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We promise you, it is actually summer. Although a glance out the window could lead one to believe that spring will lead straight into autumn this year, there are still some bright spots on the horizon that can offer solace and excitement. We are now halfway through 2024, and there has already been an abundance of new gear for us to get excited about. Okay, this one is a cheat. It's not a …

When Black Diamond announced the Beta Light 45 backpack earlier this year, I was intrigued by its unique appearance and impressive stats. Black Diamond kindly provided the Beta Light 45 backpack and the Beta Light Pack Sattelite Bag for my upcoming TGO Challenge, a two-week coast-to-coast crossing of Scotland. The Beta Light 45 and Beta Light Pack Sattelite Bag feature a sleek, modern de …

May means one thing in the Ultralight office: The Great Outdoors Challenge, or the TGO, for short. We are incredibly proud to sponsor this communal coast-to-coast crossing of Scotland. This year, Lois, Danny, and I are taking part in this years crossing. Lois is embarking on her first, and Danny and I are attempting our third TGO challenge.The TGO Challenge is a unique coast-to-coast trek across S …

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 …

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 …

Black Diamond were virtually the first company to bring to market truly lightweight foldable trekking poles suitable for trekking and running, the engineering is outstanding and over the years they have honed and perfected the features so they are now among the best poles available. They aren't so good at naming them, however, since the words and letters used in the names have specific meanin …

The  Black Diamond Distance tent is a good example of the kind of tent I look out for – it’s spacious for one person (although Black Diamond says it’s a two-person), has a good head height and is very lightweight. It achieves its lightweight tag by being single skin and utilising your trekking poles as its support structure. Also, there’s no porch for storing gear – so using the …

The design is simple yet robust, with a rear battery pack linked to a front headlamp via a partly-coiled cable. Power is 'dual fuel' via either the BD1800 rechargeable lithium-ion battery or three AAAs. The lithium-ion gives the best output: 400 lumens for 5 hours in max, 200 lumens for 13 hours in medium,and 8 lumens for 110 hours in low. You also get a fully waterproof IP67 rating.VERDICTA well- …

A snow shovel is an essential piece of kit to have with you when travel out to not only avalanche prone environments but also any area in which snow may be present. A shovel comes into use for many situations including digging a snow shelter, creating a quick seating area for a group, analysing snowpack, and in the unfortunate situation if an avalanche was to occur and a rescue situat …

Walking poles are must have items for our days out in the hills and we are always keen to try out something that promises versatility, lightness, low pack volume, robustness and ease of use in a variety of condition.The first impression of the poles was in their collapsed state, allowing them to be stashed on the side of a pack easily or inside if needs be,as well as into hold luggage if flying. T …