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21st Dec 2009 Sleeping Bag: Ajungulak Sphere
What an amazing bag! In need of a lightweight sleeping bag for most occasions Ajungulak supplied this little baby just in time for the summer. I used it repeatedly and have not a single complaint....
2nd Dec 2009 Guidebook: The Roaches Definitive Guide by The BMC
Was it worth the wait? I can't compare it with the Froggatt guide as that's not out yet, but I can say this: with every guide that Niall produces on behalf of the BMC, he does a better and better...
19th Oct 2009 Sleeping Bag: TNF Blue Kazoo
Back in September last year we reviewed the TNF Blue Kazoo, an exciting new bag for the ‘fairer sex’. It received a favourable review, with a roomy foot area, no snagging material, toasty and...
17th Oct 2009 Washbag: The North Face Canister
Many tears ago The North Face began hit upon the genius idea of making some very eye-catching and durable kit bags and presumably gave them away left right and centre to expeditions heading to the...
16th Oct 2009 Guidebook: Parisellas Cave - Ground Up Productions
Situated on the picturesque Marine drive, right next to the popular tourist town of Llandudno Parisella’s is regarded as one of, if not the premiere hard bouldering venues in the British Isles,...
13th Oct 2009 Waterproof Trousers: Montane Featherlight Pants
Retailing at £39.99 and weighing in at 120g these must rank as one of the most expensive pence-per-gram bit of outdoor kit, but that shouldn’t stop you buying them! Granted, if you are off for...
7th Oct 2009 Insect Repellent: Lifesystems Kids Formula
Using natural oils from lemon and eucalyptus this insect repellent is designed specifically for kids. Isn't it strange how we will liberally cover ourselves in all sorts of horrible...
6th Oct 2009 Rucksack: Quechua Forclaz 70 & 10 Symbium 4
Despite a rather silly name this pack is a pretty good buy. It’s big, though not the biggest on the market, comfortable, packed full of features and pretty inexpensive to boot. My main worry...
5th Oct 2009 Sun Cream: Life Ventures Jelly Fish 30
What a great idea! Waterproof sun cream with built in ant-jelly fish formula. Not particularly necessary in Sheffield or the Peak District, but perfect for a deep water soloing trip to Mallorca...
15th Sep 2009 Harness: Black Diamond Women's Aura Harness
This is a lightweight (300 grams) women’s sport climbing harness with a simple design and no fussy bits. Despite its minimalist nature, the harness feels well-made and reassuringly strong. ...
14th Sep 2009 Sandals: Teva The Original
Teva claim to be the pioneers in sports sandal design and manufacture producing their first sandal 25 years ago. With ‘The Original’ Teva have re-launched their classic design for 2009 adding...
9th Sep 2009 Helmet: Quechua Bionnassay (Decathlon)
This helmet is designed for climbers, mountaineers and regular cyclists. It retails at £29.95 from Decathlon. We had a size small to review, so it became and cycling, climbing and scootering...
8th Sep 2009 Tent: T2 Ultralight Pro Hiking Tent - Quechua (Decathlon)
As the name suggests, this is a tent aimed at those wishing to save weight whilst camping, whether you plan to hike with your tent or, as is so often the case in this day and age – if your...
1st Sep 2009 Guidebook: Gogarth North
Published by Ground Up Productions - Dec 2008 Scarcely has a guide been more eagerly anticipated than the recent offering from the North Wales based Ground Up crew. And after their popular...
1st Sep 2009 Guidebook: Scottish Rock Volume 2 - North by Garry Latter 2009
Published by Presda Press Whilst the reputation and quality of Scottish climbing has always been held in high regard by those ‘in the know’, many British climbers rarely if ever actually make...
1st Aug 2009 Tarp: Decathlon Tarp
I don’t know why I haven't always taken one of these camping with me. It's essentially a large, lightweight tarpaulin, with sewn in eyelets at the corners and along the edges, with a series of...
