Find below our complete guide to outdoor skills, well almost complete! We’re in the process of organising the content into more coherent sections.
YES! Despite our innate nature, Mud and Routes are becoming more organised!
As a starter for 10, here’s our Complete Introduction to Map Reading and Navigation Online Course.
While the appearance of the sun in the skies can make a welcome change from dull and wet weather, it’s not without its own set of problems. Keeping one step ahead of the heat is one of the best ways to help ensure your trip goes off without a hitch. Here are some of our […]
Keeping One Step Ahead of the Heat Read More »
You’ve got running shoes that are looking a bit sorry for themselves and perhaps clear the room by stink alone? Well don’t despair as you can give your shoes a once over that means they’re good for another few months at least. You’ll need: One pair of particularly sorry footwear – Ours is a pair
Beast’s Tip Of The Week – Sprucing Those Running Shoes Read More »
A quick Google on this will find figures that range from about 500 km upwards to 1000 km, and others that replace them when they fall apart or start developing holes. You quickly suspect the lower end of the range is heavily influenced by the shoe manufacturers and the upper end by die-hard skinflints who
How Long do Running Shoes Really Last? Read More »
When the sun comes out it’s time to hit the trails and paths for a welcome return trip into the great outdoors. But when you’re living in a country where it feels like there are more rainy days then sunny days per year, it can be easy to underestimate the power of the sun and
Stay Safe in the Sun: The Risks of Exposure to the Sun Read More »
Lunches are always problematic on multiday trips, especially now I’m gluten intolerant. So I was quite chuffed to discover that Nairn’s do some gluten-free oatcakes, and unlike many gluten-free products it isn’t a pale shadow of the regular product. It’s simply made from oats that haven’t been cross-contaminated by wheat. OK, this isn’t going to work on
Hill Food Ideas – Nairn’s Gluten Free Oatcakes and Philly Read More »
Tying a jacket around your waist leads to more frustration and overheating than just wearing the thing in the first place and getting sweaty. Here’s a quick and easy solution for when you may need to carry it around your waist. You will need – one webbing belt, plus coat to attach to it! Ok, so
The Beast’s Tip of the Week – Carrying a Jacket without a waistpack Read More »
Expedition Foods manufactures some of the better regarded freeze dried meals out there, plus they’re bright orange which is always a bonus. These meals provide a generous 800 calories, which is marketed as high energy, but probably just right at the end of an active day, and about what I factor in for a regular main
Expedition Foods Dehydrated Meals Review Read More »
According to research, dehydration by just 2% of your body weight can noticeably impair your exercise performance. This negative effect gets even more severe when that figure hits 5% as the capacity for work decreases by about 30%. With just small amounts of dehydration responsible for such massive amounts of loss in performance and productivity
The Importance of Hydration Whilst Exercising Read More »
Why can’t a grown man buy Vaseline without someone sniggering? A little pot of Vaseline can be used for many things while you’re out and about, so here are a few ideas. 1 – Chafing – Whether you’re running or walking, a bit of lubrication never goes amiss. If you don’t know what jogger’s nipple
The Beast’s Tip of the Week – Vaseline Read More »
Improving your core fitness with some targeted exercises can be a great way to improve your performance when out and about cycling, running or hillwalking. The core refers to the muscles in your abdominals, hips and lower back and all the other muscles in your body rely on this area for creating a stable base
Simple Core Exercises to Improve Outdoor Performance Read More »
While walking is a low-impact form of exercise that can work wonders for your fitness levels, as well as providing other health benefits such as burning off those pesky calories and keeping your joints flexible; it can still put you at risk of strains and other injuries. Even without getting injured, hill walks and other
Improving Lower Back Fitness for Runners, Cyclists and Hill Walkers Read More »
You can buy wind shields that use thick titanium foil, but you can easily create something passable with extra thick kitchen foil. You do need to fold it on itself a couple of times, folding one side a few times in order to improve rigidity. You can play with this to see what works best, and with a bit
The Beast’s Tip of the Week – Cheap Stove Windshield Read More »
Having recently discovered that I’ve a gluten intolerance, it seemed that most of my chosen breakfasts were unsuitable. This instant porridge from Tesco is both gluten and dairy free and packing a 180 calories per pot, would be ideal. It’s also in a cardboard pot, which can be recycled as clearly anyone who has a
Tesco Free From Instant Porridge Read More »
Whilst looking for something completely unrelated, as you do, I came across what has to be the cheapest gas stove I’ve yet seen at round a fiver including postage from China. The Buyincoins Picnic Stove just had to be tried out especially as the reviews on Amazon were so promising (almost 500 reviews on Amazon.com, and
Outdoor Picnic Mini Camping Stove – BuyinCoins Read More »
Eggs get a bad press, but can easily be taken on a wild camp with a bit of preparation. It’s not 100% foolproof, but then carrying any foodstuff can go totally tits up in your pack if you’re unlucky enough. I managed to get half a litre of Amaretto into my down bag on the
The Beast’s Tip of the Week – Taking Eggs on a Wild Camp Read More »
If you’re too mean to buy a camping stove, then providing you have the time, the tools and the skill then you can can safely make your own meths stove at home. Not only are Pepsi Can Meths Stoves free to make, it’s also inexpensive to run and is one of the lightest stoves available.
The Beast’s Tip of the Week – Free Camping Stoves Read More »
If you like to run or walk with as little encumbrance as possible, a waist pack is just the ticket. However, they don’t have a load of room and you may not want to stash your waterproof on the top where it may well fall off. This handy little tip secures your jacket, and takes up no
The Beast’s Tip of the Week – Carrying a Jacket Securely with a Waist Pack Read More »
Are regular marathons getting too easy for you? Do you dream of combining your love of long distance walks and camping with competitive racing? If so then a mountain marathon might be just what you are looking for. What are Mountain Marathons? These events usually take place over two days, with the competitors’ skills in
Getting Started with Mountain Marathons Read More »
No, we’re not taking the pi** this week, seriously. When you’re navigating, and you want to point to a location on the map, be aware that your finger is somewhere in the region of 400m in width when you measure it relative to the map scale (1:25,000). That can lead to a huge discrepancy. One
The Beast’s Tip of the Week – Pointing to the Map Read More »
You’re on a walk or even wild camping and suddenly, there’s the call of the wild. You really need to, ahem, you know. GO. And not the easy one, you get the idea? If you don’t, then we’re not going to any more details except to state that if you need a crap in the
The Beast’s Tip of The Week – Sphagnum Moss Read More »
Fed up of that fusty and minging flask on a hill walk frosty morn? Get rid of the stink by adding a load of bicarb in it overnight. Not sure how much, just get a decent tablespoon’s worth in there and it’ll absorb any niffs that might be hanging about. Make sure you clean it
The Beast’s Tip of The Week – Sprucing up that Flask Read More »
Windproofs aren’t waterproofs, obviously, but they do offer some protection against light rain. This protection is soon lost if you don’t look after your windproof kit properly. Here are The Beast’s tips on keeping them as water resistant as possible. 1 – Don’t wash them in your usual detergent. This strips them of any water
The Beast’s Tip of The Week – Keeping Windproof Kit Water Resistant Read More »
So everything’s packed and planned for the wild camp, except you want something sweet to go with your supper. While my first choice would always be the Travellunch Chocolate mousse, it can work out a bit expensive if you’re out for a long trip or every other weekend. Here’s a selection of puddings that are
Five Things – Wild Camping Pudding Ideas Read More »
You must be logged in to post a comment.