Tag

Fitness

Swedish West Coast Style

Didriksons is another new brand foe at the LD Mountain Centre for Winter 2015/16   Didrikson’s was formed by Julius and Hanna Didrikson’s on the western coast of Sweden back in 1913 when they started to produce work wear for fisherman in Grundsund with the goal of producing functional clothes, with a timeless design, to be worn every day, no matter what the weather.   Today Didrikson’s range has that functional scandi style and is perfect for customers who are looking for a function stylist urban parka at a reasonable... Read More

The summer holidays are fast approaching.

The school summer holidays are upon us, so here is some ideas of adventurous things to entertain kids of all ages  in the beautiful North East outdoors. Hadrian’s Wall Covering 83 miles the is plenty ground to cover and lots to do. There are some spectacular walks in the area near Housesteads, including the most photographed tree in the north at Sycamore gap made famous in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and numerous local weather pictures. Most of the forts have a number of events throughout the summer, culminating with English Heritage’s... Read More

Stay safe in the hot weather

With the mercury heading upwards and the sun coming out many of you will be heading out to enjoy the weather, but it is important to look after yourself. They say you should drink 2 litres of water a day, and this is very important when it is hot, so keep you water close to hand and easy accessible with a hydration bladder. Most rucksacks are compatible with bladders, but if yours isn’t, the level gauge on the Dukjug will help you keep track of how much you are drinking.... Read More

For the Outdoor Dad

Here are some ideas for father’s day for the Dad who would much rather be out on the hills, mountains or dales, than the fairways, greens or in the clubhouse. A traditional summer hat, the Abisko is made of Fjällräven’s G1000 Lite fabric, offering durability as well as weather protection. Applying Greenland Wax to the fabric will improve its water resistance, making this a fantastic hat for trekking or travelling. The wide brim can be folded in at the sides and held in place with press-studs and an adjustable chin... Read More

Gemma’s Morocco Trip

Last Tuesday a group of 13 from all around the country (many never having met before) met at stupid o’clock in Gatwick airport to head to Morocco to climb the highest mountain in North Africa Mount Toubkal (4,167m). After a very early flight to Marrakesh and bus trip up to the village of Imlil our first task was to walk to the valley to our guides home village of Arourmd.   Once we arrived in the village we got our first proper look at the mountains we were about to go walking... Read More

Seven Super Bits of Kit for £70 or Under

  In this blog we are going to look at seven staff favourites for £70 or under, these are not leave home without pieces those handy little bits that make outdoor life easier and more comfortable.     Brunton Revolt 4000   In this day and age when most people have a quiver of gadgets that they will need to charge at some point, the Brunton revolt is an ideal peice of kit to put the power bag in your tech.  The revolt is a dpendable tough charger for your... Read More

50 years old the toughest of our national trails.

    The Pennine way is 50 years old today; the Pennine Way was the brain child of Tom Stephenson  a journalist with the Evening Herald who was inspired by trials in north America such as the Appalachian Trail.  Although Tom first conceived the idea in 1935 it wasn’t till 1965 the first of our national trails was open. The Pennine way starts from Edale in the Peak District heads through the Yorkshire Dales to the then through gods own County Northumberland and finishing in Kirk Yetholm in Border Country.... Read More

Two Hours in a Freezer with a Climber and an Ultra Runner

Have you ever wondered how outdoor kit is tested? Recently I was lucky enough to be invited to witness the testing of some Montane down and synthetic down insulation pieces at Northumbria University.         Montane had arranged for Montane athletes, Andy Kirkpatrick and Marcus Scotney to attend the cold chamber in the sports science department at Northumbria University. First the athletes needed to be wired and probed. Temperature monitors were taped to the outside of the jackets, to the athletes bicep under the jacket and inserted into... Read More

A Kyrgyzstan Snowboarding Adventure Part 2

Safe Safety Equipment Ortovox avalanche transceiver (with new batteries and spares). Mines becoming a little dated now so I will update when the new lines come out next year. A good resource I found is beaconreviews.com. BCA metal shovel – better without the ripples in the bottom so the snow doesn’t stick. Plastic ones aren’t great when going into ice so I’d go metal every time. Black diamond 260 probe. Deuter ABS on top 30 litre pack. The pack itself was decent and one of the better ones out there.... Read More

Stuff the Duffel – How much kit can a Base Camp duffel take? Part 4 (series of 5)

We looked at the medium yesterday and you can see the results of the weigh-in here. For Number four   in our duffel series we’re going to stuff the Extra Large  North Face Base Camp with a load of kit for a trip to the winter climbing in Scotland North Face Base Camp Duffel – Extra Large Dimensions when fully packed (approx) W:48cm D:48 cm L:81 cm Capacity in litres: 155   Ideal for:  weekend in the lakes , a trip to the snowdome, school trip, a days paddling,a weekend... Read More