee at home too!
  

Campingaz Bleuet Micro Plus

  - I also use a thermos in the winter, because it is important to stay well hydrated in cold weather. We drink less because we don't feel thirsty, but you're still sweating and you need fluids to replenish yourself. So I drink hot often, it keeps me hydrated and warm. They're a bit heavy and bulky, but you can't stop every five minutes to make some tea or coffee in the cold, now can you? And if you drink cold beverages, you will  quench your thirst but lose valuable energy re-heating yourself.

Ferrino extreme 0,5 Litre thermos, very strong construction, and keeps the contents warm even in freezing cold. This size suits a solo hiker as it's not too big. Remember that it can also be used to keep liquids cold in the summer.

  -I carry and eat my food in various plastic containers and bags. And I ALWAYS keep ALL my garbage. I only leave in nature biodegradable stuff, such as bread or fruit. Some insect or animal will be happy to find it. I love watching ants picking up my bread crumbs and taking them back to their holes in the ground. Amazing.

Light My Fire meal kit from Sweden. Two plates, a spill  free cup, a  combined colander/cutting board, a  small  waterproof  box and a Spork ( combination fork-spoon-knife). Very light and practical, makes eating and cooking easy in the mountains.

  - I  use trekking poles all year round. This is not an obligation of course, some people don't like them, but they make my life a lot easier and comfortable. And in the snow, it would be very difficult to move forward without them, just remember to fix the snow baskets on them.
  I used to use a wood stick for a long time, then I bought some trekking poles and  used just one pole, like the Sherpas in Nepal do, but now I use both, it makes everything easier and saves your knees, not too mention that it's good exercise for your arms and shoulders.

Ferrino Diorite trekking poles, and the snow basket.

  So, I proceeded to melt some snow for dinner. Now, to melt snow in a pot, you always have to add some water to the snow first, otherwise you will probably burn the pot and you're wasting energy for nothing. With water, it melts fast and easy.
  For dinner, I had my usual Korean ramen as an entrée, just because I love the stuff.
Then I cooked some mussels with a spicy tomato based sauce, and boiled some rice.      Damn that was good! 
  Followed by some cheese and some Vitalia Muesli cranberry bars for desert. 
Love them, as a matter of fact I love all the Vitalia products.
  No wine. Too cold. Too bad.
  There had to be a downside to winter camping.
  But some Mastika instead. 

  Since I knew that I would spend some time in the tent, I brought along a little portable radio. Its funny how when in the middle of nowhere camping, the little things make such a difference.
  I couldn't take pictures or make videos, as even in spite of my efforts, it was too cold for the camera, and except for a couple of times, it just wouldn't work, Too bad, there were some beautiful pics to take.


  So I boiled some more water to put in the thermos for the morning, washed my teeth and the dishes, went outside a bit to see the stars and scenery, but not too long as the storm was still blowing, then I went inside, made my bed for the night, and went to sleep. 
  I was awoken a few times with the noise of the storm, and went outside around 4 am to relieve my bladder, but I quickly went back in the warm sleeping bag.
  Ah, the simple pleasures in life!
  I woke up around 6 to a sunny morning, but still lots of wind. The snow had stopped falling, but there was loads of it around the tent. 

   I had a nice and hearty breakfast, figs, Vitalia muesli bars, cheese and bread. You need some serious calories to stay warm and trek through the snow.

Vitalia Muesli Cranberry bars. I always take some with me when I  go outdoors, they're full of nutritious and healthy ingredients, and I  just love'em. Gives me energy when I feel a bit low on power. 

   The camera was still frozen, so very difficult to take pictures. It was -14° C.
   I started to put all my gear away and fold up the tent, and planned my trip back home. I had two options; chicken out and take the road back to Skopje, or try the usual way and sweat a bit. 
  I never chicken out.

  Before I left, I made sure that I didn't forget anything, including garbage, and I also made sure that I left as little a trace of my passage as possible. I always do this, because I respect nature and others. 
  This is common practise with real adventurers and nature lovers everywhere. 
  Check out www.Lnt.org for some interesting information.

