Salewa Raven Boots: A Review

Introduction

Weighing around the same as their competitors, but quite a bit cheaper, the Salewa Raven Mountain B2 boots are designed by Salewa for:

High mountain

Snow/Ice

Rocky/Technical Path

Mud/Grass

Mixed Mountain Terrain

I bought the boots around 18 months ago and have used them on a variety of terrain. The following is my review based on that use.

Black Diamond Speed 22: A Little Gem

Trying to get a spot on pack for scrambling is quite tough. Smaller packs tend to be a little short, not comfortable or not designed for the purpose. I recently reviewed the Lowe Alpine Illusion 16 that punches above its weight, but not always large enough. So I wanted a reasonably priced, narrow, comfortable pack of around 20 litres or slightly above. After a lot of research and looking around I settled on the Black Diamond Speed 22.

 

 

 

Lowe Alpine Illusion 16: A review

It’s no longer on Lowe Alpine’s website, but the Illusion 16 can be picked up for as little as £15. It started out life as a rope bag, but has been adopted by some as a lightweight day-sack. So what makes the Illusion a good pack?

 

 

LYO Freeze Dried Foods Traditional Polish Saurkraut: A Review

If you look up the process of freeze drying on the internet you will come across the word lyophilisation. This is one of several technical terms for the process. I can only presume that this is where the company LYO Foods and their co-operation partners Lyovit got their names from. They have been producing freeze dried meals since 1998 and received ‘The Gold Outdoor Industry Award’ in 2013. I’ve been looking for a UK supplier for 12 months or so and have finally found one. Base Camp Foods are based in Warrington, to the west of Manchester. I’ve had a couple of orders with the company and experienced their customer service. But more on them later, firstly I will cover the review of LYO Foods Traditional Polish Saurkraut.

 

North Ridge Onyx Smock: A Review

When I bought this smock, it was with reservations. I had been looking at picking up a Montane Fireball, but felt hat the pricing was a bit high. Looking at the Go Outdoors website I spotted the North Ridge Onyx Smock. My requirements for the top were pretty specific. Most of my insulated jackets have been purchased to be worn over the top of other layers on a stop/break or if the weather turns particularly cold. My mid-layer insulation pieces are generally fleece in nature, something I find only useful as a mid-layer. Fleeces let the wind through unless they are extremely thick, and I wanted something that was light and could be compressed to a small size. I required something quite close fitting, to be used as a mid-layer in the winter, and an outer layer in the summer. This is were the Onyx comes in because it uses Primaloft Infinity (Black Series) as it’s insulation.

 

 

Alpkit BruKit – Part 2

As mentioned in part one, I’ve been out to the Peak District and tested the BruKit in more extreme conditions. The temperature where I tested was at around 2C. Factoring in a wind of 15-20 mph and the temperature was running at about -5C to -7C.

Alpkit BruKit Review: Part 1

Jetboil and Primus seem to have cornered the market on convenient, reasonably light, stove systems. They have various models, from lightweight one man systems, to heavier multi person systems. There are competitors, but only a few, Fire Maple being one of them. But now there is another, although it is essentially a re-branded Fire Maple. Roll out the carpet, the Alpkit BruKit is here.

 

 

Review: RAB Atlas Pants....no, trousers....pants are y-fronts!

I’ve had a couple of pairs of RAB Atlas trousers for the last eighteen months or so. (Yes, trousers, not pants. As one fellow English blogger put it, using the word pants makes me think of Y-fronts. Strange that an English manufacturer should use a non-English word in that context. Especially considering that, as far as I know, the company founder, Rab Carrington, was originally based in Sheffield, but not sure if he was born there. Maybe someone could comment?) They have been very good trousers, and still are, pretty much. One pair in particular has been through the wars a little just lately. I thought it about time to review them and go over their pros and cons.

 

 

 

AQUAPAC Medium Stormproof Camera Pouch: The Good. And the Why?

My current camera case is a none waterproof type. It’s fine in the Summer, it will take a light shower. But heavier rain is an issue. If it rains heavily, it gets wet, and eventually the water gets through. The padding holds water and makes the case heavier. And worse than that, my camera gets wet. The advantage is that I can easily access my camera, and the case does a good job of protecting the camera from knocks. So what camera case for the winter. One that protects the camera from knocks and keeps the rain off. But still provides a reasonable time for access. I decided to try an Aquapac Medium Stormproof Camera Pouch which I picked up from a Outdoor Retailer for a little over £10. Firstly the key features, from Aquapac.

Outdoor Research Spectrum Sun Sleeves Review

Due to a large amount of scarring, and a skin graft the full length of my forearm I’m unfortunate to find myself, like many other people, in a high skin cancer risk group. So although bright sunny weather is great for walks, it has it’s risks. This requires that throughout the summer I have to always carry factor 50 sunscreen, and apply it when necessary. The problem with these creams and sprays is they don’t last all day, perhaps up to 8 hours. And a consistent coverage all over is not guaranteed.  And when you have a high skin cancer risk, it’s a perhaps too far. I have to know for certain, because forgetting to reapply could be potentially life threatening. And missing a spot is not an option.

