Gear reviews

Review: Berghaus Kanaga GTX women’s walking shoe

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Helen Webster

RRP: £125 (currently available at just under £100 in many places) Weight: 750g per pair (size 5.5) I’m a big fan of lightweight trail shoes, particularly for summer walking, so was happy to see whether this sturdier waterproof trail shoe from Berghaus would carry those lightweight benefits through to enable them to be worn for a longer season. The shoe is very traditional looking with a brown nubuck upper, small mesh panels and a traditional tongue and lacing system on top of a vibram sole. The construction is robust with no signs of wear at the flex point at the…

Posted in Footwear, Gear reviews, Magazine

Gear Review: Rab Microlight Alpine down jacket

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Helen Webster

Price: £190 (currently on offer for less with various retailers) Weight: 420g (women’s 10) I’ve worn a Microlight Alpine down jacket both on the hills and in town for the past 3 winters. It’s a versatile jacket that has proved harder wearing than I expected and I anticipate having several more years wear out of it. The jacket has had a redesign for its 10th anniversary so I was keen to check out the new version as well as giving my long-term verdict on the original design. The jacket is made from an outer of water resistant Pertex Quantum material…

Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets, Magazine

Review: The Secret Life of the Mountain Hare

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Paul Webster

Out of all the creatures with which we share Scotland’s hills, for me there are none that can match the charm of the mountain hare. Whilst on most encounters we walkers only manage to get a fleeting glimpse of their rear end as they skip gracefully away over the snow or through the heather, a close encounter with a relaxed hare reveals their endlessly endearing facial expressions and gestures. When it comes to photographing these magical creatures there’s one man who has risen to prominence as the pre-eminent hare photographer in recent years – Andy Howard – so this book…

Posted in Books, Magazine, Photography

Gear Review: Womens Mammut Ultimate V softshell hooded jacket

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Helen Webster

Recommended Price: £229 Weight: 350g (Womens S) Sizes: XS-XL (Womens) S-XXL (Mens) Mens version available My usual layers of choice for cooler, windy days in Scotland are either baselayer, microfleece and wind shirt or baselayer with a primaloft insulated jacket on top. However I often tend to feel cold in the wind when not ascending, only to overheat quickly once I start climbing. Recently I’ve been testing Mammut’s revamped Ultimate V softshell jacket and it seems to fit the bill as an outer layer for dry, windy Scottish conditions. The first thing you notice is that the fabric is softer,…

Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets, Magazine

Gear review: Osprey Levity 60L backpack

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £240 Weight: 0.9kg Capacity: 60 litres When backpacking, excessive weight on your back can easily destroy your enjoyment. It’s obvious you need to minimise the weight whilst still carrying all the things you really need and when you’re trying to save every gram, it’s rather galling to see that the weight of many larger backpacks exceed 2kg. One of my favourite items amongst all the kit I’ve ever owned was the original GoLite Gust minimalist pack, based on Ray Jardine’s designs. This radical piece of kit really reduced design features to an absolute minimum, cutting the weight of…

Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, Rucksacks

Gear review: Mammut Runbold Light shorts

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Helen Webster

Recommended Price: £69 (currently £49 on Mammut’s website) Weight: 148g When is lightweight gear too light? I’ve been trying out the light version of Mammut’s Runbold shorts both in the fine summer weather we had in Scotland, and through an Alpine heatwave. With a modern, athletic cut these shorts would need to be made from a very stretchy fabric in order to give the full freedom of movement needed for hiking and climbing in the outdoors – and they are. The super light bi-elastic material makes them extremely comfortable to wear – and so light you almost don’t notice them.…

Posted in Gear reviews, Trousers

Gear Review: Berghaus Womens Fast Hike Waterproof Jacket

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Helen Webster

RRP: £150 Weight: 200g (UK size 10) Mens version available I received this lightweight waterproof jacket just at the start of the longest rain-free period that the Scottish Highlands has experienced in my lifetime. So it sat in my rucksack walk after walk with only minimal use as a windproof layer, proving its worth in terms of being very lightweight and packable – it packs down into one of the mesh pockets and could be easily clipped to a belt for very minimal walks or runs. Scottish weather has now resumed more normal service and I’ve had the chance to…

Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets, Magazine

Gear review: AKU Tengu GTX Low hiking shoes

Posted on August 11, 2018 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £169.90 Weight: 1220g pair (UK size 10.5) I was very impressed when testing AKU’s Alterra boots last year. The full height Aku Tengu GTX boots are a lightweight winter mountaineering boot with a B2 rating – so how could that translate into this low cut trail shoe version? The first thing to strike me was the shoes’ stylish appearance – as I’ve come to expect from the company; the spongy tongue material extends right around the top of the shoe which makes them look very different. They are towards the heavier end for trail shoes, but then when…

Posted in Footwear, Gear reviews

Gear review: Wicking Underwear

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Helen Webster

I’d not given much thought to the underpants I wear when walking; the 5 for a tenner cotton briefs from M&S had been adequate. However when Paul’s ancient, quick-drying LGT briefs finally gave up the ghost after over 10 years of walking wear including a year-long backpack with only 2 pairs, we decided a foray into modern wicking underwear was in order. The main advantages to wicking underwear is comfort, lower weight, and quick drying. Whilst good for a day walk, these properties really come into their own on multi-day trips when there’s a need to wash and dry underwear…

Posted in Baselayers, Gear reviews

Gear review: Columbia Silver Ridge II convertible trousers

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £55 My past experience, years ago, with convertible trousers was not a good one – the zips that enable them to be converted into shorts were bulky and rubbed against my legs. Designs have improved greatly, however, and like most modern convertibles the zips in the Columbia Silver Ridge II are enclosed with fabric flaps that prevent any chafing. I’ve worn these trousers now on several Munro-bagging days and found them very comfortable in both trousers and shorts mode. The Silver Ridge II are made from a very lightweight ripstop nylon, making them especially suitable for hot weather…

Posted in Gear reviews, Trousers