After a day of absolute chill in Amsterdam I thought it would be a great idea to get back into my crazy side by heading over to Belgium where the Laundry Day festival was taking place in Antwerp.
I woke up super early and found myself on a train which got delayed multiple times due to some malfunction with the doors. It was all good, after all who ever goes to a festival first thing in the morning. Definitely not me.
When I arrived in Antwerp I caught a taxi to the hotel my sister and her partner were staying at. I got to catch up with my sister 2 days in a row which I find to be awesome as I miss her a lot seeing as she now resides on the other side of the planet. We hiked around the beautiful town of Antwerp in search of a train to where we were going to attend the Festival and believe it or not this train malfunctioned as well.
Sorelle and I decided to drop the idea of public transport and we walked the final 15min. Once we got to our destination I felt super good as for the first time in my life I was able to get backstage at a festival.
We Partied Like it was 2016 Click To Tweet
I love the feeling of going backstage, there is free beer and food everywhere 🙂 so good. The idea of being backstage also brought out the inner adventurer in me. I made it my goal to enter every backstage area there was at the festival. The wrist bands we got were only entry level backstage so heaps of places were off limits to us. But that was not going to stop me.
We cruised around in the scorching days heat drinking beer to our hearts content and I quickly learnt Sorelle is a lightweight when it comes to alcohol. In saying that it also increased our knowledge of all types of dance moves which you can only unlock when you are drunk.
We partied like it was 2016 and had the greatest time, I managed to get into the most exclusive of exclusive backstage places and pinch a bottle of triple distilled water, which was a nice treat. On my second approach to grab some bubblies I got chased out with Leon by one of the most territorial Bodyguards in history.
The night concluded with me sneaking backstage to watch Netsky absolutely raise the roof on his set. Watching the crowd from the stage is probably one of the most thrilling things I have done in a long time and made me want to become a performer just for that reason.
After the festival we returned to the hotel and with the idea of having only a few hours sleep so that I could catch a train back to Amsterdam I closed my eyes hoping to get the most out of my nights rest.
Well that was my day in Belgium, if you liked this post like, comment and share or follow me on Facebook to get more updates about my travels and other juicy stuff.
Laundry Day Festival - Belgium
Holy shit I turned up at a small coffee shop and was overwhelmed by the choices.
way to Belgium to catch up once again with Sorelle and her partner Leon for the first time.
We started our drinking session at 4pm in a small German restaurant where we got steins (1L of beer). The moment the sweet sweet nectar hit my tongue I knew it was going to be a good night.
One of the most popular online websites when it comes to reviews for many attractions, hotels, hostels. I always check it out to plan out stays in popular towns to see what the best attractions are. It’s also a great place to get in touch with people who share similar interests with you. A all in one place to get plenty of great resources. Best of all you can download apps on your phone and/or tablet to use them offline which provide you information and walking tours which is awesome.
2. Turn on Private Browsing when buying
4. Broad Brimmed Hat – Well These days I find myself always wearing a hat, for obvious
5. Rope – I find rope to be the most useful piece of gear that I take out with me on camp. First of
8. Knife – I never used to carry a knife when I went out into the wilderness but since I have
9. Water Container – Bottle’s are great, easy to fill up and you can carry multiples so you keep tabs on how many liters you have remaining. On the other hand there are plenty of camelbacks out there which make it super easy to store large amounts of water, plus make it easily accessible through a tube which you can hook up to the outside of you bag to continually sip on water while walking. I think this is great because I find myself constantly drinking water and by doing so I stay hydrated. On the other hand I sometimes go through 6L of water without really realizing it because its just so easy to keep drinking water. I purchased a MSR Dromedary which I find to be tough and perfect for all the things I require it for.
13. Thermals – Thermals are a must when going camping, I always go for merino wool, just
14. Rain Jacket – Don’t go out without one. First of all if you get soaked you will have a bad time, secondly you will get soaked and thirdly it can be dangerous for you to be wet for longer periods of time as it will speed up hypothermia significantly. A great jacket is one that is small, very waterproof and has air vents to allow for your body to cool down and release your sweat from the inside. I like to always store my jacket in a very accessible place in my bag. After all its better to be prepared than rather digging to the bottom of your bag when you are getting soaked.
17. Sleeping Mat – I truly believe that the sleeping mat is the thing that will make you have a good nights sleep rather than a bad nights sleep. Reason being is that you will be more comfortable but also a lot of temperature from your body escapes into the ground. If you spend a whole night on the cold ground you will most likely wake up with stiff and painful joints. I have an exped mattress, Yes it weighs 1.5kg but when I take into consideration the amazing nights sleep I get from it it really becomes a no brainer. Find a mat that will work for you.
