walkhighlands

Gear reviews

Gear review: Keen Wanderer Low WP walking shoes

Recommended Price: £109.99 Weight: 1280g pair (size 10.5) I’ve been a fan of Keen Targhee walking boots for a few years now; my feet are wide across the toes and I’ve always found them extremely comfortable on the hill. So I was interested in trying out these trail walking shoes (which are also available as a boot). The first thing you notice is the weight – at size 10.5, a pair weighs 1.28kg, which is comparable to many boots. This helps make them feel very sturdy – almost clumpy; the uppers are suede and nubuck leather with a generous padded

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Posted in Footwear, Gear reviews

Gear Review: Berghaus Women’s Glissade Waterproof Jacket

RRP: £225 (currently on pre-Xmas offer in many retailers) Weight: 645g (size 10) When this jacket first arrived I felt a rush of 90’s nostalgia quickly followed by disappointment that I would be testing a relatively heavy, chunkily styled, old-school waterproof when I’d got used to the high performance of lightweight alternatives. However having worn the Glissade on numerous outings over the last few months I’ve had to humble-pie my initial prejudices and can honestly say this item has won itself a place in my winter hillwalking ensemble for a number of good reasons. The Glissade is made from 2

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Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets, Magazine

Gear review: Rab Vapour Rise Pants

Recommended Price: £105 Weight: 403g (large) We’ve been having a serious cold snap this last week or so – the perfect conditions to don a pair of softshell walking trousers. In the past I’ve often just worn a pair of slightly thicker standard walking trousers with thermals underneath and then overtrousers if things turned really cold and windy. These Vapor Rise trousers from Rab provide more luxurious warmth when the mercury really begins to fall. The outer fabric is Pertex Equilibrium, which provides good protection from the wind, whilst the insides are lined with a microfleece fabric. The design is

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Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, Trousers

Gear review: Berghaus Ghlas softshell jacket

Recommended Price: £100 Weight: 525g Sizes: Small to XXL Softshell jackets are generally much more breathable than hard shell waterproofs, providing some warmth and wind resistance whilst also fending off light showers. This means you can leave your waterproof jacket in your rucksack ready to put on over the top when the rain really arrives, and wear your more comfortable soft shell for the rest of the time. The Berghaus Ghlas jacket fulfils this function admirably. With a fleecy fabric on the inside and a smooth outer, the jacket is a little stiffer and more substantial than some softshells but

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Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets

Review: Alt-Berg Tethera Boots

RRP: £199.99 Weight: 626g (per boot, size 5.5 wide) Fed up with wet cold feet and having long been a lightweight footwear devotee, I returned to all-leather heavier 3 season boots about 4 years ago and haven’t looked back. I still prefer the comfort of fabric shoes and boots in dry or warm conditions but with so many Scottish hillwalks featuring lengthy bog trots or wet and cold weather, the lightweight options – even if combined with waterproof socks – weren’t keeping my feet warm. To keep the chilblains at bay I opted for Alt-Berg’s Tethera boot. This is no

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Posted in Footwear, Gear reviews, Magazine

Review: Mammut Broad Peak IN Hooded Jacket

Recommended Price: £240 (widely available for less) Weight: 460g The Broad Peak IN Hooded Jacket from Mammut provides lightweight down insulation with a very small packsize. The jacket contains 125g of down – 10% of it goose down – but the high fill power of 750 cuin means that the Broad Peak provides a high level of insulation. The outer fabric is windproof Pertex Microlight with a water repellent finish, ensuring the jacket can be worn as an outer layer in dry conditions as well as as a mid layer. I’ve found very little down leakage through the outer, a

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Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets, Magazine

Review: Women’s Keen Terradora Waterproof boot

Recommended Price: £120 Weight (per boot): 363g This is a lightweight fabric mid-height boot with a waterproof membrane specifically designed for women. I’ve been testing it on a wide variety of walks and all-day Munro hikes over the last few months. Founded in 2003 by Martin Keen who wanted a comfortable sandal that would protect his toes whilst sailing, the US company has grown into a footwear giant and is known amongst walkers for its high protective rands, wide toe-box and comfortable fit. This women’s Terradora model moves a little from that original image with the focus on a lightweight,

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Posted in Footwear, Gear reviews

Review: Osprey Tempest 30l women’s backpack

RRP Price: £100 Weight: 86g Osprey’s Tempest 30 litre pack has been my all-year rucksack of choice for the last 4 years, except when carrying a tent. It has seen me through numerous hill and lower level walks, my Munro compleation in the Skye Cuillin, a 10 day Tour de Mont Blanc, and a number of other Alpine hut trips and Scottish bothy multi-days involving walking and scrambling. Whilst it probably has a couple more years wear left, my old pack had abrasion holes in the bottom requiring DIY duct tape repairs and a few holes in the mesh on

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Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, Rucksacks

Review: Summit to Eat backpacking food

Recommended Price: £5.50 Main Meals and Scrambled Egg Breakfast, £4.50 Desserts and Oat Breakfast Weight: (Dry Pouch) Main meals 112g-136g, Breakfasts 80g-91g, Desserts 86g-97g Calories: Main Meals 499-603, Breakfasts 449-469, Desserts 300-447 Tasty and nutritious meals are such an important part of any multi-day backpack: fuel to keep your body functiong well; something to look forward to at the start and ends of the day; as well as a much needed morale boost particularly if the weather is poor. Having used a variety of brands over the years we took a selection of main meals and hot breakfasts from relative

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Posted in Camping, Gear reviews, Magazine

Gear review: Hilleberg Nallo 2 GT tent

RRP: £835 (£695 for the Nallo 2 version with the smaller porch) Weight: 2.9kg including bag and pegs (2.4kg for the Nallo 2) Colours: As well as green (as pictured) the tent is available in red and sand. I’ve had long experience of the smaller Hilleberg Nallo. One of these tents was our home as we walked 4,000 miles across Europe for 11 months during 2003-4. Weighing in at around 2.4kg, the tent was of reasonable weight for the interior room it gave for 2 (more than 6 foot long inner tent) – whilst being stable and tough enough to

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You should always carry a backup means of navigation and not rely on a single phone, app or map. Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is every walker's responsibility to check it and to navigate safely.