Blog

Used extensively by Cairngorm Treks throughout the Cairngorms and surrounding mountainous areas, Winter 2017 – Spring 2018.When first reading about the indestructible nature of the Gram-Counter Gear pegs we were expecting four beasts that had to be forced through the letter box. On arrival, we were slightly disheartened as a very small package almost floated through the door. Each peg is a mere 10 …

The first aspect of the Ultraflask you will notice is just how packable this water bottle is when collapsed, fitting neatly away into your rucksack or hip belt. Described as being for use with running vests and packs, we quickly adapted it to suit mountain walking. It has a long tube which can be adjusted to suit the users need. Weighing in at a tiny 42grams we took it down to an even li …

MSR Windburner 1.0L Stove ReviewWhen MSR heard that I was heading to the Highlands they very kindly offered to let me test one of their Windburner stoves. I was mostly taking food of the freeze dried variety so wanted a stove mainly for boiling water. It looked a great option with fast boil times, impressive performance regardless of the wind and good fuel consumption. The only real negatives were …

This was the first time we have used a plastic peg and to be honest we were quite unsure why you would substitute a metal peg for a softer alternative. Constructed of strong ABS engineered plastic with an anodised aluminium tip to improve their lifespan, they are described as providing a lot of holding power, so we were looking forward to seeing how they pair up against our typical setup …

When it comes to fire-lighting, quick and simple is the best option. The Vargo Titanium Flint Lighter is just that. Compact, well-built, and lightweight coming in at a mere 10 grams, it’s a reliable way to light your stove no matter the weather conditions. We tested it out on a range of stoves and found that it worked best with either a meths or a simple gas stove.

At 11.5 grams and one of the most compact fresh coffee systems we have used, the UL Java Drip is a brilliant companion for anyone who craves a 'proper' coffee whilst out in the hills. It has a very easy and quick-to-use design; simply boil up some water, fix the UL Java Drip to any cup using its clip on legs, fill with your desired amount of coffee, then slowly pour water over the ground coffee an …

On first impression, the Fire Maple stove is made of materials that feel to be high quality and durable, which is a pleasant surprise given its low price. When comparing it to other all-in-one stove systems, it’s a similar size and weight, with a size of 128mm × 173mm, and a weight of 511g without gas.The components of the stove fit well together. This nesting design is always welcome when it come …

UOG Review for Kahtoola KTS Crampons and Tote SackThe night before we set off we’d booked a Bed and Breakfast in Fort William, just to make sure we had a good start the following morning. We’d both brought along Kahtoola KTS Crampons as well as Hillsound Trail Crampons – leaving the choice of which to take to the last minute when we could look up and see how much snow was on the tops.Although we d …

At 240g, the Petzl Ride is light, it weighs less than half as much as some of our other ice axes! This short and light axe is an ideal addition to the axe arsenal for routes that involve mostly rock with only some ice/snow (i.e. descents/approaches from alpine rock routes) or for carrying on a ski tour where its use is unlikely.We like short ice tools and really believe that the places where a lon …

UOG Review of Fire Maple FMS-F5Selection: I was after a stove for a 6 day backpacking trip to Scotland taking in a number of munros with a possibility of camping quite high. The weather can be quite rough, even in May, so I decided to take a liquid fuel stove that would be reliable in cold and wet weather, and fast when I needed it to be, the Fire Maple F5 is our lightest liquid fuel stove by quit …

SOTO Muka Stove The MUKA stove is a liquid fuel stove that will burn either unleaded petrol or 'White Gas', (White Gas is a particularly refined petrol sold in outdoor shops, hardware shops and other outlets in various countries - in the UK it is most often seen as 'Coleman Fuel'). From the outset I'm going to say that its a wonderful piece of engineering that addresses all the 'dislikes …

Over the years we have used a number of toilet trowels with varying degrees of success, with many not standing up to robust use and often snapping or bending when digging hard ground. Our needs are pretty simple in terms of a tool for digging ‘cat holes’. Basically: Is it strong enough to withstand continual use? Is it lightweight? Is it easy to use? And, ultimately, will it do the job it is princ …