1st Aug 2009 Sleeping Bag: Decathlon Sleepin'Bed
Designed primarily with festival goers in mind this neat idea is basically a sleeping bag with a built in self-inflating mattress and pillow. You simply unroll it, blow it up, and you have a ready...
1st Aug 2009 Tent: Decathlon 2 Second II Tent
Whether Decathlon were the first people to market the pop-up tent is immaterial really. I am sure I recall early prototypes back in the 80's, but what the mega-sports store has done is make them...
1st Aug 2009 Rucksack: Vango Boulder 25
A diddy little day sack that should be our default sack for heading out of the house. It holds 25 litres, enough space theoretically for a day walk, trip into town etc. In reality the frame is so...
31st Jul 2009 Shirt: Sprayway Mori Shirt
Made from the new super material Bamboo this is a comfortable and good-looking stylish shirt that works well either out cragging, walking or out on the town. It feels strangely heavier than the...
31st Jul 2009 Teeshirt: Sprayway Mori Tee
Intrigued that one can make clothes out of Bamboo I did a little research on the subject and found some interesting facts. And lots of them! Bamboo is soft, antibacterial, incredibly quick-drying,...
31st Jul 2009 Thermal: Sprayway Mori Zipped Top
Weighing just 239g and made of bamboo the Mori Zipped Top is part of a large range of lightweight, high wicking, odourless and environmentally friendly clothing from Sprayway. It' is close fitting...
31st Jul 2009 Trousers: Sprayway Mori Combi Pant
Here's a dilemma: do you wear trousers that look great and carry a pair of shorts in your bag, or do you sacrifice a bit of the style to wear a pair of trousers with legs that zip off to leave a...
31st Jul 2009 Walking Boots: Scarpa Ladies Manta
The Scarpa Manta Boots are recommended for up to Grade 3 winter climbing and I would fully back that up. They felt amazingly light for the amount of support they provided for my ankle and...
31st Jul 2009 Trousers: Srayway Torino Pant
I have been reviewing a few of Sprayway’s new Bamboo range so was expecting something quite different from the Torino Pant when they arrived. At first I returned them for a larger pair as the...
31st Jul 2009 Top: Sprayway Torino Zipped
My immediate reaction to the Sprayway Torino zipped top was how light it was. There’s a helluva lot of performance packed into 200grams. The bamboo material is soft on the skin and not at all...
30th Jul 2009 Top: Sprayway Torino Top
The Sprayway Torino top is made of bamboo. This is an incredibly soft material, but does not compromise on durability or elasticity. I have worn it a great deal and it still looks good, there has...
28th Jul 2009 Rucksack Cover: Osprey Airporter LZ
Another clever bag from Osprey. I once had a bouldering mat that came in a heavy duty bag. When travelling to the US for a road trip with a massive luggage allowance, but no rucksack big enough to...
28th Jul 2009 Rucksack Cover: Osprey Rainguard UL
Osprey UL Raincover A neat lightweight and waterproof cover with an elasticated hem to stretch over your sack in heavy rain. I’ve found it particularly useful when leaving my pack at the base of...
28th Jul 2009 Rucksack: Osprey Solo
A simple, yet effective back-hugging sack that clips onto most of the Osprey range using one of a series of special clip-sets. Basically it gives you an additional 8 litres on top of whatever pack...
28th Jul 2009 Rucksack: Osprey Circuit
A simple bag designed for use by your average commuter or student, with laptop, files and the like, the Circuit doubles incredibly well as a regular day bag for a family with a coupel of kids....
28th Jul 2009 Rucksack: Osprey Mutant 38
I realised that most of the rucksacks I owned were old or badly designed so approached Osprey to see if they would like any of their new models reviewing. This is the first of the packs to arrive,...
7th Jul 2009 Groundsheet: TNF Minibus 23 Footprint
Retailing at £25 some would argue that it's a little cheeky of TNF to charge extra for a groundsheet, but essentially this is an additional groundsheet that will prolong the life of your sewn in...