21. Camera and spare batteries – When you go out hiking you will find yourself coming across some incredible sighs, make sure you capture those moments so that in the future you can revisit the memories more easily. I always have spare batteries as I take plenty of photos. I like the Go Pro 4 as I find it to take amazing photos and its super compact.
23. Dry Bags – Keeping your stuff dry is super important. I won’t go out camping without these, I store my tent inside a dry bag, I store my change of clothes, I store my sleeping bag and just to ensure that its 100% safe I store all that in another large dry bag. Seriously getting to camp and sleeping in a wet sleeping bag sucks and on top of that is dangerous again due to hypothermia. Invest in dry bags, if you can’t at least take many rubbish bags so you can wrap up all your gear.
Lately though while working with kids and seeing how irrationally fearful they are of leeches I thought it would be a great idea to learn a bit about them so that I could pass the information onto them and maybe inspire them to have another look at leeches from a totally different perspective. In the process may I add I became super inspired by these creatures and even though they still look like things out of nightmares I have a new understanding of them and find them to be incredibly interesting
leeches to investigate human disorders
In a survival situation, one of the first things you want to do is find a suitable shelter. Finding a shelter doesn’t necessarily mean building one – it’s often as easy as scouting the area and finding natural formations such as overhangs, caves, heavy foliage, or even uprooted trees. Your goal is to find somewhere where you can hunker down and avoid the elements. If you can’t find a natural shelter, you may have to construct a shelter from forest debris. The most used materials are twigs, sticks, and foliage. If you’re out camping, set up your shelter and take a trip, attempting to find or construct natural shelters. With experience knowing what to look for and how to find them, you’ll be much better off if you ever find yourself out in the wilderness without your shelter.
However, depending on the time of year, nights may not get as cold as expected. In fact, it can sometimes get so stifling hot that you need to sleep outside of your tent. If you choose to do this, however, watch out for scorpions that come out after the sun goes down. Bring an extra pair of sandals to wear around camp. Scorpions will often crawl into boots and shoes during the night, so another pair of footwear to slip on in the night is a great idea. Additionally, wear a pair of loose fitting gloves while sleeping if you choose to sleep outside of your tent. Most scorpions aren’t life threatening, though their stings can be extremely painful, and the last thing you want to do is slap one in your sleep.
Buying something new makes us happy. After a while, though, the happiness fades, and we’re looking for the next new thing to buy, repeating this process indefinitely. You’ll end up with more things, but will you be happier than before? Most experts say no. They recommend using your money on new experiences, like outdoor activities, traveling, or learning new skills. These new skills can range anywhere from rock climbing to sky diving, or even just camping at the lake. Getting out and enjoying life can be just as enjoyable as purchasing something new.
A successful fire foundation is the result of the perfect combination of oxygen, fuel, and heat. In nearly every imaginable situation, you’ll have ample oxygen and fuel in the form of twigs, sticks, and logs. The heat will usually come from a lighter or matches, which you should always have on you while outdoors. Even if you don’t plan on using them, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Check out 
The K-PAK is a new foldable boat from The Folding Boat Company, created by outdoorsman and SAS employee Pete Flood. The Folding Boat Company was formed after Flood had to walk over two miles to a duck hunting site, all while carrying a heavy canoe over land. By the time him and his partner reached the site, they were already out of daylight. Instead of being discouraged, however, he came up with an idea to create a foldable, portable boat that is small and light enough to fit inside of a backpack.
To begin with, one of the most obvious problems seen in climbing is the use of improper carabiners. Carabiners are used everywhere, from backpacks to key chains. However, many of these carabiners aren’t rated for climbing. You won’t see anyone climbing using these carabiners for support, as they simply can’t support that much weight, but you may see them used to clip shoes, water bottles, or any other types of gear to climbers. While they probably won’t break, it’s best to be safe, as you certainly don’t want any of your gear breaking off, falling down a cliff, and striking another climber.
themselves growing too relaxed, especially during the beginning of the ascent. Indoors, if a climber doesn’t attach their first bolt correctly, they fall a few feet to a soft foam mat. Outdoors, a fall of a few feet can be devastating. Sharp rocks, roots, and hard ground can cause injuries even from the tiniest of falls. Always pay attention to your climber. Additionally, if you’re the belayer (the person who acts as a counterweight in the event of a climber falling) to your climber, make sure you’re close to the rock wall. In many gyms, belayers are told to stand far back from the wall, letting them get a good view of what’s going on, so they can learn what to do. In real life situations, this can be dangerous. A lead climber falling will jerk a belayer into the hard rock wall instead of jerking them upward. It’s dangerous for both parties.