TrekSumo

A few years ago, polar explorer and legend Conrad Dickson and I were discussing how to choose a winter shell jacket for expeditions and hiking. The conversation came off the back of my frugal approach to hikes and treks: having one option that works in all environments. We settled on one manufacturer – Montane, a UK outdoor gear company without whose amazing products I wouldn’t be writing this Montane eVent Alpine Endurance review.

As you’ve probably guessed, Montane have been one of my favourite equipment manufacturers for some time now. I first used one of their eVent shell jackets back in 2015 when I did a short ski in the Finse area of Norway.

Now you have the history of my involvement, let’s get into the review…

Have you ever wondered which Trail food will give you the best bang for buck on your hikes? This is a question that to be raised a few times by friends and colleagues of mine. There are many onflicting views about which food they should be taking on the hikes? I’ve done a bit of research and combined the findings with my own personal experience garnered over the course of 30 years to produce this post is based on a combination of personal experience and research. Without further ado here is my top 20 list of the best hiking snacks you can cram into your backpack.

The core ideas we’re going to discuss in this post don’t exactly fit into the fitness. But carbs and proteins are essential to any expedition you embark on. Knowing how many calories are burned hiking is great. What’s more important is where those calories come from.

Are you having trouble finding the perfect hiking boots to fit with your hiking activities? It can be pretty hard making the right choice, there are so many options out there. Today we are going to kick off our voyage into the mysterious world hiking boots with a Merrell Moab 2 review post. Let’s see what you get for your money.

Unlike some websites I buy, borrow or steal the equipment reviewed (apart from the piece I wrote about the best hiking watch of 2019). Everything I wear, everything I use and everything I review is owned by me. Regardless of whether it’s hiking gear or trekking kit – it’s all mine.

Okay, let’s get this review on the trail.

No hiking website would be complete without a Garmin eTrex 10 review. This valuable member of the hiking equipment community has been available since 2005 and, in my mind, is a candidate for the best gps for hiking award.

Whilst not the most advanced of GPS devices the eTrex 10 has all the functionality that most hikers will ever need.

So, let’s see what it’s all about.

There are countless backpacking and camping guides out there that will teach you exactly which equipment you need to cram into your backpack. Numerous websites will tell you about the  best shell jacket you need to take for a long-distance trek, or the lightweight camping stove that you really need to buy. Rather than revisit what I consider to be well explored territory this hikers packing list will focus on those little extras that will make your hikes and treks all the more fun.

At first, I’d like to distinguish between the two prevailing mindsets in the hiking community. The first is that any hike or expedition should be painful. What this means is that if you’re not suffering some kind of discomfort, then you’re not on a real journey. In some ways I’m inclined to agree with this; our minds and bodies were designed to adapt when stressed.

Base layer clothing is meant to keep you cool and dry. How often have you peeled off your fleece, or mid-layer, only to find yourself cold and slicked in sweat? Help is at hand. For anyone who hasn’t experienced the joy of the Brynje Super Thermo base layer system, this is the review for you.

First a story…

Brynje are a manufacturer of premium cold weather and sports equipment. And their gear is good, really good.

I first heard about their gear around four years ago, when I was skiing across Norway. During one of my water stops a small group of women skiers paused on their ski tour and started chatting to me. As we talked one of them pulled off her shell jacket in order to cool down. Underneath her jacket she was wearing a mesh base layer.

Hiking watches are a personal thing: some of my fellow explorers and hikers take an approach of simplicity over tech. Others prefer to wear a watch that not only looks cool but is also packed full of the latest gadgetry. I’m one of the former – for me a watch should not be at the epicentre of events that mean the difference between life and death. That said, I’ve used some pretty cool gear over the years and today we’re going to look at the best hiking watch options currently available in 2019.

All the watches you’ll see here have been tested by either myself, or my friends and travelling companions.