Learn | Rat and Dragon | Film and Photography Production

Japan’s Snow Monkey Spa and how to get there

Monkeys are pretty cool at the best of times, whilst being admittedly somewhat scary and crazy mini humans, their comedic value and intriguing intelligence (what’s going on behind those beady little eyes?) makes for at least plenty of entertainment.

Some of us may be well used to seeing pictures of friends and family on one of South East Asia’s popular monkey beaches, where tourists gather as part of a day trip stop off to in turn gawp and be gawped at our close relatives whilst trying hard to not have bikinis and board shorts accidentally ripped off by food searching primates.

Africa and South America also have their fair share of primate interaction – a cliché even leading to a near diplomatic incident between Brazil and the United States in 2002 – brought on by The Simpson’s depiction of monkeys in the streets of Rio de Janeiro (season 13, “Blame It on Lisa”). President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and the Rio tourist board threatened to sue the producers for defamation of the city as ‘uncivilised’, but charges were dropped after producer James L. Brooks offered to have Homer fight the Brazilian president on Celebrity Boxing as a form of apology. We like this guy.

So we all know, monkeys = heat and jungle. Try this on for size: a fully-fledged outdoor monkey spa in the frozen snowy mountains of Japan?

Japan is famous for its love of natural hot springs, where the otherwise very private Japanese regularly take all their clothes off to soak collectively in pools of geo-thermally heated, mineral rich waters – all be it gender segregated (we’re not talking Germans here). The practice of going to the Onsen and spending hours in it repeatedly cleansing and soaking whilst warming your body to its core is understandably very popular – especially in said freezing parts of Japan where snow coverage racks up several meters at the side of pristinely cleared roads.

No surprise then that Japan’s Macaques (also known as ‘Snow Monkeys’ because they… well… like ice cream?…) have tagged onto the idea and spend the long snowy winter months with its usual -10 degrees temperatures in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture hanging out in Hell’s Valley – Jigokudani if you want to be all local insider-ish.

The steep valley formed by the Yokoyu river has an abundance of crevices that allow steam and boiling water to bubble up from the depths below which give this somewhat harsh environment its name – no Hells Angel’s hairy bikers here though, except on the occasional Tuesday. The monkeys roam the Joshinetsu Kogen National Park’s forests and seek shelter in them overnight, but if you would like to grab a glimpse of them during the winter day time, here is how it’s done.

From Nagano station, there are several options:

1) There is a one-day Japan Snow Monkey tour from Nagano, arranged by JTB, the rail network that also provides the highly recommendable JR Railpasses. See here for details.

2) There is an Express Bus run by Nagaden from Nagano Station’s East Exit to Kanbayashi (stop “Kanbayashi Onsen Guchi”), which is a little more expensive, but a straightforward way to get to the walking trail that leads up the mountain.

3) There is also the possibility of taking the train to Yudanaka (take the Nagano Dentetsu limited express train) which runs a more frequent service than the busses, however, you need to take a local bus from Yudanaka to the Kanbayashi trailhead (there are also mini shuttle bus services and of course taxis available at a higher price).

4) If you’re a bit minted or in a rush or lazy, you can taxi it all the way from Nagano station to Kanbayashi, where the driver will wait for an hour and take you back to Nagano after. Call 026-282-7777 for reservations.

Once you get to the beginning of the Kanbayashi trail, the real fun starts as you make your way on a tiny, very picturesque mountain trail through the woods (watch out for the occasional park keeper daring to ride this tiny trail on a moped to transport supplies from the village to the monkey park entrance hut). On the 30-minute walk up the valley, you can learn little bits and pieces about the monkeys and their natural habitat, whilst enjoying the beautiful setting and solitude of the forest.

Make sure to arrive well in time as the park closes at 5pm when the monkeys head up to the woods for the night. Leave enough time to not have to run up the hill and also to be able to get some good photo or nature spotting time with the monkeys at the spring. And remember, this is not a zoo, so whilst they are there most of the time, on certain days, the monkeys might not be bathing. We are told to avoid days that Man United games are on telly as the monkeys are rumoured to be fervent supporters.

