Magic Talent

The summer months are busy times for all at Millican. The average weekday typically involves us rushing around answering telephone calls and replying to emails. So it often comes as a welcomed break when we get to pack up the van and attend an event.

Last week we visited the Game Fair at Blenheim Palace just outside Oxford. Luckily for all that attended the weather was great and a big thanks to everyone that visited our stand. These events are an excellent way for us to get out and about and spread the Millican word.

At these events we always meet such interesting people such as a young chap named Lachlan Smith a.k.a Lockey. Remember the name.

Lachlan Smith

Lockey is a magician and to say he's got skills is a bit of an understatement. After he had made the whole product range disappear from in front of our eyes (well he's good but not that good!) he purchased a Mark.

Dynamo watch out!

Dynamo freaks out Pharrell via You tube

A well deserved break

For many students up and down the country their holidays began this week. The idea of six weeks backpacking across Europe seems a distant memory - not that I'm jealous in any way...

The last few months have been a bit of a whirlwind for all at Millican and we've hardly had time to come up for air. Those of you who have experience of running small businesses will realise the difficulty in taking time off. It can often seem an easier option not to take a break rather than take one.

This is not an ideal situation to be in and probably a sign that you need a break.

So on Thursday Jorrit and Nicky are taking a long overdue break first to Cordoba, with the amazing Mezquita and then off to Frigilliana - a small hilltop village in Andalucia, Spain. Halving the Millican team and leaving it in the capable hands of myself and Sandra. What's the worst that can happen?

I'm never too far away from the National Geographic website, and all this holiday talk has got me thinking about an ideal trip for myself. Which no doubt I'll probably need after a week of holding the fort at Millican HQ.

National Geographic Traveller have kindly hand picked the 10 best summer trips of 2011 for us to dream over. So here's the low-down:

1. Muskoka Cottage Country, Ontario, Canada.

The 2,500 square mile natural playground includes 8,699 miles of shoreline, 17 historic towns and villages and countless waterfalls and lakes bordered by the granite peaks of Algonquin Park to the east and the 30,00 islands of Georgian Bay Islands National Park to the west.

2. Patagonia, Argentina.

A big favourite for me. Follow the winter to the Southern Andes to experience the world's highest mountain range outside of Asia.

3. San Juan Islands, Washington

It's all about the weather, whales and water. Hike the Lime Kiln Point State Park on the west side of San Juan for shore based Orca whale watching or join a Sea Quest kayak tour for a porpoise-level view.

4. Minneapolis, Minnesota

June to August see the celebration of arts, music and cultural festivals. Also a trip to see the Minnesota Twins baseball team at target Field is a must.

Photo courtesy of Michael Truelove

5. Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Pure Alaska on the rocks. Glaciers cover 27% of this 3.2 million-acre marine wilderness world heritage site, home to hump back whales, harbour porpoises, moose, black and brown bears, mountain goats, and mountain peaks topping 15,000 feet.

6. Cardiff, Wales

Celebrate the August bank holiday weekend (27th-29th) at the Cardiff Harbour Festival featuring tall ships, free activities and the Breitling Wingwalkers aerobatic formation team. From Mermaid Quay you can take the Aquabus or water taxi up the River Taff.

7. Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden

Nearly 25,000 islands - only 1000 of them inhabited make up Stockholm's maritime 'garden on the rocks'. The vast archipelago stretches more than 62 miles from north to south over emerald waters best explored via kayak, canoe, sailing boat, or classic white ferry.

8. Azores, Portugal

Around a 1000 miles west of continental Portugal - makes it a pleasantly remote location. The nine major islands are home to green volcanic mountains, mineral hot springs, hydrangea-covered hills, rambling vineyards, white-washed seaside towns, cobblestone lanes, and traditional Flemish and Moorish windmills.

9. Roatan, Honduras

A diver's dream. Located about 30 miles north of the Honduran mainland, the shallow water, reef eco-system is teeming with tropical marine life, easily accessible to snorkellers (that's me) and divers. Spend the morning fishing on the saltwater flats or kayaking through the mangrove canals, then float back to your cabana's private deck for some afternoon hammock time.

Photo courtesy of Ivan Pisarenko

10. Istria, Croatia

The Medulin Riviera, located near Istria's southern tip, offers 49 miles of coastline, plus hilltop medieval villages and ancient ruins to explore. Just south of the Medulin is rugged Cape Kamenjak, an edge of the world nature reserve featuring sheer 70 foot cliffs, hidden coves, and flat outcroppings perfect for sunbathing.

So which one is it going to be?

Small steps

We’re off to the CLA fair this weekend at Blenheim Palace. Another weekend of scorching weather ahead perhaps? That may be slightly optimistic, but anything will be better than the weather we had last weekend in the Lakes.

