This morning, I was reminded of this as I was mulling over a discrepancy in distance between Social Hiking and a GPS unit, and GPS tracker apps in general (as you do). For my 1000 mile challenge, I have been using ViewRanger to record my progress – ViewRanger is a fantastic app, but feels like overkill when you are not using the maps or Buddybeacon (to share the walk live on Social Hiking). With 170 miles still left to go, I wondered whether it would be a good opportunity to have a look at other options available for recording tracks.

So, for the rest of the year, I have decided to run a group test of GPS tracker apps available for Android. The criteria is simple – the app must be able to record and export a gps track. I will be looking at things like ease of use, accuracy (based on how data compares with peers), cost, battery life, progress features, sharing features and anything else that catches my eye.

As well as being a useful test to run, it will also give me some extra motivation to complete my 1000 mile challenge, and will be helpful in my ongoing testing of the Powermoney Extreme and the North Face Etip gloves.

Diving into Google marketplace, it is really quite surprising how many apps there are that allow you to record a track! I found the following that seem to meet the criteria:

GPS Tracking
Google My Track
Backcountry Navigator
Sportypal
endomondo
Alpine Quest GPS Hiking
Gaia GPS
GPS Essentials
Maverick GPS
Speedview Pro
Trip Track
Viewranger
Ultra GPS logger
Andando
GPS Grid Reference
Trimble Outdoors
Allsport GPS
MM Tracker
Imapmyrun
My Trails
Sports Tracker
Run Bike Route

Let me know if I have missed out your favourite. As the list is quite large, I will do a brief test of all of them, and then choose my top 5 for a more detailed test (including battery performance). The final test results will be published at the end of the year (possibly the start of next year) but I will be using the Twitter hashtag #trackertest throughout if you want to  stay updated with the test.

The first proper head torch I bought was the Petzl MYO XP (I am excluding the cheap chain store head torches I went through that have poor performance and terrible battery life). My (former) neighbour, @documentally, had got himself a Petzl MYO RXP (his first look video is quite amusing) and, whilst the programming element seemed largely pointless, it seemed a good torch.

The MYO XP offers up to 150 lumens (in boost mode – shining up to 97 meters), has three lighting levels, a flashing mode, a diffuser and I found battery life to be good. It does however have some drawbacks – it weights in at 170g (including batteries), it is quite expensive (mine cost £58.50), the buttons are very fiddly (I really struggle to switch it on in a dark tent) and light gets reflected straight into your eyes when the diffuser is up (I never noticed this until @groovy_nut pointed it out – now it is like having the sun burning directly into my eyes. She has a fix involving matt black enamel paint).

The Petzl TIKKINA on the other hand is £19.99, offers a maximum of 23 lumens (shining up to 23 meters), weighs 80g (including 3 AAA batteries) and has two lighting levels (maximum and economic). The torch has a big push button switch – you press it once for maximum beam, a second time for economic beam, and a third time to switch it off. It comes in a variety of garish colours – french rose, electric blue, lime green and orange. I was initially not very fond of lime green (the colour of mine) – but having a bright colour certainly makes it easier to find in my pack than my dark ‘ninja black’ MYO XP.

But with 6.5 times less brightness, is the TIKKINA going to be any use? There is only one way to find out!

[Disclosure - the TIKKINA head torch was provided by Webtogs for me to keep and to give my own personal opinions on it and they have no influence on these views and no editorial control]

I am an occasional night walker – after coming back from the pub I might have a sudden urge to take the dog for a quick wander to see the stars (winter is my favourite time to do this) but otherwise I usually leave my hiking for the daytime. Obviously this is no good when you have a head torch to review, so I headed out on some longer night time wanders…. and made a surprising discovery…..

Firstly walking at night is awesome. Your senses seemed to become heightened – I could feel the change in temperature as I dropped in and out of pockets of warm and colder air, and the smell of the countryside seemed enhanced (sort of like the smell just after it rains but different!). The fields, hedges and trees around me came alive with different sights and sounds – the hooting of owls and the rustling of night time animals going about their business.

