Our very popular Mountain Hardware, microchill zip T has arrived in new colours including; light blue, grey and Light green. Our technical trouser line has expanded with the Mammut Base jump Advance Pant now available in light grey; a stretchy, warm soft shell trekking pant ideal for climbing, backpacking and classic alpinism. Also, check out our magazine range instore we cover lots of different interests from Mountain biking UK to Trail (an inspirational walking guide); Vertical (French climbing mag in English) to TGO (for those that live for the outdoors!)



Ladies looking for a lightweight, hooded, windproof top that you can stuff in your bag; look no further, the Rab Women’s Wisp Windproof Jacket has arrived in-store. Keep the elements at bay while still looking good! For those organised travellers out there keep your shirts compressed and wrinkle resistant with the Eagle Creek – Pack-it System; come in and check out our extensive eagle creek selection. On special offer this week the Lifeventure Dakar 30l Daysack is a real bargain. Now I need to run off to do a boot fit so for the geeks out there, May the fourth be with you…



For the outdoors loving businessman we have a new selection of Wenger bags available in-store - both backpacks and messenger bags. Made by the original makers of the swiss army knife, Wenger have put a lot of thought into how to organise your life. If you’re looking for real world functionality and quality then these are the bags for you!
For the professional rescuer we have the perfect jacket esign specifically for your requirements. The Mountain Equipment, Kongur MRT Jacket provides serious protection from harsh outdoor conditions. Why not come in-store for a look!




A mixed bag this week: For running enthusiasts, the Salomon XA 20 bag has arrived in red and black. It incorporates the Airvent Agility system, providing great balance and comfort while you run. The Salomon trail runner aero model is on offer at the moment, an ideal shoe for handling varied terrain.
The Jetboil Sumo stove is also now in store; the 1.8 litre Sumo is a snow-melting power house, by locking directly onto its compatible jet boil burner base. Small groups can also enjoy the efficiency of one-pot cooking with Sumo.
Finally, for the cold weather, we have new cosy Helly Hansen Day-breaker fleeces, available in cobalt blue for men and ebony for women.


For the ladies the popular lightweight Deuter Speedlite 10 has arrived in pink! The Olympic preparation has begun; starting with the Patriot Collection by Ronhill (if you’re a fan of the Olympic kit…..) On special offer we have the Marmot Storm-Shield Jacket with its patented PreCip technology; being both waterproof and comfortable next to the skin, it’s available in a variety of bright colours.



This has been the week of Hagl?fs in store. We’ve just got in the new revolutionary endo active shell; lightweight, incredibly breathable and waterproof. The versatile Krait hood and Lizard Jacket with Hagl?f’s own FlexAble fabric offers a choice of stretchy and extremely breathable soft shell. Salomon footwear has increased with a full size range of Exode-lows and sector-mids on offer. Camping season is on its way with a selection of camping chairs making their way in-store, everything from a simple beach chair to a relaxing hi-back chair; including some very cute Gelert animal antics chairs for the kids! Now I’m off to find some eggs….



Over the last 3 weeks, I have been learning to run barefoot before incorporating minimalist shoes into the equation. I have found that the soles of my feet and legs have provided excellent feedback, they are my coach! If you try barefoot running, you will discover your own barefoot form, where everything fits into place and feels comfortable. If your form does not feel right, try various adjustments until you feel you are able to run comfortably. It is common for barefoot runners to run too fast or too long, causing injury problems. A fundamental difference which I have introduced to my running is the rate my feet hit the ground; my cadence has increased. This prevents over-striding, heel striking and has helped develop a more efficient form by limiting excessive vertical movement. Next, to introduce the shoes...

The sun is out and Cotswold is getting prepared for summer! A new range of light, active tops have arrived including the Marmot Vogue tank tops and North Face Dana Print Vapourwick – who says you can’t look good while exercising… For the fast-paced, adrenaline junkie women out there, a new range of Columbia short sleeved T-shirts; sporting the Omni-freeze technology, sweat activated cooling system that enables greater wicking and faster cooling during exercise. Yes, the harder you work the cooler you’ll be. Our Bridgedale sock range has expanded and now includes; ultra-light trek and Na-kd running socks! To finish with we’ve got the classic Havaianas flip-flop range ideal for beach and barbeques – according to the weather man plenty of these in April, thank-you high pressure systems!



Books have been busy this week, we’ve got; the paperback version of Unjustifiable Risk- an exciting record of the history of British rock climbing and mountaineering; and Into Thin Air a personal account of the 1997 Mount Everest disaster; excellent for birthday presents. We’ve added to our Rab MeCo collection with the new 120 tee; MeCo baselayers use the new cocona technology to create a super wicking and fast drying garment while reusing coconut husks left over by industry! Our soft shell trousers are being joined by the Stretchlite Guide Pant from Mountain Equipment great for scrambling or trekking. The updated Vango Banshee 200 model for 2012 has just arrived in store one of Vango’s best-selling tents! Phew what a busy week, I’m off to climb a hill!



You know spring is coming when the tent range begins to grow; this week we’ve got a selection of new tents including; the Vango mirage 300 a perfect three-man DoFE tent.; macpak microlight a tough one-man tent; and the North Face tadpole a great 2-man backpacking tent; pop in-store and any of our staff will be happy to put one up for you. New parents we’ve got the new Osprey Poco Plus child carrier perfect for keeping your baby comfortable while you explore the outdoors! Runners we have a new barefoot running range instore, come in and check out our Five Fingers barefoot shoes! A selection of magazines covering everything from climbing to mountain biking are now available, and finally, those of you new to climbing we’ve got a great DMM starter kit which includes; harness, chalk bag, bug belay and sentinel karabiner.




Every week I'm going to keep you updated with what is new in store. This week our new spring range is beginning to materialise in store; For the ladies the very popular Merrell Micca sandle is back, along with a new casual range featuring animal, fat face and royal robin clothing. For the men the new and exclusive Rab Kinetic Jacket and North Face Cipher Jacket are worth a look. Climbers, we’ve not forgot about you, check out the new 5:10 approach shoes and new scarpa and evolve climbing shoes.



Thanks to everyone that attended our Cameron McNeish lecture last night and thanks especially to the man himself; his insights into the life of the BBC was very interesting.




CAMERON MCNEISH LECTURE AT COTSWOLD OUTDOOR EDINBURGH!!

We are very pleased that renowned outdoor author and broadcaster Cameron McNeish will be joining us to give a lecture on Wednesday 7th March, from 7.00pm.

For the past five years writer and broadcaster Cameron McNeish has filmed a number of long walks for BBC Scotland
including the Sutherland, Skye and Hebridean Trails, a Scottish Coast-to-Coast and has presented a series of mountain walks on The Adventure Show. In this multi-media presentation Cameron goes behind the scenes of the television programmes and reveals
his own inspirations for exploring the wild places of Scotland.

Tickets are FREE and available only from the Store, on a first come first served basis.

Thanks to Cameron McNeish for this unique opportunity to hear his tales, and we look forward to seeing as many of you as we can on Wednesday 7th March from 7.00pm

Matt Vernon-Stroud
Store Manager