latest Tips
Go
Dry Bags
Sun Cream
Eat More Pies
cold toes?
SNOW !
Get Out !
Tents
Dont forget...Your poles
Cotton Clothing!!!
Feet care
Walking Poles
Waterproofing
NEW YEAR SALES
winter
Post cards
Be prepared for cold and dark nights
Mates
Head Torch For Shopping
Wild Campsites
socks
Pack your tent separately to save volume
Keep your inflatable sleeping mat in a sock
Make your second day a rest day
Be prepared to improvise and pack accordingly
Use liquid fuel abroad
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Dry Bags
Product/Skill: Camping Equipment
Interest: Camping
So we all know dry bags are the thing to have to keep your equipment nice and dry in your rucksack. But.... if your VERY CAREFUL they can also make extremely handy windshields for your stove (preferably the heavier weight bags which can be bent into shape), blocking the wind and stopping your stove from blowing out when you don't have a proper windshield. But always keep a hold of them and keep away from any flames!
Posted on May 24, 2013
by
Stu P
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Sun Cream
Product/Skill: General Outdoor Skills
Interest: General Outdoor
Sun Cream....it doesn't matter how hot or cold you feel, when the sun is out and you are walking always have sun cream with you. Whilst walking the wind migt be blowing keeping you nice and cool, but if the sun is in the sky, always remember to protect your skin. Especialy your face and arms as I found out just recently.
Posted on May 24, 2013
by
Stu P
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Eat More Pies
Product/Skill: Food & Energy Gels
Interest: Cycling / Mountain Biking
Forget Kendal Mint Cake. Eat pies.
Posted on Apr 26, 2013
by
Pie Eater
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cold toes?
Product/Skill: Tents/Sleeping bags/Mats
Interest: Camping
If you, like me, find that no matter how many socks you wear you still get cold feet at night then try activating one of those disposable hand-warmers and chucking it down inside the bottom of your sleeping bag. It's like in-built central heating.
Posted on Apr 1, 2013
by
Debbie Datson
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SNOW !
Product/Skill: Winter Skills
Interest: Winter Sports
Just got up. . . . SNOW !. Best drive safe and make the most of it.
Posted on Mar 23, 2013
by
energa94
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Get Out !
Product/Skill: General Outdoor Skills
Interest: General Outdoor
With a Bank Holiday on the way, Get Out and make the most of the UK !
Posted on Mar 22, 2013
by
energa94
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Tents
Product/Skill: Tents/Sleeping bags/Mats
Interest: Camping
Remember when you start to go camping again, to keep your tent well ventilated to reduce the chances of condensation
Posted on Feb 26, 2013
by
KatieD
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Dont forget...Your poles
Product/Skill: Tents/Sleeping bags/Mats
Interest: Camping
It may sound obvious but have you checked your tent before you leave? I went camping this summer with a friend of mine and when we came to pitch our tents it turned out he didn’t have his poles!! In his defense he had lent it to a friend and they hadn’t returned his poles but it made me think. But trying to use walking poles and spare guy ropes to keep your tent up is harder than it sounds. Do you check that you have all the parts to your tent before you leave the house? Do you check a brand new tent before you go away with it for the first time?
Posted on Feb 17, 2013
by
I.H.M.J.
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Cotton Clothing!!!
Product/Skill: Baselayers
Interest: Mountaineering
Do not wear any cotton or wool clothing when walking/hiking, There are many good technology fibers that work just right, such as: coolmax, capilene, polartec, ultra wick, microfiber, gortex. i am sure there are more other fibers to choose
Posted on Jan 15, 2013
by
idtdavies
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Feet care
Product/Skill: Ropes & Protection
Interest: Mountaineering
Carry a small hard rubber ball and roll your bare tired feet over it at rest breaks.
Posted on Jan 15, 2013
by
idtdavies
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Walking Poles
Product/Skill: Other Outdoor Equipment
Interest: Mountaineering
Walking Poles: they reduce the wear and tear on your knees and enable your upper body to participate in the hike.
Posted on Jan 15, 2013
by
idtdavies
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Waterproofing
Product/Skill: Waterproof Clothing
Interest: General Outdoor
Never underestimate the importance of looking after waterproof's. Nikwax do a great twin pack of Tech Wash and TX Direct. The Tech Wash is brilliant for cleaning, and revives the DWR in the garment sustaining its water resistancy. If the Tech Wash doesnt quite do the job, clean the item first and then use the TX Direct to re-proof it. Dont forget to rinse the draw of the washing machine out before you proof or wash waterproofs, the detergent residue can be damaging to the products.
Posted on Jan 6, 2013
by
Sarah_Howell1
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NEW YEAR SALES
Product/Skill: Other Outdoor Equipment
Interest: General Outdoor
Make the most of the new year sale, and kit your self out for a lot less.
Posted on Dec 9, 2012
by
energa94
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winter
Product/Skill: General Outdoor Skills
Interest: Winter Sports
Yes its old, but It is one to watch out for. Dont eat yellow snow ! Ever !. You know why........
Posted on Dec 2, 2012
by
energa94
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Post cards
Product/Skill: Environmental Understanding/Weather
Interest: Walking
Buy a post card of the mountain your climbing......as rain and heavy mist or hill fog can and will put an end to any photo you may wish to take. I found this out today on Pen y fan !.
