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Single skin or Two skin? Most people choose a two skin tent because single skin tents suffer more from condensation Two skin tents tend to be warmer because of the air between the inner and outer Single skin tents tend to be lighter and more spacious 3 Season versus 4 Season? 4 Season tents handle wind and rain better and some are capable of handling snow 4 Season tents will have a fabric inne …

What are they? PFCs are ‘perfluorinated compounds’ or ‘fluorocarbons’; man-made chemicals used in the manufacturing of a wide range of goods. What’s the problem? The PFCs get into the environment during manufacturing or from finished products and don’t break down, or else they do breakdown but into more toxic substances. PFCs have been found all over the pla …

When backpacking I want a very lightweight insulated windproof layer for daytime use and a down jacket for evening, with of course the flexibility to wear them both if it gets very cold. The insulation value I need for the down jacket depends on the temperatures I expect. I took the  Alpine 850 Lite Down Hoodie with me on a recent backpacking trip to the Scottish Highlands at the …

For me, a baselayer is all about comfort, and that means high wicking, odour control and those details that make a garment fit well. Montane’s  Dart series are great examples of an ideal baselayer, the fabric has 4-way stretch and flatlocked seams which means they can sit against your skin without feeling restrictive in any way, and without the irritation that a conventional se …

For me, a baselayer is all about comfort, and that means high wicking, odour control and those details that make a garment fit well. Montane’s  Dart series are great examples of an ideal baselayer, the fabric has 4-way stretch and flatlocked seams which means they can sit against your skin without feeling restrictive in any way, and without the irritation that a conventional se …

Daytime insulation is tricky when you’re Backpacking, especially if you’re moving through a mountainous region where you could be slogging up a steep incline one minute then traversing a windy ridge the next. I find the ideal insulation is ‘not very much’, but you do need something to keep the wind chill at bay. As far as  Montane’s Fireball Nano is concerned it seems pretty muc …

GORE-TEX comes in many forms - we look at GORE-TEX Paclite on this page and give our opinion of it. - Sunshine turns to rain. A cold wind picks up. Whether you’re commuting to work, or only halfway through your weekend walk, having a lightweight, packable back-up jacket with you means you are prepared to make more of every day. Designed to provide comfort and reliable protection, all GORE‑TEX …

I’ve used these a couple of times on backpacking trips and a day hike in the Lake District during February & March and can verify the comfort claims straight out of the box. La Sportiva explains that the extra volume in the front area of the boot is designed to deliver comfort and this is really apparent as soon as you put the boots on, furthermore, the rest of the boot seems to be …

850 Fill Power down / -6.6 Comfort rating / Regular Length / Wide / 683 grams Fill Weight (Regular Wide) 479g In the right conditions quilts are an amazing way of sleeping outdoors,  Enlightened Equipment specialise in quilts and are very good at it. When Summer camping you can sleep under a quilt and feel really comfortable compared to the restrictions of lying inside a co …

850 Fill Power down / -9 Comfort rating / Regular Length / 1007grams Inner bag weight 482grams / Outer Bag weight 530grams Inner bag Fill Weight 227g / Outer bag Fill Weight 198grams I have a natural aversion to this type of product because multi-functional products often tend to be less effective than individual products designed to fill a specific niche, however I was v …

There are so many good down jackets available that it can be difficult homing in on the one for you, not surprisingly your first thoughts should be about how you want to use the jacket, a decent warm jacket is an essential piece of backpacking or trekking kit even in the summer if you are travelling high in the mountains and in this scenario you want something that is lightweight and ha …

Osprey’s Exos packs are best sellers; and for backpacking loads over say 15kg they are a good choice, offering a comfortable carry at a low weight. Typically weighing in at 1.3Kg there are lighter options for ultralight backpackers where the target weight is around a kilogram for a fully spec’d backpacking rucksack of between 50 and 60 litres capacity. A few years ago  Osprey p …