7th Jul 2009 Fleece: Henri Lloyd Flare Hood
Eighty five quid for a hooded fleece is a lot of money in my book. If you’re into designer labels then it’s probably a snip, and a well made one at that, but iif you’re not, then you will...
6th Jul 2009 Stuffsacks: POD Airstream Drysacs
POD are now world renowned for their good quality bags. Granted they normally make rucksacks, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to transfer some of their skills to related kit....
23rd Jun 2009 Running Shoes: Inov8 Roclite 295
It wasn’t until I read their weight that I realised what the 295 stood for! Sensible I suppose, but it always confounds me when products are given numbers as numbers just aren’t sexy. Talking...
17th Jun 2009 Thermal: Montane Balance Shirt
This shirt retails at £40 which, in my eyes is a lot of money to pay for a base layer. That said, it’s the best base layer I’ve yet owned. It’s a kind of cross between your skinny thermal...
16th Jun 2009 Avalanche Probe: Mammut Probe Light
The Mammut Probe Light is a six-piece aluminium avalanche rescue tool that allows the user to locate buried victims up to 240cm below the snow. This probe is part of Mammut’s range of mountain...
8th Jun 2009 Shovel: Mammut Raptor Shovel
The Mammut Raptor is an all-in-one telescopic rescue snow shovel. This shovel is part of Mammut’s range of mountain safety equipment together with probes, avalanche transceivers and packs. The...
8th Jun 2009 Rucksack: Mammut Spindrift 40
The Mammut Spindrift 40 is a 40 litre pack aimed specifically at the off-piste / back-country skier or boarder, however it would be equally suited as a day pack for light weight mountaineering....
7th Jun 2009 Belay Device: Black Diamond ATC Sport
The ATC (Air Traffic Controller for those who don’t remember its original name) is one of my favourite of the basic belay devices. I've used them on and off over the years and rate them for...
1st Jun 2009 Sandals: Merrell Chameleon Cargo Sandal
I love flip-flops – they are cool in both senses of the word and are great for wandering to the beach or around a campsite. The trouble with flip-flops is that they become a liability as you...
5th Jan 2009 Helmet: Black Diamond Half Dome
What Black Diamond say: The Black Diamond Half Dome. Black Diamond classic, go-anywhere climbing helmet, the Half Dome is designed with maximum coverage and minimal weight. It features a...
5th Jan 2009 Tent: The North Face Spectrum
What The North Face Say: Developed for multisport athletes, the Flight Series" features ultralight, multi-purpose apparel, equipment and footwear. This athlete-tested performance collection is...
7th Apr 2009 Digital Printing: Posing Productions
Travel back in time just a couple of years and ask any self respecting photographer what they thought of the cometh of the digital revolution. You’d usually hear a resounding denial that it...
12th May 2009 Rucksack: Wenger Swissgear Rival
You may not have heard of Wegner, but as the company that makes the Swiss Army Knifes, you quite probably have one of their products. These days they’ve branched out into backpacks and this –...
8th May 2009 Rock Shoe: 5.10 Anasazi V1
5.10 make the best rubber. After 17 years of climbing, in some 40 different makes and models of shoe, it’s the conclusion I’ve come to. The Anasazi V1 (previously called the Anasazi Velcro)...
15th Apr 2009 Tent: The North Face Minibus 23
Weighing in at 3.25Kg this is a seriously light weight 3 season, 3 person tent. We've actually used it for four, though two of these four were aged 3 months and 2 years! Still, there was plenty of...
3rd Apr 2009 Tent: Vango Equinox 450 & Footprint
This is the tent I’ve been looking for for a couple of years now. We’d previously been managing with a very inferior version of the same sort of tunnel style family tent. Two years of sporadic...
3rd Apr 2009 Fleece: Merrell Stride Jacket
The Merrell Stride is a stylish jacket that is suitable for the outdoors and around town. When I have been out climbing and walking it has been warm and comfortable; it feels really soft and...
