Camelbak – Groove Tritan Insulated Bottle
| May 15, 2012 | Posted by Jodie under Eating & Drinking |
I’m a bit of a Camelback fan and am a long-time owner and advocate of one of their bladder systems. So I was rather excited to receive one of their new drinking bottles and had some high expectations. First impressions… Read more…
Sigg – Wide Mouth Sport Bottle
| May 14, 2012 | Eating & Drinking |
And the best bit? – a ‘wide mouth’. My cleaning problem is solved. It has a dual screw top. The larger for filling and therefore supremely easy cleaning. The smaller, ‘sports cap’ screws into that. It also has a lock, easy to open and close with teeth and mouth (when in car for example). Daily rinses and a weekly run through the dishwasher make me very happy.
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Primus – Lunch Jug 0.35L
| May 11, 2012 | Eating & Drinking |
It has a widely spaced screw thread and O-ring combination top which seal very easily and don’t require He-Man proportions of muscle to open or close successfully. A vigorous shaking, rolling and chucking around the garden proved to me that once shut only the desire to open it would reveal its contents and my clothes in my pack would be safe from the odour of chicken soup. Read more…
Lomer – Gardena Women’s Walking Boots
| May 10, 2012 | Posted by A_Guest_Reviewer under Boots & Shoes |
The Lomer ladies walking boots which have a one piece 2mm leather upper really do offer an all round, good, comfy boot, whether for short or long walks or on flat or hilly conditions. And what better weather to be testing them in with lots of wet and slippy conditions around. The advantage of Lomer’s one-piece leather construction is that there are no seams and sewing to clog with mud and dirt or let in water, and the result is a boot which is (with careful treatment) going to last you a long time. Read more…
Coleman – Instant 4 Tent
| May 9, 2012 | Posted by Andy under Tents |
The Instant 4 is a big bugger. Packed down it is 1.25m long (4ft) and too large to go in the boot of a smaller car. It’s also extremely heavy for a 4-man tent, and because everything is attached, you can’t separate it in to more manageable packages. So, whilst I’d say that the Instant nature of the pitching would make this absolutely ideal for family camping where you don’t want to spend too long playing with the tent, there is a consideration to make that a less-strong single parent could well struggle with the bag. Read more…
Platypus – Origin 9 Hydration Pack
| May 4, 2012 | Posted by Andy under Packs |
Platypus have made the Origin pack in waterproof materials and it’s sold with a “waterproof” sales label. My test pack would certainly hold off hard rain for a few hours, but unfortunately was supplied with a tear through the pack material at the upper lashtab, so did leak somewhat through there. It looks to be damage caused when they applied the Waterproof label, which is sort of ironic… Read more…
Paramo – Torres Core and Sleeves
| May 2, 2012 | Posted by Andy under Mens Outer Layer, Womens Outer Layer |
It’s a bit bonkers. It’s not to everyone’s taste. But, there’s no denying that the Torres Core and Sleeve combo is a brilliantly performing insulator and an innovative idea. More adaptable than a plain jacket for no extra cost, I can see this combo developing a small cult following. It’s rainproof and works well when wet. It’s grown on me a lot and I can’t find fault. Read more…
Lifesystems – Fire Starter & Tinder Kit
| May 2, 2012 | Posted by Andy under Camping Accessories |
The Lifesystems pack contains one lump of Wetfire and the Sparkie, which together weigh little little more than a couple of keys. They’re ideal for popping in to a pack, and can be safely carried because the spark stick retracts and locks in to the body of the Sparkie until it’s ready to be used. Read more…
Brasher – Fellmaster GTX Walking Boots
| April 30, 2012 | Posted by A_Guest_Reviewer under Boots & Shoes |
The thick sole is part of the styling of the boot, which is a chunky affair with a very large rubber toe bumper to keep any aforementioned sharp scree from damaging your digits. The rest of the boot is a contrasting brown suede which sheds water and mud very impressively when new and hasn’t started wetting-out yet after a good few hours of walking in torrential rain and boggy ground.
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Eider – Target Waterproof Jacket
| April 27, 2012 | Posted by Andy under Mens Outer Layer |
Gore has done wonders with the fabric. It feels soft and matt, with none of the plasticcy feel you get with some hard shells. The Active Shell fabric is a 3-layer fabric, which is to say that the waterproof membrane is trapped between the outer black fabric and an inner, soft-feel fabric. Essentially it’s a single thin skin, which makes the jacket very lightweight (Eider claim 400g) and easily packed down into a bag. And it’s very, very waterproof too. Gore’s statistics say it has a 28,000mm hydrostatic head, which means that no amount of leaning on walls is going to force water through at the elbows. Read more…
Lifesystems – Intensity 210-VF Torch
| April 24, 2012 | Posted by Andy under Lights and Torches |
I’ve had this torch sitting around in the kitchen now for a couple of months. It sits next to the Duralit kettle and the statement enamel bread-bin as something which I often just stand back and admire whilst eating buttered… Read more…
Teva – Sky Lake Mid eVent Women’s Walking Boots
| April 23, 2012 | Posted by Jodie under Boots & Shoes |
Interestingly one of the selling points on their site is that they have specifically built these boots with women’s feet in mind, i.e. they are not simply scaled down men’s boots. So I think its important to say try before you buy as what doesn’t work for me might be perfect for you. The eVent waterproofing is very good – the boots have stood up to some pretty horrid downpours and if that wasn’t enough I also stuck them in a puddle to make doubly sure. Somehow in my wee brain a boot made of mostly mesh can’t be waterproof – well these most definitely are!
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Exotac – Polystriker XL
| April 19, 2012 | Posted by Andy under Tools |
I have NO idea what molten globulars are, but they sound awesome and dangerous and I want to send showers of them all over flammable woodstuffs to see what happens. I may come over all manly and whittle a spiky stick, open beers with my teeth and eat vastly undercooked meatstuffs whilst I marvel at my molten globulars. Read more…
Lomer – Gottardo Walking Boots
| April 18, 2012 | Posted by Andy under Boots & Shoes |
Lomer’s entry into the UK’s biggest outdoor retailer is heralded by this very lightweight nubuck waterproof boot. It’s a subtle style, with solid craftsmanship behind it that will appeal to those of us who like simple, working gear. A decent membrane and lots of padding make for an all-day comfortable boot that is grippy on trails and decent in the wet. Read more…
