Backpacks are a sore point for many backpackers as it is both the defining and the most painful item if not used correctly. I have used my share of backpacks, starting from the worst kind (case style, no frame with about 90L of volume) to the lightest and simplest (28L running packs for a weekend […]
Is this the ultimate Cape Wrath Trail Menu?
As part of my 2016 Cape Wrath trail trip preparations, I decided it was time to re-examine my backpacking menu and take it away from fully processed freeze dried meals. Another aspect of my Cape Wrath Trail menu I wanted to develop was my need for a lot more energy than I thought I needed […]
Is ultrapacking the way to go?
It seems that today, there are a million and five ways to move on two legs, all involving various schools of thoughts and methods. I have tried many and I almost always find some limitations, especially as I keep getting older, fitter and with much less time. My biggest concern at this point in my […]
Knowing When To Stop
I can’t even count the number of times I have heard the saying: I’m not hiking/walking to get anywhere; I’m out for the walk itself I’m pretty sure I’ve said this myself many times, but I can easily recognise, now, that many times it is an attempt to just convince myself, and is not the […]
Navigation in the 21st Century Part 4 – Smartphone as a Multitool
I remember life before mobile phones (and I’m not that old!) and I also remember that the dream for me as a sci-fi loving teenager was the idea of a fully functional, responsive and light computer. Now I have it: the smartphone. It is funny (though not surprising) to think how easily we got hooked […]
Gear Review – Mountain Hardwear Quasar Pullover
The controversy around rain jackets, waterproofs and rain protection in general is pretty extensive, especially in the lightweight circles or the UK walking community. Opinions and what the “right waterproof” might be are as many as there are users (and sometimes even more than that!), so it is not surprising that we are often so […]
Eating my hat and praise for the microadventure concept (with a caveat)
In February, I was under very clear instructions in terms of outdoors adventures: I need to be near home (within easy reach) and in a place where I would have constant cell phone reception. The reason for that is that my wife was nearly due to have our son. Those conditions meant I needed to […]
Navigation in the 21st Century Part 3 – Using a GPS watch outdoors, Garmin Fenix 2 case study
I always considered a GPS watch is one of those luxury items, which is why it took me so many years of navigation outdoors, trail running and general training to get one; what a mistake! I should have bought a GPS watch ages ago – it is now my favourite tool of navigation along with […]
Expedition Kit List – Cape Wrath Trail Gear List
Most regular hikers/backpackers/thru-hikers/hill-walkers have a pretty standard gear list that they have tried and tested, and use almost every time they go out (with some minor adjustments). Most of us don’t have tons of shelters and sleeping bags, but 2-3 at best; we also don’t have many stoves, or packs, or anything else. We tend […]
Navigation in the 21st Century Part 2 – Home Printing Maps Using OS Maps Online and Other Tools
In the last 10 (or so) years, as internet and information have become more accessible, services like Google Maps, Open Street Maps and the like have started offering open source mapping that threatens traditional mapping services. The increasing quality of the open source maps led to an explosion of web-based mapping and annotation services to […]