My favorite sunscreen is the TOG24 spray on type (http://www.tog24.com/nuage-dry-spray-sunscreen-sp50-one.html). It’s easy to apply and quite resilient, but at £7.95 for a tiny tin that may last me a few days, it’s an expensive option. Lifesystems produce a nice SPF50 cream that works well, but it’s greasy. And at £8.50, is again expensive for the period of time it will offer protection (https://www.lifesystems.co.uk/product/sun-protection/mountain-suncream-spf-50).

These creams and sprays are great, but I think you start to become too dependent on them, and for me I tend to prefer other ways that are more consistent. In my case I have tended to wear long sleeve shirts in the hot weather which results in me getting quite hot, avoiding t-shirts. I go for shirts that are made of materials with at least a value of SPF30, but shirts with SPF50 are available. The problem with long sleeved shirts is that if I find some shelter, I can only roll the sleeves up so far. So how about if I could remove the sleeves, enter the Outdoor Research Spectrum Sun Sleeves.

Berghaus Vapour Light 20 Daysack

Other people's experiences may differ, but I have found that many of the rucksacks on the market with claims of back systems which will reduce the levels of perspiration do not work very well. It’s a little like the mistake of thinking that materials like Gore-Tex won’t make you sweat. It simply is, in most cases, not true. You still sweat in Gore-Tex, or Event, but this perspiration is transported away by the material in an attempt to limit the level of perspiration. This may not be true for everyone, some people perspire much more or less than others. The passive back systems on rucksacks are much the same. I’ve tried several packs and find that my back perspires regardless of the technology involved. More with some, less with others. When you have a rucksack on your back a micro climate is created between you and the pack where the temperature increases and you begin to perspire. This creates a highly humid space that I believe makes me sweat even more, much like hot and humid weather. In my case, it’s like the Tropics. What I have found is that my back perspires less with the Montane Medusa 32 I own as this has a quite small surface area in contact with my back. It’s this situation that has driven me to re-evaluate the rucksacks I own and possibly replace them with what maybe more comfortable alternatives. I’ve also made weight a bit more of a factor, so I decided to pick up one of the new Berghaus packs, the Vapour Light 20 day-sack.

Esbit Stainless steel solid fuel stove…….reasonably solid anyway!

I watched a video on Youtube the other day where someone was looking for a way to save 3g on the weight of his stove. I don’t know about others but that is just far to much for me. Saving a couple of hundred grammes is one thing, but to try and save 3? Each to their own. My own choices of stove have been either a Jetboil ZIP or a Trangia Triangle and alcohol stove with a titanium pot. I decided to see if I could drop a reasonable amount of weight without sacrificing heating ability.

Not a Horror Story – The Eagle Creek Pack-it Specter Quarter Cube

The choice for packing solutions for gear items is becoming ever more vast. It seems like every time I look on a website I find a new company producing stuff sacks, compression sacks and the like. It's becoming a bit of a minefield, there are some quite expensive products. I'm not keen on some of the ultra light materials as they can be a bit on the noisy side. I prefer Silnylon as it tends to be more abrasion resistant, and quieter. There's nothing worse than someone sat next to you rustling through a bag. I know that if you are wild camping there may be no one around. But I like to have minimum impact on my environment. Silnylon products are also generally cheaper. So I picked up an Eagle Creek Pack-it Specter Quarter Cube recently.

4 Fuel Bio-ethanol Gel Update

Okay, so following a comment from one of the 4Fuel team, I have conducted a second test with their gel fuel. I allowed more room for the fuel to burn by setting the pot higher on the stand. The flame is just visible.

 

 

Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid Initial Mini Update

Fuel4 Bio Ethanol Gel Fuel Review

I've already done a review of the Bio Ethanol spirit produced Fuel4, which although performance wise is not a great improvement over Methylated Spirit, it is around the same price and friendlier to the environment, which is a great positive. I decided I would also take a look at their gel based fuel. I've used Green Gel Fuel in the past and wondered what this variation would be like.

 

Keela Belay Jacket Review

 

Introduction

 

Keela  have now split the Belay Jacket into two variants, an Advance Jacket which is back to basics. And an all singing and dancing version, the Pro Jacket. The older version I am reviewing here, a pre 2013 single variant, was purchased in September 2011 and has had extensive use. I've used it for work nearly every day, especially in the winter. Or around camp when I am off in the Lake District, Dales, or where ever.

 

 

A doorman discovered in the Peak District

Bio-ethanol Fuel, a Methylated Spirit alternative?

Based only a stones throw from myself, in Sheffield South Yorkshire, Fuel 4 produce a range of bio-ethanol items, including a fuel gel, liquid fuel and cook sets. To be honest, the cook sets look too bulky for my needs. But looks like a possible competitor to the Trangia systems. In this review I will look at the liquid bio-ethanol with a review of the gel to follow once I have done some tests. So what's the spirit fuel like?

 

 

A New Kid on the Block........Mountain Trails Moroccan Cous Cous with Chicken.

The colder months are here and I like to take a stove and something to eat with me. It's a good way to warm up and get some energy. I like to take a freeze dried meal with me, Fuizion being my favourite. But these meals are quite expensive for a quick meal out on a walk. Well I've found a cheaper alternative, Mountain Trails.

One of the best even better? A Quick Look at the Sawyer Squeeze Mini

They've gone and done it, Sawyer have made a lighter version of the Squeeze filter. Called the Sawyer Mini, it costs a little less, and you guessed it, it's smaller.