Having worn these on the climb of Mount Ararat in Turkey I got to experience them in relatively hot and dry conditions which is not much of a test especially as I only wore them on summit day. My next outing was on a Scottish Winter summits course based in Glen Coe which was a very different environment.
I always think that a good test of a boot is whether you think about your feet or not. If you do, it means there is probably something wrong, either they are getting wet, or cold or the boot feel heavy or maybe you're getting a blister. I can honestly say that I haven't given my feet a single seconds thought. Yes, the boots are heavier than my normal walking boots, that's to be expected, but not so much that it feels arduous to wear them. They quite happily take a walking crampon and feel solid when doing so. I've been out all day in Scottish weather, which means rain, snow and cold and the boots have sailed through. It's almost a shame they are winter boots as I could happily wear them all year round, but they definitely would be too warm for summer.
Hanwag is not a company I'd come across before but having tried on five or six pairs of boots in the shop I was presented with these. I think the proprietor of the Kendal Boot Shop was beginning to despair of ever finding me a pair of boots. I have wide feet and find most boots just don't feel right. The boot type is called 'Bunion' which amused me but apparently is designed to avoid the wearer from getting bunions! Whatever, they felt good.
They are a leather boot which is a distinct change for me, having always had fabric or man-made uppers. They felt great and the lacing system was the simplest possible which is a great improvement on the Keen boots I was currently using. I was sold!
They are not cheap, coming in at £250 in 2022 but they were a late birthday present so obviously money was no object.
I've now had the chance to wear them in a variety of conditions and I have to say, they have acquitted themselves very well, whether in hot dry conditions, damp, boggy and rainy they have worked faultlessly and not shown any sign of leakage even when stepping into a bog almost up to the top!
The sole is built for business and provides excellent grip on all surfaces and gives a good level of confidence. Weight wise they are about average, weighing in at around 1.5kg for the pair so don't feel either heavy or light.
One minor criticism is that the insole has a tendency to fold on steep downhill. This probably means my foot is moving within the boot but that's to be expected. I plan to try my sorbothane inserts as a replacement so will update the report once done.
Currently very pleased but I've only had them a few weeks so again, the report will be updated in due course to reflect my ongoing experience with them.
So, I've owned these boots for a few months now and am still very pleased with them. They are waterproof and comfortable. I fitted my sorbothane inserts which helped a lot, especially with the downhill problem I initially had. Being leather boots I purchased a tin of dubbin and have coated them with it on a couple of occasions after cleaning and it seems to help with both the water protection and also softens up the leather.
After owning them for just over a year, and to be fair, they have done some miles and climbed some mountains, the heel has worn down quite badly, to the point that I needed to have them resoled. A local cobbler is no good in this case, they need to be sent to a professional boot repair company. This I did, and was somewhat alarmed to discover that the repairs would cost just over £100 and take several months to complete. As an annual cost and time without the boots, this seems quite high. It will be interesting to see how long the replacement soles last.
2025 update: The soles are still fine with no real signs of wear which is good. They are still my regular go to boots for summer and (British) winter walking and I have had no issues with them. They are regularly treated with dubbin to keep the leather supple and an element of waterproofing.
Seriously expensive being the wrong side of £600 (discounts available), but I was pretty much forced into them because the main contender (and cheaper by some margin) La Sportiva simply didn't fit my foot profile - yet another reason why trying them on in the shop has no substitute.
Being a double boot means a liner boot is put on first. Of course these boots, almost by definition, will be used in very cold conditions, so two pairs of socks is essential. The liner fitted well, with about 1/2" of space at the toe end to avoid squashed toes on downhills. The liners have a reasonably stiff sole so could be used as 'slippers' in a hut if weight considerations are critical.
The outers have an unusual lacing system. Pulling the lacing mechanism tightens the laces up to the ankle, then a velcro strap tightens across the top of the ankle. Great idea and means fine and custom adjustments can easily be made. The excess lacing is tucked under the integral gaiter. Loosening is simply a case of pulling the release toggle. Once tight enough, the outer zip closes the gaiter in a spiral fashion around the leg with a press-stud at the top for extra security. If crampons are being worn, trousers can be tucked inside the gaiter to prevent snagging. If not tucked in, socks should be long enough such that the gaiter doesn't rub on bare flesh which would be very painful. I would advise not tucking waterproof leggings into the gaiters otherwise rain or melted snow will run inside the boots - learn to walk like John Wayne (other Cowboy heroes are available).
In use, they are very warm and even in minus lots centigrade I never gave my feet a thought which means the boots did their job. With fully waterproof outers I had no problem walking over melting glaciers, even when my foot went into the meltwater a few inches. Of course, being B3 they take a walking or climbing crampon. I have not yet climbed anything steeper than 40 degrees so can't comment on how stiff they would be for steeper or vertical ice climbing.
I'm well pleased with them, the only downside is they are far too much of an overkill for anything other than snow and ice, but it's Horses for Courses. Having said that, they don't feel stupidly heavy on less technical ground, weighing in at around 1kg each boot.
I did get sore heels on both heels for the first few uses, the first time gave me serious blisters but it was on a sunny day in the Brecons as a test-run so I guess my feet went really soft in the heat and a minor rub had disastrous consequences.
Overall, I'd recommend them if the La Sportiva are not suitable for your feet. They are a serious amount of money but I plan to use them on a good number of future trips and you can't put a price on comfort, fit, reliability and warmth in extreme conditions.
With the sad demise of the Salomon trekking shoes, it was time for a new pair of, hopefully, waterproof trekking shoes. Having had great success with Keen walking boots, I settled on a pair of Steen Walking Shoes. Why they are called 'Keen Steen' I have no idea, perhaps the marketing people were in a rhyming mood at the time.
I like the shape of Keen footwear in that they are wider than many other manufacturers and my feet appear to be wider than the 'norm'. Who knew? A few walks around the house, followed by 30 minute walks with the dog and I felt they were ready for something a bit more adventurous. As luck would have it, or design, not sure, I'd planned a ten mile walk through a Nature Reserve and along the River Severn, totalling about 10 miles. Perfect.
The weather was dull and overcast, but not actually raining, although it had done overnight. It was the ideal opportunity to put the shoes through their paces (pun intended) in my favourite test ground - wet grass. I have to say that they performed excellently and at no time did my feet feel even a bit wet, despite the shoes being obviously wet on the outside. During the walk, I paid little attention to the shoes and at no time did they make their presence felt, by rubbing or sore feet. Even after ten miles, they felt like trainers but totally dry.
I realise it is early days and I have been disappointed many times before, but they are off to a great start!
A weekend away in the Welsh mountains gave me the chance to really give them a workout. Mixed results. On the one hand they were much lighter than boots which was nice. They suffered from the same issues as all shoes in that undergrowth finds its way in, becoming increasingly uncomfortable to the point of having to stop for a clear out. These are no worse than any other shoes in that regard. It didn't rain so I can't comment on their waterproofness. I did however, get a blister on one foot which was annoying. I think it was because I should wear slightly thicker socks to pad the shoes and stop them rubbing.
Update: They are beginning to absorb water. I wouldn't describe them as leaking and they are most definitely better than trainers or other shoes, but they do start to feel damp after a while in rain or wet grass. They have been cleaned and treated which made absolutely no difference!
Out of the box they look reasonably nice and fit wise, seem very good. I prefer a wider fitting as I have found my toes suffer from being squashed if not. First try and these gave me plenty of room to 'wiggle'. Of course, and I've said this before, walking around a shop or at home only tells you if they are definitely wrong but not if they are right. I'd planned the final 14 mile section of the Three Choirs Way which seemed like a good distance to evaluate them, not so far that I would be in pain, but far enough to notice any discomfort. Test passed, they were keepers!
I have to say, they have performed well over a good number of walks in a variety of terrain from low level countryside rambles to big mountains in Wales and the Lake District. I even used them for the approach walk-in and out to Elbrus Top Camp and have been very pleased with them. One major criticism, however, is that the lacing system is quite awkward. The third from last eyelets lock but only work properly if the laces are pulled horizontally away from the boot, any other direction and they lock, preventing further adjustment. Above the lock, there is a tiny string eyelet which is hard to locate to rethread the laces which almost invariably come out when trying to tension the locking eyelet. It takes a while to get the tension just right on my foot, having to hold individually sections to create the right tension, but one benefit is that the upper section can be set to a different tension if required which is nice.
There is plenty of toe room and I feel no discomfort there, although, I did replace the rather poor quality factory fitted insoles with my own, but found that the top of my right foot started to rub a little on the inside of the boot so it was back to the factory insoles.
After just over two years of ownership I am ready to replace them. The grip has deteriorated considerably and they most definitely are no longer waterproof, my feet feel damp in anything other than dry conditions. I think two years is pretty poor for walking boots, and I would describe myself as a medium user, so probably used on average for about 50 walking days a year.
I think they deserve the star rating I've given them, two years is not very good for boots costing well over £100 and the lacing is a nightmare.
Mine are the Peak GTX. As boots go they are reasonably expensive at over £160 but as I got them with a BMC (British Mountaineering Council 15% discount it wasn't too painful. Boots typically last me over five years with plenty of use so I figure at £30 a year that's okay. My previous boots were leaking badly and one thing I hate is wet feet.
I normally wear two pairs of socks with boots, one thin and one thicker pair and it works for me. Being a soft upper they needed no breaking in, but one thing I did decide to do was to change the insoles which felt a bit thin. I replaced them with some gel insoles that I'd had in my previous boots for a short while.
The first outing was a tour of Kinder Scout in the Peak District. This gave me a good test, being simultaneously wet, muddy, rocky and grassy. The boots performed well, feeling grippy on all surfaces apart from the Achilles heel of all boots - wet, greasy wood. My feet stayed dry for the entire day, although it wasn't raining so a full soaking remains to be tested. They didn't sweat either so the Gore Tex was doing its job well. Since then I've done a good deal of walking, including Kilimanjaro where they were worn for two weeks every day although there was no rain, there was a good mix of terrain including some scrambling, dusty paths and muddy sections.
They don't feel too heavy so can be worn for long periods without discomfort. One criticism is that the laces are quite thin and although they haven't snapped, they do seem to come loose, requiring the boots to be retied a couple of times during the day. I may well change them for thicker ones.
Update: After less than 18 months of use, one of the lace loops ripped out. Back to Cotswold Outdoors who very kindly replaced them for me. Rather disappointing as they have not had a huge amount of use over that time. So, both these and the Lowa boots have failed to last two years. They are not cheap boots and they come from a recognised manufacturer. It does make me wonder whether I should just buy boots for fifty pounds and expect a years wear out of them!
I needed a pair of Winter boots capable of taking a walking crampon. I tried a number of boots from different manufacturers and finally found the Laurin Pro GTX offering from Lowa.
They immediately felt comfortable and not too heavy. I did need to go up half a size to get the perfect fit, so bear that in mind if you are a mail-order type person. There is a lip at the heel for the clip-in crampons so ideal for either type. I spent some time walking around the shop and they felt fine, then at home wore them as much as I could in the house. Of course walking around a shop or home only tells you whether the boots are definitely wrong and not whether they are right.
A sneaky morning in the Black Mountains gave me the chance to try them in anger giving me a combination of mud, slippery grass, stream scrambling and ridge walking.
The lacing system has locking runners so it is easy to pull the laces tight enough over the top of the foot, then get the ankle section to the right tension without worrying about the lower part coming loose. A criticism which I level at most boots these days it seems is that they always come with really thin laces - one of my first jobs is to replace them with something more substantial.
Walking out to my first climb of the day I was impressed with how light they felt, seemingly no heavier than my Scarpa Boots which are a 3-season boot.
Climbing up the stream I had no hesitation in stepping into and over the running water - no problems there. A bit of scrambling also no drama as the sole is stiff enough to 'edge' or use small toe holds.
Once on the ridge they still felt good and there was no tiredness associated with heavy boots.
On the way down I was disappointed to feel the insole folding up as my feet moved against the front of the boot. Why do boot manufacturers always scrimp on the insole? Again, for me, standard practise is to replace the insole with a gel insole and so it would be with these boots.
Back at base, I'd walked about 10 miles on a combination of terrain and they performed well. There was no rubbing or uncomfortable areas and they didn't feel too hot, even though the day was warm. I'll be changing the laces and the insoles before the next outing though.
At £144 they are great value - I had a budget of £200 so, with man logic, this meant that I still had £56 to spend!
Time will tell how they continue to perform. The main reason for the purchase is a three week trek to Nepal in October but I will need to wear them regularly between now and then so plenty of time for updates. I might even find some grassy slopes to try out the crampons. Snow in the UK is unlikely between April and October, but not unheard of!
So, after a year of owning these boots they are going back! Why? Simple; they have started to leak. Walking through wet grass, not even long grass and not even the width of a field was enough to make my feet feel damp. I'd experienced the same thing a few weeks previously but tried to convince myself it was water seeping down from the top of the boot. This time I wore gaiters and the same thing happened. I've got a Cotswold loyalty card so my gear carries their two year guarantee. Very disappointing I have to say. I'll update on the outcome of the return. My hope is that Cotswold will refund my money as I don't really want the same thing again.
Final update: It seems that Cotswold no longer stock these boots so can't offer a replacement - they agreed that the boots were faulty - so are refunding my money. So five stars to Cotswold Outdoor and two stars to Lowa for making a boot that didn't even last a year!
I'd been thinking of buying some new trekking shoes for some time. I wanted something I could wear on terrain where boots seemed like an overkill but pure trainers would not work. Spying the Salomons on offer I decided to go for it.
In use they weigh about the same as trainers so nice and light. The lacing system is a 'boa' style with thin nylon laces that are tightened by pulling on a central 'thingy' then sliding the lock down to hold the tension. It is simplicity itself and can be done in seconds - they probably appeal to the multi-terrain racer or triathlete needing to be able to pull them on quickly. Thoughtfully they have a stow pocket at the top of the tongue for stashing the excess lace and toggle.
The sole is good, with plenty of grip, although I did notice it clogging up quite quickly and not providing the same confident feel as a boot would. Having said that, I bought them for 'reasonable' conditions.
I've used them in a variety of conditions from walking the dog on grass to an outing on a local hill in pouring rain and so far they have performed well. In light rain or wet grass my feet feel dry both during and after. In pouring rain, my socks were soaked, but then the entire sock was wet, as were my trousers so maybe the socks soaked through. Certainly, they didn't feel like they were leaking as trainers do when they get wet.
After owning them for a few months, I've re-treated them with Nikwax so we will see how they perform next time - check back for a full report.
Would I recommend them? Well, yes I would with reservations. Being shoes they easily take in grit which can be annoying. They won't cope with serious conditions, especially cold as they are quite thin, but I would be quite happy wearing them on an easy hill or mountain even in rain. They would also be good for scrambling, but I doubt they would work for rock climbing as they have little in the way of protection and flex quite easily.
One negative point and hence the loss of one star is that the insole, like almost every boot I've ever owned, is pretty rubbish, and after getting wet, started to fold up which made walking uncomfortable and required me to stop a couple of times to flatten it out. The insoles have now been ditched in favour of better quality ones.
Well, it had to happen of course. Six months in and they are now leaking! I've looked after them very carefully, cleaned them with nothing but water and re-treated them as per the manufacturers recommendations. Out for a walk in nothing but wet grass and my socks were soaked on my return. Perhaps not as wet as ordinary trainers, but certainly not dry. Ho hum, back to Cotswold for a return.
Is it impossible for manufacturers of 'waterproofs' to make them actually waterproof? Obviously it is!
I wanted a pair of gloves that would work below zero, be reasonably water resistant and importantly, not have one of those liners that pulls out when sweaty or wet hands are pulled out, then prove impossible to get into because the liner has parted from the glove. Rab have solved this nicely with the Baltoros. They are well priced at £33 so not going to break the bank.
They are good for colder weather so late Autumn to early Spring. They are reasonably dexterous but as with all gloves, they do limit the fingers a bit. I liked the idea of the leather like palms which aids grip of either walking poles or maybe rocks on a scramble. They are not waterproof nor are they advertised as such, but they are breathable so my hands didn't feel sweaty in them, although I did get hot, but then I always do in gloves so I tend to use them on and off as needed.
There is a handy cinch tag so can be worn over or under layers as required. I generally wear gloves outside all but my hard shell waterproof. A nice touch is the clip to keep them together which is nice and means that locating them in the rucsac is easy - find one and you've found both! Taking a waterproof outer cover completes the set-up nicely.
I wanted a pair of gloves for those days when it is chilly but not stupid and these seemed to fit the bill. The have a good length so go beyond the wrist and either over or under your long sleeved layer. They have a grippy palm which is useful for either walking poles, or scrambling over cold rocks.
They are definitely not waterproof nor are they sold as such but they keep out the cold nicely. I'm looking forward to trying them in sub-zero conditions to see how they work and will add the report in due course. *Update: A cold winter outing where the gloves got wet revealed a serious weakness; they lose a lot of their thermal properties. My fingers felt very cold with the gloves just damp from falling snow. Whilst they are good for dry cold conditions, a waterproof over-glove or mitten is definitely needed in wet conditions.
For chilly windy days down to single figures they work well. Very lightweight, they can be stored in a trouser pocket, jacket or top of the rucsac for quick access when the temperature drops, or to be stowed quickly when it warms up. Fairly cheap with a price point of just under £20 they won't break the bank
Billed as primarily Ski gloves, these gloves certainly look and feel the part. A friend had the equivalent mittens and raved about them when we were on Kilimanjaro so I decided to go with Black Diamond over other contenders. I prefer gloves to mittens, so decided to purchase them for an upcoming trip to Nepal where there would be some seriously cold mountaineering as I hate the thought that my fingers would get cold enough for frostbite.