Secondly I hardly used either of my torches (unhelpfully for this review). I was surprised how quickly my eyes adjusted – I could see better without light than with it. Tim (@ukjeeper), a regular night time countryside hiker, has written a great guest blog post on his experience of night walking – http://bit.ly/v8cXxs, and his experiences back this up.

There were a few times where I missed the stronger beam of the MYO XP – especially when scanning a field looking for livestock, especially cows. The TIKKINA’s light is only really good enough to light the path in front, although with the ability to angle the beam I could easily cover the ground ahead as well as the dog on full lead. Lowland countryside has quite a lot of easy to follow markers, like field boundaries and tree lines, so the low strength beam was not a hindrance at walking pace, although I needed to use ViewRanger on my phone to cross featureless fields accurately. The beam is unlikely to be sufficient however for faster modes of transport or for use on higher ground, where you need to see further to pick out your route. I did miss the safety of having the facility of a flashing light when walking along a (fortunately quiet) road.

The elasticated strap was comfortable, even over several hours of wear, and without the lighter weight I soon forgot I was wearing it. The beam of the two leds did create an odd effect of areas of slight shadow amongst the lighted areas – nothing major but I did find it mildly distracting as my head was bobbing along (this is probably just me!). In camp, or during cook stops, the TIKKINA was perfectly sufficient and I did not really miss the diffuser on the MYO XP. I found the maximum beam was too bright though and usually just used the economy mode. The lack of a battery pack at the back meant it was comfortable lazing around the tent – in fact I even fell asleep in it after reading!

The TIKKINA is ADAPT compatible. These means that, with gentle (?!) persuasion, the light can be detached from the headband and then fitted to a range of optional mounts for use on a helmet, the strap of a backpack or a belt.

The official battery life figures are 55 hours on maximum and 190 hours on economic, although other reviews suggest this is optimistic (a reviewer on Webtogs claims only 150 minutes on maximum using Duracell batteries). I have used mine for a week camping and five or so night walks, and the batteries are still going strong. I wonder (and I have no evidence for this) whether reduced performance as the batteries drain is more obvious in already low output head torches compared to higher output ones?

Overall the Petzl TIKKINA has surprised me – despite being a budget no frills head torch with relatively low price tag and brightness, it proved to be sufficient for lowland countryside night hikes and camp site use and, whilst battery life still has a question mark, it has certainly usurped the MYO XP as the head torch that goes in my pack by default. However the lack of a flashing option, useful on roads at night, would put me off buying it.

Other Head Torch Options

I did a quick little poll on Twitter to see what other head torches people use and why. Petzl seemed to be a popular choice, and they certainly have a good range of options:

Prices from Webtogs on 27 October 2011 (with the exception of MYO XP)

The Alpkit Gamma was also a popular option, and at first glance you can see why – the large central LED (upto 88 lumens) has a high, low and strobe settings, but there are also three 5mm LEDs (white, green(map reading so contours do not disappear) and red (which strobes)), and a red backlight led (on or flashing). Battery life is less impressive (about 20 hours max) and it is heavier at 110g, but at only £12.50 it is something I would certainly think about (see below on what owners think about it).

Hendrik mentioned a few other options (none of which I had heard of before), worth looking at if you want to keep your pack light and have more extreme uses: the Princeton TEC Remix (spring / autumn), the Petzl Elite (summer), the Fenix HP 10 (winter) and Spark ST6-320CW (winter)

Here is what people said on Twitter:

Petzl Tikka XP. Small but long-lasting power and for short distances good light.
hillplodder

I prefer a small LED handheld torch.
ukjeeper

winter – Myo xp. Older version. Takes AA batteries. Powerful high beam with boost function. Reliable
nigep

cheap £4.99 from Maplins because for over 12 months of use it always works (led lights)
Mattr68

petzel tikka2 had it for years hasn’t let me down…
tookiebunten

Myo XP: very bright, long lasting, comfortable. Doubles as caving light.
ellie_bennett

Tikka XP slightly heavier than the Tikka and Tikkina but massively brighter, flexible with difuser, strong beam and red LED
webtogs