  The good thing was that the trek back was downhill most of the way, so it made it slightly easier. But in some parts, I had snow above my knees, and much more in snowdrifts.

Somewhere under the snow (over a meter) there is a small path.

  It was a rip!  the weather got better and the sun was shining, I even stopped for a while to catch some rays.
  The trip back took me three hours, instead of the usual one. 
  I am happy I did all this, because, the snow started melting from that day on. 


  Well, there you go. 


  Not too many pictures unfortunately, but hopefully some useful information for those who are interested in winter camping.
  


  never saw Angelina Jolie by the way, just a rabbit.  


  next time...

Macedonian natural tobacco - Good smoke for good folk

  Before I came to Skopje, I had read somewhere that there was a old market  where you could buy some natural hand rolling tobacco, just the kind of thing that I love trying. In every country that I have been in my life, I've always tried the local stuff, may it be food, drink, tobacco, and some other of the finer pleasures in life.
  And of course, I love old markets.
  When I got here, after a couple of days I had my tobacco. Actually, it was a gift, so I still had to find the market and tobacco.
The market in question is called the "Bit Pazar", it is adjacent to the "Old Bazaar", some of my favorite places in Skopje.

  I love going there from the left bank of the Vardar, crossing the Old stone bridge (built between 1451 and 1469, been through two major earthquakes and wars, but still standing) then entering the old Skopje. 

Old Bridge

  It has to be the fastest way I know of travelling through time; you leave modern Skopje and enter the old Orient. Even a few years later, I still love this feeling, and the Old Bazaar is amazing.
  It has been around since the 12th century, when it became a major trading center and evidence suggests that it may have been inhabited as early as 4000 BC, possibly even earlier.
  When they say Old Bazaar, they are not joking.
  It is the largest bazaar in the Balkans, apart from Istanbul, it continues to be a major center for trade and commerce, and if you couple it with the Bit Pazar, you should be able to find everything you are looking for.
  One of the great things there is that when you talk to a vendor and ask for something that he doesn't have or sell, he will invariably take you to someone who does, or he will find it for you.
   In Skopje, when you are looking for something hard to find, people say "try the Bit Pazar". 
  And you know what? You actually do find the hard to find item most times . Maybe not exactly what you were hoping for, but close enough. And with a smile...
   Beat that!
  Over the years, I have made some friends there, such as my Turkish barber,  and my friend Kerim, who sells, in my opinion, the best natural tobacco in the bazaar.

Bit Pazar

Spices, fruit, clothing, tools, you can find everything there

   Now, I don't advocate smoking, but in the end it's up to you what you do with yourself, this is the 21st century, and all the information is available.
   I started when I noticed that my father didn't have any mosquitoes biting him when we used to go trout fishing, and he suggested I stick a French "Gitanes" smoke in my mouth to keep them away, like he did, and lo and behold, it worked. All the other repellent lotions and potions didn't do nothing, but "Gitanes" made them back off.
  As a matter of fact, they made me back off too.
  Makes me wonder what would of happened if I had been puffing on some superb herb. Guess my father would of stung my ass LOL
   I put a smoke to my mouth but I don't inhale, sort of like pipe smokers. I just like the taste, which is why I only smoke hand rolling tobacco. It was my friends from the Netherlands who introduced me to hand-rolling, and I never liked commercial smokes, they make me cough, they stink and for the most part, they all taste the same to me, just stronger or lighter.
  So, a few days after my arrival here, I went to the Bit Pazar, and I found what I was looking for, pure natural tobacco with no additives or other artificial junk in it.  
  To make things even more amazing for me, it was sold by the kilo and the price was nothing compared to Europe. 
  Tobacco was introduced in Macedonia by the Ottoman empire in 1574, as it had the right conditions for growing it. Since then, it has remained one of the most important crops, and today 60% of the areas planted with industrial crops are of tobacco, with a total share of around 35-40% of the agricultural export, making it the leading export product, with wine in second position.. It is also the biggest employer in the agriculture field, as it is very labour intensive.
  The type of tobacco is mostly of the oriental variety, with the Prilep and Jaka varieties accounting for over 80% of the production. Prilep oriental tobacco has a sweet, pleasant and refreshing aroma, and is used in the blends of many well known smoke manufacturers. It is of high quality, the best known and most demanded on the market. It is a protected type and has a registered geographic origin.

