Blog

Ultralight Outdoor Gear Awards 2023

Posted by Andy Neil on Dec 22, 2023

2023 was an excellent year for new ultralight equipment and clothing, and we wanted to highlight some of our favourite gear that hit the market this year. Some pieces, like the Montbell Plasma 1000, pushed the limits of what it means to be ultralight even further. Others, like the Nemo Tensor Extreme Conditions sleeping pad, showed real innovation by raising their R-value to an industry-leading 8. …
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Hilleberg - Yellow Category Tents

Nov 21, 2023

Hilleberg engineer Yellow Label tents principally to be lightweight. Intended for use in warmer climates and in snow-free conditions, these models have inner tents with large mesh panels which cannot be covered, and shorter outer tent walls. This ensures they have superb warm-weather venting, but can also make them feel cold in cooler conditions. Yellow Label models are perfect for long or short t …
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Hilleberg - Red Category Tents

Nov 14, 2023

Red Label tents are built for both short and longer trips in generally less demanding conditions in all seasons, such as less exposed mountain terrain, forests in both winter and summer, and the like, but where you still may encounter severe situations. Their emphasis on lighter weight makes them less than ideal for harsh environments and extended adventures in demanding conditions. They are, howe …
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Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1 Review - “I absolutely loved the new awning style door opening”

Posted by Danny Pearson on Oct 27, 2023

Big Agnes Copper Spur tents have been bestsellers at Ultralight since their introduction in 2008 and with good reason. For 2022, the Copper Spur received some new updates and the TGO Challenge was a great opportunity to put them to the test. The Copper Spur has evolved from the original design over the years with improvements and new features. Big Agnes works closely with Jake La …
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The Time-Saver Guide to Choosing a Tent

Posted by Mark Richardson on Sep 28, 2023

Single skin or Two skin? Most people choose a two skin tent because single skin tents suffer more from condensation Two skin tents tend to be warmer because of the air between the inner and outer Single skin tents tend to be lighter and more spacious 3 Season versus 4 Season? 4 Season tents handle wind and rain better and some are capable of handling snow 4 Se …
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Exped Winter Kit List

Posted by Andy Neil on Sep 19, 2023

As the nights are drawing in and the temperature is starting to dip, we are excited about the prospect of the upcoming winter camping season. Winter camping can be more challenging, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. Cosy nights curled up in the tents, crisp frosty mornings, and dark star-filled skies are all only a few months away. So, we have teamed up with our friends at EXPED to de …
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Big Agnes Gold Camp 3 UL Review - ''Great for use with groups due to the abundance of headroom and space whilst keeping compact and fast to pitch.''

Posted by Trek Scotland on Aug 21, 2023

After using a pyramid tent for the first time a few years ago this style of shelter quickly became a favoured choice of ours. Great for use with groups due to the abundance of headroom and space whilst keeping compact and fast to pitch. Used as simply a tarp over a bivy bag in bad weather, or a communal base for food prep and a chat of an evening. A walking pole can be used instead of a …
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Sierra Designs Meteor Lite 3000 and Litehouse Tents

Jul 03, 2023

Lightweight doesn’t mean light on comfort. Perfect for ambitious backcountry adventures, the Litehouse strikes the perfect balance between livable space and ultralight design. This incredibly strong freestanding 2 door, 2 vestibule tent is constructed with lightweight 15D Nylon and hub-less pole set for an incredibly small pack size. Two vertical walls increase livability, while the tapered footpr …
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Nemo's Ultralight Range

Jun 30, 2023

Built with the backcountry in mind, NEMO’s ultralight gear sheds every gram possible while maintaining peak performance and liveability. NEMO’s ultralight tents trim weight by relying heavily on stakes for tension and structure support. Fewer poles and more mesh panels net out to a lighter load — and the ability to pack down smaller! …
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Andy’s 2023 TGO Kit List

Posted by Andy Neil on May 09, 2023

May means one thing here in the Ultralight office, The Great Outdoors Challenge, or the TGO for short. We are incredibly proud to be a sponsor of this communal coast-to-coast crossing of Scotland. Three of our team, Danny, Chris and myself, are participating in this year’s TGO, so I thought I’d give you an insight into what’s in my pack and some of the gear I’ll be taking for this year’s chal …
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Exped Orion II UL Review - “Strong and spacious it became the tent we would look to carry if expecting mixed weather”

Posted by Trek Scotland on Apr 18, 2023

This is a tent we are certainly familiar with, having been one of the first pieces of kit we tested and  reviewed for UOG back in 2017. The Orion II UL is back with us again with a few updates for added strength and more liveable space internally. Previously we commented on how impressed we had been with the weather resistance of the  Orion II UL. The new DAC poles have b …
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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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