Freitag is big in Germany. Hellishly expensive, but made from old truck tarps, seltbelts, used airbags, and inner tubes. Best bit is you can build one yourself, online, from the truck tarps. Cool. But expensive. But nice to play with? I like their motto on the ‘design your own’ page… ‘It’s your fault’. Nice.

Timbuk2 are also big in Germany, and cheaper. You get to design your bag, choose colours and stuff and, again, nice to play with if you can’t decide on a bag.

Having seen your other post, Timbuk2 also lets you take a look inside. Freitag doesn’t, and lets you chhose your type of bag by clicking on a model who is wearing one. Which is obviously behind them so you have no idea what bag it is. Very, very odd. But it is mad Swiss design, so what the hell.

I periodically build myself an überbag, which I never buy – it is good for the soul.

What you need is not a pickaxe, but a mattock (think a cross between a hoe and a pickaxe). That’ll do the job. A pickaxe will just break it up and require more weedling out with a fork, where as a mattock will chop it up nicely for you and dig it out.

I used one to clear out my dad’s back garden before he got a conservatory put on.

Great fun. Lots of blisters. It even works in January on frozen overgrown ground – he wanted the conservatory for the summer. I’m not bitter.

If you have bits of bamboo left, a quick shake through a riddle will get them all out.

Oh my god. I am becoming my father.

Also, while WE’s site isn’t great, their service is – I’ve always had stuff 24 hours after it being ordered. Well impressed with them so far.

In the absence of power tools, axes, hammers and saws should do the trick, but power tools are best. Particularly ones that run on petrol rather than electricity.