Alpkit Gamma – cheap & does what’s needed (after a mod)
mixedupmessedup

Princeton Tec Remix in spring/ autumn. Petzl elite in summer. Fenix HP10 or Spark ST6-320CW in winter.
hendrikmorkel

petzl tikka or whatever you call it. 100% reliable and nice and light. Looking at getting @Alpkit Gamma though for mtbing
simonjhodge

I have 2. Petzyl Myo 3 which is waterproof & Alpkit Gamma, good illum & light. Also red led at rear.
59MikeBeaumont

@Alpkit Gamma’s rock – awesome light, awesome price. Mine replaced my tikka
tankslapper

Go for the Gamma. Top performance and at fraction of the price. Makes Petzl look way over priced
cooper1258

Petzl Tikka Plus^2 – does the job fine. I’d probably look at a Core model as even the low output mode is quite bright!
Astronick

UPDATE – Since I originally published this post, Powertravellers (the makers of PowerMoneys) got in touch saying that, based on the information below, my PowerMoney Extreme is potentially faultly. Since that conversation, the Extreme stopped charging altogether, and has been returned to Powertravellers to replace. I will update further when I hear back from them! Full credit to the team at Powertravellers for picking up on this.

I arrived at the first campsite on Tuesday evening with two full batteries – after an evening of replying to emails, social media and a phone call, the first battery was down to 70% when I switched the phone off. The next morning, after using the phone to provide wifi for my Xoom to answer a few support tickets, a bit of navigation and some more social media, the battery was down to 50%, so I switched to the full battery. I then headed out onto the Moelwyns using ViewRanger with Social Hiking, along with uploading tweets and photos. Where I camped I was out of signal, but I used the Kindle app and managed to make a call to let my girlfriend know where I was. I turned the phone off on 20% and plugged it in to charge.

CHARGE 1: 20% to Full

On Thursday morning I again used ViewRanger with Social Hiking to return to the car, headed over to Beddgelert and did another Social Hiked walk. By the time I was settled into the pub having dinner, the battery was down to 10% and I plugged it in to charge.

CHARGE 2: 10% to Full*

* I should point out that twice during the charge, I switched back on the phone a few times to take a photo before turning it off again, so it is likely that more charge than usual was needed.

As the battery was charged by the time I returned to the campsite, I switched the full battery over and began charging the 50% full battery (again the charge was interrupted so I could take a few pictures). Quite alarmingly the Powermonkey began flashing to alert me that it was running low (although I will do a full review another time, it is really annoying having a glowing flashing screen in your tent when you are trying to sleep, and surely it uses up more battery?!). Despite the warning, the battery was fully charged by the morning.

CHARGE 3: 50% to Full**

** with some additional use

After a hike on the peaks surrounding Penllyn Forest near Bala, I needed to attempt to find where @groovy_nut lived and as Google Navigate uses crazy amounts of battery I caved in and used my car charger. When I did next try and use the Powermonkey, there was barely a few minutes of charge before the device switched off and refused to charge anything.

So in total, I managed to achieve about 3 charges (taking into account additional uses). I have to admit to being a little disappointed – Powertraveller claim the device can charge an iPhone up to 6 times, a Garmin Edge 800 up to 6 times and a standard mobile up to 12 times. Whilst my Motorola Defy is probably more like an iphone – 3 times just does not seem that good for a charging solution costing £120.

That said, before I commit to any final conclusions I want to run a few more tests to try and quantify exactly how many charges I can get out of it (at home in perfect conditions). As a charging solution, you also of course get the solar panel for your money, and I would like to see how that performs, both when used in a fixed location and when used on your backpack.

To be continued…

My first proper review was in May 2010, when I wrote about the awesome (and still very much in use) Orikaso folding plate / bowl / cup I bought on the recommendation of Backpacking Light. This was quickly followed by a review of the Brasher Supalite II GTX boots I was given by Brasher for Offa’s Dyke (they were brilliant for Offa’s Dyke, but have recently been usurped by my Keen Targhee II shoes). Since April I have been writing reviews of kit given to me by Webtogs. I would also like to do more reviews of the kit I have bought myself, but I never seem to have the time.

