Tent Care: 11 Tips For Longer Tent Life

James WerbOutdoor EquipmentLeave a Comment

Your tent is often your primary form of shelter when out on a trip as well as being one of the more expensive items of outdoor equipment so it makes sense to take care of it.

A good quality tent should last for years without too much attention but here’s some handy tips to help you extend the life of your tent and keep it in service for as long as possible.

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The Essential Guide To Wilderness Water Treatment

James WerbWaterLeave a Comment

Water Treatment Cover

Having a safe source of water is one of the most important considerations when planning any wilderness trip. Unfortunately even the cleanest looking water can still contain various potential contaminants.

This guide will give you the essential information on the 5 main water contaminants, how to choose a safe water source and the various water treatment options to make it safe to drink.

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Walking the Pennine Way for Young Minds

James WerbHiking2 Comments

Pennine Way and Young Minds

The Pennine Way, a sprawling 268 mile trail along the spine of Britain, stretching all the way from Edale in the Peak District up to Kirk Yetholm, just past the Scottish border.

While it’s not the longest path in the UK (that title goes to the South West Coast Path), it is certainly one of the toughest. Notorious peat bogs, unpredictable weather (this is the UK after all) and a climb of around 12,000 metres (40,000 feet) over the length of the walk make it quite a challenge to say the least.

This is the challenge that we’re going to take on in August 2016 in order to raise money for Young Minds. To make it even harder we’ll be carrying all of our equipment, food and supplies with us on our backs. That means no fancy hotel rooms or shuttle services carrying our packs for us. We’ll be as self sufficient as possible and of course walking the route in one go.

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How To Look After Your Sleeping Bag

James WerbOutdoor EquipmentLeave a Comment

How To Look After Your Sleeping Bag

You may well have invested quite a bit of money into your sleeping bag so that you can enjoy as many nights out under the stars as possible. Your sleeping bag will keep you warm and comfortable for years to come as long as you look after it both out in the wilds and at home.

There are two types of insulation used to fill sleeping bags, synthetic and down. Make sure you know which yours is especially before cleaning it as they require different methods to make sure they aren’t damaged in the process. Neither like getting wet but down is particularly not fond of water and can take an age to dry. Not good if you’re relying on it for a good night sleep.

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MSR Hubba Hubba NX: First Impressions

James WerbOutdoor Equipment Reviews3 Comments

MSR Hubba Hubba NX

Whenever I’m looking to buy any new item of outdoor equipment, it usually involves extensive research. I can spend hours pouring over reviews, and speaking to other outdoor enthusiasts. No one wants to make the wrong decision especially on gear that you’ve not only paid hard earned cash for but also could be trusting your life to on an extended trip in the backcountry.

Back in August I was in that familiar position thinking ‘I need a new tent’. I’ve bought quite a few over the years but I find with experience my requirements getting more specific. When I started it was, “I need a tent”, but now it’s more, “I need a 2 person lightweight tent, that’s freestanding and robust”. In fact that was pretty much the exact criteria I had for my last purchase.

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