Reviews
If you would like your product reviewing, and the review published on the Heason Events website, Facebook Page and Twitter account please read this.
Search by Category:
Books, Guides & Maps | Boots & Shoes | Climbing Equipment | Clothing | Food | Gloves | Jackets & Waterproofs | Rucksacks & Bags | Sleeping Bags & Mattresses | Stoves | Tents | Torches & Lighting | Other
Or by Activity:
Running | Climbing | Cycling | Walking | Camping
Or By The Most Recent List Below:
11th Dec 2013 Isla Bike - Beinn 20 Small Review
Our kids first bikes were basic affairs, heavier than lead, ineffective brakes and with tiny wheels. They'd both actually started off on balance bikes (bikes with no pedals that teach them how to...
21st Nov 2013 Dixon Sport RX - Prescription Glasses
For years I've run and biked and struggled to see properly. It doesn't really matter on a nice day when you're pootling along, but when the light levels drop, you p;lunge into a copse of trees, or...
16th Oct 2013 SPI Running Pouch
There's not a whole lot that I can write about this belt apart from the fact that it's a great little idea. So it's a sunny day and you are heading out for a run. None of your articles of clothing...
11th Oct 2013 Valhalla - Ski Film
Just reviewed this amazing ski film from Sweetgrass Productions. Details here.
7th Oct 2013 Thule Euro Classic 929 G6 Bike Carrier
Thule Euro Classic 929 G6 I do love the fact that with billions of brains available every now and again one of them comes up with a new idea that revolutionises a previously saturated area or...
20th Sep 2013 Magicshine MJ886 Headtorch
A while back I tested a Magic Shine MJ880 bike light. I was impressed. It was very bright, well made, light weight and affordable to boot. So I had high expectations of this head torch. First off...
19th Sep 2013 Garmin Forerunner 910 XT Sportswatch
Garmin Forerunner 910 XT A month or two back I reviewed the Garmin Fenix GPS watch which was aimed at runners and outdoors folk (walkers, hunters, fisherman etc). It was great, but had its...
18th Sep 2013 MSR Windpro II Stove
I’d been on the lookout for a remote canister stove for a while as I was keen on the stability offered versus the likes of the MSR Pocket Rocket which sits on top of the gas canister. Plus I was...
17th Sep 2013 Inov-8 Windshell
I've run in a few windshells over the years and have to say that whist they may have provided a barrier between me and the wind, that's about all they have done. Generally speaking running tops do...
11th Sep 2013 Zamberlan Crosser Approach Shoe
Many moons ago my first ever pair of proper walking boots were a par of Zamberlans. I can't recall the actual model, but the brand name has stuck in my memory for nearly three decades! I remember...
10th Sep 2013 Raidlight Ultra Olmo 12 Hydration Rucksack
In a recent review for some Inov-8 shoes I mentioned an upcoming mountain marathon in the Pyrenees that I had been training for. Just as my runs started to really pick up in distance, to the...
9th Sep 2013 Wild Country Hoolie 4 - Tent
The Wild Country Hoolie 4 tent is a four man tunnel tent. Lightweight (at 3.6 kg), it is a great little tent for backpacking/touring and a quick overnight stay. It’s small when packed (44 cm x...
3rd Sep 2013 Berghaus Kanchenjunga Jacket
Retails £300 Website If you like pockets you will love this jacket. It has 7 of them! Two where you would expect them, although higher than standard waterproofs to enable access whilst wearing a...
30th Aug 2013 Multimat Superlight 25
Long gone are the days of having to strap giant sausage shaped packets to the outside of your rucksack and worrying about them getting wet in the rain and snagging on tree branches. Mats like the...
23rd Aug 2013 Book review: 'Adventures in Mind' by Heather Dawe
One of the advantages of being married to an adventure sports writer is all the hand-me-down kit I get. It means I look like a clown sometimes in an array of clashing colours - a purple...
25th Jul 2013 Garmin Edge 810 Bike Computer
Hot on the heels of my review of the Garmin Fenix GPS watch comes this review of the 810 cycle computer. Whilst reviewing the watch it quickly became evident that whilst it was up to the job of...
18th Jul 2013 Strava
Strava is a a piece of software that’s quite literally revolutionised my running and biking. I’ve had a smartphone for a while and had experimented with various GPS tracking devices which tell...
12th Jul 2013 Trailroc 245 Running Shoes - Inov-8
Back in April I went to a free natural running clinic and then as a result got some Trailroc 245’s to review. At the start of the year I started running much more consistently. I’ve always...
11th Jul 2013 Garmin Fenix GPS Watch
Garmin now offer a bewildering array of GPS sports watches. The Fenix is aimed at a cross section including runners, bikers, walkers, fishermen and hunters! OK, so I don’t really fall into the...
10th Jul 2013 Primus Eta Power
The Stove The Eta Power is one of a newish generation of super efficient stoves which incorporate a built-in wind shield and heat exchangers. It runs on gas, with a nicely adjustable plastic turn...