One of the arguments against reviews when the item reviewed is provided free of charge is that the reviewer cannot be objective. To an extent this is true – you are bound to have a slight bias towards whoever provided the kit, but you also have bias towards your favourite brands or towards your favourite piece of kit. We all have bias. As long as you are open and upfront to declare any potential grounds for bias then the reader will adjust the weight they give your review accordingly.

The same is true for how long the item was tested / used and in what conditions. As long as you are honest and mention any gaps in your review the reader will take that into account. Let’s not forget that the reader is not basising their decision to buy something just on your review – they will be reading several blogs, official ‘professional’ reviews, and anything else that comes up on Google before making that final decision.

Another viewpoint is that you should only do reviews if you are an expert. I do not agree with this. The term “blogger” covers a large spectrum of people from the near professional to the complete novice. The opinion of a novice is not invalid as long as they went out and tried an item and are honest on what they did and what they thought.  Granted a novice does not have enough experience to recommend one product over another, but they are certainly capable of giving their views on how an item performed for them for the activities they do.

Personally I think that as long as you are open on any possible grounds for bias and you are honest in what you did and over how long, to reach your opinion, then there is no harm in anyone reviewing a product.

When I receive something to write a review on, I typically use it for at least a month before writing the review and I try and use it as much as I can in a variety of conditions. Ultimately I am primarily a countryside hiker who occasionally heads to the hills, and I try and reflect that in what I write and how I reach my conclusions. I commit a lot of time and effort to the review process to try and make sure the final review is honest, fair and balanced summary that will help people like me with researching whether to buy a product or not. Kit is a very personal thing, what works for someone does not work for someone else – if you disagree with a review, or have additional information, then write a comment!

The one idea I really like though, which Hendrik mention in his post (credited to Steven Horner), is the idea of living reviews. As bloggers we can go back and update the posts at a later date with more information on how the product performed over a longer period of time. This is something I am going to start doing from now on.

But as a final thought I completely agree with Hendrik: “you don’t need gear to go outdoors”. Just get out there and enjoy the countryside!

I have had this Men’s 100 Khyber 1/4 Zip fleece top for almost three months now. I have worn it on hills and in fields, on hot days and showery days, whilst on campsites and in pubs – I have even worn it watching TV! North Face describe it as “soft, lightweight, breathable and stylish” and do you know what – it is all those things. I like it!

[Disclosure - this fleece was provided by Webtogs for me to keep and to give my own personal opinions on it and they have no influence on these views and no editorial control. Webtogs have a whole range of fleece tops available on their site]

On initial unpacking, my first impressions were indeed ‘soft’ and ‘light’. The fleece (in large) comes in at 250g which is very acceptable for the kind of hiking I do (which you could broadly describe as ‘sort of lightweight’). Most fleeces can be described as soft when new – but even after three months of regular washing with all my other outdoor kit (on a 30 degree wash using standard non-bio detergent) this fleece still feels like it did when I first put it on. This is due to the Polartech material which the marketing department at North Face describe as “soft to touch yet firmly resistant to piling, fading and shape distortion” – well at least after three months I agree with them.

Colour-wise I went for the black / asphalt – most of the other options were a little bright for me (voyage blue / twilight blue, chilli pepper red, ivy green, molten red, boulder blue and asphalt grey are the other options). The fleece is predominately black, with a asphalt (dark grey) panel on the inner arms and sides (and a thin asphalt line in the inner collar). I think it looks pretty stylish and it is certainly comfortable (presumably thanks to the underarm gussets and raglan sleeves whatever they are!), and I often wear it to the pub or just around the house.

So it is soft, lightweight and stylish – but is it actually any good outdoors? Before I talk about breath-ability and warmth, I should point out other layers also play a part in this – most of the time during testing I was wearing a Chocolate Fish 190 Merino Base Layer underneath. Overall I was impressed – on hot days both the base layer and fleece seemed to do a good job of wicking moisture away from my body leaving me relatively dry (I “run hot” when hiking…) and not too hot (obviously I was hot – I was wearing a fleece on a hot sunny day!), on colder/ windier days I remained warm but again dry and not too hot. On peaks I found the fleece did a really good job of reducing the impact of the wind and keeping me warm during breaks. The only time it failed to perform as well as I would have hoped was hanging around a camp site when temperatures dropped to around 5 degrees – I was not cold or shivering, but I did spend a few minutes day dreaming about my thermal fleece.