Of course, being designed for very cold temperatures, I have not yet had the chance to wear them in the UK.
I chose gloves over mittens as I wanted to retain some dexterity, albeit very limited as the gloves are, not surprisingly, quite thick. The glove actually comes in two parts, an inner that provides the warmth using boiled wool whatever that might be and is also the waterproof layer, and a tough outer which helps with windproofing and general toughness. Velcro holds the inner to the outer. On the outer there is an elasticated cinch pull which allows the glove to be closed over, or maybe under a shell.
It remains to be seen in practice, but with the inner being warm and waterproof, it would seem perfectly possible to remove the outer and leave the inner on as the temperature rises thereby giving much more flexibility than a dedicated single layer thick glove.
I've not worn these in extreme conditions yet, but am off to Nepal in a couple of weeks so will be taking and using them on cold morning starts so will update this report subsequently.
Update from Nepal: I had the chance to wear them a couple of times on early starts and cold days and have mixed feelings. For a glove that is supposed to be the doo-dahs of winter mountaineering I didn't feel that my hands were particularly warm and indeed the index finger on my left hand felt particularly cold at times. In defence of the glove, the reported temperature was about -12C but that was precisely the reason for their purchase. I took the opportunity of trying to warm my hands each time we stopped for a rest and whilst walking, exercised my fingers to generate some warmth which eventually did the trick and the glove retained the heat.
I think they would perform best if pre-warmed (supposing that were possible) and warming hands prior to putting them on as they seem to be able to retain heat, but clearly take some time to warm up. Comparing my experience to others who had inferior gloves, they seemed to be better as other people reported seriously cold hands and fingers whereas mine were just 'not warm'. I did try them with silk liners but I don't think that had a beneficial effect so quickly abandoned that idea.
As far as dexterity is concerned, well, gripping walking poles is easy, but opening a rucsac or unzipping a jacket was difficult, but not impossible but again, that didn't surprise me at all - I sometimes have trouble doing those things with much thinner gloves.
I bought these for a mountaineering expedition but for various reasons never got to use them.
A very wet and cold day in the Brecons recently gave me the opportunity to try them out.
They fit well, although I purchased the 'L' size when normally I use 'M' but I wanted them to fit over my Rab Powerstretch gloves. Wearing them on their own, I quickly noticed just how warm they are.
Of course dexterity is more or less non-existent, but that's true for any mitten, but I did find adjusting the velcro wrist strap easy enough with them on.
Later on during my (very wet) day out they did begin to saturate but at no time did my fingers feel cold, nor did their wind-resistance diminish, even at the point where there felt like a pool of water inside, my fingers weren't cold.
I added wrist loops to them myself which I do for most gloves that don't already have them as these are particularly light and I would feel silly chasing them over the mountain if the wind caught them! They are very light, light enough to have as a permanent fixture in the rucsac as a 'just in case' item.
At under £40 a pair, they are money well spent.
I needed a new skull cap to go under my Cycling Helmet and saw this in an Outdoor shop. It felt comfortable being made of Polartec fabric, was a nice close fit and felt very warm.
During the winter months, I am rarely without it, keeping my head nice and toasty - the drawback of vented cycling helmets is that they are full of holes!
Winter walking also sees it performing its duty and being a nice tight fit means there is no fear of it blowing off in a strong wind, unlike my summer hats. It packs nicely and can be easily stuffed into a trouser or jacket pocket if the temperature warms up enough. In fact, I liked it so much I bought a second, one for walking and one for cycling.
It's not waterproof of course, but is quick drying and easily fits under a waterproof hat or jacket hood.
One minor gripe is that black is the only colour it is available in, although there is some nice red trim which helps its looks. I would have liked a brighter colour, especially for cycling, although it is mostly hidden under the crash helmet, but every little helps.
Priced at around £20 it won't break the bank, and if like me, your head needs all the covering it can get, it is a very worthwhile investment.
Lets get one thing straight, I'm not a big fan of hats so this review is of one hat with very little to compare it against. I wear them because they satisfy several needs; they keep the sun off my folically challenged head, they keep my head warm and they keep the rain off.
So, how well does the Jack Wolfskin hat fare?
Being made of Texapore which is Wolfskin speak for GoreTex it should be waterproof and the good news is that it works quite well. It has a mesh liner which helps to stop overheating on sunny days and generally feels very comfortable, although as with any clothing, sooner or later it feels hot if the sun is shining. I've been in some serious downpours with it and whilst not wet, my head did feel damp. It did keep the rain from running down the back of my neck though so happy with that, and in any case, if the rain is that hard, the waterproof hood will be up.
The hat can be worn either Stetson style with the sides up - velcro dots on either side hold it in place, or more rounded for more comprehensive sun/rain protection. I tend to mostly have it Stetson style unless it is really sunny/rainy in which case I let it down.
There is an elasticated chin strap for very windy conditions and although I have used it, there has never been a time when I've felt the hat move, even though the fit on my head is not tight. It would be tragic to see the hat blow off and disappear across a mountain or moorland so better safe than sorry! The chinstrap can be tucked away over the hat and under the velcro dots when not in use.
The slightly bad news about the hat is that there is no wired outline, presumably to save weight and cost. Most times this is not an issue as it holds its shape reasonably well, even when wet but should it be very windy, the front of the hat blows down obscuring vision and requires constant attention. I have to confess that I do own a second hat (cheapest one I could find when I realised I was hat-less on a trip to a sunny Island in the Mediterranean) that is wired and that one does not suffer the same problem. If I am in really windy conditions and still need a hat then I often swap it for my Rab beanie which is always in my rucsac (and reviewed on these pages). The upside of no wiring is that it can be easily folded into a pocket or rucsac and is virtually weightless being just 135g.
Cost wise it is about average for a hat, cheaper than a Tilly but more expensive than some other brands and I notice with later versions of the hat, it comes with an emergency whistle - good idea to have one, but I think I'd remove it as it would get in the way too much. My whistle lives in my rucsac and I'm happy with it there.
Overall, pleased with it. I've given it four out of five, losing one star for the wind related problem.
My old winter hat was showing its age so I decided it was time to invest in a new one. I've always liked Fjallraven gear and after some research, settled on the Singi Heater hat, Appealing to the masses, the choices are small, medium or large. I chose large as it was the closest to my head size which I took from my Motorbike crash helmet (58/59) and matched their website sizing guide. Actually I think I could have come down to medium for a slightly tighter fit but at least I have room for a beanie or balaclava underneath.
The hat, as reported by many reviews elsewhere is seriously warm so it does need to be very cold to wear it, but once on, it feels comfortable, sits well, and has a chinstrap to keep it in place when the wind blows - I always worry that I'm going to see my hat disappear into the distance. The hat covers the top of the head (obviously) plus the cheeks and underneath the chin if the flaps are down. The chinstrap can be unclipped and clipped at the top of the hat if required to lift the cheek flaps up, but it is a close fit and makes the hat sit very high on the head with the risk of it being blown off. The earflaps can be buttoned up as well (although not with the chinstrap on top of the hat), exposing a small hole to aid hearing. I doubt I will ever take advantage of that option but it is there. The lining at the front and sides is (faux) fur and the inside lining synthetic. The front of the hat has a fur peak, but that is cosmetic only and cannot be moved. This is the short haired version which does sometimes moult. The long hair version must be very prone to that and also be quite annoying in windy conditions. The outer is G-1000 which is Fjallravens magic material and used on lots of their clothing range, including the trousers I reviewed. It is water resistant to a point but certainly not waterproof so if it is cold and wet, a waterproof hood would need to be worn to keep the head dry.
It's not the cheapest winter hat on the market, but for me and my requirements, it seemed to be the best. It has had a couple of outings in cold and windy conditions and has performed well. I used it on Elbrus in 2019 when it got a full test and performed extremely well. It also performed very well on a recent trip to Snowdonia when I found myself on Eilio just as Storm Arwen hit and the hailstones were flying horizontally at me! Points are lost for the chinstrap not being quite long enough to allow the flaps to be clipped up and there is no end-stop on the chin strap adjustment which means the clip could easily detach and be lost. It's a shame it's not waterproof but most Scandinavian equipment seems to be designed for (dry) snow rather than wet UK rain and uses the argument that if it's raining, you would wear a waterproof jacket with a hood anyway.
Helly Hansen have always made extremely good thermal base layers. I reckon they are a bit like Tubular Bells - you'll find them in every household! I have several which I wear for walking, motorbiking, climbing, even cycling if the weather is seriously cold. They fit comfortably, have no exposed seams, dry quickly and pack up very small. The question should really be; why haven't you got one?
There are no bad points about them, the price is great, they last forever and they can be used with just about anything.
Stellar Equipment is a favourite brand of mine as you can probably tell from the number of reviews on this page. I purchased the base layer top and leggings for a trip to Russia in 2019 which, actually never got used but I finally had the chance to use the top on a recent outing to some local peaks. So, how did it perform? Well, it is very comfortable, although the neck seems a little tight. It feels quite thin, which it is. I purchased size 'L' and am 1m 83cm tall and weight 86kg. It is quite long, reaching down to my hips, which is no bad thing for a base layer. With the outside air temperature at around 6 degrees and a good wind blowing, coupled with the Stellar Equipment mid-layer I was warm enough whilst moving, but chilled quickly when stopped. At the end of the walk, it felt damp - presumably due to the 'wicking' process.
So, how does it compare to others? Well, there's not much to choose between this item and the Helly Hansen, but I've given this four stars and the Helly five so clearly Helly Hansen wins. This feels like it needs another layer (or two) whereas the Helly doesn't. The bottom line is, if the weather is cold but likely to warm up, then this item would work with one or two extra layers but still be able to be worn alone when it is warmer. With the Helly, you'd probably want to remove it and replace it with a lighter top or short sleeved top. Time will tell how robust it is and I'll report back as it gets more and varied wearings.
PS It did come with a free buff, but the buff was very loose around my neck so gave no thermal protection and almost pointless.
Update: I've now worn the top on numerous occasions and my initial views haven't really changed. I guess it's positive that I have continued to wear it so it continues to deserve its four star rating.
Stellar Equipment are a Swedish company who make a range of outdoor gear. It is not cheap, but the quality and looks are hard to beat. The mid layer I chose was the Blue.
It is a pull-over with a generous zip and single breast pocket. It is very warm! I can only normally wear it with a thin T-Shirt underneath, although on a recent trip to Kilimanjaro, wore it on the summit day along with a thermal base layer, windproof top and Rab Jacket - which just shows how cold it was! Normally this top is enough.
It dries quickly if wet (from sweat or rain) and has a reasonable pack size - smaller than a waterproof but not as small as a thermal base layer, but that is not surprising.
It can be worn against the skin, but the design intention is to be worn with a base layer of some sort - it is described as a mid-layer after all. I like an athletic fit so can only wear a single thermal or wicking T-Shirt underneath, it would defeat the purpose to have a more generous size anyway.
It is well priced compared to the competition (Rab, North Face etc) and makes a great addition to my cold weather wardrobe.
I'd wanted another summer weight mid-layer for some time and given my love of Stellar Equipment, decided to go with their ultralight offering.
It is a pullover layer with a single neck zip. There are no pockets in it, nor should there be, the material is far too light to support anything. The single neck zip is generous and allows plenty of ventilation when required. I chose the grey colour and am pleased with that. Also I chose a Medium size, I am 1.85m tall and reasonably well built, it fits nicely, although the arm length is only just long enough, but that's fine for me.
Stellar Equipment are right in their claims that it is lightweight, the medium being just a couple of hundred grams so could be carried on any given day as a just in case item.
It's a very comfortable top, so far I've worn it as a mid-layer over a lightweight T-shirt and it has functioned well. It might be a bit too warm on a hot sunny day, but works well walking and climbing in low to mid-teens temperatures. On a recent trip where I had more than my fair share of rain, the top did get very wet due to high humidity which, as we all know, is the achilles heel of wateproof clothing. Provided I was moving, I felt warm enough so the thermal properties function well enough, but when I stopped I noticed a distinct chill. Once the rain stopped, removing my waterproof layer did allow the top to start drying out and I am sure that, given some sunshine and maybe a light breeze, it would dry quickly.
As with most Stellar Equipment gear, it is not cheap, June 2024 price was £85 for the piece, but that compares quite well with similar offerings from Rab and others. How robust it is remains to be seen but I suspect it won't take a lot of bad treatment.
I've got a lot of winter gear but wanted to add to my summer weight gear. I'd purchased a mid-layer from Stellar Equipment (see review above) so thought it would be great to pair it with a summer weight vest, or bodywarmer or gilet - delete as applicable. As luck would have it, Stellar had figured out that there was a market for such a layer and offer their light mid vest.
Like the mid-layer, I went for a Medium which fits me snugly, which is what I wanted. I can easily wear it over a T-shirt and mid-layer combination but I think it would struggle over a winter weight mid-layer, but that's not the point or intended use for it, so it's a moot point. Again, not cheap, July 2024 price was £85 but not ridiculous either. Whether it is 'necessary' or not is debatable but I like it.
So far, it has been worn a couple of times, but not in anger. It has, however, been part of my backup gear in the rucsac on several occasions so I can't really offer an objective review at this stage, except to say it looks smart, fits well and seems ideal as a quick warmer layer when stopping for lunch or a snack on an outing.
The mid-Jacket offering from Stellar keeps up the tradition of quality functional clothing. It features a full length zip, two waist and one chest pocket (all zipped) and looks super-cool.
I went for the athletic fit in Blue/Black and chose 'medium'. I am 1.83m (6') with a 107 cm (42") chest which is comfortably tight but only allows a T-Shirt or base layer underneath - exactly what I wanted in fact. One slight downside is that the pockets are not really usable without significant bulge but I knew that when I chose the size. A larger size would of course allow for pocketed items. There are several different colour choices, all of which look great.
In use it is nicely warm and windproof, but can become too warm if working hard in all but the coldest (UK) conditions. I did find myself wishing it were colder to see how the jacket really performs. I took it to Nepal on a three-week trek and it worked extremely well as a general jacket in cooler conditions. When the temperature dropped below zero, the Down jacket came out.
Being a softshell material, it is not intended to be waterproof but managed to keep me warm despite being very wet during a recent test of the Rab Kinetic Plus Jacket which leaked badly during a thunderstorm - admittedly I knew it would but wanted to test the limits.
The price is pretty good, retailing at under £80 delivery included so stacks up well against offerings from Rab, Wolfskin and others. I quite happily wear it out to the pub, to work or as just a general jacket as well as a mid-layer in the mountains.
This top is beyond light! If you took the same volume of tissue paper I am certain it would be heavier! Stellar claim 86grams! It packs to almost nothing, in fact I pack it into a sunglasses case with ease.
The question of course is; does it work as a windproof? The answer is 'most definitely'. For something so light and thin, it is amazing just how good it is and putting it on makes a massive difference on a windy day. It adds something to the overall warmth, but should not be considered as a warming layer, that is the job of the mid-layer and it works really well with the Stellar Mid-Layer reviewed elsewhere. Also it is not waterproof but can shake off the odd light shower. It has a longer back which allows it to fit over trousers and avoid that nasty gap that often appears with shorter tops. As for sizing, I went for a large size which fits nicely over my mid-layer which is a medium. One minor issue is that it is not breathable so condensation can become an issue in warmer temperatures or when working hard and generating excess body heat.
It has a full length zip so is easy to put on and also has a chest pocket, although given its weight, cannot take anything at all heavy so maybe just the sunglasses packet that it came out of. It is not a cheap item, but is no more expensive than the Castelli cycling equivalent and makes a very welcome addition to the toolbox of weather combatting equipment.
Continuing with the Stellar Equipment theme, this time a hybrid hoodie. Designed as a mid-layer or perhaps an outer layer to be worn over a T-shirt if it's not too cold or a thermal if it is. Either way, it's a great piece of kit. It features merino wool on the back and sides and the aerogel insulation on the front and arms. The idea is that the merino wool keeps the body warm and the aerogel sections provide wind resistance.
Does it work? Well, yes is the short answer. It works very well in a good range of conditions. Warmer cool weather it can be paired with a T-Shirt for those slightly cool moments and in cooler weather, paired with a thermal base layer. It's not as warm as the Stellar winter mid-layer but that's not necessarily a bad thing as I find I can wear it during spring and autumn. From a wind point of view, it works quite well but I wouldn't want it to be the only wind proof I had with me.
It packs down well and is light enough to carry as a 'just in case' item. It is also sized to allow it to fit reasonably well under a waterproof shell. It has a hood, but that is really its weak point. Pulling on the tabs quickly brings the hood over the face and with no volume adjustment is probably worse than useless in my opinion. The jacket features two chest pockets, easily big enough to swallow a beanie, lightweight gloves and/or a mobile phone without worry and the zips are designed to be easily accessible whilst wearing a rucsac - and they are
So, who should buy it and why? If you want a good looking lightweight jacket that you can wear to walk the dog, go to the pub and be able to pull it on when the wind picks up on the mountain, or is a bit of a cold start, this is ideal. It claims DWR, but don't they all. I wouldn't wear it in anything more than a light shower but I don't think it is designed for anything more.