As many of you might know, we run a promotion on all our bags during the shows. Quite simply, if you buy a bag you have the choice of an Andy or Simon water bottle.

Simon and Andy

‘Great’, is the reaction we get from most of you. And great it is - you get a free water bottle and with it a chance to contribute in a minuscule way to a healthier planet.

Now before you switch off, let me hit you with a few facts.

The UK uses over 5 million tonnes of plastic each year. The amount that ends up in landfill according to Green Bottle (check them out, it's a neat concept), could fill the Albert Hall 50 times over.

Most plastic is not biodegradable and is made from oil – a depleting, expensive resource. The increase in the price of oil has ultimately increased the price of plastic bottles. Plastic bottles are mostly made from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and require an estimated 500 years to decompose and account for 130,000 tonnes of landfill waste in the UK each year. If the cap is left on, the disposed plastic bottle takes up a large volume of space in the landfill and is difficult to crush.

Photo courtesy of Diane Cook and Len Jenshel

OK, I know you have a fair idea of this already, but a little reminder certainly makes you think twice about your plastic bottle consumption.

Simon and Andy are produced using 100% food grade stainless steel. The top is 100% BPA (Bisphenol A) free polypropylene. Our waterproof rain covers (Dave and Matt), shoe bags (Harry and Jim) and dust cover (Adam) are all made using 100% recycled polyester, using PET drinks bottle plastic.

Simon in production

So why not fill up your Andy or Simon with some water or juice at home, instead of buying the plastic equivalent?

We’re certainly not doing anything new here at Millican and we don’t claim to be. You may feel that consuming a few less plastic bottles won't make much of a difference.

Maybe the following quote from Betty Reese will provide a little inspiration:

‘If you think you're too small to be effective, you've never been in bed with a mosquito’.

At Millican, we're just like a mosquito - small and determined to make a difference. By making conscious choices about what we create, who we work with and how we work. And by inspiring others to do the same.

If your unsure of the process that goes into recycled plastic bottles the following short film from Recyclenow provides a nice visual overview.

Plastic Bottles - how they are recycled from RecycleNow on Vimeo.

Bread making

All we seem to have spoken about over the last couple of weeks is Bread and Butter. Well here is another post about bread but without the butter, well almost.

Give me bread and jam and I'm a happy man, and a poetical genius...

In my opinion it doesn't get any better than biting into freshly baked bread still warm from the oven with butter melting into it.

Bread making has been going on for centuries but that doesn't mean everyone can bake it well. There is of course an art to making bread, but why would anyone make bread from scratch?

A loaf can be bought from your local grocery for a pound or so, or you can simply take a mix add some water and chuck it in the bread machine and Bob's your uncle.

Photo courtesy of Tartine Bread

The same philosophy can be applied to producing bags. We could choose to collect a few photos of gladstone bags take them to the factory and ask them to produce x amount. Stick the Millican badge on and have hundreds of Harry's. But of course we don't.

Good breads like good bags are more than that. It's surprising how many fundamental business lessons can be derived from a loaf of bread (just ask David Hieatt).

Photo courtesy of Tartine Bread

There is nothing like making a loaf of bread from scratch. Unlike quick bread, a bread made with yeast is so much more satisfying. Yes, it takes time, but it's well worth it.

What better way to relieve some stress from a hard day at work through kneading and moulding the dough with your bare hands. And of course the suspense in waiting to see if the dough will rise. Above all else it's all about the aroma, there's nothing better than the smell from the oven of freshly baked bread.

I am keen to master the art of bread making, this short video brought to my attention by Hearblack from Tartine Bread has only inspired me more.

Tartine Bread from Vimeo

It's great to see people do what they love with great enthusiasm. I wish Chad all the success with Tartine and look forward to some great recipes from the book.

Back to the Shed

Last week was one of those experiences that will be hard to forget. On the trip back myself and Jorrit both agreed that it would be difficult to pick out one particular favourite moment as we had so many.

But as with any situation in which you are unfamiliar there often comes a level of nervous energy stroke excitement. The night before the Bread and Butter show we really didn't know how Europe was going to take to Millican...

Well, nothing like a few beers at the opening ceremony to ease the nerves.

Grand Opening at Bread and Butter

Great night.

To say the least we were completely overwhelmed from the response of the Bread Butter crowd. It was brilliant for us to be able to share the Millican story with so many. We were fortunate enough to meet some fantastic like-minded people who are keen to spread the Millican philosophy with us.

If you have a spare three minutes, this short film highlights the Supershow perfectly.

