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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.

The Key Points Which category do you need? - The main purpose of sunglasses is to cut out light that could otherwise damage your sensitive eyes. Sunglass lenses are categorised from 0 to 4, 4 are the darkest and cut out the most light, 0 are often transparent (but can have a slight tint), they cut out no light.For mountain use you should use Category 4 for high mountain ridges in clear condi …

When it comes to protecting your eyes from harmful sunlight exposure, understanding sunglasses categories and UV protection is key. This guide will help you navigate the various types of sunglasses and their features, ensuring you make an informed choice for your specific needs. Sunglasses Categories Sunglasses are classified into different categories based on their level of UV protection and visi …

There were 14 possible start points for the 2019 TGO dotted along the west coast of Scotland. Challengers can pick any one of these points to register at and start from. Challengers can then finish anywhere on the East Coast between Fraserburgh and Arbroath. For a successful crossing you had to reach the control in Montrose by the cut off time. Participants can plan their own route between their t …

Basic Gear Carried:  6779g/14lb 15.1oz and Discretionary Gear Carried: 460g/1lbs 0.2oz, Consumables:  4051g/8lbs 14.9oz, Gear worn about person: 1693g/3lbs 11.7oz, Gear Carried: 7.239kg/15lbs 15.8oz, Basic: 11.290kg/24lbs 14.9oz (with food and other consumables), Tent: Dan Durston X-Mid - 853g, Tent pegs - 120g, Sleepi …

Several of our customers had told me about the TGO Challenge and encouraged me to sign up. In the end I decided that I had to give it a go. In essence the TGO Challenge is a self supported crossing of Scotland over 2 weeks in May, from west coast to east coast. There were 14 possible start points on the west coast of Scotland and challengers can finish anywhere on the east coast between Frase …

Who are Hoka One One? The name Hoka One One is a New Zealand Maori phrase meaning Time to fly™. Hoka are comparatively new on the running scene and even newer entrants to the hiking market. They were founded in 2009 by two former Salomon employees who wanted to design a shoe that helped trail runners to go downhill faster. Having taken inspiration from developments in mountai …

Nemo have long been an UOG customer favourite for their lightweight tents but Nemo also make an excellent range of technical sleeping bags. With this in mind we decided to put the 2019 Nemo Kayu 15 to the test on the TGO Challenge.The Kayu is available in 2 versions the Kayu 30 with a comfort limit of -1C and the Kayu 15 rated to -9C. You never know what the weather might be like in Scotland in la …

It’s fair to say I’m a big fan of Leki poles and have mostly been using Leki Thermolite XL poles for the last couple of years. For the TGO Challenge I wanted lighter poles but still wanted them to be adjustable to pitch my tent and have a shorter pack size to stow them inside my pack for the train journey to and from Scotland. The Leki Black Series MVC poles ticked all of these boxes and L …

Granite Gear Blaze wins Backpacker Magazine Gold AwardBackpacker Magazine has awarded the Granite Gear Blaze 60 multi-day backpack with the Editor's Choice award for 2019. The Editor's Choice is a Gold Award, which recognises that the Blaze 60 is an update of Granite Gear's original Blaze AC 60, which won Backpacker's Editor's Choice award in 2011. A three pound backpack that comfortably carries 5 …