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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 …

Every so often a product arrives at the Ultralight office that we all get excited about. That was definitely the case with the  Enlightened Equipment Torrid Apex jacket. When our first Torrid Apex jacket arrived, we took one look and immediately knew that this jacket was something a bit special. Using a ridiculously light 7D fabric this jacket weighs about the same as a …

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 …

Having completed this year's TGO challenge, one of my constant companions along the way was Pure Clears Collapsible Squeeze Water Filter Bottle. After 14 days use, here are my thoughts; Before using the water filter bottle, one of the biggest draws was the price, at £27.95 it is a much more attractive proposition compared to some of Pure Clears main rivals, which have RRP’s upwar …

I have used this 750 litre bottle as my main hydration system for 2 multi-day trips. It is perfect if there is a regular water source to collect from as it eliminates the need to carry excess fluid. Setting the bottle up for the first time requires the filter to be sat in water for a couple of minutes to activate it, then put it into the bottle. Using the  Active Water Filte …

When given the opportunity to join a trek in the Scottish Highlands, I jumped at the chance. Being a regular hill walker on the North York Moors and with a few multi-day hikes in the Lakes under my belt, I had done very little, on foot that far north. My kit choices for the weekend were selected based on a damp but calm weather forecast and potential overnight low temperatures into mi …

As a cold sleeper, I find the combination of the Nemo Women’s Riff 15 Sleeping bag and the Tensor Insulated sleeping mat perfect for 3 and 4-season use in the UK. The spoon shaped Riff 15 has 825g of down in the Women’s (and 540g in the men’s) and 800 fill power in both versions giving a comfort limit of -9C for both men and women. As a side sleeper, I find the Riff has the ben …

This is a tent we are certainly familiar with, having been one of the first pieces of kit we tested and  reviewed for UOG back in 2017. The Orion II UL is back with us again with a few updates for added strength and more liveable space internally. Previously we commented on how impressed we had been with the weather resistance of the  Orion II UL. The new DAC poles have b …

With a weight of 650 grams and an R-Value rating of 7.1, this is a mat reserved for the winter seasons or travel in below freezing environments. These were our first thoughts when first looking up the specs for the Ultra 7R. What we found out after only our first few nights sleep is this is a mat which we kept reaching to place in our kit over a winter season that fluctuated widely in t …

High Street - Lake District Eastern Fells and my Border Collie Gaston The newest addition to the Phase range from Montane, the Phase Nano is the lightest and most breathable Gore-Tex Jacket from  Montane. Aimed at trail runners and anyone looking to move fast and light, the Phase Nano has a lot of features to offer, for such a lightweight jacket, two hand pockets, …

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 …

Exped’s Lightning 60 rucksack has recently been updated to be lighter and tougher, whilst importantly keeping its minimalist roots. We gave the Lightning 60 some heavy use in the Cairngorms and the Isle of Arran to see how it would fit into life for multi-day wild-camping in the late Scottish winter months. With a weight of 1180 grams and a high capacity of 60L, you’d expect the low w …