Once you arrive at the guesthouse and human Onsen (interestingly situated DOWN stream from the monkeys – we’re sure they must have their own private spring), make your way to the right up the hill to the park entrance hut, pay your entry fee and walk the short 5 minute stretch across the bridge to the heart of the action – a 10m x 5m pool of hot steaming, monkey teabag smelling Onsen goodness.

For those of you who have watched the Daniel Craig narrated feature length version of Planet Earth “One Life” and marvelled at the wildlife photographer’s closeups of all sorts of incredible beings, including Snow Monkeys – now is your chance. You can step right up to the pool full of fuzzy spa goers, get your camera out right next to them and start snapping away. One word of warning – if you position yourself at the edge of the pool, beware that you will almost certainly have monkey butt thrust in your face at some stage when one of the teenagers starts to assert his imagined territory by walking all over your camera gripping hands.

Having said that, Jigokudani’s monkeys are relatively well behaved – undoubtedly due to the National Park’s highly disciplined keepers, who are very careful to avoid any suggestion of food from the tourists. Whereas monkeys in Thailand and Gibraltar will pounce on your backpack and tear your plastic bags apart in search of a cheeky snack, Japan’s politeness and strict rule abiding seems to have ensured that Jigokudani’s macaques have remained relatively unspoiled and still act very closely to their natural behaviour. Remember they are wild animals and work with the staff to keep it that way.

Japan’s natural beauty is staggering, and having been able to witness such a clash of concepts (jungle vs snow) and amazing creatures (nearly the northern most monkeys in the world with the northern most only 500km away on Honshu Island, Japan, which is a lot harder to get to) was a true privilege. Plus they are darn cute and hilarious. The ease of access to Joshinetsu Kogen National Park and yet lack of overcrowding makes for a truly magical experience we simply had to share with you.

Let us know if you make it to Jigokudani, we would love to see your pictures! Wanna see what it looks like in advance? Check out our Snow Monkey Spa Place Cake now:

Filming Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo

All, Learn

Like a medieval battle re-enacted every five minutes, at a green signal, thousands of people charge at each other from 5 opposing curbsides across 10 traffic lanes. Somewhere near the middle, the multiple battlefronts collide, like storm swells on a harbour wall. You can almost hear the Samurai cries, the gnashing horses and clash of swords.

Ok, that last part isn’t true. Actually, the crests of unwaveringly polite people of Tokyo glide through each other smoothly with only the slightest of ripples through the crowd, until the last stragglers realise the imminent road danger and start to leg it to the other side before the eager traffic resumes.

With this many people though, you’ll certainly experience your share of craziness (check out our Crazy Tokyo blog post). And with sparklingly illuminated glass and steel canyons on all sides, purely nutty Tokyo fashion, TV screens the size of large buildings and some of the world’s most intense advertising in every direction, the world-class modern spectacle that is Shibuya’s pedestrian ‘scramble’ crossing will yield stunning imagery for filmmakers and photographers.
So what’s the best way to capture it all? The Rat & Dragon crew relished checking it out for our projects and here’s what we found:

Commercial Filming Permits

Permits are required for street shoots all throughout Tokyo, and from what we understand, it’s pretty much impossible to get one for Shibuya crossing. Rat & Dragon certainly don’t condone sidestepping regulations and wouldn’t dream of doing it ourselves. But if, hypothetically, we ever did consider it (which we didn’t), the following is merely what we might have hypothetically suggested (if we did condone it, which we don’t).

Shibuya crossing is one of the world’s greatest tourist marvels so just about everyone has a camera out. A tiny team of two or three people, without a tripod and obvious lighting or audio kit, will blend right in and will hardly be noticed at all, especially if using DSLR or similar light-weight, non-shoulder mounted camera. Similarly, if you’ve ever seen Tokyo fashion, you’ll know that getting your actor in just about any costume on the streets of Tokyo will probably not raise the kind of attention you would in other cities.

Where is it?

The crossing is just outside Shibuya Station’s Hachikō Exit. More people tend to cross from the station side of the road, and there are four other curbside points on the other sides of the crossing that pedestrians will line up at. Five roads lead into the crossing and the lights close about 10 lanes of traffic across all of them, each time the light changes. Pedestrians can cross to reach any of the other sides (hence the term ‘Scramble Crossing’), which makes for some brilliantly orchestrated chaos to fill your lens with.