2nd Apr 2009 Sleeping Bag: Ajungilak Mammut Kira 3 Season ?Womens? Sleeping Bag
So, a women-specific sleeping bag….“What is the deal with that?” Surely a sleeping bag is a sleeping bag, maybe the shape could be more specific and I have always been a bit annoyed that...
26th Mar 2009 Waterproof Jacket: Sprayway Arista Pro (Women's)
The Sprayway Arista Pro women’s waterproof jacket is a lightweight, yet tough and durable jacket. It weighs only 333g, and packs down nice and small. It still has lots of the features that I...
30th Mar 2009 Torch: Leatherman S3
On seeing a price tag of £69.95 for a small pocket torch, one tends to baulk. That said, it has a 100 lumens bulb (which is extremely bright) and a 10 year warranty. Built by legendary American...
24th Mar 2009 Cooking Pans: Vango Stainless Steel Kettle
This is a stainless steel and black plastic handled kettle. Built in the classic kettle design with a whistling spout. Pros Elegant design with a positive handle, you just know its not going to...
24th Mar 2009 Guidebook: Llanberis
It's easy to forget that there are other guide book publishers operating in the UK what with the BMC / Rockfax power struggle. Vertebrate Graphics have recently entered the fray with a series of...
24th Mar 2009 Jacket: RAB Neutrino Pertex Black/Grey (M)
Review RAB Neutrino Pertex Black/Grey (m) Marketed as a Windproof and Showerproof Retail Price This was a plain jacket with no major external markings or colours, other than the discrete RAB...
24th Mar 2009 Cooking Pans: Vango No Stick Cook Kit
It’s a shame that nobody has yet invented a non-stick surface that is long lasting. Non-stick camping pans are the way forward when washing up in cold rivers or even the sea. A quick squirt of...
24th Mar 2009 Guidebook: Ibiza
A typical continental guide – poorly illustrated with fuzzy pictures. For some reason known only to the guidebook author they have repeated every word and every image / topo, effectively...
24th Mar 2009 Guidebook: Le Chaos De Targasonne Topo Guide
Targasonne looks like a stunning place to both climb and boulder. This book covers both, but concentrates on the latter. Some argue it’s better than Fontainebleau which means that, despite the...
24th Mar 2009 Walking Boots: Scarpa Charmoz GTX (B2)
Scarpa Boots During the recent freeze I ventured out onto some local frozen turf in my plastic boots. The short walk to the bottom of the gulley was akin to a Monty Python Ministry Of Silly Walks...
24th Mar 2009 Guidebook: Essential Fontaineblau
A quaint and sensible idea, cramming the best of Font into a single light weight, small-format book that you can put in your shorts pocket for the day, this is a commendable guide. 350 'essential'...
24th Mar 2009 Book: Cool Camping Cookbook
A fun book detailing recipes for a plethora of food that is easy to cook whilst camping. Useful for the car boot camper who doesn’t mind taking half their kitchen implements with them,...
24th Mar 2009 Guidebooks: Cool Camping (England, Wales, Scotland & France)
Cool Camping Collection Fantastic I though as I received my copies of the Cool Camping series (England, Wales, Scotland & France). A decent sounding set of guidebooks to the better campsites in...
5th Jan 2009 Book: Who's Who Of British Climbing
“Dad,” said Son Number One, tossing a substantial paperback towards me, “I think you’ll enjoy this; keep it by the loo.” I flicked through it. Familiar names appeared: I was holding an...
2nd Feb 2009 Guidebook: 7's & 8's Guide to Fontainebleau
When Bart Van Raaij produced the first version of this book, a lot of people applauded. It was a serious guidebook for serious climbers, focusing solely on the upper grades and ignoring the needs...
16th Feb 2009 Rucksack: Black Diamond Ascent Speed 40
BD don't pull any punches in their introduction to the Ascent series of impressive-looking lightweight climbing packs: "All-purpose, spartan rucksacks for mountain use, the top-loading Speed 40...