The one thing I was really interested in testing was how it performed in rain – fortunately on the Brecon Beacons I was given the chance to walk for a few hours in persistent light rain.  The fleece did a brilliant job of keeping out the rain – and even after a few hours the fleece was still dry to the touch inside. I hate having to dive into my rucksack at the slightest hint of rain, and it was reassuring to know the fleece can hold out to a bit of rain. The quick drying characteristics also proved to be accurate, and the fleeced dried quickly despite the light soaking.

One thing that confuses me though is the amount North Face go on about sun protection – perhaps I have missed some alert about sun damage through clothes but I am certainly yet to get anything other than tan lanes from clothing. Anyway if you are concerned the Khyber fleece has UPF 30 sun protection, although the label has the following disclaimer: “Protection offered may be reduced if fabric is wet, stretched, with use and after repeated laundering”. With use? I cannot help feeling this is nothing but a marketing gimmick.

Overall I am really pleased with the Men’s 100 Khyber 1/4 Zip Fleece Top – it does exactly what it promises to do, and since it arrived my other fleeces have been left to collect dust in the corner.

Price: £40.50 from Webtogs

Here is the specific details of company, when the order was placed, the cost of postage, and when it was delivered:

Alpkit: ordered 3.15pm on 31 May, delivered on 2 June (free postage)

Webtogs: ordered 4pm on 31 May, delivered on 3 June (free postage)

Cotswold Outdoor: ordered  11am 1 June, delivered 3 June (£4.95 postage)

Backpacking Light: ordered 3.30pm 31 May, delivered 3 June (£3 postage)

Fuizion Freeze Dried Foods: ordered 5pm 31 May, expected delivery 4 June (£3.75 postage)

Chocolate Fish: ordered 1pm 3 June, despatched same day recorded delivery (free postage)

Damn it – ordering stuff online is just far too easy!

Food

Rather than relying on ‘car camping’ food or Wayfarers (a mixed bag in my experience), I have decided to have a go with some freeze dried food, in particular a selection from the rather tasty looking range from Fuizion Freeze Dried Food.

I have gone for lamb tagine, all day breakfast and chilli con carne – to be supplemented with some posh supermarket muesli and some high energy snacks. £6.50 does seem quite a lot, but then Wayfarers is not exactly cheap either!

Lifeventure Mini Belt Pack

Although I feel like I am starting to get somewhere with how I pack and use my day-pack, I am also beginning to notice a few annoying things about my existing pack (a Berghaus Freeflow Light 32), in particular the lack of any pouches (or similar) on the waist strap. Until I make up my mind on my next pack (whether to get a smaller day-pack or a slightly bigger pack I can use for multi day trips), this belt pack (from Webtogs) will come in handy!

Dr Bronner – Organic Liquid Soap

This stuff (from backpackinglight.co.uk) sounds like a magic potion – I was amazed when I heard Phil describe it in his video as soap he cleans his teeth with! Basically it is a one stop solution to cleaning – you can clean yourself, your clothes, your teeth, and do your washing up! I went for the peppermint version, mainly because I am not sure I fancy the idea of cleaning my teeth with the tea tree one!

Gehwol Extra Foot Cream

Again this is something I first heard about in Phil’s video, later reinforced by @tookiebunten who got into the foot loving action on day 1 of The River Ayr Way. The cream (again from backpackinglight.co.uk) is the perfect remedy for tired and over walked feet, and it apparently prevents chafing and blisters!

Alpkit Trekkers (Socks)

I tend to just buy hiking socks, from the high street, as and when I feel like it without much thought to what I am buying, and the socks I have I neither love or hate (they are just socks!). So for a change I have picked out these Alpkit Trekkers to try.