Equipment

DSLRs are ideal, as are smaller consumer cameras with HD video capability. GoPro cams are perfectly suited to inconspicuous wide shots from right inside the action. A small steadycam rig for your DSLR is great to smooth out your POV shots as you walk the crossing, but remember: the name of the game is inconspicuous. A short pole for your GoPro is awesome for getting above (or below) the crowd.

For audio, if you need dialog or anything other than background atmos track, use a compact shoe-mounted mic and/or hidden lapel mic and pocket audio recorder combo. Don’t have your sound recordist get out a boom pole.

Ambient light is really good with so much advertising around, but it is also variable so a small LED light will pick out details if you need it. These can go unnoticed with so many people on their phones and tablets too. Alternatively, can you get away with your phone’s light?

Vantage Points

There are some great (and free!) places to view the crossing from afar and above.
Starbucks (1) shares a building with Tsutaya bookstore and has a massive upper-floor viewing window, where you can sip your frappe mocha latte sludge and watch the chaos. Stick it to the man by going in the bookshop door, completely bypassing the baristas, and up the escalators and into Starbucks’ upper floor without buying a bean. This is across the road from the station, so views the crossing looking back towards it. The station building isn’t the best backdrop, but it is a great spot from which to pick out details and individuals with a decent zoom, or the largest battlefront as pedestrians face towards you as they come from the station. The counter by the window shakes when other customers lean on or bump it, so for steady shots, use a tiny tripod or Gorilla Grip on the floor at your feet.

Shibuya Excel Hotel (2) is also across the road from the station and it’s the tallest building you can access at the crossing. Splash some cash and get a room for unparalleled access, or blag your way up in the lifts for a birds-eye view.

The pedestrian bridge between Shibuya Station and the Excel Hotel (3) also has a great free view. It’s a walkway on the upper floor above the road, and links the shopping areas of the station with the hotel (and more shopping). From the station, follow the signs up the stairs or escalator to the Excel Hotel. There’s a large window the whole length of the walkway and plenty of space to set up. A tripod will probably get challenged eventually, but there are plenty of windowsills and handrails for you to prop a camera on.

There’s also an elevated train (5) that runs over a rail bridge above one of the roads leading into the crossing. If you take a train on the Yamanote Line from Shibuya to Harajuku, you might get a fleeting glimpse from left windows (or from the right if approaching Shibuya from Harajuku). We didn’t try this, but if you have, please let us know how it went in the comments box below.

In Amongst It

Shots from within the crowd are awesome. Give your audience the feeling of being there. Get down to the street and run across it a few times. Wide-angle lenses allow you to cram more in to the frame – from the stripy asphalt to the beaming skyscrapers and everything in between – there’s just so much to see. If you do it a few times, you are certain to end up with some intriguing looking characters walking into frame.

There’s a small bronze statue of a group of toddlers (4) on a small, raised garden bed right near the curb on the station side. With good balance you can climb up a little for a slightly-above-head-height view, another great spot for a long lens for picking out details and individuals, but setting up a tripod probably wont work here.

The streets beyond the crossing are really cool too. It’s a youth oriented area packed with bars, clubs, restaurants and shops, where only the latest fashion is traded and inspired. People-watching here is off the scale for enjoyable and street photography is only difficult here because of the sheer volume of opportunity and range of choice of things to snap at. Shibuya is a street photographer’s dream, and definitely a place for the bucket list of places to shoot before you die.

Wanna see what it can look like? Check out our Shibuya Crossing Place Cake now:

Surviving Siberia – all limbs still intact?

All, Learn

Packing clothes for somewhere you’ve never been before is always a bit of a tricky endeavour, especially if you’re heading on a trip through varied climates. Before setting off, you may have no idea whether, once you’ve reached your destination, you’ll be too warm, to cold or look like a bit of a tool dressed in your bright pink spandex tech windbreaker whilst surrounded by sensible locals clad in bearskin fur coats.