21st Jun 2013 The North Face Pursuit Jacket
The North Face Men's Pursuit jacket for me places itself as a mid-weight, multi-purpose, technical shell jacket. Not enough features to really satisfy my needs as a full winter mountain shell, but...
20th Jun 2013 Berghaus Arete II 45 Rucsack
Retails at £70. 45l capacity. Weight 950g. Berghaus have billed this as a No Fuss, Versatile Mountaineering Pack and I would say that they are bang on. It’s very well designed indeed. The...
13th Jun 2013 Thermarest Neo Air XLite
Slowly over the years I’ve been accumulating a set of super-light-weight kit that we use when actually carrying loads as opposed to car-boot camping where space and weight are not a big issue....
11th Jun 2013 Wild Swimming Second Edition by Daniel Start
Back in 2009 Daniel Start published a lovely new book called Wild Swimming. It was essentially a cross between a proper guide book and a coffee table book detailing some of the best wild swimming...
15th May 2013 Active Run (AR) Hybrid Jacket - Craft
I find it strange that a brand can remain pretty much under the radar (well my radar at least) yet be producing some top notch kit. I recently reviewed a pair of their gloves that were outstanding...
10th May 2013 Harvey Maps - BMC
It's a common issue that people have always faced, a little like Murphy's law which states that a dropped piece of toast will always land jam-side down, that when you really need a map the area...
1st May 2013 VauDe Kids Gaiters
I wrote a review yesterday for a pair of kids gloves and said that I am excited that my kids are now getting old enough to warrant having proper outdoor kit. In the recent snow we had it was all...
30th Apr 2013 Junior Stretch Grip Glove - Sprayway
It’s exciting that my kids are now getting old enough to warrant buying technical kit for. Before a recent trip to Scotland at Easter where we expected (and got) cold weather, I sourced a pair...
23rd Apr 2013 Scarpa Rebel Carbon GTX Mountaineering Boots
Scarpa Rebel Carbon GTX Review by Steve Hodges I had an end of winter trip coming up and needed some new boots. An arthritic toe and long walk-ins had made the thought of my rather dated and...
18th Apr 2013 Trango World Micro Lite Sleeping Mattress
Weighing in at 712g this mattress is all about weight. It’s called a Micro Lite, and it is indeed very light. I’ve certainly slept on lighter ones, but they’ve been lighter for two obvious...
17th Apr 2013 The North Face Single-Track GTX XCR Running Shoes
Most of the running I do is off road, and when I say off road, I mean wet, muddy, tussocky, snowy, damp, boggy, rocky, and did I mention wet, as opposed to nice dry and even trails. However,...
12th Apr 2013 Scarpa Crux Approach Shoe
Retailing at £99.99 the Crux are amongst my favourite approach shoes that I’ve worn in recent years. They’re reasonably lightweight (394g) but sturdy workhorses at the same time. I’m a big...
9th Apr 2013 Inov-8 Bear Grip 200
When speaking to Inov-8 about needing a pair of shoes to cope with the unusual amounts of snow we’ve been having, and the mud that is likely to follow during the thaw they mentioned the Bear...
27th Mar 2013 Craft Hybrid Gloves
Every now and then a bit of kit comes by that really stands out. These gloves fall into that category. So simple, yet so effective. They are a basic glove with a couple of very, very useful...
5th Mar 2013 Salomon Speedcross 3 Running Shoes
Salomon Speedcross 3 A while back I reviewed a pair of Salomon Fellcross running shoes. I complained in the review that the tread was not very good on wet rock. The guys at Salomon suggested I try...
14th Mar 2013 Black Diamond EXL Rucsack
I’ve had this bag a while now and it’s proved to be a favourite on many fronts let down only by its volume. At 20 litres it’s really no more than a day pack with room only for your...
26th Feb 2013 The North Face men’s Zephyrus hoodie
The North Face men’s Zephyrus hoodie The Zephyrus hoodie is a lightweight synthetic jacket. Part of The North Face's Summit Series™ aimed at people tackling extreme weather and terrain. The...
14th Feb 2013 Pacsafe RFID-Blocking Wallets
A few months ago my Dad emailed me an article about the risks of credit card fraud due to the recent introduction of RFID chips into some of our cards. Basically, if you see a little symbol on...
8th Feb 2013 ShAFF Climbing Expert Night Review - Women’s Climbing Symposium
A few months ago watched this video by local filmmakers Outcrop Films. It piqued my interest. I’d heard of the Women’s Climbing Symposium before, and was aware that it had run for a second...
31st Jan 2013 Patagonia Mens Northwall Pants
Patagonia call them pants. I call them salopettes. Only just been able to really test these out as the winter had been so mild up until a few weeks ago. When it finally did get cold and snow I...
30th Jan 2013 Arc'teryx SV Gloves
Arc’Teryx Alpha SV Gloves I’ve had these gloves ready to use for a few months, but it wasn’t until a fortnight ago when the temperature dropped and the snow finally came that got the...
17th Jan 2013 France: Ariege by Rockfax
Rockfax website. Retails at £24.95. 312 pages. This is a guidebook I have long been awaiting. I’ve been lucky enough to have known the co-authors John and Anne Arran for many years, and it...