To call it a jacket is a bit misleading, it's more of a zipped mid-layer. I like my top layers to be fairly close fitting, so went for a medium - I'm 1.83m and 86kg. It fits well but would not be capable of having anything more than a T-Shirt or thermal layer underneath, but isn't that the definition of a mid-layer anyway?
I got chance to try it out on a walk in the Lake District in early May. The air temperature was just into double figures but there was a wind-chill that probably took 2-3 degrees off that. I had a base layer thermal T-shirt underneath as I headed up onto High Street. At no point was I cold, in fact, the opposite so was pleased that the jacket could be unzipped. During the walk I have to admit to overheating which meant that the jacket, if anything, was too warm, but taking it off, I would have been too cold so elected to put up with the dampness created by my own perspiration. On the main ridge, the wind began to make its presence felt and the jacket came into its' own, drying quickly and providing me with a good windproof barrier.
The garment has a fleecy lining which feels very comfortable, especially around the neck area. There is no hood which, in this case, is a good thing, mid-layers don't need hoods! That's the job of the beanie or the outer layer. It has two zipped pockets which also form inner pouch type pockets. With my jacket being close fitting, I wouldn't be able to put much in there but I'm fine with that. If carrying items in a mid-layer pocket is your thing, then a size up would probably work better. It packs down well and is lightweight so will work for either an active mid-layer, or a lightweight jacket to put on early evening to protect against a cool evening. Combined with suitable base and outer layers, it will find plenty of use.
I also got to use it on a recent trip to Turkey to climb Mount Ararat. It quickly became my go-to jacket for cooler evenings on the mountain and also saw service as the mid-layer on the summit day, keeping me warm throughout the day's climb. No regrets at all.
Rab make great gear - period.
I have an aging Rab Alpine Guide down jacket which is so warm it can't be worn in anything but the very coldest conditions with very little underneath - I have been known to wear just a T-Shirt and still been hot! That's also part of its problem, so I looked around for a lighter, more packable down jacket that I could stow in my rucsac for emergencies or just colder weather but would do the job of keeping me warm in very cold conditions.
I'd previously owned a Neutrino jacket but was disappointed with the way the down seemed to flatten but decided to give Rab another try.
This jacket is a 750 fill power, packs down really well and is very light so can be taken on days out or weekends away with very little weight or size penalty. Mine is a bright red so very visible and once out of the stuff sac (included) it soon puffs up and provides a very warm layer.
It is rare that I wear it whilst walking but occasionally I find myself in cold conditions walking with others who are slower than me so I can't generate enough heat at their pace. It does the job nicely and fits well so can be worn over a base and mid-layer easily. I am not a big hood fan so don't use it, but it can be pulled down easily even with gloves on to maximise warmth and reduce air gaps.
There are three pockets; one chest and two waist pockets, although the waist pockets are quite low so not easy to get to with a rucsac on. The chest pocket can take a hat and gloves easily if required.
As with most down jackets, it isn't waterproof but being made of Pertex, can cope with a light shower. It does suffer slightly with feather leaking but Rab claim that these are feathers that have been trapped in the stitching and have found their way out. I'm not totally convinced of that explanation as they occasionally seem to appear mid-baffle but they are few and far between so unlikely to adversely affect the jacket over its useful life.
It's a great jacket to pull on at the end of a day or whilst sitting around a camp site and makes a good emergency backup jacket.
As you may have read elsewhere in this Equipment Review page, I am a big fan of Stellar as an equipment provider and so couldn't resist purchasing one of their Down Jackets.
I am not a big fan of hoods on jackets, preferring to use a hat of my choice to avoid that semi-blind problem when turning, so it was a joy to see that Stellar offer jackets both with and without a hood.
The jacket itself has a 1000 fill power which, by any standards is good - my previous favourite, the Rab weighed in at 750. Remarkably, the jacket is much lighter than the Rab and packs down much smaller - in fact it packs into its own pocket so no need to have a stuff sac. In case you are wondering, the higher the fill power number, the more 'down' (goose feathers) you have for a given area. The official definition is the number of cubic inches that one ounce of the down would occupy.
So how does it perform? Short answer is amazingly well. Initially I thought it was far too thin to be any good - holding it up to the light it is almost transparent in places but once on, it performs. Out of the pocket, it lofts quickly (i.e. puffs out) so soon starts to function. The material is 'rip-stop' nylon and is supposed to be tough, but to be honest, I wouldn't want to deliberately put that to the test! I've been out in near freezing conditions with nothing but a T-Shirt underneath and been adequately warm. A long sleeve thermal base layer would do down to single digits below zero and coupled with a mid-layer or hard shell then I would expect it to perform with the best.
The zip is full length and when fully zipped up pulls the collar nicely around the neck, protecting the area between hat and shoulders nicely. There are three pockets - seems to be a Stellar trademark - two side pockets and a single chest pocket. Inside there are two further pockets which could be used to hold gloves perhaps? Neither have zips but are deep enough, but should be used with care.
Packing it away, the size is remarkably small, easily held in one hand and weighing in at just a few hundred grams - Stellar claim 286grams and I can believe that.
The UK price is a shade under £200 which represents good value. Slightly more than Rabs (almost) equivalent but not enough to discount it and in my opinion, this beats the Rab by some margin. It is targeted at skiers, walkers and mountaineers I would imagine. It's probably not rugged enough for a climber on its own and is not cut in a way that would allow for a lot of movement climbing, but it would work for a belayer. Actually, if anything, it might be too warm for use on the climb. You'd be grateful at the top though!
It is now my standard emergency jacket which I always put in my rucsac for that cold lunch stop, sudden drop in temperature or post-walk warmth. At that size and weight, why would you not?
If you are buying a down jacket, you could do worse, a lot worse.
Having owned a Mountain Equipment Vest, Bodywarmer or Gilet - I've never really understood why there are so many different names for the same item of clothing. My personal theory is that Americans and Europeans call them 'Vests', Moms call them 'Bodywarmers' and Horse Riders and Cyclists call them 'Gilets'. Outdoor Shops hop smartly on the fence and call them 'Vests and Gilets'. Walkers and Climbers interchange the description without care or concern. Anyway, I digress. For many years, I wanted to get something more up to date and more compact that I could carry in my rucsac as an emergency throw on item for those days when it goes seriously cold, or you stop for lunch and need something quick to wear to maintain body warmth.
I'm a big fan of Stellar Equipment anyway and rate their Down clothing amongst the best so it was natural that I would go to them for the replacement. It's not cheap by any means but you get what you pay for and given that it was going on my Christmas 2021 list was even less of a concern. I'd been a good boy all year and Santa duly delivered it on the day, so happy with that!
So, let's start with packability. Like the Down jackets, the Stellar vest packs into one of its' own pockets which is performed with ease and could be packed down to probably half that size if needed. Taking out, it lofts quickly, although it never gets very 'puffy'. I am 1.83m tall and normally wear 'Medium' size T-Shirts. For me the 'Large' size is ideal, with room to wear a couple of layers underneath, but also snug enough in just a T-Shirt.
In action, it is awesome, there is a generous but not too big gap under the arms so that it never feels restrictive, but also traps in the warmth. The full length zip, when closed is like shutting a door on the wind and the collar is high enough to prevents drafts down the back. Pockets are a good size and can easily accommodate gloves, hat and hands. The chest pocket will easily take a beanie. I did get caught in a rain shower on one of the first days wearing it, but it coped admirably with the water brushing off once I got home. Of course, being a vest it won't be a real waterproof, but for the odd shower or very light rain, it is fine.
From a technical point of view, it weighs 200 grams (Large), is made with 850 fill power Goose Down and ultralight ripstop nylon. The bottom has an adjustable elasticated hem, not that I have felt the need to use it. Stellar Equipment claim all sorts of PFC-free certifications which is always good news. PFCs in case you didn't know are Per-Fluorinated Chemicals which are essentially not very nice.
I've worn it walking the dog, working outside and going to the shops so far. I plan to take it as part of my (ever growing) set of 'standard' rucsac emergency gear and will report back on its performance in very cold weather.
I've had the opportunity to use it on a number of occasions and it works. Being a vest, it's primary purpose is to warm the trunk and it does that very well. Of course, the arms are still cold, but some mild movement can deal with that. I've used it on lunch stops as a quick warmer and also at the end of a days walking when I'm slowing and starting to feel the cold. It's not as warm as the Stellar Down Jacket, but that's no bad thing, I want to be warm, not hot so for Spring and Autumn wear it's perfect. For Winter wear I'd probably take the jacket as a preference
This jacket is awesome. Weighing in at around 1kg it's not heavy for the job it does. This is not your 'throw on' at the end of the day nor is it your 'pop down the pub' jacket, but is a serious mountaineering jacket for when it gets seriously cold.
It packs down well and lofts quickly. Unusually for me it has a hood but for the intended use, it would be foolish not to. The intended use is high mountains with serious weather. I'm writing this review at the Top Camp on Elbrus where the wind is blowing hard and the temperature is low down in single figures. My top half is toasty!
There are an unbelievable amount of pockets; two for hands, two zip pockets for stuff, two vertical zip chest pockets, each of which could take a map or big gloves. Inside there is a mesh pocket for a Nalgene or similar bottle and a zip pocket which I discovered takes my sit-map with room to spare.
Am I pleased with it? You bet. Would I recommend it? Well it gets 5* so that speaks for itself. If you're into High Altitude mountaineering or very cold stuff then this is the jacket for you.
What a name for a waterproof jacket! Having owned Helly Hansen thermals for many years, I was interested in their waterproofs, not least because they claim that this jacket uses Lifa Pro which is a permanent waterproof material that never needs to be retreated and can be washed as normal (no detergents).
It is far from being a cheap jacket, in fact is probably the most expensive I have ever purchased, but after being let down badly by my Paramo jacket I decided to push the boat out and get, what on the face of it, seems to be the best. I purchased the black colour, mostly because the orange looks horrendous and I have several blue jackets. Sadly the grey is for ladies only otherwise I would have probably gone for that, although it would be a task to keep it clean.
On a recent trip to Yorkshire to climb some mountains, I got to test it out, well, at least partially. We had not one drop of rain for an entire week! What we did have though, was serious cold and serious wind. I believe it served its purpose well. I wore a Helly Hansen thermal and this jacket, where my walking buddy had a base layer, mid-layer and a lined soft shell. It does a great job of blocking out the wind, and whilst not providing much in the way of thermal insulation, the wind-stopping ability contributed greatly to my warmth.
It packs down nicely and weighs around 500g which is acceptable in the scheme of things. It has three pockets, two are cavernous and by careful use of the double zipper, can be accessed whilst wearing a rucsac, and easily hold thin or thick gloves and a beanie. The third pocket can just about take a hat, but seems to be designed for car keys or maybe a goodie bar. The pocket zips are waterproof style zips, as are the pit zips, but oddly enough, the main jacket zip is a standard zip. This is where the problems start. None of the zips are actually waterproof! It gets worse though. The pockets are waterproof which means that they fill with water. I wasn't aware of this until the end of one walk in heavy rain. I opened the chest zip to take out my phone and car key, both had been sat in a pool of water for some considerable time. Luckily the key still worked, but the phone refused to charge for some hours until it dried out. Serious design flaw Helly Hansen! All zips, apart from the main zip and the chest zip are double zips. It seems odd that the main zip is not as it is often useful to be able to unzip the jacket from the bottom upwards, for example to put on waterproof trousers under, or for gentlemen to visit the conveniences.
Wearing it in very light rain proved successful with the material nicely beading water which then ran off. I have used it several times in drizzle and medium rain which is fine, but in heavy rain and snow, it performs extremely badly and within an hour my arms were wet and not long after, my entire body was wet. This is unacceptable for such a jacket.
One of the great selling features seems to be the hood. I have a number of criticisms. It is far too big! Even cinched down as far the adjusters would go, it was still too big and made my head cold when walking into wind as the wind blew inside and inflated the hood! There are a number of elasticated adjusters, including two at the front, but it took me some time to locate the internal toggles which prevent the elastic sliding back in. The rear elastic pulls down the back of the hood, but leaves two or three inches of elastic which then slaps against the hood when walking. It might sound like a minor point, but after three or four hours, it becomes a Chinese torture! There is a minor design flaw with the shape too; with the main zip fully up, the jacket deformed inwards slightly, pressing against my throat, making it quite uncomfortable. For these reasons I have deducted one star.
The cost and poor performance of this jacket meant it was returned to Helly Hansen for an explanation and refund. It just shows that throwing money at a problem doesn't always solve that problem. To be fair to them,they refunded me quickly and without fuss, although I did have to endure a number of pointless questionaires asking such questions as 'How did it happen?' Answer: I went for a walk in the rain and got wet!
I'm loath to even start a review of this jacket, having returned the Helly Hansen Odin Jacket recently as it completely failed to perform as a waterproof, but here we go! I'd originally planned to purchase the Latok jacket, but when I tried it on, it didn't feel as comfortable as I'd hoped so I tried this one, which, although was more expensive, fitted me much better and felt a better jacket.
I'm 1.83m and 86kg and like a reasonably close fitting jacket, so decided to go for the Medium size. I tried the large, but it felt baggy and the arms were quite long, both of which would be unhelpful in windy mountain conditions. It has the standard pit zips for heat regulation and four external pockets, two sold as 'hand warmers' and two as others. It is interesting to note that none of the pockets is big enough to hold a map! There are also two internal pockets, one zipped for small items such as keys or a phone and one stretchy one for perhaps gloves or a hat. Given that traditionally, external pockets, despite having what looks like a waterproof zip, rarely are, the internal pockets would be a better bet for keeping things dry.
It seems modern design of hoods is to allow for crash helmets, because obviously all mountain walkers wear helmets all the time, or do they? The cinching down works quite well, providing a reasonable seal around the face and with the zip fully up, the face would be well protected, maybe a little too well as it covers the mouth and nose, but time and a real test will establish that.
I've so far tested it in light rain and it works with the material beading nicely. Of course, some proper rain will be needed to fully establish its functionality and, as usual, updates will follow.
First update: I wore it for a couple of days in bad weather on Hadrians Wall and can now report that the waterproofing really works, in fact, so well that a quick shake after the rain had stopped and most of the water came right off. Having it fully zipped up does put the top of the zip section over the mouth which causes a lot of condensation from breathing, so some adjustment is needed to avoid that. It didn't feel too hot when worn in warm but wet conditions and the pit zips helped a lot, but being a heavy-weight jacket I couldn't wear it indefinitely in anything other than cold and/or wet conditions.
Second update: A trip to Northumberland for a weeks walking saw the jacket being worn more than I would have liked. I wore a thermal base layer or T-Shirt and Rab mid-layer under the jacket. A lot of the time I was in cloud or at least high humidity and also working hard, the combination tests any waterproof beyond its limits and I have to say my layers were damp, but mostly I think, due to perspiration and condensation rather than leakage. Looking at the jacket when wet, it was clear that the beading was working for the most part, especially on the arms, although there were patches that were clearly not. Overall I think it did its job and at no point did I feel I was getting wet from the rain, even on the final day when I travelled over to the Lake District for a final walk in dreadful conditions. It's a shame about the high collar around the face because that really does let it down and there seems to be no adjustment to cater for that.
It's difficult to categorise this jacket. It's waterproof but not as good as a hard shell, it's windproof but not as good as a dedicated windproof, it's not fantastically warm and needs at least one significant layer underneath to work in cold conditions, but I really like it!
I think the fact that it is all of those things and yet none of them is the appeal. I can wear it when it rains, so no need to make a quick stop to change tops when it rains - I just carry on regardless. When the wind blows I don't need to add an extra layer, maybe just pull up the hood. When I get warm, I don't need to stop to strip off, it can be worn in quite warm conditions, just pull the zip down and the breathability takes care of the rest, so with all of those things in mind, it is an ideal piece for British weather which, as we all know, can do all of those things within a very short space of time.
It packs down small enough to stow easily in the rucsac so can be carried without a significant weight penalty. When worn, it has two generous pockets which are accessible with a ruscac on. The hood is quite tight so wouldn't be useable with a crash helmet, but having said that, it would be an ideal jacket to pull on when belaying on a multi-pitch climb, then stowed quickly when climbing, or even left on - it is made from a material called 'proflex' which stretches quite nicely if climbing or scrambling. It features adjustable cuffs which can be altered to go over gloves, under gloves or just over the base layer as is your preference.
Maybe it's because I haven't worn it enough yet, but I find the zip a bit stiff and definitely requires two hands; one to hold the jacket at the bottom (it is a one-way zip) and one to zip up. I've used it in mild showers and it beads water nicely and that's what Rab claim - it is good for mild showers but no substitute when it gets grizzly. I did try it in a downpour and sure enough, it leaked!
As a jacket it is quite expensive, coming in at £170, but given its' versatility is, in my opinion, worth the money. Of course, most outdoor shops give discounts for various memberships so 10-15% could easily be discounted from the price bring it down to £150 ish. One significant addition would be waterproof pit zips which would give it a much wider temperature range.
Update: Having had the jacket just over a year now, I was very disappointed to have the zip break. One of the zip teeth fell out and when I came to zip up the jacket the entire zip mechanism broke. I would say 'luckily I had a spare jacket', but luck played no part, it was a conscious decision to carry a spare as the weather was somewhat inclement. I returned the jacket to Cotswold who replaced it immediately without question. Rab do have a 'Useable Lifetime' guarantee on their products which is a real bonus, but even so, just one years use is not very good.
