Gear
Pimp Your Poles Like A Pro!
If you have walked the Camino then you will recognise the familiar sight of lots of rather similar looking walking poles all clumped together in a bucket at the front of the Albergue. I have known other pilgrims walk off with the wrong poles (and the wrong walking boots!) by accident, so it’s important to…
Read MoreA Geocaching Hike in Northamptonshire
On a very foggy and misty Sunday morning in December I drove a short distance to a small village in Northamptonshire, not far from my home to have a mini-adventure. Every now and then it is good to just get outside on your own on the hunt for treasure. Or, in my case, little plastic…
Read MoreFirst Impressions of the Naturehike 60l Rock Series Backpack
I absolutely LOVE my Salomon 38L Outweek backpack. The Outweek was so much lighter than my Osprey Aura and I fell in love with the shoulder pockets and the way it opened up like a suitcase, but there was one niggle – I couldn’t fit all of the winter gear into the pack. With my…
Read MoreHikers Essential Gadget – Turn Your Smartphone Into A Walkie Talkie!
If you have a busy walking club, then you will appreciate the need for good communication. Our club walks at least three times a week, and due to Covid restrictions, we no longer walk in large groups. We now meet at the start and then one group will head off in a clockwise direction, while…
Read MoreThe Eight Things I Dislike About Long Distance Hiking
If you have spent any time on YouTube or read blogs about long-distance hiking then you will find that the focus is always on the positives and rightly so. Long-distance hiking, whether that is on a pilgrimage trail spending time in hostels, or on a 6-month hike across the Pacific Crest Trail backpacking with a…
Read MoreA Lighter Pack Hack!
If you walking a trail without camping gear then ideally you should be carrying no more than 10% of your body weight. If you are going on a multi-day backpacking trip with a full loadout then try to aim for no more than 15% of your body weight. Keeping your pack weight down to a…
Read MoreHow to Sleep Warm When Winter Camping
If, like me, you are a cold sleeper, then trying to keep warm while backpacking and camping in the winter months is a challenge. It seems such a waste of valuable hiking time and being in nature if you miss out on those colder months. Hiking in the winter brings a completely different experience to…
Read MoreThe Soto Amicus Stove and New River Pot | Why I ditched my Jetboil
Winter is coming! With all my winter gear such as a new sleeping quilt, extra hand warmers, additional clothing, waterproof socks and a whole list of other winter essentials, I needed to lighten my load. The first thing I did was swap my Osprey pack for a Salomon Outweek, which saved me around 3lbs in…
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