A rugged smartphone for the hills Phones have become a standard piece of outdoor equipment over the last decade. I’ve taken a smartphone on every walk I’ve done since 2010 when I got one for my Pacific Northwest Trail hike.…
An innovative lightweight backpack Sierra Designs is an American company that has been making backpacking gear since 1965 but has never had much of a presence in the British market. There is now a European branch however and it supplied…
A lightweight headlamp with rechargeable batteries and distance sensor The long daylight hours of high summer are fading now. In the Highlands nights are dark again. Just a few days before writing this I wandered across the Moine Mhor in…
Cotton Sun Hat with Cooling Insert This has been a good summer for sun hats. The weather’s been great, and I’ve had four to test. The latest is the Tilley Hiker’s Hat, which is very similar to the Tilley AIRFLO…
Lightweight practical walking sandals This has been a good summer for walking in sandals and I’ve been doing so frequently. Most recently I’ve been wearing the Merrell Sandspur Rift Strap, which I’ve found comfortable and practical. These have synthetic leather…
A fascinating device for exploring the outdoors at night
An innovative functional and comfortable daypack The Lowe Alpine Aeon 27 is a neat little daypack with an unusual back system. Packs in the sub 30 litre range usually have fairly simple harnesses as they’re not designed to carry much…
A warm weather shirt with sun and insect protection In warm weather I prefer to wear a hiking shirt rather than a wicking base layer as I find one cooler and with more useful features, especially pockets and roll-up sleeves.…
A Pair Of Sun Hats In recent weeks the most important outdoor gear has been sunscreen, dark glasses and sunhat. There’s a stack of waterproofs waiting to be tested if it ever rains again but for now it’s been heat…
Comfortable waterproof/ breathable socks Bridgedale’s new waterproof Storm socks have a three-layer construction with a waterproof/breathable stretch HydroTech membrane sandwiched between a merino wool/wicking synthetic inner and a tough nylon outer. Lycra in the inner and outer means the whole…