Further update: Most of its waterproof properties have now gone after another year or so, despite a Nikwax Tech wash so it has been consigned to the 'garden jacket' collection.
My initial impression is a good one, the garment feels comfortable with a nice soft liner to it, there are plenty of useful pockets, including two inside mesh pockets, one big enough for a map and one for smaller items like keys. There are two hand-pockets and two chest pockets, again one zipped and big enough for a map and the other, strangely, a velcro closure which is probably not waterproof.
A nice touch is that the hood folds into its own collar which is a feature I always like but seldom find.
On first wearing, it feels heavier than waterproofs I have previously owned and indeed it is, but that is not a big deal. It is lined with Paramos' own waterproofing 'system' which makes it a little more bulky. It is to be seen how well that works. There is a penalty in terms of 'packability' in the rucsac, being difficult to pack down. Not the cheapest on the market at around £270 (December 2019) but not the dearest either. As I have said many times, I don't mind paying, so long as I get what I pay for!
Storm Ciara gave me the perfect opportunity to test out the jacket in a proper downpour and it didn't disappoint. As I have mentioned, it is slightly heavier than other waterproofs I have worn and that translates into being warmer. I started my walk wearing a thermal top and mid-layer, plus the jacket. It wasn't long before the mid-layer came off and I was still plenty warm enough. It rained hard enough to need the hood which fitted me quite closely around my face which was good. It is a very 'quiet' jacket; no rustle that you often get with jackets. The velcro cuffs allowed me to have the wrists tightly closed as well. Pockets are often a problem with waterproofs in that they are often not waterproof, but this jacket has two inside pockets which I kept my phone in one, and car keys in the other. At the end of the walk, there was some moisture on both, but I put that down to condensation inside the jacket as my thermal top didn't feel wet, more damp from sweat. Water beaded nicely off the jacket pretty much the whole day and when the rain stopped, the outer seemed to dry quickly. It now has five stars and again I'll re-review on a more mountainous outing - this one was on a day out in Derbyshire without any significant ascent, so not much heating up.
Another outing on a local peak put the jacket through its paces with sub-zero temperatures, strong wind and driving rain over a three hour period. No leaks, no dampness, nothing. I was well pleased with the performance.
Further Update: I've had plenty of opportunities to test this jacket in all weathers and whilst it is good, I got quite wet on a day out in North Wales. To be fair, there was 100% humidity as I was in cloud so it could be argued that any waterproof would struggle there. On another day I wore it during mixed weather and it performed well, although the 'beading' properties were gone, it seems to wet out quite quickly. Being bulkier than a standard Gore-tex helps with general insulation and overall I am still pleased with it.
On a recent visit to the Lake District where I had more or less continuous rain for 2 1/2 days I was massively unimpressed with the jacket, I got soaked through. The only saving grace was that it is quite a thick construction and so the bulk of it kept me warm, if not dry. Another star lost and it looks like this one will go the same way as others - onto the 'used to be good' pile.
Stellar Equipment is a Swedish company specialising in outdoor equipment. I own one of their mid-layers, a windproof and two 'Down' items; a jacket and a vest, all of which are excellent and reviewed elsewhere in these pages.
To complete the picture I decided to purchase a set of waterproofs and whilst they are much more expensive than UK brands, came with a 25 year guarantee. Now I normally get 3-5 years from a set of waterproofs which means these would last at least 5 times as long and given that they are not 5 times as expensive, sounded like I couldn't go wrong!
The waterproofs look great! Stellar sell colour systems, increasing the number of colours all the time. I went for the 'Blue-Black' system.
The trousers fitted nicely, despite the sizing chart on their website suggesting I was off the scale, I went for 'Large'. They have almost full length side zips which stop a couple of inches below the waist band which I prefer. They can be zipped from the top down or bottom up which allows for venting in warmer weather if it stops raining and it is not convenient to stop and remove them. Also there are press-studs to allow more venting options. They are fairly lightweight and can be packed small.
The jacket features two side pockets, two chest pockets, one of which has a small opening for an earphone cable, and a sleeve pocket, plus an internal chest pocket and side vents, designed to be easily accessed wearing a rucsac. There is also an avalanche transceiver built in. Everything is adjustable including the hood and the jacket also features an internal snow skirt. It is also the best looking jacket I have ever seen!
So, how do they perform? Short answer...very badly! My first outing was in Snowdonia with an evening walk from Ogwen Youth Hostel up to Idwal Slabs and back - total time about 1 1/2 hours, during which it rained constantly. Result - the waterproofs leaked badly and my clothes underneath were wet. I contacted Stellar who agreed to replace both items which they did within a couple of weeks, claiming I was just 'unlucky'. Second set arrived and a few weeks later I had a training walk along the River Severn - the forecast was for stormy weather which pleased me because I could test out the replacements. Sure enough, the heavens opened and I quickly put on the waterproofs under a large tree. Within about 10-15 minutes my legs felt damp and, because I was wearing a short sleeved thermal, my arms felt clammy. After a further 20-30 minutes, the rain stopped and so I took off the waterproofs and examined my clothes to see if I was imagining it. My trousers were soaked through and so was my top. I took some photos as evidence. The pockets had water inside them, despite having what looks like waterproof zips.
Contacting Stellar, I related my experience and told them I wanted a full refund under the guarantee. To be fair to them, they honoured that and also, because I told them they would have to refund the cost of return (£15), told me they didn't want the garments returned. I had returned the previous set for 'examination' but had never received any news on their findings.
In summary; the waterproofs look great, feel great, have a fantastic guarantee, but they just don't do what they are designed to do - keep me dry! It's not like I could use them as a windproof layer either, in fact they would be a very heavy windproof layer compared to those I have. I still have them and have washed them in a rejuvinating Nikwax wash-in to see if that helps, it didn't!
The garments are made of Dermizax which, according to most reports is the dogs doo-dahs of waterproof breathable materials, so why I have had this experience I have no idea - it is hard to believe that I have been 'unlucky' twice, well, four times actually, twice with jackets and twice with trousers. I am genuinely very disappointed because I really wanted them to work. It won't stop me buying from Stellar, but I won't buy their waterproofs again. I've gone for a Mountain Equipment set instead.
Waterproofs used to have one job back in the day - keep the water out! In the modern age, not only do they have to do that well, but they have to allow moisture (sweat) to escape, be lightweight, packable i.e. occupy as little space in your rucsac as possible and be quiet when worn.
This review covers both the jacket (Janak Jacket) and trousers (Odyssey Pants) and the first question that needs asking is do they do all of the above? Well, the quick and simple answer is; yes they do and no they don't!
Starting with the trousers. They have no pockets which is fine - pockets in waterproofs are seldom waterproof anyway! They feature full length zips which means they can be completely unzipped and put on without lifting a foot off the ground. This is a great idea apart from one slight problem - once unzipped they take on the characteristics of a kite! Personally I prefer to unzip them most of the way up, then put my foot through, but it's a personal choice. Once on, they are comfortable, lightweight and of course waterproof. All waterproofs rustle a bit when walking, but these are reasonably quiet in use which is nice. I'm not sure how hard wearing they will be, I've only worn them a few times and already noticed some wear on one of the knees - time will tell.
As an update, I've now owned them for 18 months and treated them well, washing occasionally in cool water with the recommended add-in and recently re-proofing them, but now they leak quite badly and will be returned to whence they came. As with other gear reviewed on these pages I purchased them from Cotswold Outdoor taking advantage of their two-year guarantee. I doubt I'll have a direct replacement so another pair of waterproof trousers will be reviewed in due course.
The jacket is a well-engineered piece with two large chest pockets, both of which can be accessed whilst wearing a rucsac and pit zips which are just great for when the rain stops and the sun comes out and I don't want to stop to remove the jacket. The hood, once adjusted, fits nicely without being intrusive and moves with my head so I don't have that 'blind in one eye' problem when turning from side to side. It can be expanded to be worn over a crash helmet if required but can be slightly fiddly to get right - well worth spending a few minutes in the house setting it up before an activity. It doesn't fold up to make a collar which is a shame as I have found that to be a great feature of some waterproofs. Sleeves feature velcro tabs to adjust the diameter at the wrist to cater for 'glove over' or 'glove under' fans. I'm a 'glove under' man myself. In use, similar to the trousers in that they don't rustle too much and can be easily ventilated using the main zip and pit zips as required.
Both pieces pack down well into small stuff-sacs, which are not provided surprisingly, but I have spares and there is an argument that they are pointless anyway. After all, if it starts to rain, you want to get your waterproofs on as quickly as possible and not have to faff around dragging them from a stuff sac first, then worrying about the stuff sac blowing away in the wind and are you seriously going to neatly fold them back in again if you remove them - I doubt it!
Overall, mixed feelings. The jacket is great, the trousers not so much and at £180 I expected more from Mountain Equipment. Shame really, up until now seemed excellent value for money, they worked well, are quiet and very comfortable.
I'd wanted a replacement for my Rab Waterproof (Showerproof) jacket for some time as it was failing me frequently in anything more than a very light shower. On a trip to the Lake District I popped into the Alpkit shop in Ambleside for a 'look' and spotted the Gravitas. Hardly able to believe the weight and waterproof claims, I tried one on. For me, being 1.83m and 86kg the Large was a good fit, not baggy but roomy enough to add a thermal top or other long sleeved layer.
The jacket itself is almost transparent and weighs less than 200g. It also packs down well into a supplied stuff sac and is the sort of thing you could easily carry in your man bag or jacket pocket as a just in case item. I've worn it in medium conditions and it performs very well, beading nicely and keeping me dry. Being very thin, it has almost no thermal properties so does require layers to be worn underneath. One criticism I have read elsewhere is that, being thin, wears quite quickly when carrying a rucsac. I haven't had it long enough to confirm or deny that but as will all reviews on this page, I will update as appropriate.
Of course, anything that works first time is given at least three stars, anything that claims to be waterproof will get four or five stars, so it is with these trousers.
I've never been convinced about waterproof trousers, for the simple reason that the decision to wear or not has to be made right from the get-go, and as we all know from experience, rain can hide around corners or behind hills until you are well out of sight of shelter and your car, then strike. With ordinary over-trousers, these can be stowed in the rucsac until needed, or ideally five minutes before they are needed, then quickly donned in preparation. Trousers that are waterproof have to be worn right from the start and may not be needed all day, or worse, the sun beats down and the 'shorts' choice would have been the right one.
Throwing caution to the wind and determined to give them a try, I invested in a pair which saw their first duty on a walking day as part of a motorbiking tour of Scotland. 'It might rain a wee bit' I was told by my host, who was prone to huge understatement, and when a Scotsman tells you it 'might rain', he does not have the power of foresight, but knows that in Scotland, 'it might rain' every day! 'A wee bit' can be interpreted as thunderstorms. I decided to wear the Rohans right out of the door and began to regret the decision as I headed into the hills with the sun shining and the sky clear. Climbing up generates body heat and wearing heavier trousers causes that heat to be retained, causing sweat and therefore moisture. With no ventilation zips, my legs did feel slightly clammy at times, although the material is soft and absorbent, so nowhere near as bad as wearing normal overtrousers on their own. Luckily, or otherwise, as I approached the furthest point away, the clouds saw their chance, had a chat, got together, turned black and the rain started. It was a mixed blessing, on the one hand, it was raining, on the other hand, the Rohans would get a good test.
The waterproof layer is built right into the trousers, which makes them heavier than normal Summer/Autumn trousers. The trousers have the waterproof membrane as an inner layer and a DWR (Durable Water Repellency) as an outer which works quite well, or at least until the DWR breaks down and the trousers saturate which is fairly quick in heavy rain. This is fine, but they do become noticeably heavier when wet.
The rain lasted a couple of hours and the trousers, unlike my jacket, repelled the water well. At no time did my legs feel wet from rain and due to the cooler air, also didn't feel clammy. Walking through wet grass, heather and other damp undergrowth was an additional test and the trousers stood up well, even though the 'beading' had long since stopped and the trousers had taken on a wet sheen.
Back at the lodge, I hung them in the drying room and by morning, were totally dry. I haven't tested them in an 'ordinary' room to see how quickly they dry, but will report back.
Sizing wise, I went for a 36 Long. Rohan seem to be quite random with their sizing, I have a pair of 34 Long walking trousers that are perfect, and a pair of 36 Long that are far too tight around the waist - go figure! Packing occupies no more room than ordinary trousers and less room than trousers plus overtrousers and whilst they are slightly heavier, not prohibitively so. If you were carrying an extra pair of trousers, these would be perfect as they are versatile and no heavier than ordinary trousers plus overtrousers.
They have an elasticated waist but I felt the need to add a belt as I like my trousers snug (but not tight). Pockets are plentiful with two side pockets, two thigh pockets with a press-stud closure and two back zipped pockets. Normally I don't stow items in waterproof trousers, but because these are for all-day wear, the pockets are useful. The thigh pockets will swallow an OS map whole and button over, but as Rohan say, the pockets are not waterproof, which is not unusual for any external pocket on any waterproofs as they are generally outside the waterproof membrane. At the bottom there is a velcro tab that can be used to tighten the leg ends if required, but there is so little velcro material that from the tightest setting to the loosest is barely noticeable. As I said, there are no zips, but then you'd put them on before boots and take them off after removing boots, so there is no need really.
When not walking in the rain, they are smart enough to be worn down the pub or anywhere really and it is definitely not obvious they are anything other than ordinary trousers.
Additional information: I have worn them a few times whilst walking the dog in the rain and they have performed faultlessly. I have also worn them on a couple of days walking in the Lake District, one of the days was dry but cold, the other cold with frequent showers. In both cases, they performed well and had the definite bonus that I didn't need to stop to put on or take off overtrousers, just carried on. Occasionally when the wind dropped, my legs warmed quickly so I doubt they will be the trouser of choice in summer time but all gear is season dependent and these are no different.
Recently I had a trip to Snowdonia, the weather was pretty awful with rain every day to a greater or lesser extent. I wore the trousers every day so can now report on their suitability for very bad weather. Day 1 I was walking in cloud, so 100% humidity. The trousers definitely soaked through and my legs felt quite cold. Day 2 was a day of showers and, whilst the trousers performed better than non-waterproof trousers, my legs felt damp at times. Day 3 was the start of Storm Arwen which picked up to epic proportions on Moel Eilio requiring me to wear everything I had. The trousers soaked through, but then so did everything else! I had high winds and near horizontal hail to deal with. What can I conclude from this? Well, I would say the trousers are definitely better than my other winter trousers and probably better than overtrousers. Are they 100% waterproof? Definitely not. On the upside, they do dry quickly, even walking when the rain stopped they began to dry out, but not completely, that took the power of the YHA drying room.
Drying in an ordinary room takes a while, but they are dry overnight. Further tests and longevity (the curse of waterproofs) is to be seen. Well, I think I've now tested them fully, they have been washed and cool ironed several times, treated according to the manufacturers recommendations and have emerged reasonably well. I would say for light to medium rain they are fine, for heavy rain and thunderstorms, not so good. They have pretty good thermal insulation so even soaked they are better than ordinary trousers with overtrousers. I don't think they are the answer to walkers prayers, but they are pretty good.
Update: Having worn them in other rainy conditions they are now no longer waterproof so I returned them with a letter of complaint to Rohan. I was contacted shortly afterwards to confirm that they have failed. I was offered a reproofing and retest service to see whether they can be recovered. This is ongoing. Talking to the Rohan Customer Representative I was assured that all of the above weather scenarios should not cause the trousers to leak!
Further Update: The trousers were reproofed and returned. I wore them for a few days in the Lake District in pretty awful conditions and guess what, they leaked! Even with my Rohan overtrousers my legs were soaked through. I'll be returning them for a refund or something as they have now let me down for the final time!
I like Rab gear, it has always been synonymous with quality but these waterproofs have let me down badly.
Their first outing was on the slopes of Elbrus where we got caught in a storm. More concerned with getting off safely I didn't consider a review important.
Their second outing was on the Ridgeway long distance path. Heavy rain tested them and I have to say, they failed badly. Within 30-45 minutes I could feel my trousers getting damp, after an hour very wet. During the same day they were on and off a number of times as there were a good few showers. Each time was the same, legs getting damper and no beading of water which is always a bad sign.
On the upside the full length zip works well and they are easy to get off and on, are lightweight and don't make a lot of noise when walking. Trouble is, they aren't waterproof!
Update: Rab agreed that the waterproofs were faulty and gave me a full refund (via the shop I purchased them from) so that is good news. I'm still very disappointed in the (lack of) quality of the item and will seriously think about whether I want to purchase waterproof gear from Rab in the future.
These are the latest attempt at getting a pair of waterproof overtrousers.
I tried on a couple of pairs, the Medium fitted but were a little too tight so I went for the Large, which were much bigger around the waist than I needed but gave me plenty of room to move and the elasticated pull toggle allowed me to adjust them to fit. That in itself is a novel design, allowing one-handed operation although I can't think of when that would be needed but hey ho.
