Blog

Exped Summer Kit List

Posted by Andy Neil on Mar 20, 2023

We love working with, Exped, so we compiled a summer backpacking kit list, an all-encompassing kit list perfect for one-night adventures and week-long trips.Exped’s new Mira II HL Tent – is a robust and roomy two-person tent that isn’t just a place to bed down but is a nice place to hang out; the tent has a lot of headroom, so if you are confined to it for any length of time, you can still si …
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The Ultimate Ultralight Bikepacking Advice Page

Posted by Chris Futers, Lois Fife and Rob Farquhar on Mar 15, 2023

Bikepacking Travelling on two feet can require little more than a rucksack to carry your belongings and enable you to travel far. An ultralight journey on two wheels can require a bit more thought. Some of the main factors being the terrain and the duration of the ride. Gruelling miles off road can feel very different to those on the road, and take a lot longer, but the rewards when b …
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About Exped

Feb 07, 2023

About EXPEDEXPED's history is closely linked to the life story of Heidi and Andi Brun, who set off to fulfill their common dream of experiencing solitude in the wilderness. The experience they gained turned them into extraordinary innovators. A honeymoon of a different kind began in 1980.After selecting a location, they embarked for northern Canada with the bare necessities and built a log cabin b …
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Thermarest 'How To' Videos

Posted by Mark Richardson on Jul 08, 2022

In this post we've drawn together the range of 'How To' videos from Thermarest, some are particular to their own products but others apply more generally.

R-Value Explained

May 23, 2022

What is an R-value?The R-value is a measure used to rate how well your sleeping mat will stop heat loss. Thermal resistance is the measurement that indicates a materials ability to insulate - there are a number of different ways to express this but, as they all measure the same factor, they are all related. The starting point is the R-value.In the past, some brands quoted the R-value in SI units, …
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Gram-counter Gear Featherweight Evazote Foam Mat Review - Trek Scotland

Posted by Trek Scotland on May 19, 2022

As the name suggests this is a superlight foam mat weighing in at an impressive 74 grams with a sizing of 150 cm x 50cm and a thickness of 3mm. It has a low profile which means it can easily be rolled or folded to fit within our pack. Rather than replacing a sleeping mat, we found it much more suitable as a footprint for a solo tent or bivy bag. Protection from the ground is very impor …
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Ultra 3R M Sleeping Mat Review - Ultralight Outdoor Gear

Posted by Mark Richardson on May 05, 2022

Exped have revamped their sleeping mat ranges and are now using recycled fabrics and are producing the mats to a carbon neutral standard, furthermore they have simplified their naming convention so that the mats now feature the R-Value in the name. This is only a good thing if you understand R-Values and we think the names could have been better. The R3 is a regular sized mat 7cm th …
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Trek Scotland Review - Thermarest NeoAir Uberlite Sleeping Mat

Posted by Trek Scotland on Dec 07, 2020

The Uberlite weighs a highly impressive 240g, not including its storage bag, and packs down to an absolutely ridiculous 9 x 15cm… not much bigger than a can of soft drink! If you are investing in this mat it is unlikely you would carry the weight of an additional inflation system and once released from its storage bag it can be quickly blown up with around 20 breaths, through the highly reliable s …
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Trek Scotland Review - Gram-Counter Gear Crash Out Mat

Posted by Trek Scotland on Apr 20, 2020

Keeping yourself off the floor whilst wild camping is beneficial not only in terms of comfort but more importantly in providing a buffer between you and the ground itself. You can be in the best sleeping bag around, but in the UK, if you don’t raise yourself away from the ground you will find it hard to have a pleasant night’s sleep. One of the best advancements in modern lightweight equipment is …
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Cairngorm Treks Review - Exped SynMat HL M

Posted by Cairngorm Treks on Mar 16, 2020

Straight out of the packaging you can see that this is a product of very high quality. The mat is incredibly compact and instantly nudges the memory back towards the bulky foam mats that would have to be strapped to the outside of your rucksack. How things have changed! Certainly, some of the most innovative designs of modern lightweight trekking have to be the advancements in sleeping mats. Ultra …
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UOG Review - Thermarest 2020 NeoAir XTherm

Sep 16, 2019

I’ve used the Thermarest NeoAir XTherm for a number of years and it’s become my all-year-round sleeping mat. It is light enough and packs down small enough to work for summer and three season use compared to other mats I would have considered while providing more than enough insulation for any winter trips I go on. This is a review of my past experiences of the XTherm combined with new opini …
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Knowledgebase Page - Our 'Big 4' gear choices for winter camping

Apr 08, 2019

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 …
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