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For those venturing out into the mountains, the correct equipment is crucial, this is especially true with winter conditions. It's both melodramatic and true to say it can be life-saving.The options available to hillgoers are ever-increasing with regard to footwear and related hardware to cope with snow and ice. Microspikes are becoming an increasingly common sight on the hills as well as the more …

Glare - Glare is apparent when one object in your field of vision is much brighter than the rest and that brightness interferes with your ability to see other objects in your field of vision. It is concentrated light reflecting off a horizontal shiny surface, such as a car windscreen, sand, water, snow or asphalt roads. It reduces visibility and can make it uncomfortable, painful and even dangerou …

Using trekking poles splits the load between your legs and arms, it's not an even split, your knees still take the lion's share of the stress of walking and carrying a load, but by transferring at least some of this to the arms your legs get some relief and at the end of a long day they aren't as tired as they would have been.

15lbs or 6.8Kg is a magical figure – it’s about the base pack weight you can achieve for an extended three season backpacking trip without really compromising on comfort or sacrificing any of the key pieces of gear; such as tents, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and rucksack.

This article aims to provide some simple advice for anyone who wants to start running doing more mountain and remote trail running. It is not a comprehensive guide and is just built on our experiences of running mountain marathon events, ultra-distance races and general trail, fell and mountain running.We've broken our guide down into 4 key areas you need to look at before you start running in mor …

Selecting the right head torch for your needs can seem daunting when there are so many on offer but we've put this guide together with a few tips to help you make the right choice.

The Key Points Which category do you need? - The main purpose of sunglasses is to cut out light that could otherwise damage your sensitive eyes. Sunglass lenses are categorised from 0 to 4, 4 are the darkest and cut out the most light, 0 are often transparent (but can have a slight tint), they cut out no light.For mountain use you should use Category 4 for high mountain ridges in clear condi …

TentsIt almost goes without saying you need a four season tent, but which one to choose? The ability to cope with high winds, rain and potentially snow mean that strength has to be a major consideration.Hilleberg make a range of tents that are certainly capable of withstanding the worst winter conditions you can expect to encounter in the UK. Their Red Label range of tents offer a balance of weigh …

10 key steps to lighten your load Backpacking is more fun when you carry less weight, you can go further whilst feeling fresher.Going 'Ultralight' can seem expensive but you can achieve significant weight savings by following a few simple steps and without breaking the bank. Obviously, if you simply want the lightest and best gear out there it will cost a lot but you can pick and choose what to sa …

Which Mosquito Net do I Need?Selecting the ideal mosquito net with features specific to your needs can be somewhat daunting. It is important you get it right as it will keep mosquitos and other insects, such as lice, bed bugs and fleas away, contributing to a good night’s sleep and preventing infection. Where you are travelling, how you are travelling, size and shape, weight, your accommodation an …

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