Posted on Nov 18, 2012
by
energa94
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Be prepared for cold and dark nights
Product/Skill: General Outdoor Skills
Interest: Walking
If your venturing out on the hills at this time of year , make sure that your prepared for colder and shorter days. Make sure you have a torch and spare batteries and some extra warm clothes just in case of being out a little longer than planned
Posted on Nov 1, 2012
by
Becki
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Mates
Product/Skill: General Outdoor Skills
Interest: Climbing
Only choose climbing friends with a sense of humour.
Posted on Oct 22, 2012
by
energa94
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Head Torch For Shopping
Product/Skill: Casual clothing
Interest: General Outdoor
On a recent visit to Hollister with my teenage daughter there was only one tip I could think of to help with the browsing. Buy a decent head torch before entering. I can't believe how dark it is. Yes I know at 41 it must be my eye sight failing me.
Posted on Oct 21, 2012
by
Alison Higginson
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Wild Campsites
Product/Skill: Camp Craft/Bushcraft
Interest: Camping
Rocks and other protrusions should be left in situ, or put back in position when striking camp.Where a camp site has not been previously used, consider dispersing tents over a wide area. This is true for North Wales or The Himalaya.
Posted on Oct 18, 2012
by
energa94
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socks
Product/Skill: Other
Interest: General Outdoor
Look to buy the best socks you can, then buy some more. Then you can change them half way through the day... GREAT !
Posted on Oct 18, 2012
by
energa94
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Pack your tent separately to save volume
Product/Skill: Tents/Sleeping bags/Mats
Interest: Camping
Most tents can be packed smaller by separating the poles and pegs from the flysheet and inner. Once the poles and pegs have been removed the tent can safely be compressed to 30-50% of the volume. If you discard the original tent bag and stuff the tent into a smaller air-tight dry bag you can compress it even further by pushing the air out and effectively vacuum packing it. This can make all the difference if you’re pushed for space in your bag, or want to pack your tent inside your pack where its safer and more secure. Read more about my kit and adventures on my blog: www.jonsadventures.wordpress.com.
Posted on Oct 16, 2012
by
JonWood
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Keep your inflatable sleeping mat in a sock
Product/Skill: Tents/Sleeping bags/Mats
Interest: Camping
This is a weird one, but bear with me. The manufacturers of inflatable sleeping mats (e.g. Thermarest) provide you with a stuff sack that is bigger than the rolled mat so that it is easier to pack. However, the annoying thing about this is that however tightly you roll the mat to reduce its volume in your pack, it always unravels and fills the volume of the stuff sack. Instead try packing it into an elasticated sock. It’s just as easy to stuff into the sock as the sock stretches, but when you let go it contracts and keeps the mat tightly rolled, therefore keeping its volume to a minimum. This is great when travelling fast and light where a small pack size is important. Read more about my kit and adventures on my blog: www.jonsadventures.wordpress.com.
Posted on Oct 16, 2012
by
JonWood
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Make your second day a rest day
Product/Skill: Expedition/Route planning
Interest: Cycling / Mountain Biking
When you prepare and train for a expeditions you’re often limited to single days of training and this doesn’t prepare you or your kit for multiple days of exertion. The first few days are then tough and in some cases enough to put you off the rest of your trip. By doing a single day and then resting before you continue you take this shock out of the equation. This gives you time to physically recover, make any adjustments to kit before you go too far, and doesn’t knock your confidence if Day 1 proves to be tougher than expected. I’ve done this for all my big cycle tours (e.g. Canada/Alaska, South America, Europe) and it certainly helps – especially for the saddle soreness! For more about my adventures, including my cycle tours, see my blog: www.jonsadventures.wordpress.com.
Posted on Oct 16, 2012
by
JonWood
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Be prepared to improvise and pack accordingly
Product/Skill: Travel Equipment
Interest: Travelling
Growing up as a Scout I was always taught to be prepared. For a long time this meant taking every conceivable piece of emergency/repair kit I could think of - I took incredible amounts of kit on my early expeditions. However, the more extreme situations I found myself in, the more I realised I was taking the wrong kit. An accident whilst I was alone in a remote part of the Atacama Desert taught me that surviving or dealing with an emergency is more about improvisation and using what you have than anything else. You can carry the biggest first aid or repair kit, but gaffer tape, zip ties, super glue, paracord and spare clothes can hold you or your kit together just as well at a fraction of the weight. As I found, if the situation can’t be solved with this, you probably need outside help more than you need extra kit. For more about my adventures, including my crossing of the Atacama Desert, see my blog: jonsadventures.wordpress.com.
Posted on Oct 16, 2012
by
JonWood
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Use liquid fuel abroad
Product/Skill: Camping Equipment
Interest: Travelling
Whilst camping gas is widely available in the UK this just isn’t the case when travelling abroad. You often find that either its difficult to find, or more often than not they use a different type of valve to your stove. You might get lucky in Europe or North America, but you’re almost guaranteed difficulties everywhere else. I find its best to take a liquid fuel stove that takes petrol, as it’s the only fuel type that’s likely to be available wherever you go. The best stoves take multiple fuels, so you can use cleaner burning fuels whenever available, but you always have petrol as a backup. My last big trip was a 10 week cycle tour of Alaska and BC and after we left Vancouver we didn't see a single shop selling gas canisters in over 2000 miles of cycling. For more about my adventures see my blog: www.jonsadventures.wordpress.com.
Posted on Oct 16, 2012
by
JonWood