20th Mar 2009 Waterproof: The North Face Hydrogen Jacket
Weighing in at 87g this is a seriously light zipped waterproof shell. It may not be breathable (rip-stop nylon), but then again it’s not designed for trekking with a heavy sack on. This is the...
20th Mar 2009 Waterproof: The North Face Triumph
We recently reviewed the ultra lightweight Hydrogen jacket, also by TNF, which weighs in at a mere 87g. However, it isn’t really a fully functional waterproof jacket, with no hood, and non...
20th Mar 2009 Softshell Jacket: Millet Polartec Premium Shield
I’ve had a couple of soft shells for a number of years now, and rate them very highly indeed, so it was with interest that I received this model from Millet. The Polartec Power Shield fabric...
20th Mar 2009 Light: Black Diamond Apollo Light
After throwing away the instructions and then spending 10 minutes figuring out exactly what the Apollo does and how it does it I was very impressed indeed, so much so that when packing for a...
20th Mar 2009 Guidebook: Peak District Climbing
It’s funny, when I started climbing the BMC and various climbing clubs around the country were responsible for virtually all of our country’s guide books. Then along came Rockfax and upset the...
20th Mar 2009 Harness: Arc?Teryx r320 Harness
Every now ang again somebody in the climbing worked comes up with something truly revolutionary. Arc’Teryx have done just that with their WARP technology. It’s a simple concept, and one which...
20th Mar 2009 Book: Stone Play
My first impression of Stone Play was that this was a book full of pretty pictures and pretentious quotes about bouldering attempting to justify what to many of the world’s population is a...
20th Mar 2009 Running Shoes: TNF Arnuva 50 Boa
Weighing in at 709g these are a very light weight pair of running shoes with a fairly major difference to most. The traditional lacing system has been replaced with a fairly neat wired closure...
20th Mar 2009 Guidebook: Wild Swimming
Well, what a wonderful book. The depth of coverage, the erudite and enthusiastic text, the accuracy of information and, above all, the infectious enthusiasm which shines through every page makes...
19th Mar 2009 Approach Shoes: Merrell Quantum Mock Shoes
Not really sure what these shoes are for. Personally I use them as my smart shoes. They have a leather upper which looks great, but dirties easily. The chunky sole gives them an Approach Shoe air,...
19th Mar 2009 Sleeping Mat: Multimat ? Summit 25 / 38
Reviewing a sleeping mat is pretty tricky so let’s start with the vital statistics: When inflated it is 1830x510x38mm, and when packed it is 270x150. It weighs 815g and costs £70. What’s...
19th Mar 2009 Rucsack: Osprey Talon 44
Weighing in at just over a kilogram for a 44 litre sack The Talon 44 is pretty light, but not the lightest model out there. This pack, although very well made, functional, and stylish, has a...
19th Mar 2009 Sleeping Mat: Ajungilak / Mammut D-Luxe Pump Mat
My favourite sleeping mat yet. Apart from the semi-amusing farting noises that accompany the inflation process, I can’t fault it. It is effectively a cross between a Thermarest and a Lilo, with...
19th Mar 2009 Bouldering Mat: Black Diamond BlocBox Bag
A neat little idea that ism in reality, a bit excessive, but nevertheless quite appealing. The Impact Bag is a miniature, folding bouldering mat whose sides zip together to form a bag. If you are...
19th Mar 2009 Waterproof Jacket: Berghaus Acolyte
Berghaus Acolyte Jacket I love the YELLOW colour of this jacket. It certainly makes you easy to spot in a crowd. Designed for climbing Big Walls I rather suspect that the vast majority of these...
19th Mar 2009 Waterproof Trousers: The North Face Ventura Pants
North Face Venture Pants: Waterproof Trousers My first experience with these trousers was awful. I was in the extremely wet Yorkshire Dales- boasting to my mates about my brand new waterproof...
16th Mar 2009 Running Shoes: The North Face Rucky Chucky
The new 'Rucky Chucky' trail shoes from The North Face The North Face seem to be terribly pleased with these new, snazzy-looking lightweight, mountain trail running shoes. They comment that "the...