But before you go off and spend lots of money on a stylish mink and matching rabbit hat (prices are around 700% inflated in Russian winter!), see how we fared with our UK bought outfits and Russian essential additions for minus teen winter fun.

Coats

Coats are obviously a very important part of your kit, and Nicola has been very happy with her Rab Neutrino Plus down coat, whilst Saxon has been keeping warm in his urban style snowboard jacket. For a full lowdown on the selection process, check out our previous post.

But just like a good break beat track, the best coat is nothing without base layers. Outdoor outfitters will happily tell you all about their latest hit technological breakthrough, but quite honestly, we preferred it simple and raided Japan’s answer to “we only have that t-shirt in brown and size 14”: the mighty Uniqlo.

Base Layers

Uniqlo’s heat tech range is surprisingly light, super comfortable and effective at a) keeping you warm and b) stopping you from smelling bad after 4 days without a shower. Leggings, socks, tank tops, and long sleeved t-shirts (some with micro fleece lining) were already essential wearing around London. But pair these with a micro light down body warmer or undercoat (don’t be fooled by their apparent flimsiness, we’ve been thanking the universe every day for their existence) and you’ve got some really solid insulation going on that would even make a nerpa sit up and take notice.

Uniqlo was also the provider of Saxon’s fur lined hoodie (ooooh!) and Nicola’s fleece lined gym trousers (aaah!), and we have both been boring our fellow travellers with how much we love them. Nicola’s famed Blue Ninja fleece (with added ears) came from H&M’s sportswear section when she went sailing – beat the system, life-saving hoodie for £20.

Trousers

Now you’re all cosy up top (don’t worry, fashionistas, there’s going to be a whole separate accessories section below), we have found our soft shell, fleece lined, plain snowboard trousers from Mountain Warehouse very good for the reasons that a) we didn’t look like idiots on the way to St Anton whilst walking around Moscow and b) we could easily slip into and out of them on the Trans-Siberian, when we switched from tropical heat inside the train to -26 degrees outside when stretching our legs and shock freezing the insides of our noses during 10 minute stops.

Shoes

Decent footwear is essential, and (in this rare occasion), don’t be seduced by furry bits, especially if it’s only trim. Nicola’s North Face Snow Drift Hiking Boots have kept her feet as warm as can be (although due to bad genes she still gets toe freeze after a few hours standing around trying to make the tripod do what it’s supposed to), whilst Saxon’s fake Estonian Timberlands have been amazing (to purchase a pair, just look for the dodgy shop to the left of Tallinn’s old town south exit and ask for Olev. Bring a bottle of vodka).

If you want to go crazy arctic, Smartwool extra heavy crew socks are your thing and will give you the sensation of putting your feet into a towel. Alternatively, if you’re in wetter climates, a UK-Russian family run company called KeepTex do pretty awesome waterproof socks (amongst other gear). If you can’t read their website, send them an email in English – they are lovely.

Accessories (yey!)

Yes, dear stylish friends, we have finally arrived at accessories, the cherry on the cake of your winter wardrobe. Hurrah! Before we start, we would like to point out that due to the Trans-Siberian’s love of over-heating the carriages, we found our bikinis and board shorts most useful. Oh, the irony. Now back to the expected stuff.

Whilst you’ll probably have a couple of changes of underclothes, accessories are close to your skin but you’ll wear the same things all the time, so make sure they are warm and comfortable.

First off, get some gloves. And take them with you when you leave the hotel room (Saxon!). A pair of fingerless ones and a pair of fleece ones (thanks for ‘lending’ them to Nicola, cousin Charlie!) that are big enough to fit over the fingerless ones (and small enough to fit into the thumb loops of your H&M sports hoodie!) and you’ll be the most prepared and able photographer on the planet, switching around settings and tapping touch screens without losing your extremities to frostbite.

Hats wise, you’ll need something that covers your ears, so whether it’s a badger face nit job from Primani, a Moscow flea market bought rabbit skin extravaganza or one of KeepTex’s super-cool waterproof beanies is entirely up to you. Don’t leave it in your hotel room. (Saxon.)