The leg zip comes just above the knee, which is unusual for me as I've always had full length zips in the past, but it works well and allows me to pull them on over my walking boots (which should be a given for waterproof trousers!). I'm not sure how they would fare over mountaineering boots, badly I suspect, but normally waterproof overtrousers are either on or off in a mountaineering (axe/crampon mountaineering) so it may not be important. A minor criticism is that the bottom of the trouser leg is closed with a velcro tag which of course attaches itself when you least want it to. A press stud closure would be much better. The zip itself is most definitely not waterproof, but there is what is known as a Storm Flap closed with the velcro. I would have thought it would have been better to make the zip waterproof but at this price point (£90 in 2019) it's probably a money saving exercise. What is important though, is whether they are actually waterproof or not. The first time out was for about 3-4 hours in rain and they seemed to be working, i.e. the water beaded quite nicely, except in one area near the top and my trousers did feel a little damp. In defence, they were already damp due to battling through undergrowth. The second wearing was during Storm Ciara along with my new Paramo jacket and they kept my trousers dry enough, with the same upper leg issue so we'll see how they perform long-term. They have to lose one star because of that.
The material is very thin and I doubt it will take much punishment but time will tell. One neat design point is an internal pocket. Now, I know what you're thinking - what's the use of an internal pocket in waterproof trousers? Well, the only use I can think of is for car keys which might go in at the start and not be needed until the end, so who cares if they are not easily accessible? The other benefit of this pocket is that the trousers stash into the pocket so no extra stuff sac is required.
Here we go again! Another season,another pair of waterproof trousers. These are eye-wateringly expensive being well over £250 in 2023. Time, of course, will tell as to how much of a good investment that was.
The trousers are a snug fit and I have to sit down to put them on, otherwise I risk either standing on the bottoms or fall over hopping around trying to get the second leg in. The side zip has to be fully opened to give enough room for boots. They feature a velcro closure at the bottom and like any self-respecting velcro, will attach itself at the worst possible time, i.e. when you want the bottom open to go over the boots! Once on, they feel comfortable and can be worn against the skin - I know this because the first time I wore them was because the weather changed from shorts wearing weather to full on downpour within a couple of minutes. In action they perform well, being articulated means that they are ideal for walking up or down mountains and don't ride up at all. They have an inside leg protector which is a nice touch and double zips so it is possible to add ventilation when the rain pauses.
They have a good waist closure and a belt which is a nice touch. There are also side pockets but I haven't tried them yet, although I doubt I'll be putting anything in the pockets - waterproof clothing always comes with a warning that the pockets are not waterproof and these are no exception. A couple of downsides; they are very noisy in use, far more so than my previous waterproofs and they do not seem to pack down well to go into the rucsac. I found the best way was to roll them rather than fold them.
I've had the chance to test them in showers and driving rain with mixed results. They are most certainly not totally waterproof! I wore light coloured shorts underneath and after a couple of heavy downpours could feel the dampness of my shorts. When the rain stopped, I checked and sure enough there was a distinct colour difference between the shorts leg and the waist (which was protected by my jacket). Initially they bead the rainwater nicely, but after a few minutes there is definitely some smearing which indicates that water soaking rather than beading. After an hour, undergarments are definitely showing signs of dampness, although it seems to be not so much a leak, but a slow transport of water.
Am I happy with them? For the price, they don't perform as well as I'd hoped. Having said that, four hours in Lake District rain would test anything and I didn't feel like water was running through them, but driving home my shorts were definitely more than damp and took some time sat in a heated seat to dry out properly.
I wanted to replace a couple of old pullover jumpers and Rab have always been one of my main go-to suppliers so I decided to check out their range of tops.
This particular top features a single half-length zip to ease donning and removal which when zipped fully up pulls a short collar around the neck. The wrists and waist are slightly elasticated but would probably be described as 'loose'. The fit is nice and comfortable and the warmth is immediately noticeable.
There is a handy chest zippered pocket which could take a mobile or car key, or maybe a beanie but not much else.
I would say this particular top would be best suited for around the campsite or at the Youth Hostel/Hotel at the end of the day rather than being worn as a walking layer. It is not particularly compressible so would take up a lot of room in a rucsac which could be better used for an extra mid-layer. I like to leave it in the car on a day out in the mountains, then when I get back, pull it on straight away to avoid that post-walk chill.
Not the cheapest pullover on the market, but not the most expensive either and after I bought it, my better half had to wrestle it off me to go in the wash I liked it that much, so for me, excellent value for money.
I'd already purchased a Rab Pull-on which I love and wanted to buy a second one. As chance would have it I spied a similar offering from Fjallraven and being a fan of their clothing tried one on.
It instantly felt comfortable with the same loose fit around the cuffs and waist as the Rab, and a nice fit around the chest area.
The neck uses press studs rather than a zip which works well and pulls up a high collar - useful in windy or cold conditions. On the elbows there are wear panels which is a nice touch and the whole piece feels nice and warm. Unlike the Rab, there are no pockets but that is no bad thing as I find pockets in pull-ons are generally small or pull the top out of shape.
It is a little more expensive than the Rab which itself is not cheap, but it is claimed to be made from recycled materials so appealed to the conservationist in me, and I liked the colour
So far I haven't been disappointed, using it for evening wear and as a post-activity warm layer. In the same way as the Rab, it isn't designed to be back-packed as it does not compress much, but to be left at the destination ready and waiting to be called into service as a quick throw on.
Which is best? Tough choice and not one I could easily make. I love both the Rab and this one and wear them equally. I guess if it came down to it, the Rab is £20 cheaper for the same thing but then I bought the Fjallraven as well so it must have something...
Alpkit make some great gear and you can read my reviews of those items I've purchased elsewhere on these review pages but this was the first item of clothing that I purchased so was hopeful that it would be as successful as the stove, sleeping bag and cookwear.
My requirement was quite simple; a reasonably warm pullover or zipped top that I could throw on during cool, but not cold evenings. Packability was not a major issue as I planned to use it either at home or at my base, but not carry it on an outing. Whether it had a hood or not was irrelevant and whether it had a zip or not was also irrelevant.
The Griffon was discounted which further persuaded me - Alpkit prices take some beating on a good day anyway, so discounted, could be excellent! The reviews I'd read convinced me so the order was in.
A few days later it arrived, well packed and a friendly 'thanks for the purchase' note - a great touch. Clothes can be tricky to purchase on line but I'd gone with the Large size. I'm 1.83m tall, 86kgs and average build. The fit was good, not baggy, which is what I wanted so that was a good start. In use, it is exactly what I wanted, not bulky, warm enough and stylish. It is a zipped top with hood which is also quite close fitting - no bad thing. There is just one breast pocket which is fine. I find pockets on such garments just pull them out of shape anyway. Also there are thumb loops which are great for holding it in position when adding a jacket, or simply to keep hands a bit warmer.
As a bonus, it packs down well and is quite light so could be carried as an extra layer on a day out or early evening at a campsite, although I suspect it would rapidly be supplemented by another layer as the evening cools, but that was never the intention anyway.
Value for money is excellent, and like the top it replaced, will most likely be worn to destruction.
As trousers go, they are expensive, but then Fjallraven gear in general is pricey, but the question is; is it worth the money?
Short answer is 'definitely'. The G1000 are my go-to trousers for just about any trip, apart from maybe very hot days. I can't find any real faults with them and have owned them for more than four years now so they have seen service in all weathers, from miserable days in North Wales to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Starting at the top, they have double waist buttons for safety, double buttons on the thigh pockets - one of which which has a zipped pocket and one that has an inner 'mobile phone' slot and a second inner pocket that could contain a multi-tool or knife. Both pockets can hold a map, although it is a bit of a squeeze in the zipped pocket. For me, the map pocket is a must have, I hate carrying a map when I don't need it, but having it quickly accessible is perfect for those days when you need an occasional referral. There are no back pockets, but then they are not convenient anyway, especially if carrying a rucsac. Also, they don't come with a belt, so, if like me, you want your trousers tight around your waist then a £20 investment in a Fjallraven belt is a good one.
The outer leg has venting zips from the hip down to the knee and a second venting zip just below the knee for ultimate ventilation. The bottom of the trousers have press-studs for adjustment so whether you want your trousers 'drainpipe', or with some give is your choice. There is a handy hook at the bottom that can be used to attach to boot laces to stop them riding up, although I seldom use it as I find them long enough and they have never ridden up. There are two materials used; a tough poyester/cotton and a second stretch fabric which allows good movement through a wide range so great for walking and scrambling.
They are not waterproof, but are certainly water-resistant and can be worn in light showers without concern, being quick to dry and warm enough for it not to be much of a problem if they do get wet. Fjallraven claim that you can wax them to increase the waterproofing ability but would seriously doubt that would work on the stretch fabric which runs around the waist, inside leg and down to the groin area. I guess they rely on a waterproof jacket covering that section.
So, overall, an excellent purchase with very little to criticise. I would have put the mobile pocket on the zipped side for both safety and to avoid snagging the map when stowing that. The bottom of the trousers could maybe be a bit thinner as they do tend to catch on my opposite boot, even when the tightest press-stud is used. but these are very minor points in an otherwise top product.
I'm a fan of Rohan clothing and have been for a long time. It's not the cheapest by any means, but you get what you pay for and Rohan produce high quality, feature packed clothing for travellers. These trousers easily fall into that category, being nice and lightweight, they dry quickly and give that flexibility of being shorts and longs at the same time. Colour coded zips make reassembly easy, others I have had are pretty much guesswork (although to be fair, you can only get it wrong once!). All the pockets have zips which I like; there is one rear, two angled hand pockets, one horizontal zip pocket suitable for a map and one vertical zip pocket big enough for tissues, passport, wallet etc. No excuse for losing stuff out of your pockets!
Overall, they fit well but are a close fit so don't expect to be able to load the pockets with bulky items. An integral (removeable) belt with a press-stud to hold it in position is a nice touch and is very easily adjustable.
Two weeks of daily wear in the Caucasus mountains put them through their paces and I have to say they aquitted themselves admirably, being comfortable enough to wear all day, easily washed and quickly dried in the sun in around an hour, but probably could have been worn much quicker if needed.
A little on the expensive side at around £100, but discounts of 10% are available from Rohan with various membership cards, means they lose one star and also at that price point, a zip on the lower leg to enable removal/refit over boots would have been nice.
Rohan make really good quality gear, that's a fact. Their shorts are comfortable to wear, quick drying and packed with what is often referred to as 'features' which you and I know actually means pockets and stuff.
One mildly peculiar thing is the sizing. The Trailblazer trousers that I own are a 34 Regular as are the latest pair of zip-off trousers I recently purchased (review to follow), but the shorts are a size 36. All three fit equally well.
You could never complain about not enough pockets, there are six pockets in total, four of which are zipped with good man sized zips, which is great for security and reliability. In addition, there is a keyring loop just above the left pocket and a handy press-stud on the front pockets to allow extra room for bulky items, although I can't imagine what I would put in the pocket of shorts that needed that, but it's there.
In wet conditions, they dry quickly, and feel very comfortable on, although, despite the fact that they are called 'bags' are tighter fitting than all of my other shorts and also an inch or two shorter than other shorts I own. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I have heard comments like 'wow, those are short', so if you like your shorts to be just above the knee, these are not for you, but if you like the fact that they are short, have loads of pockets and are comfortable to wear, buy some, you won't regret it
Would I recommend them? Definitely. They lose one star because of the 'shortness' and possibly the cost, but if you want quality, you have to pay for it.
Expeditions certainly make you evaluate your equipment. With a big trip to Africa to climb Kilimanjaro planned I took a long hard look at my gear and came to the conclusion that, for the warmer sections, I didn't really have any suitable trousers. Higher up, no problem, I had my Fjallravens. I could have gone with shorts, but was concerned about too much exposed flesh and the worry of mosquitos lower down - they are only an issue up to 1,800m. I had a pair of zip-off trousers but they were showing their age so I decided to look around for something that would work and found myself in the local Rohan shop. I've purchased Rohan before - many years ago I bought a pair of lined trousers which I still have and still work, although it has to be very cold.
I explained my requirements and was shown a pair of Trailblazer trousers which I tried on. The 'long' fit was best, 'regular' were too short. I stand at 6' tall. They felt comfortable immediately, the material is a soft fabric and felt light and slightly stretchy which is useful when negotiating rocky or ground requiring a little scrambling. Checking around I discovered more pockets than I expected with two cargo pockets - ideal for a map, side pockets with a hidden zip pocket - ideal for valuables and two back pockets for, well, probably nothing, but there all the same. The included belt felt sturdy. There is even a key loop inside one of the pockets. I was reliably informed that the material was a 'Factor 40'. I have always been amused by that - it kind of implies that you can get sunburned through clothing, which, as the Sky professional cycling team found out to their cost, is quite true, but through walking trousers? Never happened to me in half a century of walking.
An additional bonus was that they were treated with insect repellent which interested me as that was one of the reasons for the purchase. The treatment is 'for life' so no need to re-proof.
Rohan gear is never cheap, but neither is quality. So, how did they perform? Well, I had a few pre-expedition training sessions planned in the UK so tested out their drying ability which I have to report was very good. I deliberately didn't wear waterproofs during a downpour to see what would happen and whilst they dramatically lost any thermal properties, and have no water repellent properties, they didn't feel heavy or saggy and after the rain stopped, dried out quickly. Similarly walking through wet grass, they saturated quickly, but also dried quickly.
During the actual expedition, we had no rain whilst walking and they felt light to wear and quite airy so my legs didn't feel stifled. On the trail, there was a lot of dust so during a return to base camp, I washed them and was pleased that they were totally dry by the following morning. During the higher altitude sections, they were replaced by the Fjallravens and packed into the kit bag, occupying very little space.
In the UK they will probably be worn from about April to October which is a good range for any trousers. I can't find fault with them so if you are looking for a lightweight summer trouser, you could do a lot worse.
As you can probably guess from the number of reviews I am (mostly) a big fan of Stellar Equipment.
Wanting an alternative to my Fjallraven trousers I purchased these. There's nothing wrong with the Fjallravens of course but a variety can't hurt.
Three days in the Lake District should be a good test I thought. As luck had it, the weather was superb with not a drop of rain so I can't yet comment on their water repellent properties although splashing in puddles didn't upset them at all with water beading off nicely.
The material is a stretchy material that immediately feels comfortable. Unlike the Fjallravens the entire garment is made of the same material. They don't come with a belt but have Velcro adjusters although I prefer a belt so added one of my own for this trip. Maybe a future trip I'll not use one to see how they perform with just the adjusters.
The legs are quite 'drainpipey' which helps to avoid catching a boot in the opposite leg - something I am very bad at. They feature a toughened piece on the inside to reduce wear for ungainly people like me. There is a zip and press-stud at the bottom so could be worn as flares if wanted although personally I can't think of a single reason for doing that. Being able to unzip of course makes them easy to roll up when removing boots.
Walking in them felt comfortable and on occasion I was scrambling but felt no restriction or pull. Warmer weather is catered for with thigh zips which allow air to circulate and works well.
There are several pockets; one rear which is of no use when wearing a rucsac, two side pockets and two thigh pockets, all of which are zipped. The thigh pockets will take a map but for me they are too high or too far round at the front and I find the map jabs me in the nethers on all but downhill which is a big drawback as I hate carrying a map. For comparison the Fjallravens are fine in this respect.
Maybe it was the terrain or maybe it was the slim fit below the knee but after three days there was almost no mud or marks on them. It will be interesting to see how they perform in different environments.
They seemed both warm and cool; at one point I had four upper layers on but my legs felt fine and another occasion wearing just a T-Shirt but my legs didn't feel hot. No idea how that works but it seemed to so I was happy.
At £149 they are not cheap but nor are they stupidly expensive. Not that I ever wear outdoor gear as a fashion statement but they really do look good on with the rear pocket in red and a big 'S' at the back. You probably wouldn't wear them on a night out but in the bar of the Slug and Lettuce after a day's walking you'd look pretty cool I reckon.
I'll update this report after I have worn them in the rain and also in muddy conditions, but right now I am very happy with them.
Update: Having worn these trousers in a variety of conditions I can report that they are great for cold conditions, very easy to regulate when warmer with the thigh zips, but are definitely not waterproof nor even water 'repellant', despite the claims that they are 'weather resistant' and treated with DWR (Durable Water Repellent). A brief shower is enough to soak them through and they hold the water longer than other trousers I own (Rohan and Fjallraven). Also the material they are constructed of is not particularly hard wearing. Great if you are out on the Fells but very prone to snagging if climbing stiles or brush close to sharp bushes. On the upside, they are slightly more comfortable than the Fjallravens I own having more 'stretch' and feel lighter. If I had to choose it would be very difficult but currently these just have the edge.
Fjallraven clothing is not cheap so I was a little wary of spending just shy of £200 on a pair of trousers but I need not have worried. The attention to detail is superb and they have just the right amount of everything.
Starting with the pockets, two hand pockets, a generous size, suitable for tissues, keys or other small items. Two cargo pockets that will comfortably hold a phone, wallet, hat or gloves. A small internal pocket on the right hand side would hold a small knife or similar, although I always carry my knife in the rucsac.
There are good, but not too long ventilation zippers on each side if it gets too warm, althugh the material is sturdy, it doesn't feel too thick. Havin said that, these are not winter trousers and would probably be too cold. At the bottom there is inner leg reinforcement and a press-stud that opens to flare the trousers slightly. The leg would still be far too narrow to go over boots but may get over trainers, though why you would want to do this, I don't know!
In use, they are excellent, look good, feel good and dry quickly if wet. As far as I am concerned, it is money well spent.
With my old Rohan zip-offs finally worn out, I looked around for a replacement pair and came across Craghoppers. I was well aware of the brand but had never owned any items so decided to take the plunge. Ther official title of these trousers is: NosiLife Convertible Cargo Trousers III but that seems a bit over the top, so zip-offs they are.
