Rugged by nature. Rugged by design. Take a look here at the history of this TOUGH outdoor clothing brand, found in Utah, USA. It all started with one man and his hat With an enviable reputation in the outdoor industry for tough, durable fabrics and its own distinctive style, KÜHL was founded in Utah in [...]

6 Ethical outdoor clothing brands painting the industry green We take a look at some of our clothing brands and the steps they're taking to improve the outdoor industry and the world surrounding it. Things need to be better We’re outdoor lovers; we're obsessed with dense woodland, beautiful white mountains and the striking silhouette of [...]

The cold calls; Rab Infinity Answers. Our very own Ian takes on a Swedish winter in the Rab Infinity Jacket, new this Autumn. Extreme weather calls for extreme kit. Back in March, I had the chance to preview the new Rab Infinity Jacket on a 5 day hiking and camping trip in the pristine Swedish [...]

Beth, our Bristol store assistant manager visited the Meindl factory in Germany to take a look at how some of the best footwear we sell is tested and produced.. This September, I was lucky enough to represent Taunton Leisure at the Meindl retailer's trip to Germany Under the organization of Nick from Bramwell International, our [...]

Keith, one of our gear testers has been putting the Rab Alpine Pro 400 Sleeping Bag through it's paces. My old Taunton Leisure sleeping bag finally had to be ‘recycled’ – purchased in 1988, it had served its purpose dutifully, but the old hollowfill fibre had lost its insulating mojo. Up to date and the [...]

Nick, the Exeter store manager, has been testing these Arc'teryx shoes and gives his view. A few months ago I got the good news that I was to be testing a relatively new shoe in our range, the Aerios FL GTX from Arc'teryx. This was very handy as I had pretty much wrecked the other [...]

We are delighted to share the news that Taunton Leisure is sponsoring Redpoint Climbing Centre on Winterstoke Road in Bedminster as part of a long-term partnership, which includes discounts for members and prizes. This state-of-the-art climbing centre, based in an old art deco cinema has walls from 3-12.5m, including the infamous stalactite, meaning it has [...]

Do you enjoy an orienteering challenge? If so Moonraker could be for you! Raising money for local Somerset causes along the way this challenge takes place in October near Bishops Lydeard (nr Taunton), have a read below to find out more... What is Moonraker? A night time team based orienteering walk organised by the Rotary [...]

Here’s our top tips to enjoy your next camping trip If it's a new tent then practice pitching your tent before going on your first camping trip, this makes your first experience at the camp site a much more enjoyable one! Or if you haven't been for a while then checking pegs, poles and any [...]

Best Glamping Tents 2019 Glamorous camping, or "glamping" as it's more commonly known, is a popular form of camping that focuses on bringing some luxury and comfort to the whole 'sleeping outdoors' experience. We've put together our five best glamping tents. Each with their own individual features, which make them highly desirable in their own [...]

Tent Show Highlights 2019 It was fantastic to see so many people at the recent Exeter and Bristol tent shows and it was a real pleasure talking to customers about their camping experiences and plans for the season. Those new to camping or revisiting the idea of a camping holiday after many years were intrigued [...]

Free foot clinic with expert podiatrist Come and have your feet checked over by a qualified podiatrist at a free foot clinic at our Taunton branch on 29th June 2019 Alastair Oxberry from The Foot and Gait Clinic will be at our store on East Reach on June 29 from 2-5pm offering complimentary advice to [...]

Scarpa Chimera Review by Nick Baron In the 18 years since I have been climbing, I have tried 40 different models of shoes. 15 of them have been from Scarpa so I guess you could say that I am a bit of a fan of their boots. When I looked through the list I also [...]

The Rab Microlight Alpine has been tested as an everyday winter jacket, out hiking and while travelling to the Alps Rab Rab are a British brand and were founded by Scottish climber Rab Carrington. Today they are based in Sheffield and make clothing and equipment ‘by climbers, for climbers’. They continue to pioneer new material [...]

MSR Pocket Rocket 2 and the NEW Pocket Rocket Delux MSR Pocket Rocket 2 The Pocket Rocket stove has been around for quite some time now and has been the go-to stove for many lightweight enthusiasts. It’s efficient performance and minimal size makes it a market leader. How could it be improved? Time moves on [...]

Aleks from Bristol has been out testing the latest Alt-berg Dalesway Vegan Boots The Test I have recently had the pleasure of taking my new Alt-Berg Dalesway Vegan Boots out on the hills for their first outdoor adventure. We had a windy but beautifully sunny Sunday and a couple of my friends wanted to do one [...]

Choosing the right sleeping bag, relevant for your adventures is time well spent. Whether your trips are more suited to a synthetic or down sleeping bag, this guide will help with the technical considerations. Down Bags The benefits of having a down bag are: Warmer Lighter More compressible than synthetic (this helps if you are [...]

Does Happiness Grow on Trees? If you live and work in Somerset or are a visitor, then you are invited to enter a creative competition this month (May 2019) demonstrating how you feel when you are outdoors in the county’s green spaces. Somerset’s three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) are searching for artwork entries [...]