Men’s 100 Khyber 1/4 Zip Fleece Top

On test from Webtogs, I am looking forward to giving this fleece (in ninja black) a go out on the mountains.

* * * UPDATE * * *

Montane Terra Pants

“Why does everyone head to the hills dressed as a ninja?”
(rough quote from Gareth at Webtogs)

My existing, now fairly worn, hiking trousers are green. Green does not go that well with vibrant colours – especially the berry Chocolate Fish base layer I have my eye on! So to solve the problem, I have decided to get a pair of the well recommended Montane Terra Pants.

* * * FURTHER UPDATE  * * *

Chocolate Fish Taranaki 190 Merino Baselayer Zipneck – Berry

[Disclosure - this jacket was provided by Webtogs for me to give my own personal opinions on it and they have no influence on these views and no editorial control. Webtogs have a whole range of soft shell jackets available on their site]

First impressions of the jacket were good – it looks great (I had the Asphalt Grey / Black one), and seems well manufactured (it weights in at around 837g). The main zip, as well as the zips on the Napoleon chest pocket and two hand pockets, seem well protected from the elements with easy to grab pulls. The outer fabric is slightly rubbery to the touch, but inside it is fleece lined to the back and sides, as well as the collar and the top of the pocket.

It is hard not to compare a soft shell jacket with either a waterproof jacket or fleece, in particular my treasured Mountain Equipment Men’s Touchstone Fleece Jacket. The jacket is certainly more pleasant to wear than a standard waterproof, helped by the inner fleece lining and softer fabric. However the rubbery exterior sometimes made me feel slightly like I was wearing a thin wetsuit, and it lack the cosiness of a fleece. The fit, described by the manufacturer as “regular, comfortable fit”, seemed a little short for my liking (I went for a large, which fitted nicely across my chest and shoulders) – although the jacket does have a hem cinch cord to pull the bottom of the jacket in. Slightly bizarrely, in my view, the hem cinch cord could also be tightened from a pull in either hand pocket which I found fiddly and an annoying addition.  The jacket has thin rubber velcro adjustable cuffs, however I found them a bit more fiddly than the wider fabric cuffs on say my Berghaus Paclite Shell Jacket.

I had hoped to put the jacket through it’s paces on a weekend trip to Dartmoor however, instead of the showers and strong winds I had expected, we were treated to glorious sunshine and a much needed cooling breeze. Instead I had to content myself with wearing it around the camp site, and this gave me a chance to compare it against other soft shells worn by our group. Two noticeably missing features were a hood and under arm vents. The month of May this year, unfortunately if you are testing a soft shell jacket, was unusually warm and dry – even on the slightly colder and windier days, I found myself quickly overheating and sweating – there is no doubt that the Apex ClimateBlock Fabric blocks out all the wind (it is rated at 0 CFM) but certainly in these conditions it did not seem particularly breathable, and I wonder whether under arm vents would extend the amount of the year the jacket can be used (or whether they reduce the wind protection too much).  Talking of wind protection, whilst I did find the fabric blocks out most (if not all) the wind, the collar seemed too wide and low cut and let a significant amount of wind blow down my neck.

I was going to conclude this review by saying that whilst I am unsure of the merits of the jacket, it would be unfair to not give it a second try in the colder months of the year….. but then it rained!

As soon as the rain (fairly heavy showers) started, I grabbed the jacket (and the dog) and did a three mile walk around the local fields and the nearby forest. Overall the exterior of the jacket kept me mostly dry, although towards the end of the walk I felt some slight dampness on my arms. The short cut of the jacket meant that more of my upper legs and bottom got wet from the run off, whereas my waterproof jacket offers more protection. Worst of all though is that the wide low cut collar and lack of hood meant the rain ran down my neck soaking the top of my t-shirt underneath and the fleece inside the collar. Even when the rain had stopped, I had the unpleasant sensation of wet fleece against my neck.