So, how are they? Well, very good is the judgement. They fit comfortably, feel roomy so I lift my leg up over rocks or steep ground, dry very quickly after a light shower where I don't bother to dig out waterproofs and have plenty of pockets and features.
There are two back pockets which I never use, never have and never will on any trousers. In my opinion, they should be banned. You can't reach them with a rucsac on, anything inside will get sat on at the first opportunity and what is it that needs to be carried in trousers but inaccessible? At the front left, there is a waist pocket, quite deep for a cold hand or maybe tissues, a cargo pocket with, what seems to be an 'axe' loop. I cannot believe it really is, but what else it is for I know not. On the rights hand side, another hand pocket and cargo pocket, this time with an elasticated inner pocket that is too narrow for a modern phone, perhaps ideal for a pack of tissues? On the outside of the pocket is a zipped pocket although the zip closes upwards so a possible issue if the zip opens? Not happened to me but then I don't keep anything in it. Next to the waist pocket is another zipped pocket that runs quite deep and large enough to contain a wallet or certainly money and cards. On the zipper itself is a security clip, making it extremely safe - it's hard to open when you want, so the chances of it being opened by a pickpocket is probably non-existent.
The zip offs are easy and quick and feature a colour code to easily identify which side is which. The bottom of the trouser features a long zip which 'might' allow them to be removed over boots or trainers, depends on how bulky your boots are really. For me, they won't fit over boots but will do over trainers, although I often slip them off, otherwise the trousers just get dirty when being removed.
They are most definitely a summer weight trouser but might work late Spring/early Autumn. Travelling in them is very comfortable. I driven in them and taken flights and never feel I am uncomfortable. The beauty of them is that if you are travelling somewhere warm, they can be zipped off mid-way ready for the warmth, then zipped on again on the return journey.
Some years ago, I owned a waterproof rucsac but over time it developed a few holes, mostly due to misuse and not taking enough care over where I placed it on the ground. I concluded that, given my habits, a waterproof rucsac was not for me so resorted to packing everything into waterproof stuff sacs. Fast forward some years and a particularly poor year weatherwise, the idea of a fully waterproof sac became something to reconsider so I started to look around. Ortleib are synonymous with waterproof equipment so when I came across their rucsac offering, I was immediately interested and placed an order.
The sac has plenty of adjustments for body length, having a strap on either side to allow the main shoulder straps to position the sac either high, or low as personal preference dictated. The straps themselves run up and down on wire runners. There are compression straps top and bottom which can be used to reduce the volume as required depending on how much is carried. They work well, although the end of the strap is sewn in a loop so full compression leave the straps sticking out. There is an adjustable chest strap which can be moved up and down for comfort and the waist belt is very well padded with generous pockets on either side, handy for small stuff such as sweets, or maybe a beanie or thin gloves. The top of the sac can also be adjusted via the pull strap which neatly hangs down the back. Either side of the sac are elasticated pockets to hold a water bottle or similar. Finally on the outside there is a water bladder pipe access point which can be removed to allow the pipe to be fed through.
The main opening of the sac is a full length waterproof zip at the back so there is no 'lid' as such. The zip has a good chunky pull toggle which seems sturdy and built to last. It is a waterproof zip similar to those used on scuba diving dry suits, although being made of plastic rather than metal. Inside, it is one big compartment with a further compression strap and on each side of the zip, double lightweight compartments to contain light clothing, gloves, wallet etc.
So, what is it like in use? Well, the first thing to notice is that it is quite heavy, weighing in at 1.5kg which is probably heavier than some and lighter than others. I guess I am used to my lightweight Lowe Alpine sac, although that is 35 litres. The cavernous opening is both good and bad. Opening it in heavy rain clearly requires some skill to avoid water getting inside, but with the large single compartment, locating an item should be a quick process rather than having to fish about moving the carefully 'I need this first so it goes in last' kit to get to the 'I need this last so it goes in first' kit.
My first outing with it was on a twenty mile walk and I had mixed feelings when the rain came. On the one hand, it was raining so poo to that, on the other hand, it would test the 100% waterproof claim. It passed with flying colours. I had deliberately not put anything in waterproof stuff sacs to see how it performed, and everything was dry. Good start! Overall I was pleased with it, comfortable, easy access, the fabric feels bombproof, so dropping it on the ground didn't worry me, it fact, dropping it on wet ground certainly didn't worry me. Everything I wanted, I could access quickly and with the position adjustments, I could easily reach around to grab my water bottle, take a drink and return it without need to remove the sac. My second outing was equally successful, a big day out in North Wales, no rain but a tough day and the sac felt comfortable all day. Third day, a hot day in Wales (yes really). The sac felt slightly odd, seeming to lean to one side. Removing it, I discovered that one of the shoulder strap tensioners had ripped out! On closer inspection, I discovered that they are held in by a single line of stitching and that had broken under tension. This was disapointing to say the least and in fact it ranked #1 on my 'quickest failure of a piece of kit' list.
The rucsac has a five year warranty and to be fair to the supplier (Wildbounds), they replaced it very quickly for me. I had intended the sac to accompany me on an expedition to Turkey, but now I had lost confidence in the sac so it stayed at home. I will be testing it again on local walks before regaining my confidence for trips further afield. Time will tell and I will be sure and report back on my experiences with the sac. So overall, a great, well designed piece of kit, if the tensioner issue was a one-off then I'll be happy with this sac for years, if as I suspect, it is a serious design flaw, then a full refund will be expected.
I have now had plenty of time to review the sac and I have to say, it has become my 'go to' rusac. I've worn it on days when every item of clothing I have on got wet, but the contents of the sac remained totally dry and I've used it on dry days, long days, short days and everything in between.
There are some criticisms though. The chest strap is far too high and comes almost across my throat so it has to be kept slack. There is adjustment but not enough. I double internal compartment would be a great help so that when I take off my soaking wet hat to replace it with something else, it doesn't get everything inside wet, same goes for taking off my waterproof gear when the rain stops. My work-around is to keep everything in waterproof stuff sacs but it would be nice not to have to do that. I've increased the rating from three to four stars which shows how much I like the sac.
Osprey make some bomb proof rucsacs and this is one of them. As the title suggests, it is a 25 litre sac but is packed with features and goodies making it seem much bigger. It is primarily aimed at the cyclist but I have used it walking and climbing as well as cycling, come to think of it, I've used it shopping as well!
The cut would probably not suit a woman as the shoulder straps tend to curve inwards, they do so to make it more comfortable for cycling and as with most rucsacs these days, include a chest strap to prevent the shoulder straps slipping off. The waist strap features a couple of really handy zippered pockets, ideal for keys or small items. Having said that, I can fit my compact camera in as well, so they are surprisingly roomy. The left shoulder strap also has a pocket which can fit a small phone or maybe a goodie bar.
There is no lid to the sac, but a huge zippered opening giving full access to the inside which itself can be either a single large compartment or by zipping a divider can be changed to a 70/30 arrangement with a lower zip giving access to the bottom compartment. There is a second zippered pocket at the front with mesh pockets for phone, wallet etc. and a key keeper - very useful if like me you are forever losing your keys in bags and sacs.
A further zippered top pouch can contain reasonable sized items such as hat, gloves etc. I use it for items I need quickly.
On the front is a mesh panel which could be used for stowing a spare top or other item of clothing, but I'm always wary of that because it would be so easy to lose items.
Between the sac itself and the padded back is a slot to take a bladder system with necessary loops on the shoulder straps and also near the top is a helmet holder for carrying your (cycling) crash helmet. It wouldn't work for a climbing or other helmet unless they had vent holes as it is designed to pull through and twist.
The rucsac itself is not waterproof, not even shower proof but does have its own cover which is located in a zipped compartment at the base. Mine is bright yellow which serves a dual purpose of keeping the sac contents dry and making me more visible when cycling. It can be hard to put on tight enough to stay put and I have had it blow off on very windy days in the mountains. Another excellent feature found near the base is a slot for taking a clip-on light which would also add to the visibility, although it would be obscured if the rain cover were on.
I use it almost every day when cycling and empty it is very light, weighing around 1kg so is hardly noticed. I've used it extensively for days out in the mountains but at 25 litres, is definitely a day sac, although me being me I have spare clothes, spare food and an emergency shelter so would be sufficiently roomy for the casual day walker or maybe for me on an easy low level day out with no chance of rain or need for an emergency shelter.
I would definitely recommend it as a day or cycling sac, especially if like me, you need lots of pockets and storage options in a light, rugged back pack.
I needed a new rucsac for a trip to climb Kilimanjaro. I had been convinced (wrongly as it turned out) that the choice of sacs that I had were either too big (45 litre) or too small (25 litre) and that I needed something around the 35 litre mark.
Having owned an Osprey Escapist 25 litre sac for some years and been very impressed with it, I decided to see what they could offer me for my trip. The Kestrel at 38 litres seemed to fit the bill and it was a good price so I went ahead and purchased it.
The rucsac is packed (if you'll pardon the pun) with really useful features. Inside the main compartment there is a 70-30 split similar to the Escapist, but in this rucsac it is a fixed divider, although there are gaps on either side for longer items such as walking poles or maybe a flask which could be held in place to stop it falling. The lower compartment can easily take a set of waterproofs and emergency shelter.
As with many rucsacs, there is bladder slot and suitable loops for running the tube down the shoulder strap.
Elasticated external pockets on both sides and the rear allow for gear stowing or external walking poles as required. I used the rear mesh pocket to hold my Solar battery and clipped the panel onto the rucsac lid.
The lid itself has both inner and outer pockets which can swallow up plenty of gear - as always, I use it for gear/food that I want quick access to, which sometimes seems to be everything!
One feature I really like on it is the easy stowing option for walking poles. An elasticated loop lower left and a corresponding one upper right allows both poles to be shortened and stowed without need to remove the sac or coerce a colleague to assist. Very useful when the route includes scrambling sections or the poles are not needed for a short while.
Waist strap pockets are generous and can easily take a compact camera in one and gels, tissues or other items in the other. An adjustable chest strap caters for different shapes and sizes and can be slid up or down as required. Plenty of loops and straps allow sac compression and additional external equipment (such as a solar panel) to be easily added.
A hidden pocket on the base contains the rain cover which, like most is elasticated and fits over the entire rucsac - but not the waist pockets so beware!
The sac empty feels light and is comfortable when full, designed as a tall-thin sac rather than shorter and wider with plenty of adjustment for a perfect fit. In use, it is unobtrusive whether walking or scrambling and is not constrictive or restrictive in any way. The top of the sac is far enough back to give room for my head to lean back when looking up and the design is such that I can (just about) reach the mesh pockets without removing the sac.
Did I need it for Kilimanjaro? The answer is no, not really, I could have easily used the Lowe Alpine sac. Do I regret buying it? Not at all, it gets plenty of use and the extra space can come in very useful if your partner, who is allergic to rucsacs, decides she wants to take off a couple of layers but really doesn't want to carry them! On the other hand, a smaller sac would solve that problem - sorry honey, no room in the sac!
It has also been used on a couple of wild-camping weekends so is perfectly capable of taking tent, sleeping bag, cooking system, chair and all the other paraphenalia needed for camping.
On my recommendation, my partner bought this rucsac but I was keen to try it - now it's mine!
It's a day sac, no question about it, but it has everything you could want from a day sac and for a day sac it is at the upper end as regards volume. Empty, it is light, probably weighing around a kilogram. It is called an 'Airzone' which means there is an airgap between your back and the sac itself which helps to reduce sweat building up. This is achieved by a stiff but very light backplate inside its own pocket in the sac - and it works! Almost two inches at the widest point.
The main compartment is roomy, but is a single compartment - I'm not normally a fan as I like to have separates to make access easy, but Lowe have added a front zippered pocket which is plenty big enough for gloves, hat and maybe a small extra top, or waterproof leggings so I'm happy. Inside the main compartment is an elastic pocket designed for a bladder which is ideal for my 3 litre camel pack bladder. Near the top is a covered vent hole for the bladder hose to run. I've had lunch, water bottle, waterproofs, emergency shelter, spare down jacket and spare mid-layer and there is still room for more.
The lid features pockets on both the inside and the outside with a handy keyring on the inside pocket - perfect for me as I am always losing my keys in my sac! I normally store items I want quickly like map, compass, hat, gloves, headtorch, snacking food etc. The pockets gobble that up with room to spare. There is an elasticated top to the sac which can be pulled closed before closing the lid using the main single strap which is fully adjustable and easy to adjust with gloved hands. External compression straps allow the sac to be closed down with smaller loads. On the sides are stretchy pockets designed for walking poles or stuffing extra layers in, although I would be careful doing that in case they fall out un-noticed. If the stretchy pockets are used for gear, the rucsac has separate eyelets for walking poles with either the compression strap or an elasticated strap near the top being utilised to hold the poles in place. The eyelets are quite close together and small so it might be a problem if the poles have baskets or boots, but otherwise okay. There is a single axe adze holder at the base which would be okay for a walking axe but it can't hold two climbing axes which is a minor gripe. The elasticated strap doubles as a keeper as well.
Adjustment straps for shoulders and chest/waist are plentiful and easy to use meaning the sac will fit almost any size or shape. The waist belt can be tightened from either or both sides as required and has two fantastic features; on the one side is a small zippered pocket ideal for sweets, tissues, compass, sat nav etc and the other side is split which allows me to clip my camera bag on with ease making the camera super-accessible without taking up another pocket. One shoulder strap also has a zipped pocket which I find useful for a gel, mint cake or small bag of jelly babies. Neither of these are waterproof though, nor are they covered by the external rain cover so if the items are affected by water, best put them in a bag!
Finally, and this is genius! Like many rucsacs, it is not waterproof but has an external rain cover in its own zippered pocket at the base. Nothing too smart there, but here's the clever part; unlike most rain covers that rely on an elasticated rim to keep it on, this has the same, but has a centre-mounted cinch strap that pulls it tight and clips between the airzone and the back panel making it more or less impossible to come off and also away from your back so you can't feel it. Others I have used have blown off in strong wind as they fill with air if it is blowing into your face.
As my previous tent; an MSR was showing its age, I decided I needed a replacement so after much research I settled on the Telemark 2 by Scandinavian Company; Nordisk.
It ticked all of the boxes; very lightweight (less than 1kg), can be pitched outer first, is easy to pitch, big enough for one person to be comfortable and waterproof. The recommendation from all of the reseach was that the 'Footprint' - basically a liner that goes under the tent as an added protection against sharp stuff, was pretty much essential and given that it weighs in at around 500g was an acceptable addition. It's not the cheapest tent on the market, but also far from being the most expensive, but with my set of requirements, I wasn't surprised or shocked. So, how does it perform?
I'd tried it out in a local field to get the hang of pitching. I quickly discovered that it would be better to attach the inner to the outer before any trip so that it can be pitched as a completed tent rather than faffing about in the rain, or wind or whatever the weather threw at me trying to attach the inner to the outer. Of course, for super-lightweight, the outer could act as a 'tarp', but to be honest, I like the security of an inner - creepy crawly free! The Footprint needs to be pegged out first and with some practice (but not much) it can be arranged so that the tent can use the same pegs - I did read some reports that an extra six pegs were required for the Footprint alone, but I can't understand that. As can be seen from the pictures, the Footprint is not symmetrical i.e. it only has one way that matches the tent layout, so it is worth familiarising yourself with that. It also has a top and bottom but that is clearly marked. On mine, the lettering also matches the head end of the tent so easily remembered.
To pitch, insert the pole in the sleeve and the ends into the eyelets. Take one end (normally the windward end) and place the rings over the pegs. Take the other end and carefully pull the tent up and place the eyelets over the other pegs. Finally the pole ends have cords that can be placed over the middle pegs. Pull the guys as tight as required on both ends and it is done. Even the first time took me less than ten minutes and I expect in a hurry I could halve that. Six pegs allows the sides to be pegged, but it would be possible to get away with just four. At the other end, eight pegs would allow additional guying if in particulary inclement conditions. The pegs are so light anyway and all told weigh less than a goodie bar. One trick worth remembering is to place the end pegs slighty wider than the Footprint end which allows the venting of the tent to be maximised.
Inside it is plenty roomy enough for one. It is sold as a two-man tent and technically I think two could sleep in it but you would have to be on very good terms! There is a neat trick that allows the cabin to be adjusted for width as required, balancing with the porch area as a trade off. The porch floor is covered by the Footprint so can be used to store items not wanted inside. I am 1.83m tall, or 6' in old money and can easily lie in the centre with room to spare at either end. On one side I had my rucsac, on the other were boots and other items. There is a handy pocket for torch, book and small things which actually can be used to pack the tent, but that is a trick I have yet to master! Above the head area are a couple of loops that could be used to hang some paracord for a line. I can sit up inside the tent, but only just, my head touches the inner cabin but not enough to contact the outer which is 4-5cm further up.
It's a new tent and I've only used it on a couple of dry wind free nights so can't yet comment on the waterproofness of it but I can say there was no condensation on the inside at any time, but as Nordisk points out, you do need to pitch it carefully to allow the ends to have an airflow. I think I managed that okay. Also I think it might struggle during winter conditions with the cold but it is sold as a three season tent so as always, it's horses for courses. I camped in August and needed a down jacket in the evening and early morning just to take the chill off. In the tent I was warm enough but due to the ventillation, could feel air movement so if that air was 15 degrees colder I would not have been happy.
Packing away is simple enough, just reverse the pitching.