Finally, you’ll most definitely need a good scarf. Much like the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy’s towel, the scarf is a multi purpose must have item of Siberian clothing with Topshop currently stocking some awesomely coloured fluffy wonders and retailers and street stalls around the world catering for the less (or even more) garishly minded.

Or you could always wear a towel.

And thus, we come to the end of our first hand account of clothes for surviving Siberia. Remember, shopping around will save you money – we got our biggest buys at less (sometimes half!) shop price just by comparing providers, for example these guys, whilst not the cheapest, were pretty awesome with their customer service. And do let us know in the comments below if you have found other items of clothing essential for your travels. We’d love to hear from you!

Top Tips for the Trans-Siberian

All, Learn

The Rat & Dragon crew has now clocked up around 500 hours travelling and filming both the Trans-Siberian and the Trans-Mongolian rail routes, so we’d like to think we’ve picked up some practical knowledge along the way. If you’re thinking of parking your butt on a train for days on end across either of these incredible routes and want to know what to expect, here’s some useful stuff we’d like to tell you about life aboard the Russian railways.

The Trains

The R&D crew chose Kupe – 2nd class tickets, which are in shared, 4-berth cabins. There are 2 bunk beds on either side of a cozy cabin that are comfy enough. There’s a little space for storing luggage (if you’re on the bottom bunk it’s more secure in a bin under the bed) and there’s tiny table by the window, which is just big enough for a game of cards, a few glasses and a bottle of vodka.

There are other classes – 1st puts you in a 2-berth private cabin at about double the price, and Platskartny, or open carriage, is sociable and great for short (overnight) journeys. It’s cheap too, but has no privacy and we wouldn’t recommend it for longer journeys.

Russians take their heating seriously. We travelled in mid-winter and, while the atmosphere outside was busy snap-freezing the landscape into bride-white with it’s minus 24 degree breeze, the heating inside maintained the inside of the carriages to a Saharan sweat box standard.

All times displayed on timetables, tickets and in stations across Russia are expressed in Moscow time – despite the 7 time zones traversed in a single Trans-Siberian journey. Make sure you know what Moscow time equates to in local time and never confuse the two.

Sharing

If you’re travelling with less than 3 mates, be prepared to make some new ones, as randoms will be popping in and out as you travel. Shareable snacks and drinks will help break the ice with your new bunkmates. It’s a bit of a roll of the dice as to who you end up with – we went from English speaking tech-geek students to sullen, surly worker-types to lovely hockey mum and daughter combos.

Most people are conscientious and willing to help. It’s so worth it to try your darndest to communicate across language differences – fellow passengers can make your trip, or make for one hell of a travel story. Russians are notoriously grumpy at first, but even the most serious frowner can turn out to be absolutely lovely after 20 mins of simple chatting.

Carriage Attendants

Each carriage is attended by a team of 2 Provodniks (more likely Provodnitsas – female attendants). They’re famously stern and highly unlikely to speak English, but can be very helpful to you, and fiercely protective of the peace and stability of your carriage so don’t make her angry. Ask them for water, for the local time, where to plug in your electric razor (they need to turn certain sockets on), and tea glasses. They also sell snacks after hours.

Bathrooms

Toilets can be a little on the grotty side, but totally passable if you’ve ever backpacked before. They empty straight out onto the tracks so they’re locked about 30 minutes before and after each major stop – unless you have a bladder of steel, make sure you refer to the timetable in the hallway. For a unique thrill, try flushing while seated and -30 degrees outside (we weren’t game enough, but if you try it, tell us what it’s like).

Showers are a little like the four-leaf clover. You will hear rumors of them, a ‘friend of a friend’s hairdresser’ saw one once, but you might never find one. Rat & Dragon, however, can confirm a sighting – one bathroom about 6 carriages down from ours was converted into a ‘shower’ – really only a hose & showerhead attached to glorious hot water in the sink. While far from a luxurious experience, a makeshift shower was heaven by day 3 of 4.

Eating and drinking

There’s a restaurant car, which must be explored. Pictures in the menu are no indication of what your meal will actually look like, but the rough English translations are helpful and entertaining. While overpriced, you are watching glorious Russia unfold in parallax as you dine, making the occasional meal or drink there totally worth it. There’s also the bonus of meeting locals and fellow travellers for mostly rewarding but sometimes awkward encounters.

