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The Soto Stormbreaker is a multi-fuel stove that works from both gas and liquid fuel sources. Weighing in at 454 grams excluding the fuel bottle, it’s a weight and size we would look to use for group cooking rather than solo expeditions.Soto have certainly made a name for themselves offering high quality stoves without the added price tag attached. A personal favourite for lightweight so …

Meths stoves are one of the simplest ways to boil water or heat a meal. No working parts to worry about, compact and lightweight, and they work with a wide range of liquid fuels. There is a reason this style of stove has been used globally for many years. With the modern advancements of gas stoves offering a dependable, safe and versatile option, the good old meths stove has taken a back …

It’s fair to say I’m a big fan of Leki poles and have mostly been using Leki Thermolite XL poles for the last couple of years. For the TGO Challenge I wanted lighter poles but still wanted them to be adjustable to pitch my tent and have a shorter pack size to stow them inside my pack for the train journey to and from Scotland. The Leki Black Series MVC poles ticked all of these boxes and L …

Having a cutting blade out in the hills or on the trail is generally a must for most people visiting the outdoors. The Minimalmist Pocket Tool by TrueUtility not only has as its main feature a UK legal small knife which is very strong and sharp, but also a wealth of other useful features.The non locking knife is easily opened by accessing a finger groove, although this would not be possi …

You would assume it could be rather difficult to talk in depth about what is essentially two bits of plastic that fit together. Fortunately, the Gram Counter Grip Clips offer much more than they would appear with a multitude of uses.Made of molded plastic and weighing a mere 5 grams the Grip Clips, as the name might suggest, simply join (or grip to) either side of a piece of fabric to pr …

As the title suggests the Fire Box is a compact, fold-away grill, whilst still being light enough for long expeditions in wilderness areas. Growing up, any movie featuring a bunch of people in the outdoors had them sitting around a campfire enjoying a freshly cooked meal, not huddled under a tarp eating from a foil pouch. The idea of a hot and smokey piece of food whilst out in the wilde …

A step away from plastic items is certainly a priority for most outdoors people preferring a more sustainable alternative that will stand the test of time. The Eagle Spork from Vargo offers a tough but lightweight (18 grams) option that is built to last. To help prolong the life of your spork Vargo have included an integrated locking system that makes sure your spork won’t accidently go …

We are always keen to try out new walking poles as they are a must for our guides and clients alike when multi day trekking. Key elements for us are poles that function on all types of mountain terrain, are robust, have low weight, easy to pack down with a low volume, and have some adjustability, including use with tarps.Our initial impression of the poles in their storage mode reinforced …

Any knife, no matter the size, is one of those items that can be used to solve a multitude of issues. It might sit in your pack for months but can be relied upon when needed the most. With a short blade length of 4cm and a total weight of 16 grams, True Utility describe it as “a knife that’s been stripped down to the bare essentials, to provide a strong yet lightweight design.” It’s …

Every year we get sent through pieces of gear which may not be that common in the UK but are growing in popularity in other countries. The Silver Shadow Umbrella certainly fits this category. We have to say that we have never seen anyone in the high mountain ranges of the UK with an umbrella, and it did make us wonder why not? Walk around a city in a shower and you are constantly dodging …

There are many different ways to purify and filter drinking water. The days of having to boil or use tablets to make water safe to drink could often be a timely process which impeded on walking time. Nowadays a popular choice within the outdoor community is a simple bottle with filter. Just scoop water into the bottle, screw the filter onto the bottle, then with a simple squeeze or sucki …

Rab state the Xenon to be a superlight and packable insulated mitt and this certainly seems true when unpacking them. These are seriously small, almost fooling us into thinking we had been sent the wrong item until we pulled them out of the small bag to reveal a full-size pair of mitts.The outer shell is made up of two distinct materials. The first being a Pertex Quantum fabric which use …