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How to Clean and Reproof Goretex and Paramo Waterproof Jackets

How to Clean and Reproof Gore-tex, eVent and Paramo Waterproof Jackets

This time of year, its essential to make sure that your waterproof jackets and leggings are fully waterproof and ready for the autumn and winter conditions. This guide outlines how you waterproof the more typical Gore-tex and it’s many varieties which cover most waterproof jackets sold, and the Paramo Analogy system which is another popular […]

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The Anatomy of a Summer Wild Camp

Do you wander what to expect on a typical Summer wild camp or just what is wild camping? Here’s the Mud and Routes breakdown of what makes an awesome summer wild camp. It’s not a ‘how to’ wild camp for beginners article, or a kit list. It’s just to give you the feel of what

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How to get Beginners and Kids Hill Walking – and enjoying every moment!

How can you get your kids out walking, and make sure they come back for more? With the impending bank holiday, you may have been talked into taking a newbie up into the hills or fancy trying to get the kids out there. Here are some tips that might just help…. Be Realistic Choose a walk

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Best Low and Mid Level Walks in North Snowdonia

Here’s a selection of lower and mid level walks in Snowdonia that are mostly circular and provide a change from the usual Snowdon and Tryfan honeypots. These walks are perfect for active families looking for moderate walks in Snowdonia. Remember that these are not necessarily ‘easy’ routes, just ones that avoid the tops. They’re perfect for

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The Wild Camping Bag of Essentials

If you’re going to take an emergency kit with you, what should be the most essential items? This is a rundown of what goes into my little bag of essentials, usually on longer trips away from home. It fits into one small dry-bag. First aid. You’ll need a few bandages and plasters, but don’t take a

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How to Keep your Kit Dry While Walking

During the typical British summer, rain is par for the course, and keeping your kit dry is absolutely essential. This is both for kit that will be ruined in the wet, and to keep your spare clothes and camping kit dry. 1 – Buy Waterproof kit. If the kit most at risk from water damage

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How to S*** In The Wilds

The squeamish should click away now… So here’s a picture of a cow to save your delicate little eyes from the truth about what we all do on a roughly daily basis. Still here? Good. I think this is something all of us wild campers have in common. We’ll try and keep this as clean

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Navigation Skills 8 Orienting, Setting or Thumbing the Map

So you can now read your map, you’ve got your route all planned out and you can identify a compass from 50 metres. You’ll be glad to know, you’re ready to try some skills out in the field. How to handle and hold the map Is it in a case? Don’t go with it hanging

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Navigation Skills 7 The Anatomy of the Compass

What Compass? You’ll now need to buy a compass. We recommend that you get yourself kitted out this week ready for the next sections.You’ll also need 5 toggles, a map case and if you can’t store it in the map case then get a compass case. The compass does remain in place better on a

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Navigational Skills 4 All about Contours

What is a contour line? Contour lines denote the height of the land at any point along that line. So if you followed a 100m contour line around the hill, your altitude at every point would remain at 100m. That’s why traversing a hillside without loss or gain of height is known as contouring. Depending

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Navigation Skills 2 Map to Basics

The first thing you’ll need to get and become familiar with it the map. Forget the compass for now, that’s to come in a few weeks, so here’s the first few steps. We’ve mixed the article up with some videos from the Ordnance Survey site as well as a live map. You’ll need before you

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Keeping Clean Without a Shower

So you want to try and keep clean on a multi-day trip, or perhaps desperate for a lunchtime run but no showers to freshen up after sweating? Here’s a few suggestions. 1 Towel Dry. This goes without saying really, and makes all the following a bit more effective. You can use a microfibre towel while

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Preparing for Autumn Walks

The weather is getting cooler, wetter and breezier already, so it’s time to prepare yourself to make the most of the coming autumn with our tips. 1 – Make sure your kit’s all proofed and up to scratch. Get your boots overhauled and proof your waterproofs in order to keep yourself dry. Do this before

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Faster, Fitter, Further – Improving Hill Walking Fitness

The conventional wisdom is that the best way to get fit for walking the hills, is by walking the hills. However, there are some positive steps we can take during the week without resorting to the gym (unless you insist!) as well as while we’re on the walk in order to make those hard earned

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The Essential Summer Trail Running Gear List

Here’s my Essential Trail Running Gear List – though there’s a few bits of kit on there that I know some people wouldn’t bother with. 1 – Decent shoes – Grip and comfort are top of the list. Waterproof trail runners are a bit pointless, and I prefer waterproof socks if I think they’ll help. If

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MRE 24 Hour Ration Pack Review

On a recent wild camp, we decided to see if these 24 hour ration packs are any good or are you better off avoiding them altogether. We went for this one by Evaq8 that cost around £16 with postage. What’s in it? The ration pack arrived in a tidy brown box and contained a generous selection

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The Beast’s Tip of the Week – Hydration Bladder Care

These can be so handy on a hot day, no need to stop to take a drink, but they get scummy and manky without proper care. There’s a few really simple things you can do to keep yours clean and mould free. These tips work for drinks bottles, as well as hydration pouches and collapsable

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Some Snowdonia Astrophotography

We’ve all see those impressive shots of the Milky Way with a suitably spectacular foreground and probably wished you could take a similar photo. We decided to see how difficult it really was, and provide some tips that we found useful. I set off originally, with an ancient Fuji Finepix 9600 Bridge Camera that I’d

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Kitting Out For Your First Winter Trail Run

It’s one thing kitting yourself out for a winter run, but a totally different prospect if you’re going to set out on a trail run. For the rundown on getting started, then read our article From Tarmac to Mud – First Steps in Trail Running for the basics. We didn’t really go into the details

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5 Things That Might Make an Emergency Night on the Mountain Comfortable

If you do end up stranded on the mountain after dark (though these tips on avoiding benightment should help in the first place), then there are a few items that will make your unplanned night out a bit more bearable. Remember, if you are stuck on the mountain and someone knows your whereabouts then Mountain Rescue will probably be

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The Essential Hill Walking Kit Checklist

What do you need for a safe trip up the mountains? Here’s our quick run-down of the kit you shouldn’t leave home without and few optional extras that are just good to have. Depending on conditions, you may want to take spares of many of these. If you expect your gloves to get a soaking,

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From Tarmac to Mud – First Steps in Trail Running

It’s easy to get disheartened as you continually run along pavements and roads, cars whirring past and impromptu hurdling sessions when unstoppable runner meets immoveable dog. Parks are better, but can be busy and far too manicured if you’re hankering for some wilderness. The only option is to get muddy and start trail running. If

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The Beast’s Tip of the Week – Taking Eggs on a Wild Camp

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

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The Beast’s Tip of the Week – Free Camping Stoves

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.

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