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What is a bivy bag?The bivy bag (also known as a bivouac, bivi, bivvy or bivvi bag) was first developed as a basic but effective solo shelter for mountaineering and climbing where lightweight and small pack size were vital. The original bivies were little more than waterproof sleeping bag covers that protected users from the elements or could be used as temporary emergency shelters. Comfort has al …

The Rab Forge is a fairly ordinary looking tee with the long sleeved, crew neck version makes it look like a simple, casual top. However, I’m a big fan of the synthetic/merino blends for baselayers so I was eager to test this out. I’d not worn this tee before putting it on for the 53rd OMM in Largs, Scotland, so I knew it was going to get a baptism of fire across two hard days in the …

After a few months of using this anorak from Haglofs, I’ve been seriously impressed. It was my shell layer of choice on the TGO this year because it seemed to offer the perfect package for this event. It’s been stripped of unnecessary features and just retains those you really need to minimise weight and pack size. To keep weight low Haglofs opted for an anorak with a half zip rathe …

I’m a huge fan of  Mountain Equipment’s Comici pants. It was an easy decision to use them for the TGO Challenge because they tick every box as the perfect outdoor pants for everything other than winter conditions. The fit is superb and the fabric has plenty of stretch so you really don’t notice that you are wearing them. They are genuinely all day comfy. They have slim fitting legs w …

Planning the route was much harder than I had envisaged. There are so many possible places to start and amazing places to walk through. You have to be disciplined and accept that you can’t include all your bucket list routes in one Challenge (a good reason to come back year after year as many people seem to). In the end, I decided on starting in Mallaig and the ferry across to Inverie in Knoydart. …

Montbell has developed a reputation for high-quality, lightweight outdoor kit. The range covers clothing, sleeping bags, tents, backpacks and an array of accessories. Montbell is now a world leader in producing some of the most innovative, lightweight and functional kit across a number of categories.