So far I'm very pleased with it and plan to do more wild camping in the near future so will update this report as I experience varied conditions.
Update: I've now had the opportunity of using it in a variety of conditions and my views have changed slightly. On a rainy night, it kept dry inside so that was good. On a couple of cold nights I did wake to find quite a lot of condensation on the inside of the tent and sitting up I could feel it wet on my head which was not so good. I did as they suggest with the guying to ensure there is ventilation through the ends but there were definitely water droplets on the inner of the tent. The bottom of the tent was quite dry on all occasions, although I have not used it without the Footprint and given the thickness of the material, highly unlikely that I ever will!
Packing it away with condensation on the outside is a challenge and virtually impossible to stop water getting everywhere, despite giving it a good shake - only so much one person can do! On return home I hung the tent out, and to be fair, it dried reasonably quickly so I guess multiple nights would work, certainly in one spot and if moving, erecting the tent early would be a distinct advantage to allow it to dry out before use. None of these criticisms are unique to this tent of course, all tents get condensation and all tents need drying out, so no stars lost at the moment.
You may not have heard of Alpkit, but they have some really good outdoor gear. I first heard of them through a cycling friend who persuaded me to buy a saddlepack which has since proved inspired.
Reading one of their weekly emails I noticed they had offers on sleeping mats so thought I would take a look as my trusty old Thermarest is showing its age now. I was drawn to their 'Cloudbase' sleeping mat which, if the description was true, would be awesome, so I bought one.
The first thing to notice about it is the physical dimensions rolled up. It was less than half the width of my Thermarest and less than half the rolled diameter and also felt much lighter. Well, at under 400 grammes it was! It could be stowed inside my rucsac rather than on the outside which was a bonus. The material feels like a plastic which is good - it can be wiped dry if wet or cleaned easily, and bad - lying on it with no sleeping bag is a bit clammy.
I unrolled it and inflated it in a couple of minutes. It is a manual task but thanks to a nifty one way valve, was easily done in a few good blows and is quite firm when fully inflated. Unlike the Thermarest which self-inflates to a degree, this has to be completely inflated manually. It is easily long and wide enough, I am 1.83m and had no problem with my entire body being on the mat. There was good insulation from the ground. It is formed of hexagonal sections with small gaps between but felt solid to lie on. After a nights sleep I did not notice any deflation.
One or two minor criticisms; it is quite slippery and with my tent pitched on very a gentle slope I frequently had to move the mat back to the top of the tent. Also it is incredibly noisy! I hadn't really noticed it on my own but having taken it on an expedition, it was pointed out to me by others. It is very narrow and easy to 'fall off' if there is space (not an issue in my tent!). My old Thermarest didn't suffer from these problems so it might get resurrected for expeditions.
Rolling back up again is simply a case of opening the valve and pushing the valve in to allow the air out, then folding to squeeze the air to the end and repeat a few times. I easily managed to get it back into its own stuff sac.
The material feels very thin so it will be interesting to see how durable it is, but it comes with a patch and some glue just in case. Mind you, my Thermarest punctured early in its life so with air inflated mats it is always an issue.
I've had a small cooker for many years now which fits inside my mug, On a recent shopping spree to Alpkit I noticed they had an even smaller cooker which made mine look huge. Having a sale on, it was a shade over £20. Unable to resist it, I convinced myself that the weight saving would be well worth it - marginal gains and all that!
On a recent day out, I took it, along with a gas canister and pot, which has handles and doubles as a drinking mug, plus some tea bags to see how it performed. I was pretty convinced that I had less weight in my sac than if I'd taken a flask of hot tea. Set up is as straightforward as it is possible to be, simply open the pot support arms, screw into the gas and away you go.
Boiling enough water for a cup of tea took just a few minutes and I was seriously impressed with the power and heat it gave out, but equally impressed with the speed it cooled down. Finishing my tea, the cooker was plenty cool enough to pack away. It comes in its' own mini-stuff sack which I put into a small hard case to prevent any damage in my rucsac.
I think the only problem I would have with it is locating it in the sac as it is so small.
No, you're not taking one of our plates camping. No, you're not taking that bowl camping, it's part of a set and you'll break it. Take my best saucepan! Are you completely mad? There ended my attempt to pack household cookwear for a camping trip. Off to Alpkit, well, their website anyway for a spot of shopping. Of course, it's easy to go overboard and Alpkit have some great well thought out Titanium sets of offer.
I went for a Myti Bowl 600 for breakfasts and general eating, plus it would double as a small frying pan, a Myti Mug, complete with lid for general water boiling and brews, and of course, eating the cooked food required cutley so I got a 'Foon' or 'Sporken' or whatever combination of Fork and Spoon you like. I always carry a knife for general use anyway so didn't need that.
So, how did it all perform? Answer, fantastically well. All of the gear is really lightweight, the mug is big enough to put my gas canister inside thereby reducing volume in the rucsac and the bowl can hold the Sporken, matches and small drying towel which is then put into a small plastic bag, thereby keeping all of that together. The bowl and mug both have folding handles and one piece of advice is to always unfold them prior to putting on the cooker as they heat rapidly! In fact, that is the one criticism and the reason for the loss of one star - the handles can get too hot to hold, requiring gloves or a small towel (hence a reason for carrying one). The addition of some insulation would be nice and to be fair to Alpkit, I know that one of their cooking sets does indeed have insulated handles. The Sporken has a fold out handle which is a neat trick, allowing it to occupy about half the volume. It is sturdy in use and the 'fork' tip allows digging in to food. It also comes in its' own little bag!
On single days out I take the mug with my Kraku cooker and a gas canister and reckon the combination is still less than a flask full of tea. As reported elsewhere, I can boil enough water for a brew in a matter of minutes so there is no delay in getting a warm drink. On wild camping, or even campsites I take all of it and have never yet felt the need for any more gear, which is a shame because I like to buy stuff!
Owning a High Altitude 5 season bag and a summer weight 2 season bag I'd realised that I needed something in between for the Spring and Autumn months where it's not so cold, but not so warm either.
Researching, I came across the Alpkit Pipedream series of sleeping bags. The Pipedream 400 seemed to fit the bill and with the 'Offer' price, seemed too good to miss.
It features 400g of Goose Down and weighs in at a lightweight 865g. It is also sold as a three season bag which again fitted the bill.
Having bought it, it was some time before I actually got to try it out and not sure of the performance, I took my trusty silk liner and thermal liner along just in case - I need not have bothered! First night I was very warm, so ditched the thermal liner, second night I was also too warm so ditched the silk liner, third night, perfect! I'm known for not liking the cold so was seriously impressed. The temperature was down in single figures but not below zero so I can't comment on the minimum temperature (yet).
Also it claims to be water repellent. Again I can't comment on that, although I did notice the end of the bag touching the tent enough to cause some internal moisture, but not enough for a real test.
It has some nice features; it is roomy enough that you don't feel squeezed into it, there are baffles to reduce cold air ingress and the top of the bag fitted nicely over my head so it was a perfect fit for me. I'm 6 feet tall and went for the 'Regular' size. Zip side can also be selected, I went for a left hand zip, but only because my other bags are left hand and I didn't want there to be a delay in getting myself out during the night for 'Gentlemens needs'.
I would definitely recommend it but as always, consider the likely temperature range use and how much you personally feel the cold before purchase.
Walking poles are walking poles right? Wrong!
In my time I've purchased many walking poles with the intention of using them but most often they either stay at home or languish on the outside of my rucsac eventually corroding where rainwater seeps in through the gaps - they have to be stowed upside down which of course doesn't help.
I decided to buy these poles to get past that problem as they fold small enough to fit comfortably into my main day sac (35 litre Lowe Alpine) and come with their own little stuff sac. To use them, release the velcro tab to allow them to fall free, then, holding them by the tip, slide the sections into each other and finally pull on the final section to take up the slack, and tighten to reveal the spring loaded button that pops out to lock the pole tight. Length adjustment is by quick release at the top and allows enough to cater for steep climbs or descents.
How do they work in practise?
On the positive side, the quick release is excellent, much better than the twist to tighten/loosen which, in my experience always ends up either failing or jamming, especially in cold weather and sometimes requires the finger strength of Superman to slacken. They are very lightweight so worth carrying as a 'just in case'. They are mostly quiet in use. I tend to use them more for downhill than uphill and being locked have never compressed and feel stable.
On the negative side, they don't have any spring loading unlike others I have used which doesn't bother me too much but some people like it. They do jangle on tarmac or hard surfaces even with the rubber tips in place. With no gloves, I got a sore thumb after a couple of hours of use which is unusual, but the grips are plastic rather than either rubber or cork that I've used on other poles. With gloves on, no problem. I did notice on one trip that the spring loaded button on one of the poles was a little reluctant to spring out so gave it a good spraying with WD40 (other lubricants are available - but not as good) which cured the problem but how long for I don't know. They are only a few months old, so maybe regular maintenance is a requirement, time will tell.
As for price, well, with poles there is a huge range of prices and they fall into the 'not the cheapest, but not the dearest' category. For walking poles, they are more expensive than many, but for folding walking poles, about average.
Would I recommend them? Well, if you are looking to buy walking poles then yes they are on balance, probably the best I have used. Would I recommend buying poles? Only if, like me, your knees have seen better days, they are a great purchase especially for steep downhill walking where they can reduce the strain enormously.
Three Year Update: Well, they finally let me down! Due to corrosion, the lower piece has jammed into the piece above and no amount of lubricant, boiling water, pulling, pushing, hammering or mole wrenches would free it. No alternative but into the bin. I'm not sure whether they could be considered as good value or not, they are about three years old and not used a huge amount, but mostly stored in my rucsac just in case. I've decided to downgrade them to two stars mostly for their early demise.
I did contact Robens for a comment and I have to say, they were particularly unhelpful, giving the following in response;
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback, we have forwarded this to our design team for their future consideration. Unfortunately, there are so many variables at play over the course of three years use and ownership, so we cannot comment on why a particular product has failed when others from the same batch continue to perform.
After my unfortunate experience with the Conisten Poles, I decided part of the solution was to purchase carbon fibre poles which would at least remove the corrosion problem.
Carbon fibre poles have pros and cons; the main pros are lighter weight and no corrosion, the main con is the much increased price, so are they worth it and how do the Black Diamond ones perform?
Well, they are definitely much lighter, weighing less than my sandwiches! This means that I am more likely to take them on a walk which is good. They also pack very small so easily fit into my rucsac. To open them out takes a couple of seconds and is a well thought out arrangement of tapered fittings with the final section clicking into place. They come with a rubber tip as standard but a tungsten tip is also included and changing them is simplicity itself, although it does require the use of a pair of pliers, or extremely strong fingers to begin the unscrewing process and the final tightening process.
Length wise, I chose the 120-140cm length. I am 1.83m tall and found them only just the right length at the minimum setting which is fine, but perhaps the next size down might have been a better choice. For downhill use I have some additional length to play with. Having said that, the grip is in two parts, an upper and a lower section so there is additional customisation should it be needed. Length adjustment is the click and slide method which is way better than adjusting the poles by slacking them off which is the usual method for non-folding poles and can be extremely difficult to do in very cold conditions.
In use they are sturdy and quiet. Being carbon fibre though, I'm not sure how much bending or twisting they will accept and of course when they go, it will be total.
Cost wise, they are definitely in the upper bracket, at well over £100, hence the loss of one star. I'm expecting many years service and reliability. Time will tell on that one. The Company I purchased them from did have a deal going on with some discount and also gave me a free Mountainsmith roll seat which uses walking poles for support. Unfortunately it doesn't work with folding poles! Oh well, nice idea but consigned to the 'kit I might try one day' box.
One disapointment is that they did not come with any means of keeping the sections neatly together when folded. Okay, one section clips into the basket of the other but that's it. On my Conisten poles they came with a velcro strap for this purpose. I liberated the velcro before consigning them to the bin. For poles of this quality and cost, I'm surprised. Also a small bag to keep them in would have been nice. Again I liberated the Conisten bag.
I've only used them a couple of times on easy terrain so will update the report once they get a proper mountaineering trip.
Update: On a recent trip to Mid-Wales to do a bit of Peak bagging I gave the poles a good workout and the conclusion is that they are excellent. Top features are light weight, ease of unfolding and strength. I used them for confidence crossing (very) muddy and wet ground, descent and ascent. With the dual handle arrangement, it is simplicity to slide a hand up and down the pole to allow for steep ground, slipping back to the top when changing direction or reaching a flatter section. It's early days but I'm hoping that, barring disaster, they last considerably longer than other poles I've owned.
Further Update: One broke! I've been so careful with these and actually, hardly use them, so you can imagine my disappointment to discover a crack in the pole right at the top bear the handle. Being carbon fibre, or any pole material come to that, it spells the end of the pole. I am now down to one pole but rarely carry it. I am not really a pole kind of person and the conclusion of this is, throwing money at the problem, most definitely does not solve it!
When Petzl set out to design this headtorch, they must have had the brief that is must be all things to all men. They succeeded!
Out of the box it features seven or eight modes of brightness including an intelligent mode that changes the brightness depending on the situation, so if it is very dark, the lamp is brighter, but if you are looking at a map, or the sun comes up, the lamp detects reflected light and reduces the brightness automatically - known as autonomous mode and of course, a battery saver. With a press of a button, you can cycle through Maximum Autonomy, Standard and Maximum Power or another button will change to Constant Lighting with the same cycling options.
Other modes include Strobe and Red Light, the latter of which can be used if light is required but night vision is still needed - red light does not affect the human eyes ability to adjust to very low light levels.
The unit is rechargeable via a micro USB connection in the unit, although why they positioned this at the top of the lamp rather than underneath is a mystery - it has a cover but, given that the lamp is described as 'water resistant' would seem to be a poor design. I have not used it in heavy rain so cannot comment on that, but it is fine in light showers. Walking in the dark in pouring rain is not my idea of fun anyway, but sometimes the choice is made for you! There is a small LED showing the charge remaining using green (full), amber (part), red (needs recharging) which is a great idea - there is nothing more frustrating than switching on a headtorch only to find the battery is flat after a short time.
For gadget lovers, the Reactik+ lamp can be connected via Bluetooth to your mobile phone and using the free app, can be reprogrammed to suit whatever event you are participating in either before or even during. Sensible choice of Bluetooth means you can set it up in your sitting room, at the top of a mountain, or in a snow hole as you like. Of course, it makes sense to do it sat on a nice comfy sofa rather than fiddling about whilst your mate is trying to get a brew going! Essentially you can change the maximum brightness and choice of one or both white lights which are for near and far brightness respectively, so, for example, if you are using it for walking at night you might only be interested in the next 20metres ahead, whereas if you were cycling you might want 50metres and if you were on a walk-in to an Alpine climb might need 100metres of brightness. Obviously battery life is dependent on mode but that is shown on the app when you adjust the settings which is pretty cool. Full on 100% brightness gives about 3 1/2 hours, constant lighting on Maximum autonomy claims 30 hours.
I've used it for walking, mountaineering and cycling in the dark so that I can see where I am looking as opposed to the bike light which lights the direction I am travelling. The red light would double as an emergency rear light for cycling as well.
The head strap is comfortable and fully adjustable as is the units direction of pointing. It is bulkier than many head torches, but not noticeably so and doesn't feel particularly heavy. There is a standard battery pack available for the unit which could be used if charging is a problem or for extended night use and at around £15 worth thinking about. Personally I invested in a Solar Charger (not just for this!) and carry a small spare headtorch for general 'round the campsite' use, reserving this one for the big stuff.
When switched off, the buttons can be locked to prevent accidental turn-on which is essential as it easy to inadvertently switch it on.
It is far from being the cheapest headtorch on the market, but in my opinion with a claimed 220 Lumens is one of, if not the brightest available and without a doubt the brightest I have ever owned. I have no hesitation in recommending it.
My normal trips are at most, long weekends where device charging is not a major issue. In the mountains there is not much of a phone signal so I can set my phone to Airplane mode or switch it off and normally get 3-4 days without worry. If I am camping then my headtorch will last no problem and I always have a backup with at least one set of spare batteries. My reading book is a Kindle which has a long battery life and backlight so no worries with any of that. Why buy a Solar Charger then?
Good question and the answer lay in the form of a Bucket List trip to climb Kilimanjaro where extended time away from charging sources might prove too much for some of my power hungry devices - I was particularly worried about my camera which, with a fully charged battery and spare would take around 500 shots but I didn't want to risk having a flat battery moment - one of the 'must haves' on the camera was the ability to charge the battery from a USB connection so that I could charge it remotely and also wouldn't have to take the battery charge cradle.
There are a lot of Solar chargers on the market, some small, some big, some huge, so which one to go for? My decision to go for the Power Monkey Extreme was based on weight (although it is a noticeable weight) - I would have to carry it of course, functionality - it would have to work with a variety of devices, reputation - I want a reliable recommended one and finally, although I try to avoid buying on price, the cost of the unit. It does claim to be waterproof, with the rider that the charging connector doors need to be closed which is a bit of a nonsense really - why would you leave the battery out in the rain? You might not notice if it was being charged and it started raining, but then the charging door would be open so it wouldn't be waterproof, or you might be charging a device which would have the same problem. The solar panels are claimed to be 'water resistant' which is one of those terms that means nothing.
