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Winter having arrived in the Scottish Highlands I retrieved my Hilleberg Soulo tent from the shelf where it's been hiding since spring as I expect to be using it soon. Just in case it was missing pegs or there was a repair I'd forgotten to do I thought I'd better pitch it and check it over. And as I was doing that I thought I'd make a little video.The Soulo doesn't get a great deal of use as it's

Cairn Toul & the Lairig Ghru just before sunsetOne of the big advantages of the winter months in the Scottish Highlands is that sunset is in the middle of the afternoon not the middle of the night. I took advantage of this late in November when the forecast suggested clear calm weather. Just right for watching the light and descending in the dusk. At the start of the walk, looking towards

Good to be on skis againAnother night and day of snow showers and the mid-November snow looked deep enough for the skis. It's been a few years since I could ski from the garden gate at this time of year. The sky was overcast and dark with layers of thick clouds. A cold NW wind blew.View to Ben RinnesThe snow was soft. Pushing through it the skis didn't glide much but it was still much easier

 The snow started falling yesterday afternoon, big wet flakes drifting down from the dark grey sky. Today I woke to a changed world, a white landscape, the first snow of the winter. Until now November has been mild rather than wintry. Snow usually arrives earlier than the middle of the month, often in October. It's late this year.The snow was soft and deep out in the open, making walking

 Fifty years ago Chris Bonington led the first expedition to climb the South West Face of Everest, a phenomenal achievement. A year later he published his account of the ascent, also a phenomenal achievement, given the time scale. I'm in awe of the skill and commitment needed on the mountain - I've done just enough low level snow and ice climbing to have at least a bit of a grasp of what's

View across Strathspey to the Cairngorms from the Burma RoadBrew Dog’s ‘Lost Forest’, aka the Kinrara Estate, is no more. Last month it was sold to Oxygen Conservation. Brew Dog’s disastrous attempt at estate management is over. Will Oxygen Conservation be any better? That remains to be seen. So far all it has done is put up an attractive video and some nice pictures on its website along with

 The December issue of TGO is out now. I've some gear  reviews this month. Firstly a detailed look at the Primus Micron III stove. Then a review of the Rab Neutrino Pro 700 sleeping bag, which I tested extensively last winter, as Lucy Wallace did with the Mammut Women's Perform Down Bag -10C. Lastly there's a mats feature in which I review 3 mats as does Steph Wetherall.Also in the gear

As we enter the darkest part of the year a headlamp or torch becomes an even more important part of a walker’s equipment. ‘Even more’ because I think one is essential at any time, though in high summer a tiny one may suffice. But once there are more hours of dark than light then the chances of needing artificial light grow greatly. Walks may start or, more usually in my case, finish in the dark.

 A few months ago I was interviewed by Feargus Cooney for this YouTube channel. We discussed getting into wilderness travel in the 1970’s, safety concerns, what the word and the idea of ‘wilderness’ actually means, rewilding, native forests, outdoor influencers and safety and various other subjects. 

Mists, clouds, coloursGlen Affric in autumn is glorious. Actually, Glen Affric is always glorious, but it’s especially so in autumn due to the colours of the trees and grasses. Mists often drift round the peaks and the sun is lower than in summer, giving wonderful side lighting. View along Glen Affric at the startThis year my autumn visit was a three-night trip in the company of Tony Hobbs and

 A little video on the MLD DuoMid XL. Here's some pictures of the tent in use.

The November issue of TGO sees the start of a new gear spot in conjunction with Nikwax in which reviewers describe their long-term gear favourites and how they care for them to ensure they last. I begin the series with some favourite boots, Brasher Hillmasters, now over twelve years old and still going strong.Also in the gear pages David Lintern reviews the Jottnar Asger HS fleece and Steph

 Video of the trip described in my last post with an emphasis on the camping.

Camp in the pines, Meall a' Bhuachaille in the distanceMeall a’Bhuachaille is a familiar hill that I climb several times a year. It’s ideal for a half-day walk. It’s great for taking up visitors who don’t have enough time for a full day out. It’s excellent when the higher Cairngorms look unpleasantly stormy. The views from the summit are excellent. The walk-in past An Lochain Uaine through the

 The pot in use Fire Maple has launched a new pot in the Petrel series, the Ramen 800ml. It's the biggest Petrel pot so far, just, but more significantly for those of us who cook in our pots and don't just boil water it's also the widest. Thanks to Mark Perry (@markperry222) in a comment on my video (see below) for the information that in China ramen noodles come in a wide flat disc

 At a time when the world seems dark and bad news a constant presence this book is very welcome. Positive and uplifting, it tells a conservation success story, of how the author and a cast of supporters overcame bureaucratic inertia and anti-wildlife forces to stop the killing of beavers in Scotland and allow them to be relocated to new homes. In the process the campaigners changed the whole

 A little video on the trip described in my last post with a look at the Expedition Foods meals I was trying. 

