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For longer journeys an extra pair of footwear can come in very handy. This will often be a super light option to wear around camp after a long day in the hills. Letting your feet relax, breathe, and recover is not only for comfort but also helps prevent foot niggles and injuries. This is all part of self-management on route and will ultimately make your overall journey as easy as possib …

The  Rab Torque Mountain Pants (TMP) are a lighter weight version of the Torque Pants (TP) but there’s not much in it – for a medium size the TMPs are 30grams lighter so you perhaps wouldn’t choose the TMP over the TP because of the weight saving. The main fabric for both pants is the same but the reinforcement panels on the TPs are burlier than on the TMPs. The other main …

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 …

One of the more technical jackets we have used over the past 6 months, the Axis Alpha Down jacket on first appearance is similar in design to the Montane Quattro Fusion, a jacket we very much enjoyed testing and reviewing and have continued to use over the past few years. Montane has a great reputation for creating some very innovative clothing, with a wide mix of materials to produce …

Less frequent now are the evenings when you would enter a Scottish bothy and lined up above the fireplace hang a line of hand-knitted thick woollen socks drying out from a long day’s walk. Kit has certainly changed over the years, and we find a lot more attention has been made to the feet. Too many times have we seen a large amount of money spent on a superb pair of boots and then under …

The L.I.M (Less Is More) range from  Haglofs, it is all about saving weight without compromising performance. So when it came to choosing a mid-layer for my 2 week trip across Scotland I was set from the start on the new  L.I.M Mid Comp Hood. Wanting something close fitting to work with a layering system, and thinking I would be in my wet weather gear for long spells of t …

Montane’s Terra Alpine Shorts form part of the Terra Pants range that cover a variety of activities in a range of weathers. In this case, these softshell shorts were designed for milder conditions. To test this out a few days hiking in, what happened to be, changeable weather was certainly the ideal start for someone that hasn’t tried this range of gear before. To give you a brief i …

I spent 2 whole weeks, day in, day out in  Haglofs rugged flex Pant, a soft shell, durable hiking trouser. I walked a coast-to-coast crossing of Scotland and, wanting to save weight, brought one pair of trousers to hike in, and a Marino woollen base layer to sleep in, so this pair of trousers and I became well acquainted, they come with one caveat, as I will get on to, but overall …

Of all the usual gear chatter amongst the outdoor community, underwear is probably the least discussed, yet a crucial piece of kit to choose correctly.  Saxx has produced a range of high-wicking underwear with us receiving the  Volt. A highly breathable mid-length boxer, which Saxx say are, ‘Designed for the go-getters, workout or play sports in complete comfort with our …

A baselayer is a baselayer isn’t it? Not so, I Love my Montane Allez Pull-on and did so the first time I put it on. What I like about it is Polartec fleecy grid fabric on the inside face is just so soft and comfy while still being highly breathable. I wore mine on a warm and sunny late September day hiking above Zermatt in Switzerland, it was 20 degrees but I didn’t overheat and felt …

Haglofs Touring Mid Jacket has been designed with purpose offering features that can be applied to multiple activities. The main principles of this fleece jacket are to help regulate temperature during higher octane activities such as Ski Touring, however the benefits of this garment do not just lie with activities such as this. I have been able to put this jacket through its paces from 10 …

With a very low pack size and weight of just 150 grams (medium) the Montane Litespeed jacket is said to be a versatile item perfect for fast paced activities in which a saving of weight is paramount. The entire jacket is made up of a super thin Pertex Quantum ECO 100% recycled nylon outer with DWR. We found the Litespeed to be a great outer layer for knocking away moderate windspeed …