Probably the best way we found was to bring loads of food and water. Each carriage has unlimited access to hot water so instant noodles and mashed potato pots are awesome. There are also Russian delicacies almost custom-made for long train journeys – we loved finely crafted salami-like sausage and dark breads, smoked strings of cheese, canned caviar and sweet snacks. Washed down with vodka, of course. A lot of these are available at small kiosks on the platforms at major stops, but to be certain, hit a supermarket before your journey. Note also that sale of alcohol is now forbidden after 11pm.

Things to Bring

As well as food and drink mentioned above, we found these things almost essential:
Slippers, comfy shorts (even in mid-winter), pocketknife with corkscrew, small plastic plates, hand sanitiser, wet tissues, a fork or chopsticks, a 3m electric extension cable, playing cards. You’ll receive fresh linen and a small hand towel on arrival, and can ask your Provodnitsa for an elegant Russian coffee mug for use on your trip. Resist the temptation to steal it.

Stops

Most people stop along the way in several places, not just to break the journey, but to experience life and culture across Russia. We stopped at Irkutsk and Lake Baikal (a must in our opinion – to read about it, see our blog post) and of course there are as many other places of interest along the 9,288 km as there are things to be interested by so do a little research and pick somewhere that appeals to you for stay.

There are also about 3 or 4 stops of 20+ minutes each day. These are great for snatching some fresh air, stretching your legs and stocking up on snacks and drinks. Check the timetable in the corridor and be ready to leap out of the train (remember – it’s in Moscow time, and the stop will be shorter if the train arrived slightly delayed!) You’ll get really cool photo and filming opportunities too, with some stations displaying old steam train engines, while the stations themselves are sometimes pretty amazing.

Trainlag

You’ve probably had jetlag, but a directly East-West (or vice versa) journey on a train for days on end will mess with your body clock too. Our journey crossed 7 time zones. Essentially, every night on a train saw us staying up – and waking up – in local time an hour later each day, until eventually we were shattered unless we slept until early afternoon. Basically we reverted to a student lifestyle, and discovered that trainlag happens too.

We’d love to hear from you! If you’re thinking of going and you’ve got specific questions for the Rat & Dragon team, please drop us a line in the comments box below and we’ll do our best to get you some answers. If you’ve already been, please tell us about your experience, and if you have tips to share, don’t keep them to yourself – slap them in the comments box below.

Surviving Siberia – get the right coat!

All, Learn

Setting off onto our latest epic project, the Rat & Dragon team has over the last few weeks become something of an expert on cold weather kit. There is a wide array of options available from high street fashion stores to outdoors activities outfitters. If you’re bogged down with everyone telling you their coat is the warmest, here are some things to bear in mind:

1. Lightweight Down vs full waterproofed Parkas

You’d be tempted to think that heavier = warmer, but whilst Parkas have a waterproof top layer (essential for UK use), the down they contain may not be as good quality and thickness as the high tech down-only coats, that are also usually wind proof.

Depending on whether you’re going to be jetting around lots of different climates or just going to be hanging out in a very cold place (if you’re lucky enough to be heading somewhere REALLY cold, it will be too cold to rain anyway, so water resistant down is perfectly fine), you may also want to watch the weight of your luggage, in which case Lightweight Down wins hands down (duh!).

Whether you go for a Parka or Lightweight, the content will determine how toasty you’ll be. The more air the down traps, the warmer it will be, so make sure that you don’t squish it! Here are other things to think about:

2. Goose, Duck, Feathers?

Down’s warm factor comes from the volume of air it traps, so the bigger the ‘fluff ball’ each piece of down is, the more air it traps, the warmer it will be. Bigger bird means a bigger fluff ball, so goose is generally warmer than duck.

If you want to go crème de la crème, get your mitts on Hungarian Goose or Eider Duck down (its breast feathers are fantastically warm). Make sure there is no or very little feather content, as (in comparison to pillows that need lift) they’ll only add weight and bulk.

