Outdoor Walking and Camping Gear Reviews
Read all the latest Mud and Routes outdoor gear reviews, both walking and camping, split into handy sub categories for your convenience.
Our outdoor gear reviews include almost anything that has an outdoor slant, from waterproof jacket reviews and boot reviews, to outdoor tech and walking pack reviews, we’ve got you covered.
We always review outdoor gear honestly and we strongly believe in testing in proper conditions, on the hill, usually in Snowdonia, not on the side of some grassy car park. We prefer to review fewer items, in more detail, with the exception of anything edible.
The classic down jacket is one of the best bits of kit you can get for keeping warm. Gram for gram, there’s nothing warmer than the combination of pertex and down of one form or the other. In that respect, synthetic insulation doesn’t come close. That said, there’s no need to write off synthetic insulation […]
Paramo Torres Smock Review Read More »
The Merrel Sonic Gloves, despite the name, are an item of footwear. In fact, they’re a bit more than that. They’re pretty cool footwear that protect your feet while you effectively run barefoot. The soles are a tough Vibram and designed for a bit of off road running. I’d be wary of using them for
Merrell Sonic Gloves Barefoot Running Shoes Read More »
The Garmin Forerunner 110 is a basic gps watch, with an RRP of £150 alone, or £180 with a heart rate monitor. I was fortunate enough to pick one up on Amazon at just over £100 without the HRM, but seem to be around the £125 mark now with the HRM bundle being cheaper than
Garmin Forerunner 110 Review Read More »
While the Down Wash is essential, you’ve got to think whether buying the Nikwax Down Proof as well is worth it. We’ve had it drummed into us that we should keep down dry and that you shouldn’t put it in a situation where you’ll need such an indulgence. So do you really need to waterproof
If you own one item that you’ll put off washing, in all likelihood it’s some sort of down item. Sleepingbags and down jackets are notoriously difficult to clean and as a result often put off. Down Wash by Nikwax doesn’t really make it any easier, but it does have some reassuring instructions on the side
If you’ve seen our how to fry an egg article, then you may be interested in one of these. They’re available in a wide range of colours that make very little difference unless you want one to match the shade of your inner tent. More relevantly, this is a decent pan for frying a single
Chefmate 12cm Mini Frypan Read More »
I’ve owned a pair of Keen trail shoes for many years now, and while they got minimal hill use, they’ve been so comfortable that they’re my casual footwear of choice. These suit those with wider feet, or those with a typically Northern European foot shape as opposed to the almost winkle-picker narrow Italians (think Scarpas). In fact,
Keen Targhee II Boots Read More »
Do you want a bargain? While we’ve found Karrimor gear to be pretty hit and miss, here’s another one of the hits. Look at the images and you can see how they compare to a pair of Bridgedale liner socks. It is rather too spooky for our liking, but looking at the seams on the
Karrimor Liner Socks Read More »
What better to snack on than a whole tube of jaffa cakes after a long pull up the mountain? Plenty of carbs to recharge the battery without being overly sweet. Jaffa cakes hit that sweet middle ground between pure sugar rush and a slower release snack such as a flap jack that might not be
Super Hill Foods 8 – The Jaffa Cake Read More »
Most of my life I’ve worn cheap wellies bought for under a tenner. Little did I know what I was missing until I was given a pair of five year old hand-me-down Aigles. Until then I wasn’t even aware you could get wellies so warm, comfortable and sturdy. The Aigles lasted me a good five
Le Chameau All Tracks Wellies Read More »
Who’d have thought that you’d need anything more than a spork when out camping? Well here’s something that you should find useful if you intend to do anything more than boil water. The MSR Alpine Cookset comprises three items: a large spoon, a spatula and a strainer. If you want a fried egg (see this
MSR Alpine Utensils Review – Spoon, Spatula and Strainer Read More »
Map cases are never glamorous. The vision of a red socked rambler proudly walking with a map case hanging from his neck and flapping about in the wind seems to be one of those old clichés. I even went as far as using waterproof maps to avoid ever owning a map case. That’s all well and
Classic Gear Review 8 Ortileb Map Case Read More »
Part of the appeal is the convenience while the rest is one third greasy meat, one third egg and one third adrenaline rush that at any moment, your food could spill from your grasp and end up at the bottom of the mountain. It is said that the nutritional information on the packet is a fallacy and
Super Hill Foods 7 – The Mighty Scotch Egg Read More »
If there’s one item that I own that’s elicited any curiosity in people over the last few years then it has to be these Kahtoola MICROspikes. From work colleagues, to neigbours, they’ve seen these in use over the recent harsh winters and politely enquired about them before quickly ordering their own pair. Even if you
Kahtoola MICROspikes Review Read More »
We love anything that’s multi-purpose, or uses another item to provide part of its functionality. The Grivel Snow Shovel does just that. It’s just a plastic ‘bucket’ part of the shovel, lacking a handle. Instead, you can use a Grivel Munro ice axe or similar in order to create a handle. You’re unlikely to need one
Grivel Steel Blade Shovel Review Read More »
Winter’s here soon, and if it’s anything like the last two then you’ll be needing one of these. There are many different shapes and sizes when it comes to ice axes. It’s quite bewildering when you first set out to buy one. Invariably, unless you’ve more money than sense you’ll end up buying the cheapest
Classic Gear Review 7 – Grivel Munro Ice Axe Read More »
Cheap and cheerful running windproof. While it may have an RRP of £45, it’s available for a very reasonable £14 from the Sport Direct website. For that price, you can’t go far wrong. For the full price, you could easily get a better windproof from the likes of Montane. It’s durable, being used for a
Men’s Karrimor Hi Viz Run Jacket Read More »
When you buy any running baselayer for under a tenner (rrp is £27, but you can get it for under a tenner on Sports Direct), you’ve got to be ready for anything. This top looks good on the images, and it pleased on arrival as well. Sporting a useful quarter zip and a highly visible
Men’s Karrimor Quarter Zip Long Sleeve Top Read More »
If you want a bargain running sock, then look no further. These are a fiver for two pairs (though the RRP is double) and are nothing more than a decent, well priced running sock. We won’t just recommend you go out and buy them, we recommend you stock up and buy a few and banish
Karrimor Dri Socks Read More »
Cheap and cheerful running shorts that might suffice if you’re not used to more salubrious inner pants (to put it lightly). Probably ok if you’re starting out, but go for a size up! Again, we see the overpricing of the Karrimor items in order for them to be highly discounted – so we’ve reviewed them
Mens Karrimor Run Shorts Read More »
This is a novel sleeping bag. At only 460g. This will be ideal for use in youth hostels and bothys, and probably camping and bivvying too. It achieves this impossible balance of weight, price and performance by only having the down in the lower half of the bag. The upper is just a pertex vest
Alpkit Pipedream 200 Read More »
If you think it just looks like a drybag with a strap, then you’re spot on. Designed to be minimal in its design, there are no pockets just one cavernous, waterproof main compartment. The smaller Gourdon 20 or Stealthy Gourdon both come with external bungees if you really need them. There’s a clear panel (to
Alpkit Gourdon 25 – Long Term Review Read More »
I bought this about a month ago when the zip went on my North Face soft shell. The North Face had served me well for the last couple of years, but I decided to go for the Rab on the recommendation of a friend. This Vapour-rise jacket claims to be warm and wind resistant, but
Rab Vapour-Rise Jacket Read More »
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