The Bread and Butter Supershow from Vimeo

I can't speak highly enough of my Bread and Butter experience, for me it was a fantastic event and run with the utmost efficiency. But then I wouldn't expect anything less from the Germans...

As ever a few pics from the iPhone to share, hope you enjoy.

Bed - back of the van

OK, so it's not always as glamorous as it seems.

Swag Bag

We're at Bread and Butter Berlin right now, but only a few weeks ago, I was reminded of one of my long held dreams - to set off on the dusty roads of Australia, on my motorbike, with my swag and many unplanned months ahead of me.

Ok that's not really possible right now with Millican growing so quickly, but its good to have those dreams and hang onto them - for some day.

So when we met two visitors to the stand at The Royal Highland who were preparing for a year's trip to Oz, my dream sprung back to life and I remembered to check out the ultimate ozzie travel pack - The Swag.

Photo courtesy of The Aussie Shop

The humble swag has been a part of Australian life and folklore for more than a century. Invented out of necessity by early explorers, it has been a home away from home for generations of outback travellers ever since.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, workers who were travelling in the Australian bush walked long distances, if they couldn't hitch a ride. Itinerant workers who travelled from farm to farm shearing sheep, or doing other casual work, were nicknamed swagmen, because they carried all their possessions in a rolled blanket , or 'swag'.


Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

In the early 1800s, the term swag was used by British thieves to describe stolen goods. We still have a comic image of a burglar with a black mask over his eyes carrying a large sack marked "SWAG".

One definition given in 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue is "any booty you have lately obtained,.... To carry the swag is to be the bearer of the stolen goods to a place of safety."

James Hardy Vaux, a convict in Australia, used the term in his memoirs published in 1819 so by the 1830s, the term had changed from meaning stolen goods to the possessions carried by a bushman. And the person carrying the swag became known as a swagman.

Swagmen were often victims of circumstance who found themselves homeless and in need of casual work. Others chose that way of life for the freedom and adventure. 

Bushwear designer R.M. Williams is said to have spent some years as a swagman travelling across the Nullarbor Plain, picking up bushcraft and survival skills from local aboriginal tribes such as cutting mulga, tracking kangaroos and finding water.


The romanticized figure of a swagman was referred to in the famous Australian poem "Waltzing Matilda"  by Banjo Paterson, Australian poet and writer, who told the story of a swagman who stole sheep from the local squatter.

Generally "swaggers" had a swag (bedroll), a tucker bag ( for carrying food) and some cooking implements which may have included a billy can (tea pot or stewing pot). They often carried flour for making damper (campfire bread) and sometimes some meat for a stew (if they were lucky).

Nowadays, the swag usually refers just to the bedroll, but bikers, horse riders, "overlanders" and travellers still use their swags, often rolled with their clothes, toiletries and other essentials inside.

The original swags were usually made of canvas, with woollen blankets included during the cooler periods. Now modern swags are often made using waterproof materials like polyester, just visit Mr.Swagman for an idea of the ozzie options.

I guess the closest we have to a mini-swag in the Millican range is Jonathan the Roll-Wash, a scaled down version of the real thing for sure. But I love the idea of a swag, where all your carrying needs for shelter, warmth, clothing and cleaning are all taken care of with just one bag.

That's me by the way and faithful Jonathan

So watch this space, if you hear I've gone off to Oz for a while, consider it a stint of market research - at least that's what I'll call it.

Guten Tag!

We have arrived in Berlin safe and sound. All be it a rather wet Berlin but never the less looking as great as ever.

As some of you may or may not know we are attending Bread and Butter this week – an internationally renowned fashion tradeshow for selected brands. That’s right we'll be mixing it up with the big boys. Doing our utmost to get out there and spread the Millican philosophy.

We have a small stand in the LOCK arena which stands for Labels of Common Kin. We'll be joining the likes of Nigel Cabourn, Levis Vintage, Filson, Woolrich and Red Wing amongst others. Oh yes, we’ll be in good company.

The bi-annual event attracts over 80,000 visitors so fingers crossed there will be some like-minded retailers who are interested in working with us. Buyers from around the world will be seeing the likes of Dave, Adam, Mark and the rest of our products for the first time, so it will be super exciting to get their feedback.

You may have noticed a few tweets and updates on facebook and twitter already, but here are a few snaps from the iPhone from the last couple of days…

Wish us luck!

Pack Like a Pro

As I go through the check-list for Bread and Butter in Berlin next week it occurred to me that I have rather a lot to pack. There is certainly a skill to packing, and it's one that I have not yet mastered. Whereas this guy has got it down to a T.

Loving the technique, true professional.

Brought to my attention by Bag Blog from Matt Grandin via Pack Light