mycountryside.org.uk - exploring and enjoying the British countryside

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!…

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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…

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I love the idea of soft shell jackets – jackets which are nicer to wear and more breathable than traditional waterproofs, yet give you more protection from water and wind than a fleece. It is a combination that sounds brilliant, and I was finally able to put one to the test this month when I was sent a North Face Apex Bionic Soft Shell Jacket to review by Webtogs.  Can a soft shell replace a fleece / waterproof jacket combo?

[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]…

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Gweryd Lakes is set in the middle of The Clywdian Hills – an Area of Outstanding Natural, and is perfect for walkers doing Offa’s Dyke (splitting up the section between Bodfari and Llangollen nicely, with easy access via bridleways / footpaths off Offa’s Dyke both from the North and the South).

Clywdian Hills is predominately for fishing, with four lakes filled with carp – however it’s wonderful picturesque and remote location makes it a tranquil stop-off point if you are walking Offa’s Dyke.…

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Having a good, well worn in, pair of boots is pretty damn important when it comes to hiking – let alone attempting a 13 day, 185 mile, epic hike across the hills and valleys of the Wales / England border.

The Brasher Supalite II GTX Walking Boots were ideal boots for Offa’s Dyke – they are comfortable and lightweight, but are still water proof and offer sufficient support. They are available from White and Bishops for £111 (they are also available for Women)…

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Orikaso (meaning “to fold plastic”) are lightweight flat pack folding cups, bowls and plates made from Polypropylene.

During my two week Offa’s Dyke hike, I found two sets of Orikaso an absolutely ideal solution for both me and the dog (using the plate for food, and the bowl for water). Orikaso are lightweight, durable and really easy to clean – available in red, blue and green sets, they are a bargain at £2.99 per set on Amazon.…

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It is not often that things live up to their marketing spiel, but actually the Priory Mill Farm campsite comes pretty damn close.

Situated just outside the town of Brecon, Powys, just North of the Brecon Beacons, Priory Mill Farm is on the banks of the river Honddu. We stayed mid-week in March 2010 (we were unsurprisingly the only ones there!) for two nights at a cost of £7 per person per night plus £1 per night for the dog.…

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The Merry Harriers pub is down a country lane tucked away amongst the Surrey Hills near the hamlet of Hambledon near Goldalming.

Across the country lane is a fairly small camping field – we stayed in February 2010, and although the campsite has fairly basic facilities, the pub and location made this a lovely place to stay.…

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Map Addict, by Mike Parker, is a enjoyable, often funny, well written, and well researched tour of all things map related.

A few of the final chapters are a little weak in comparison to the rest of the book, and I think the book could have done with some colour photos to bring them alive (some of the black and white ones aren’t very clear), but nonetheless it is well worth a read!…

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Mena Caravan & Camping Park is a lovely, very friendly, spacious and secluded camp site situated on a hill just to the South West of Bodmin, Cornwall.

I was quite lazy when choosing this camp site – I basically did a Google search of camp sites near Bodmin and picked one of the top results – and I was not disappointed!

Best points: friendly, spacious, great for dogs & local meat
Bad points: none (honest, I really can’t think of any!)…

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