Blog

I love September; moving from summer to autumn is always my favourite time. The change in weather means it's the perfect time to get out hiking and to test out some of this year's new Autumn and Winter range. One of the first pieces I was keen to get my hands on was Rab’s latest incarnation of the Vapour Rise Alpine Light Jacket, which has always been a stand-out piece in Rab's ran …

Arguably, the most essential piece of outdoor clothing is your baselayer. The base layer is the layer that sits closest to your skin and is the fundamental layer of the three-layer system, baselayer, mid-layer and protective outer shell. The baselayers move moisture away from the body, which helps with temperature regulation. They tend to be made from synthetic materials, usually polyester, …

At the beginning of March this year, I was fortunate enough to be invited onto a winter skill course by Berghaus. Berghaus were keen to hear our opinions on their new EXTREM clothing range. The EXTREM Range was launched in 1986 and was designed to be used in the World's most extreme conditions, and for nearly four decades the line has advanced and evolved into the brand-new range we ha …

As the nights are drawing in and the temperature is starting to dip, we are excited about the prospect of the upcoming winter camping season. Winter camping can be more challenging, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. Cosy nights curled up in the tents, crisp frosty mornings, and dark star-filled skies are all only a few months away. So, we have teamed up with our friends at EXPED to de …

Intro The Great Outdoor Challenge (TGO challenge) is an annual communal coast-to-coast crossing of Scotland; each year, 400 “challengers” set off from one of 14 different start points located on the west coast of Scotland, aiming for the east coast. Some will head to the hills and attempt to bag as many Munros as possible, shunning small towns and villages and choosing to stay in t …

Choosing a sleeping bag can be a daunting task. Getting started with so many different options and variations can be difficult. This will be one of the biggest investments, along with your tent, for backpacking, so it's important that you make the right choice for what you need. We want you to pick the best sleeping bag for your adventures, so we've compiled this guide to help you narrow your …

I converted to hiking poles in 2017 when I completed Wainwright’s coast-to-coast. They help you power up hills, take pressure off your knees, and stay balanced on uneven terrain. A mountain lead I know says, “There are two types of people who hike with poles, those with bad knees and those that don't want bad knees”. I use trekking poles to erect my tent, so they support me and my shelt …

The Pure Clear Life Filter Personal Survival Straw sets itself apart from the rest of its competitors in a few ways; firstly, the price, it's almost half the cost of some of the other leading water filtration devices, and most notably, the  Pure Clear Life Filter doesn't just filter out bacteria silt and protozoa as the other standard water filters do, it also removes viruses, he …

May means one thing here in the Ultralight office, The Great Outdoors Challenge, or the TGO for short. We are incredibly proud to be a sponsor of this communal coast-to-coast crossing of Scotland. Three of our team, Danny, Chris and myself, are participating in this year’s TGO, so I thought I’d give you an insight into what’s in my pack and some of the gear I’ll be taking for this year’s chal …

The original Roclite Pro G 400, released in 2020, and are one of the best pairs of hiking boots I've tried; hard-wearing, supportive and very light. They went on to win the prestigious "Footwear of the Year" category at that year's Outdoor Awards show. So, when Inov8 announced they were revamping the trail shoe for 2023, I was keen to get my hands on a pair. The  Roclite Pro G …

We love working with, Exped, so we compiled a summer backpacking kit list, an all-encompassing kit list perfect for one-night adventures and week-long trips.Exped’s new Mira II HL Tent – is a robust and roomy two-person tent that isn’t just a place to bed down but is a nice place to hang out; the tent has a lot of headroom, so if you are confined to it for any length of time, you can still si …

For me, there is no greater feeling than standing at the start of a national trail or standing in the sea, ready to make a coast-to-coast crossing or, for the truly intrepid, embarking on a multi-day journey that you, yourself, have devised. If the West Highland Way or Wainwright’s Coast to Coast have long been an ambition of yours, but the logistics of such a mammoth task leave yo …