Blog

May means one thing here at the Ultralight office: The Great Outdoors Challenge, or TGO for short. We’re incredibly proud to sponsor this unique, communal coast-to-coast crossing of Scotland. This year, Lois from our Customer Service team and Nick from our Purchasing team are setting off on their own Scottish coast-to-coast adventures—and we’re excited to follow along. Read on fo …

Having relatively recently got into ultra running my experience of running caps was usually whatever hat came to hand when leaving the house, so upgrading to a Vaga Feather Racing cap was a bit of a revelation. Incredibly light and well fitting, the material is soft to the touch but nice and stretchy. Whether it is scrunched up in your running pack or nestled on your head, it doesn’t seem t …

The new Sirocco Lite insulated hoodie is a midlayer with some extra warmth where you need it. I got to use it on a recent trip to the highlands in April when the weather can drastically change the higher you go. It is not unusual to be in a short sleeve shirt at the bottom only to find yourself scrabbling for your warmer layers as you pass snow patches at the tops. The Sirocco Lite is a great lig …

The new Altra Lone Peak 9+ trail shoes have been my first zero drop shoes. This means the height difference between the toe and the heel is zero – they offer a flat more natural position for your feet to be in. I was a bit apprehensive about using these as they can add strain to the Achilles especially if there has been a previous injury which is what I have had on and off over the last yea …

With the autumn and winter weather bringing wetter ground underfoot it was time to give the new Scarpa Rapid XT GTX hiking shoes a go out. Having used them on a mixture of terrain on my local walks for a few weeks now, from slightly boggy sheep fields to good but uneven paths they have performed very well. As with most new leather shoes they were initially quite unforgiving but have now bedded in …

With the forecast showing a brief lull in the usual October wet weather pattern, a chance for a quick bash up a couple of the Mamores Munro mountains just near Kinlochleven was not to be missed. This also gave me an opportunity to try out the new Liteway Gramless 35 litre rucksack. This is an ultra lightweight day bag made from 70D Ripstop Recycled Polyester, which offers excellent …

New for the Autumn/winter season from Montane is the Khamsin Softshell. It is a lightly insulated, wind resistant, technical softshell that is perfect for those changeable windy autumn days on the hills. It is made from wind resistant Raptor Flex fabric that is 88% recycled and has excellent four way stretch, making it super comfortable to wear. On the inside it is lined with an Octa fl …

The Suunto Wing Bluetooth Headphones are a perfect way to listen to music or podcasts whilst out on a run or outdoor activity. Their bone conductive technology means they do not go in the ear, but rather conduct through the bone just at the front of the ear. This means you can still hear ambient sounds, such as cars or people, while still enjoying your music. This is a much safer option …