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When walking in hot and sunny conditions, a lightweight trekking shirt offers more comfort and sun protection than most baselayer tops and T-shirts. The collar helps to cover the neck and when using trekking poles long sleeves protect the arms from sun exposure. On a recent trip to Mallorca to trek the GR221, I used the Mammut Lenni Short-sleeve and Long-sleeve shirts in extremely hot and …

The Gorilla 40 rucksack has been in the Gossamer Gear line up for many years and had remained largely unchanged since 2015 but was updated for 2021. This has been the first opportunity to test the updated version, the Gorilla 50. There are several changes including: An increase in its capacity to 50 litres (without increasing weight, in fact we found Gorilla 50 to be slightly li …

When we first saw the specifications for the  Wechsel Bella tent we couldn’t wait to try one. There are so few freestanding tents with external poles that are also lightweight. On paper, the Bella looked like a perfect 3 season tent for the UK. The advantage with the use of external poles for the UK is the ability to pitch the tent as one. It’s often wet when camping in Northern …

We have long been fans of Soto stoves, especially the innovative Windmaster stove. We love the Windmaster’s quality build, ability to work in windy conditions and regulator allowing for consistent performance in the cold or with a near-empty canister. It’s a ground-breaking design that the competition has copied. There are however a couple of potential problems with canister stov …

Quilts have been a popular choice amongst American backpackers for years but took longer to gain popularity in the UK. We have seen a significant increase in quilt sales and enquiries over the past couple of years. There are clear pros and cons of a quilt vs. a sleeping bag, read our article here ‘Why choose a backpacking quilt?’ As a long-term user of mummy sleeping bags, i …

Wechsel Bella tent - designed by women, optimised for women but a great backpacking tent for anyone.

The Hoka One One Sky Kaha boot is the closest to a ‘traditional’ hiking boot in the Hoka range but you won’t have experienced this level of comfort in your typical leather hiker. The deep midsole combined with the rocker makes you feel like you are almost floating across the trail. They are part cushioned trail runner and part-leather hiking boots. The upper is nubuck leather with a …

Backpacking quilts are rapidly increasing in popularity especially amongst lightweight backpackers. So, what is a backpacking quilt? Essentially, it’s half a sleeping bag with no bottom layer (although there might be a footbox) and in most cases no zip or hood. The down in a sleeping bag gets compressed underneath you so do you really need it? So why would you choose a quilt over a sleep …

How do Scarpa describe their new Rush Trek GTX boot? RUSH TRK GTX is the new benchmark for all day long and short mountain hike. It is a boot made in the name of comfort with technologies that reduce foot fatigue during the hike. It represents a culmination of soft comfort, solid stability and a lightweight feel. H …

About the author: I’m not a foot specialist or medical practitioner, but I have walked thousands of miles on some of the best hiking trails in the world, I know what works for me but we are all different – the aim of this article is to outline the choices you will be faced with when choosing your next hiking footwear, choices which you should make for yourself rather than accept what I do. …

Rab kindly supplied a couple of their new jackets for me to test on my recent Knoydart trip. They sent an Arc jacket, which is a slimmed down version of their Firewall waterproof jacket, and the widely acclaimed Rab Kinetic Plus waterproof softshell. Continue reading to find out how I got on with both of the jackets. Rab Kinetic Plus Jacket Review When Rab announced the release of the Ki …

After walking Hadrian’s wall in 2019, I found that by day 4 my feet were crying out for something with more cushioning. My boots were soft and light but you could feel every lump and bump through the sole. We didn’t stock Hoka but the Hoka One One range seemed to offer the cushioning I wanted. I decided to buy a pair of Sky Toa Mid boots to wear on the 2019 TGO Challenge. I now wear Hok …