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 [...]

The ultimate dinnerware for huddled, chilly, dinner parties in the Scandinavian winter wilderness The Test At the beginning of March, I took part in the Swedish Hilleberg Outdoor Academy Winter Tour 2019. Four days and nights in temperatures as cold as -28c. We trekked for up to 7 hours each day through the stunning forests, [...]

We're celebrating National Walking Month We’re hoping to encourage more people to get out walking across the country as part of National Walking Month this May (2019). We’re offering free advice on footwear, rucksacks and other walking essentials, as well as tips for some of the best walks around. As part of National Walking Month, [...]

Osprey Rook 65L Backpack Two trips out, a very wet and windy day, on the Quantocks and a more amenable day on Dartmoor. This gave contrasting conditions to test out the new ‘Rook’ rucksack from Osprey. The features First impressions, with a fairly straightforward ‘top loader’ style of design, was a sack with enough key [...]

Free Footwear check for Healthy Feet Month Keen and amateur walkers are being invited to take advantage of our free footwear fitting service being offered as part of a national Healthy Feet Month We’re supporting the April event, which is run by the College of Podiatry, by offering complimentary boot fittings daily during normal opening [...]

Osprey Kestrel 38l Backpack The test An opportunity to test the Kestrel 38 fell perfectly with my up and coming training sessions with Ten Tors and DofE groups.  The need for a good day sack that has enough room for additional ‘leader’ gear plus the usual personal stuff had been on my mind.  I usually [...]

Hilleberg training is no classroom lesson, it is five days hiking and camping in temperatures as low as -35 degrees C. The Trip I had never been to Sweden. I had never been camping in winter or snow. I had certainly never even contemplated the idea of sleeping out in a sleeping bag when temperatures [...]

Alice from our Taunton store tested the Rab Kinetic Plus Jacket while hiking, cycling and kayaking in the rain. Did it stand up to the test? Rab In 1981 Rab Carrington, a key figure in climbing and mountaineering, started making down sleeping bags and clothing in his home in Sheffield, using knowledge from his years [...]

Beth from our Bristol store took the Osprey Renn on a hike on the Malverns and recommends it for a first time traveller. Osprey's Rook/Renn series is the brand new, budget friendly offering. Both women's and men's versions are available in 50 and 65 litre capacities and are designed for backpacking and adventure travel. The [...]

Alice from our Taunton store took the Osprey Kyte on a hike on the Quantocks and discovers all the features. The test The Osprey Kyte is a highly versatile backpack which is suitable for most hikes and travels. The Kyte is the women’s specific version of the men’s Kestrel, and it comes in three sizes. [...]

Pablo from Bristol took his Osprey Kestrel Backpack skiing and hiking in the French Alps. What did he think? The Test I was given the opportunity to test the Osprey Kestrel 38 and took it on a week long trip to Chamonix in the French Alps. I was going to be hiking and skiing so [...]