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Extensively tested by Cairngorm Treks guides in the Highlands of Scotland throughout Autumn and Winter 2017/18Trying to find the right pair of outdoor trousers to suit all year round use in Scotland can often be very tricky. There are some great products available but often when you wander away from the main trails and onto rougher ground, they can frequently let you down. This is by either …

A very comfortable jacket that allows easy movement when walkingI really loved this jacket with its ability to keep me warm, but it was breathable enough to ensure that I wasn’t sweating whilst walking.I took this piece of kit with me to Iceland as my primary jacket to use when trekking. It was perfect for when the conditions were a little cold and an extra layer was needed, usually around 10°C. H …

I recently retired my Sunday Afternoons Solar Bucket in favour of trying something new, the great thing about the Solar Bucket is its wide brim and packablity, so I needed something with at least those two attributes – the Helios hat fits the bill and in fact has a wider brim than my trusty Solar Bucket and as neither hat has a wired brim they can be stuffed into a rucksack witho …

I was really keen to try out Lowe Alpine's Caldera jacket because its the lightest hooded softshell jacket that we stock, and weight means a lot to us! I took it for a spin on a Scottish backpack which saw variable conditions that were ideal for testing such a garment.A Softshell is supposed to keep you dry and comfortable on a showery day rather than during a full downpour. Day One of the trek wa …

Selection: I was off to Peru on a high-level trek (above 4000m), which means when the sun is shining it's very warm but when it's cloudy (and at night) it can be unpredictably cold. I was packing a RAB Infinity down jacket as my basecamp warmth but I needed a lightweight insulating layer I could use during the day if it got cold while walking. Primaloft is a leader in garment insulation so it's th …