The Power Monkey comes in a reasonably small package size, in its own hard case complete with connectors for just about any combination you can think of. It comprises the main solar panels which open out and have a velcro loop for attaching to the outside of a rucsac, the main battery and, as mentioned, the cables and connectors. Pre-charging the battery can be done from mains electricity or from a car cigar lighter socket (connector included).
Switching on the unit is performed using a touch panel on the top of the unit and a small LCD display shows charge remaining from 0 to 99%. It also shows when the unit itself is being charged. Charging of a device is simple; connect the item to be charged using the correct connector which is then plugged into the universal USB connector which in turn is plugged into the battery. There is also a 12V connection available which can be used simultaneously if required. At the other end of the battery is the Solar Panel connector. A handy tip is to ensure that you have enough cables to both charge the battery and charge your device, although I found that charging the battery during the day and the devices at night worked well.
So, does it work? Well, I have had mixed results. In the UK I have been on long day walks in bright sunshine with the unit on my rucsac and have found that the battery doesn't charge at all. I have left it out in my garden in bright sunshine for three to four hours and found that it adds a few percent of charge. In Africa, similar results, except that I left it on a rock for four or five hours during a rest day and returned to find the battery fully charged from about 50% which led me to the conclusion that to work best, it needs to lie flat in the sunshine for a good number of hours undisturbed which may, of course, not be practical. Intermittent sunshine is almost useless.
As for a source of charge, I have tested it at home and found that I can get 5 charges of my iPhone, about 10-12 of my headtorch and 5-6 charges of my camera battery from a single full charge. The manufacturers claim 2 charges of an iPad but I have not tried so cannot verify that claim.
In conclusion, it is a useful item to have, but it could benefit from being better at charging the battery. I did contact the manufacturer to ask whether I was doing something wrong but they declined to even respond to my email. Looking at chat forums, it seems my experiences with the charging of the battery are not unusual. It is worth having just for the knowledge that you can recharge some of your devices some of the time and if you are sensible, prioritise i.e. if you are in the wilderness, turn your phone off during the day - no one can call you anyway and if you need it (and it will get a signal) you can soon turn it on. Switch off 'wireless' from all devices that use it e.g. Kindle, that will massively save power, reduce the 'review time' for your photos on your camera, and carry a spare battery for those devices that you can.
As a Post Script, the unit failed after a few years. It did not get massive use nor was it badly treated. It has now been consigned to a drawer and eventual disposal.
For anyone who doesn't know, glacier glasses are just strong sunglasses with side and bottom protection to stop sun rays from bouncing off the snow and under the glasses. The same reason why extra care should be taken to use sun cream when walking on snow or icy ground.
The glasses come in a soft bag inside a semi-rigid outer case which can cleverly be folded flat when not in use. They have a removeable neck strap to prevent loss whilst being worn and fit comfortably, not too tight and equally not too loose.
They are photochromic but start out quite dark so would not be advisable in dim or dusk conditions. On snow and ice is where they belong and do a remarkable job. I've used them all day on glaciers with no eye strain or feeling like they are tight in any way, in fact I quickly forgot I was wearing them. Occasionally removing them I am quite surprised just how bright the snow actually is. It is quite easy to remove the side protection if required to make them into ordinary (if dark) sunglasses.
Not cheap at around £130 but discounts of 10-15% can be had with BMC, National Trust etc at most Outdoor Shops. Definitely recommend them for their intended purpose, but it would have to be a very bright day to use them as ordinary sunglasses.
Being a cyclist, being of a certain age and owning a bike computer that tries to cram more and more information onto a small screen I was finding it increasingly difficult (impossible) to see the detail. It would be impractical to wear reading glasses whilst cycling - all distant stuff goes out of focus, but I need eye protection when cycling so normally wear either clear glasses or sunglasses depending on the weather and time of day.
Also, being a keen walker who often finds himself in unfamiliar terrain requiring a map I need to have my reading glasses with me to see the detail, but it is annoying having to put them on, especially if wearing sunglasses and I find I can't walk wearing reading glasses due to the same focusing problems.
Both of the above resulted in me, after much research, ordering a pair of BZ Optics Photochromic Bi-focal sunglasses. Designed by a couple of New Zealand Cyclists, they sounded perfect and they seemed on the face of it (excuse pun) to solve all of the problems at a stroke, but how would they work in practise?
The answer is...brilliantly! Their first proper outing was on a combined cycling and walking weekend away in the Peak District. My walking routes required some good navigation. Leaving the car I put the glasses on immediately and was impressed by their lightness - after a few minutes I'd forgotten I was wearing them but glancing down at the map I realised I could see it clearly. On the mountain it was quite windy but I suffered no issues with wind in my eyes, even when it was side on. At one point I took a 'selfie' and was surprised to see that the sunglasses had darkened - I hadn't even noticed.
On the cycling part of the weekend I discovered aspects of the bike computer I hadn't seen before and was able to select options and make changes that would have previously required me to remove my sunglasses and don reading glasses, then reverse the procedure when finished. The convenience of being able to stop and take a photo without swapping sunglasses for reading glasses was beyond measure. Also on my ride I went through long tunnels and never gave a thought to removing them.
Hell, I even drove home in them and was amazed how much detail I could see of the cars instrumentation. I might even wear them in bed so I can see what I am dreaming about!
In short, these sunglasses are the answer to everything. They are comfortable enough for all day wear, they don't grip the side of the head even under crash helmet straps, they work well as eye protectors in windy conditions, they work well as Photochromic sunglasses, darkening and lightening quickly and with a good range of light to dark and they work well for map reading or computer reading. The magnified section is at the bottom of the glasses, occupying about a centimetre and is totally unobtrusive and out of sight when looking directly ahead. These are well thought out!
Complete with a cleaning cloth and hard case, they retail at just under £100 which is not cheap, but a lot cheaper than Oakleys and other top market brands and for me, they are well worth it.
Update: Having owned them for about six months now I can report that I am still very pleased with them and they are my go to glasses for outdoor activities. I did have one minor issue though; after about 3-4 months I noticed one of the small screws that hold the arm on was coming loose. Repeated tightening worked for a while so I contacted the manufacturer who recommended a spot of super-glue on the screw. They did offer to do it for me, but it was pretty straighforward so I declined and did it myself. I can report no further issues.
Second update: I now own three pairs! I bought a second pair to use when flying so that I can see the instruments as well as having sunglasses for those very bright days. After several years and many miles walked and cycled, I finally wore out the original pair so purchased yet another pair dedicated to walking and cycling.
This review covers both the dry bags with an inspection window and those without as they are very similar.
Modern rucsacs are generally speaking not waterproof, come to that, neither were the old rucsacs. To compensate for this, we used to stuff all our gear into bin liners, tie them down and hope they didn't tear during use. Modern rucsacs have an external waterproof cover which works up to a point and with limited success - see my reviews on rucsacs for the different types and why I don't like them!
On a recent trip to the Himalaya I took a large duffel bag for most of my gear which the Sherpas carried. We were advised to ensure that the contents were suitably protected against adverse weather which I did with a large rucsac liner. This proved very unsuitable as I then needed to empty the entire contents every night to get what I needed. I decided to look around for something more suitable and came across Lomo's offering; waterproof roll down dry bags with inspection windows - perfect!
I elected to purchase three 20Litre bags as I figure that would be enough for all of my gear. They are extremely light but very effective, allowing gear to be stowed and viewed. They use the roll-down approach which means they take up the minimum space as they are simply rolled down to fit the contents. Care must be taken to expel any excess air first, otherwise the bag balloons, but other than that, simple. They also have a handy loop which could be used to karabiner them to something.
In addition, I also bought a pack of three smaller bags; 8L, 6L and 3L which are used for smaller items in my day sac. The 3 litre bag holds my phone, wallet and spare camera battery, the 6 litre bag hold my first aid kit and hygiene kit and the 8 litre bag holds spare hat and gloves, plus mid-layer if I warm up or just carry it 'in case'.
They are incredible cheap; the 20L bags around £7 each, the set of three smaller bags just £7.50. In my day sac I use one 20L bag and the 6L and 3L bags for everything. I can't fault them in use and time will tell how sturdy they are. Now when it rains, I don't need to bother with the rucsac cover and for me, that is a real bonus.
Update: I've had these bags several years now and they are every bit as good as the day I bought them, they get regular use in British conditions so tested to the full.
My Mom bought this book for me many years ago. It was one of the best presents I've ever had, it was also one of the worst! Best because it lists all of the Mountains in England and Wales which is great for planning and looking for new routes, worst because I've become a mountain bagger.
It is divided into Chapters with Chapter One being for 2,000ft (610m) and above, Chapter Two being for 500 metre tops - why Chapter One is in feet and Chapter Two in metres is not clear except to say that they are nice round numbers. Chapter Three is 'Notable Hill Tops', i.e. those hills that are too small for the first two chapters but worth a mention (and therefore a climb) and the final two chapters covering County Tops and Wainwrights Fells.
Within the chapters, there are sections for each area; Lake District, Peak District, Arans, Berwyns etc with a small map showing the relative position of the tops. Also, each mountain is listed in order of Altitude with a Grid Reference and OS Map Number. All useful stuff. There then follows the entire qualifying list in order of altitude with space for Ascent Date and notes.
I've worked through areas, casually ticking off mountain tops, then looking in more detail at bagging the entire area which then descends into an obsession which is only satisfied once the final tick is in place, but on the other hand, I've had some superb days out visiting peaks that I otherwise wouldn't have bothered with.
It is quite satisfying to memorise Peak details so that when standing on the top of, say, Bowfell in the Lake District chatting to a random stranger, informing them that it is in fact, the 26th highest peak in England and Wales can be quite satisfying or that it is the 10th Highest in England. This of course, can backfire quite badly if quizzed about the nearby Crinkle Crags (49th) if homework has not been done.
If, like me, you enjoy collecting things, then this book is for you, if you like information about mountains and hills, then this book is for you, if you enjoy walking but couldn't care less how high the mountain is and don't bother with a diary or logbook, then don't buy it. Unfortunately it has been out of print for some time but you might find it in a second hand bookshop. You will never find mine of course, I will be buried with it!
Carrying an SLR Camera on a rucsac is always a challenge - until now! I've tried all sorts; hang it around my neck on its strap - okay but pulls on my neck, clip it through the chest strap - okay but it bangs about and annoys me, abandon it altogether and take a small compact - okay, but I enjoy my SLR.
Step in Peak Design.
The Camera Clip comprises two parts; the main rucsac attachment has two finger screws which can be used to undo and tighten the clip around the rucsac shoulder strap. Simple in operation, allowing it to be positioned almost anywhere, although it is slightly too narrow for my Kestrel 38L sac straps anywhere but the lowest (narrowest) point. Having said that, it works fine on my day sacs and also, much higher on the strap and it would be awkward to engage and remove. It does have an orientation which is important to get right - the end stop is at the bottom.
The second part of the clip is a square plate that connects to the base of the camera - into the tripod hole. Peak Design thoughtfully provide an Allen Key to facilitate tightening of the plate. Once on, it can be left in place and is unobtrusive, although would need to be removed if a tripod were used. In use, simply slide the plate into the clip until it clicks and that's it! To release, there is a small push button at the side which releases the mechanism. If required, a quarter turn of the button will lock the camera in place, but I have yet to feel the need to do this.
The camera is held firmly in place just below the (left) shoulder, feels comfortable and stable, yet easily and quickly available for that all-important shot. Having used it a few times, I never leave home without it!
I was slightly concerned that the camera was quite exposed to the elements, requiring it to be removed and stowed in inclement weather which kind of defeats the point of the convenient access. Step in Peak Design again with their camera cover, or 'Shell' as they like to call it. This is basically a waterproof sock with holes at both ends. This slips over the camera and has been designed to be used with the Camera Clip. Both ends have a pull toggle which closes the cover over the camera, but can be easily released for removal or photo taking. Peak Design claim that photos can be taken with the cover on, which, technically is true, but in practise, very hard to achieve, especially with a zoom lens, so removal is almost essential. It does have a small elastic loop which slips over the lens so when removed it can dangle under the camera to save having to hold or pocket it whilst snapping away. I had mixed success with this, finding for the most part, it was easier to remove. I haven't yet used the cover in rain so will report back on the results in due course. If not required, the cover folds into its own small pocket which is handy in fine weather.
Update: I have now had the chance to use the cover in the rain with mixed success. It is genuinely waterproof and does a fine job of keeping the camera dry most of the time, however, and this is a BIG however, it has a big hole in the rear to allow the clip to function and rain being what it is, will of course eventually finds its way inside as it does into waterproofs. Pulling the elasticated toggle down as far as possible helps a lot. I got caught in heavy enough rain to don full waterproofs which lasted about an hour and left the camera clipped on to my rucsac with the cover fully cinched down. Other than a few smears of water which may have got in before I pulled the closure down it worked well and the camera was dry. My conclusion is that, for showers and fairly light rain it is functional on the clip. Off the clip it works well, but there are associated issues zooming and actually taking photos having to lift the cover to at least see the eyepiece or display. In heavy or persistent rain, it would be better to put it into the rucsac in a dry bag.
My camera is a Nikon D5100 with an 18-105mm lens and the 'Medium' sized cover is a perfect fit. It also comes in Small and Large. Peak Design have a sizing chart on their website for best fit. Rather cynically, they price the medium cover most expensive - I guess it is the most popular.
Neither piece of gear is cheap and the main reason for losing the one star, but the alternatives are pretty much non-existent. The clip is around £60-70 and the Medium cover around £35-40 at the time of review (February 2019). Prices vary enormously so it is well worth Shopping around for the best price.
I'm a big fan of Leatherman knives, owning two which are for different purposes.
Knives, like a lot of things, are horses for courses and the two I own perform similar, but different jobs.
At this point, it's worth adding a disclaimer. In the UK, locking blade knives are not legal unless you have a good reason to carry them. I would personally argue that the two I own have 'good reason' to be carried when I am using them for the purposes stated in the review.
The first is a C33, a very simple knife, just having a blade and a bottle opener, and dedicated to walking and camping. The blade is 2 1/2" long and locks in place. The locking feature was a major selling point for me as I have had blades collapse before now, fortunately without injury but it was close! The bottle opener also locks in place and doubles as a karabiner so that the knife could be clipped onto a belt. It also has a separate belt clip for the same purpose which can be removed if required but needs a very small Torx tool.
The knife is lightweight, mostly because of the lack of tools I guess, so can be carried without concern for weight. I've personally never needed a tool for getting stones out of horses hooves or a Philips screwdriver when walking or camping anyway, but perhaps I've lived a sheltered life.
I've had mine a couple of years now and it has been used on a regular basis for all sorts. The blade has kept its sharpness since day 1 which is impressive.
One feature that I don't like about the knife is the blade release. It is on the inside of the knife and so a finger or thumb has to press the lock down whilst closing the blade towards your finger. A slip at this point could be very painful! The bottle opener lock can be released by pressing down on it and then folding into place.
I notice that this knife is no longer available, but has been superseded by the C33T which is the same but has a couple of additional tools; a Philips screwdriver and a 1/4" screwdriver. Perhaps I am missing something!
The second knife I own is a Free K2X, an altogether bigger, heavier knife which has its job in Aviation.
I wanted a knife that, again, was fairly simple but had some specific features; it had to have a locking blade, the blade had to have a serrated edge on at least part of the length, it had to have a Philips and a flat blade screwdriver and it had to be well made. The K2X satisfies all of those criteria and more.
It is probably double the weight of the C33 but that was not really an issue as it would be carried in my flight bag or pocket and only whilst walking to/from the aircraft or flying. The blade is a whopping 3 1/2" long with about 1" of serrated edge. The lock release is much better thought out, using a small button at the top of the body to release the blade. The blade and tools can be opened single handed and with some practise, the blade can be 'flicked' open.
There are three tools on the opposite side; the essential (or so Leatherman think) Philips screwdriver which also has a bottle opener, a flat bladed screwdriver which also has a reamer and a smaller screwdriver which can poke holes in hose pipe and also has a scraper/reamer as well.
A belt clip completes the knife which again, can easily be removed with a suitable Torx screwdriver.
Both knives look and feel great and obviously a lot of time and effort has gone into their respective designs. They are not the cheapest of knives, but quality comes at a price and it is a price I am prepared to pay for something that will last me a lifetime.
I own a couple of large Nalgene bottles which are great for carrying water and fully leakproof, their only downside is that the mouth is too wide often resulting in spillage when trying to drink from it. A friend had a water-to-go bottle and I was impressed. It has a built in filter which, it is claimed, is good for 200 litres of water. Interesting when the bottle itself is 75cl, but hey ho, we can all do the maths.
So, how does it perform and why only three stars? The drinking spout is protected by a cover which locks into place, that is good, it prevents contamination if dropped and can be opened with the same hand used to hold the bottle. 75cl is a good size, slightly bigger than my small (50cl) Nalgene bottle that I normally use for drinking. However! Filling the bottle to the top causes a capillary action by the filter which forces water out of the top, making it leak even when held or carried vertically. This is at best, irritating as my rucsac gets wet which then leaks onto my leg. This action continues until the water level in the bottle drops below the filter level, which extends downwards almost half the length of the bottle.
If that weren't bad enough, to get the water out, it has to be sucked through the filter so requires work to be done to take a drink. Sounds simple enough, but when you've climbed a mountain in hot weather and really need a drink, the last thing you want to do is to be sucking for all you are worth to extract the water.
I have tried to contact the company to ask if I am doing something wrong, but their 'Contact Us' webpage locks up when trying to submit a request, rather ironic I thought.