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I've used these on a few trips now and can say that they are a comfortable and durable option; perhaps more suited to adventure travel than a pure backpacking trip but you won't be disappointed using them for either. The first thing I like is the fabric - its very lightweight and extremely stretchy, thin and therefore highly breathable. This makes the Limantour pants ideal for trips to warm climat …

Used extensively by Cairngorm Treks throughout Autumn and Winter 2017/18 within the Cairngorm National Park, Skye, and surrounding areasThe Montane Limantour Pants promise to be lightweight, versatile and robust. On first inspection this certainly seems likely, as the subtle stretch to the fabric immediately suggests that flexibility during use will not be an issue. They feel light …

The Rab Photon X is Rab's latest winter belay jacket. Designed specifically for our regular climbing location, Scotland, we couldn't wait to get our hands on it.When we talk about Scottish winter climbing, we immediately think of synthetic insulation. Although synthetic down and hydrophobic down has come a long way in recent years. We still think a typical Scottish winter day of the full spectrum …

Haglofs Strive 50 is designed to meet the requirements of lightweight backpackers who can get their kit into 50 litres. This is exactly the type of trip I was planning last year to Scotland, and I was delighted to get hold of a pre production sample to try out. First impressions are good, its a 50 litre pack, with a decent framesheet and weighing in at just 1150grams. There are lighter packs out t …

Micro puff down jackets are nothing new, Rab seems to have broken into the mainstream with their micro alpine over the yeast few years, a walk along most UK high streets on even a slightly cool day will demonstrate that. It seems there are two types of gear junkies, those who cry a silent tear when in a downpour they pass someone who has yet to be introduced to how to adequately look after down an …

Extensively tested by Cairngorm Treks guides in the Highlands of Scotland throughout Autumn and Winter 2017/18Trying to find the right pair of outdoor trousers to suit all year round use in Scotland can often be very tricky. There are some great products available but often when you wander away from the main trails and onto rougher ground, they can frequently let you down. This is by either …

This trip was another chance to use the  Granite Gear Crown 2 60L rucksack. Having found the Crown 2 so comfortable on an earlier trip to the Howgill Fells, I was very happy to use it on the Affric Kintail Way. The  Granite Gear Crown 2 is designed as a lightweight multi-day backpack. The previous version, the Crown V.C. 60 had long been one of our ‘Top Pick’ backpacks. We we …

MSR Ceramic Cooking PotsNon-stick coatings have a chequered history with camping pans, traditionally they are, well.. not very good. Titanium is the worst offender with non stick coatings being easily damaged and not that effective - the problem is that we are used to the real 'non stickiness' we get on the pans we use at home.Aluminium non stick is a lot better than Titanium but it still lacks th …

This is the warmest, most comfortable sleeping bag I have ever used. After a long day trekking in the cold I knew that I would have a warm night’s sleep. The bag didn’t require any layers to be worn inside during the night. After the initial cold period, the bag would warm up to a comfortable temperature within 10 minutes.The bag has a half-zip in the centre of the bag which was great for ventilat …

The Nemo GoGo Elite is midway between a bivy bag and a tent, it has an inflatable frame at the shoulders which gives you room to move about and organise your gear.If I can dispel the first couple of assumptions you might be making:1. It is easy to blow up using the featherweight pump included and takes very little effort; the pressure is created by your hand not by trying to blow hard into it.2. T …