Tobacco growing in Macedonia

   After a while, I got to try different varieties, it is basically divided by strength, quality and area of production. Most of the tobacco comes from Prilep, Bitola, Kumanovo, and few other places in Macedonia, and lately I have been finding some very good tobacco from Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. But you will see a lot of tobacco being grown by various people all over Macedonia, either for money and / or for personal consumption. 
  Try doing that in Europe and you will quickly see what happens to your ass. 

Tobacco leaves drying in Prilep

  The tobacco leaves are sun dried and when ready, they are shredded and packed into one kilo cardboard boxes. And that's basically  it. The thing that amazes me is that it stays fresh all year long, as compared to commercial hand-rolling tobacco which, even with preservatives and other texture enhancers, dries out after a couple of weeks.
  When it starts drying out, just put a few cabbage leaves on top of it, and let air circulate, this will humidify the tobacco without giving it a funny taste. Make sure that the cabbage leaves don't stay there too long, otherwise they will start rotting and the tobacco with it.
   In the winter, this isn't necessary, but come summer you'll have to do this at one point or another.  And store it in a cool place out of the sun.
  An interesting note, hand-rolling is almost exclusively done by the Albanian, Bosnian and Turkish communities, who will all tell you of all the positive virtues of this type of natural tobacco; it doesn't smell up your house or clothes, doesn't give you a sore throat  and is better for the health than the commercial variety. 
  Also it costs a lot less than commercial smokes. A pack here costs anywhere from 80 euro cents to  2.5 euros approximately. One kilo of tobacco goes from 2.5  to 10 euros for the Macedonian variety, to over 15 euros for the Bosnian one. 
  Now the irony of this is that Macedonians smoke a lot, but exclusively commercial smokes, I have never met one who hand rolled and since money is very tight here, you would think that they would of switched to save some money like Europeans and Americans have, considering they have the finest and cheapest tobacco that you can find, but nope. I still have to figure this one out.
  One kilo lasts me over four months.
  According to tradition, it is best to use rolling paper without glue so as to not alter the taste of your tobacco. You can find these yellow packaged papers easily, but I do not use them as I prefer thin paper that burns slower. Less smoke, less paper and less mosquitoes. Harder to find though.

My friend Kerim, and his natural tobacco, the real deal, from older and very strong (on the left, in the plastic bags, darker in colour and rougher cut) to best quality Macedonian and Bosnian light tobacco on the top, and stronger varieties below

  For those interested in learning more, there is a tobacco museum at the Tobacco institute in Prilep (www.tip.edu.mk).  These dudes take their tobacco seriously.
  Prilep also had the first warehouse for purchasing and processing tobacco in Macedonia back in 1873, it was then known as  R.O.T. , "Régie Ottoman de Tabac". Now it is the Tutunski Kombinat Prilep. They manufacture what I believe to be the best tasting commercial smokes around, the Filter Oriental (known as Filter Jugoslavija in the past) , they're inexpensive and burn slow. 

Good smokes for good folks

  And last but not least, James Bond smoked Macedonian smokes. An excerpt of Ian Fleming's description of the character;
"James Bond smoked specially made cigarettes from Morlands of Grovenor street - a Macedonian blend with three gold rings around the butt. He carries them in a wide gunmetal case. He lights them with a battered black oxidized Ronson lighter "

James Bond and his Macedonian smokes

  If they're good enough for 007, they're good enough for me!