That to me is the final nail in the Apex Bionic’s coffin. It cannot protect me sufficiently from showers on a short walk, so I would need to always have a backup waterproof jacket (especially on longer hikes). If I have a backup waterproof jacket, then I may as well wear my lighter, comfier, and similarly priced Mountain Equipment Touchstone Fleece Jacket (which has a hood, is also stretchy and offers sufficient wind and brief shower protection).  Even as a casual jacket, I found myself opting for the fleece over the soft shell (despite my best efforts to give it a go!)

I have not completely written off the idea of soft shell jackets – but in my opinion the North Face Men’s Apex Bionic Soft Shell Jacket is not good enough to replace a fleece / waterproof jacket combo.

Price: £79.99 from Webtogs

At my school, the expedition element of the award was done in a single week based at an army base in Devon. The kids doing the award were split into teams, with each team assigned an older leader from the cadets. After lectures on kit, route planning, and safety – the teams, under the guidance of their leader, planned and undertook a two day route across Exmoor. This practice hike was a chance to learn the basic skills needed for backpacking. Afterwards there were a few rest days where there were activities like abseiling, an assault course and a mock night time military exercise on the dunes. The mission for the exercise was to navigate as a team to contacts on each dune in the dark, whilst avoiding enemy “soldiers” hunting you (for extra effect there were usually a few flares fired into the air to keep you on your toes). The exercise, as well as being fun, was a chance to learn and practice map reading and navigation. Finally at the end of the week, the teams, this time without their leaders, had to plan and undertake their own expedition (this time along the more populated coast).

I enjoyed the week so much, that I went back every year for the next three years as a leader. The whole experience inspired me and provided the ground work for the pastime I now enjoy so much. I do not think I actually ever completed my Duke of Edinburgh award, but it achieved what it was there for.

When I found out a friend’s 15 year old daughter had decided to do her Duke of Edinburgh, I was excited for her – then the kit list turned up.

With that list you could be forgiven for thinking they must be going on some epic expedition… but nope this is the kit list for a two day hike in Northamptonshire in June. My overall concern is the thought of these kids having a miserable time lugging all this unneccessary kit across the countryside – that is not going to inspire them but put them off for life!

Sure, most of the kit on the list has a use, at some point or another, on certain types of trips in certain conditions. But no one has explained to these kids what half the stuff is (apparantly the teacher was unsure what was meant by ‘binos’), how to use it (rope for example)) and how to decide what equipment to take on what trip. Their first training walk is tomorrow (with all this kit) – when they planned their routes they were told not to walk near any water (rivers, canals, ponds etc.) as the school insurance only covers such dangerous areas for their main hike……

In an age where kids are unhealtier, fatter and stuck indoors on their game systems, is this really the best we can offer them? Surely we should be inspiring them and teaching them skills to reconnect with the great outdoors, not sending them out as overloaded dumb pack animals?

Fortunately this 15 year old girl has already climbed her first mountain, experienced the beauty of moorland bleakness, and discovered the joys of camping – she just wants the award!

First up is a North Face Men’s Apex Bionic Soft Shell Jacket, sent for review from Webtogs (the jacket on the left in the picture). Over the last year or so, I have really felt the absence of a soft shell jacket in my kit – for a lot of the walking I do, neither a fleece or a waterproof jacket have quite been right. I was hoping for a first use on Dartmoor this weekend, but judging by the weather forecast it is set to be a lovely weekend! (although I doubt the good weather will last!)

The jacket on the right is a Montane Extreme Smock, bought during @philoutdoors recent kit clearance at a bargain price. I do not really do much ‘extreme’ walking (none in fact), so this is not the jacket I would ever justify buying at full price. However I can see it coming in handy a few times a year, and it potentially opens up some new experiences, so I leapt on the chance to snap it up. The red tent peg is a bonus gift from Phil – “I’m a toilet trowel” – awesome (I am hoping that it is as new as it looks though!)

The little box is a pair of Icebreaker Boxers (bought from Webtogs). I would potentially put underwear very high up my list of “most important kit”. When I first got back into walking, it took me several attempts to find something suitable – some M&S sport underwear  in the end- but these are now at the end of their life. After reading Steven Horner’s Mega Icebreaker Review, I was sold on the idea of Icebreaker underwear.

I am looking forward to getting out to use them all