3. Fill Power

Very simply put, in order to measure the volume of air down traps (it’s ‘fluffiness’ or technically speaking ‘fill power’), an ounce of down is put into a Plexiglas tube, compressed and then let to expand. The further the down expands, the more air it traps and the warmer the down will be.

Fill power ranges from around 400-900 in³/oz, with 600 being fine for normal winter and anything from 750 is going to be great for mountains in Russia (with crème de la crème Eider blowing it out of the water at 1200 in³/oz!).

4. Amount of down

Once you have determined comparable fill powers, the next obvious consideration is how much of your down is in the coat. If the fill power is the same, more of it will mean a warmer jacket. For a mind-bender, a lighter coat with less high-fill-power down may be a lot warmer than a heavier coat with more low fill power down.

5. US vs EU measurements

The US and EU have different measurements of fill power and loft: in³/oz vs. cm³/g. Make sure that you’re comparing the same measurements!

6. Stitching

If that wasn’t enough already, the way the coat is stitched up also makes a difference! Stitched keep the down in place, so it’s important to have a well constructed coat.

If a coat has stitches that go right through all layers, you may end up getting cold bits around the stitches (remember the “air volume = warmth, so don’t flatten” bit!). The fewer stitches, the smaller the chances of cold bits.

There are exceptions: high tech coats have different layers so the stitches don’t go all the way through to your body from the outside, and ultra-lightweight down coats meant as an under-layer with tightly spaced stitches allow for a lot more flexibility and good warmth then worn with a wind (and if you’re really into it waterproof) separate outer shell coat.

7. Sourcing

Finally, you can chose to buy responsibly sourced down, for example sourced as a by-product of the food industry, so you’ll know that no part of the animal was wasted!

Having bought our kit for Russia and Mongolia, we’ll be able to give you first hand account of how well it works, so stay tuned in! The pressure test is less than a month away!

5 Lessons Learned About Dallas

All, Learn

“Everyday’s a school day” so they say. Well we’d really like a day off occasionally, but when you’re constantly tasked with such a diversity of projects in far-flung destinations, you just can’t help but learn a new thing or two. So when the Rat and Dragon film crew hit the streets to shoot Blue Ninja in Dallas, our schooling was about to begin…

1. The people of Dallas are awesome

We expected some funny looks, dressed as a blue ninja in the streets, but the reactions from passers-by were fantastic. People loved the film’s concept, often stopping by for a chat, and when we needed a helping hand with lighting, locations and extras, the local Texans were only too happy to get involved. Special thanks to Michelle (honorary Exec Producer), Jacob (voiceover star) Mike (soundtrack and darts champ), random guy in the blue morph suit and the great people of Dallas.

2. There are hidden flecks of gold just off the regular tourist trail

The iconic sights of Dallas like the JFK museum and Historic Fort Worth Stockyards are must-sees, that’s a given. But what about the authentic city that the locals love? The Truckyard is a dazzling outdoor venue with gourmet food trucks, a treehouse cocktail bar and seating areas made from old truck chassis. Deep Ellum is an eclectic neighbourhood slathered in street art that throbs with live rock from myriad venues. These and many more make amazing film sets, and the locals will be chuffed to show you around.

3. There’s a relentless schedule of festivals and events

In the 2 months Rat & Dragon were in Dallas, there was some kind of festivity every single weekend. The locals get right into the swing of things so don’t hold back. Texas State Fair, Gay Pride Parade, Food and Wine Festivals and ice hockey, American football and basketball are all fiercely supported. The Halloween block party sets the most important scene for our little blue Ninja…

4. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing

OK, so the saying ‘everything’s bigger in Texas’ probably comes from the food. Portion sizes are out of control. Couple that with the sensational taste of even the most basic Dallas fare and you have a recipe for belly overfill. One of our crew learned the hard way – in Dallas, sometimes you just shouldn’t try finishing everything on the plate.

5. Dallas will make you want to go back

Let yourself soak in the warmth of the people and the climate, the easy smiles and easy lifestyle. Get a taste for the hidden secrets and discover that the more you find, the more you want to explore.

Watch out for Blue Ninja in Dallas for a ninja’s-eye-view of Dallas and Fort Worth![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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