Camp in the forestSometimes season slide in gently, gradually, almost unnoticeable, until one day you realise it’s not winter or spring anymore. Not this year. This year the change from summer to autumn has felt sudden, abrupt. Sunny and dry to cool and wet just like that. Sunshine & cool winds - autumn!Having felt puzzlingly chilly at home, the thin shirts of summer suddenly inadequate, I

 The latest issue of TGO features the Gear of the Year Awards, the items the team of testers have felt the best in respective categories over the last twelve months. This year we've added Greener Choice Winner and Best Value Winner categories, to encourage sustainability and affordability, to the usual Winner and Highly Commended categories.As well as compiling the Awards I've also written

 Second in my series of videos on tents and shelters that I like and use regularly. This time it's the Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar, which I last used on a trip last month. 

SunsetBefore the predicted ‘changeable’ weather arrived with high winds and rain, ending weeks of mostly windless dryness and heat I decided on a high camp on the slopes of Bynack More, a stony Munro lying across the deep trench of Strath Nethy from Cairn Gorm. CloudsThe walk-in through wooded Ryvoan Pass and round the tip of Cairn Gorm’s long north ridge to the footbridge over the River Nethy

Camp on Tom Dubh“A pointless and distant top -Stob Lochan nan Cnapan (Tom Dubh)” Irvine Butterfield           The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland When Irvine Butterfield wrote his excellent book in the 1980s 918-metre Tom Dubh was listed as a subsidiary Top of Braeriach in Munro’s Tables. A glance at the map shows that this doesn’t make

 Earlier in the year I wrote a post about the Hilleberg Akto as this little tent is thirty this year. That piece had stories and pictures from my many years of using it. Now I've made a little video showing how I pitch it and what I like about it.

Sunday Afternoon Ultra Adventure Hat & Vallon Daytripper sunglassesSummer's not over. August may have started cool and windy here in the Highlands but hot weather is forecast. There's a heat warning for much of England with temperatures forecast to climb above 30C. Here in the Cairngorms it's meant to be the lower 20s Celsius, which is quite hot enough for me.Ombraz Refugio sunglasses &

Light Hiking – Tarp Shelters A good tarp is both lighter and cheaper than the even the lightest of tents and has a number of advantages that make it much more attractive to light backpackers. [...] This Article Light Hiking – Tarp Shelters is an original article from OFFGRID Survival If it is appearing on any other site but OFFGRID Survival, that site does not have our permission to use our copyrighted content!

Light Hiking – Tarp Shelters A good tarp is both lighter and cheaper than the even the lightest of tents and has a number of advantages that make it much more attractive to light backpackers. [...] This Article Light Hiking – Tarp Shelters is an original article from OFFGRID Survival If it is appearing on any other site but OFFGRID Survival, that site does not have our permission to use our copyrighted content!

Buying a Survival Backpack: Military & Tactical vs Hiking & Hunting Backpacks A breakdown of the best survival backpacks. What to look for, what features to choose, and what style suits your situation. [...] This Article Buying a Survival Backpack: Military & Tactical vs Hiking & Hunting Backpacks is an original article from OFFGRID Survival If it is appearing on any other site but OFFGRID Survival, that site does not have our permission to use our copyrighted content!

Buying a Survival Backpack: Military & Tactical vs Hiking & Hunting Backpacks A breakdown of the best survival backpacks. What to look for, what features to choose, and what style suits your situation. [...] This Article Buying a Survival Backpack: Military & Tactical vs Hiking & Hunting Backpacks is an original article from OFFGRID Survival If it is appearing on any other site but OFFGRID Survival, that site does not have our permission to use our copyrighted content!

Kelvin 36 Urban Ultra-Tool Review The Kelvin 36 is a compact tool, unlike any other on the market, and features tools that you won't find in most traditional multitools. [...] This Article Kelvin 36 Urban Ultra-Tool Review is an original article from OFFGRID Survival If it is appearing on any other site but OFFGRID Survival, that site does not have our permission to use our copyrighted content!

Kelvin 36 Urban Ultra-Tool Review The Kelvin 36 is a compact tool, unlike any other on the market, and features tools that you won't find in most traditional multitools. [...] This Article Kelvin 36 Urban Ultra-Tool Review is an original article from OFFGRID Survival If it is appearing on any other site but OFFGRID Survival, that site does not have our permission to use our copyrighted content!

Survival Tarp Shelters: Why A Tarp is one of the Best Things you Can Carry With little more than a bit of paracord and a tarp, you can quickly set up an improvised shelter that will keep you warm and dry. [...] This Article Survival Tarp Shelters: Why A Tarp is one of the Best Things you Can Carry is an original article from OFFGRID Survival If it is appearing on any other site but OFFGRID Survival, that site does not have our permission to use our copyrighted content!

Survival Tarp Shelters: Why A Tarp is one of the Best Things you Can Carry With little more than a bit of paracord and a tarp, you can quickly set up an improvised shelter that will keep you warm and dry. [...] This Article Survival Tarp Shelters: Why A Tarp is one of the Best Things you Can Carry is an original article from OFFGRID Survival If it is appearing on any other site but OFFGRID Survival, that site does not have our permission to use our copyrighted content!