Category: Advice Articles
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Camping Quilts Review – The best down quilts in the UK
A summary of (almost) every down and synthetic camping quilt available in the UK What is a down camping quilt and why should I get one? Camping quilts are an alternative to sleeping bags. Quilts are popular with ultralight enthusiasts as they can be lighter than sleeping bags. They are also used by people who…
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Jetboil vs – System Stoves Review
A comparison of every Jetboil-style System Stove on the market. Overview | Speed & Efficiency | Weight | Size & Dimensions | Features Introduction In 2001, Jetboil released a stove that was different from anything else on the market: an all-in-one burner and pot, designed purely for heating water as rapidly and efficiently as possible.…
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10 Tips for Writing a Book
After two years of focussed work, I have recently finished writing my second book: With the Sun on Our Right. It has been a greater ordeal than my first book. That is partly because of the nature of the book. My first was a practical guide, with seven distinct topics, each broken down into bites-size…
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The T-Test: Finding the Warmest Camping Mat
This article explains how to find the warmest camping mat with the lowest weight. Finding the warmest sleeping pad is easy: it’s probably the biggest and thickest one. You can check the camping mat’s warmth by looking for the one with the highest ‘R-value’, which measures how well insulated a mat is. The warmest camping…
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Carts for Desert Expeditions
This is a brief guide to desert carts: wheeled trailers that you can fill with supplies and drag across a desert. Cars, camels and carts I like to think that there are three options for hauling large volumes of supplies across a deserts: cars, camels and carts. Vehicles are used frequently in deserts and camels,…
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What is the Thinnest Camping Mat?
What is the thinnest camping mat you can get? This is exactly the kind of niche, nerdy question that I love so I was delighted to receive just such a query through my website this week. Quick answer: Get an 8mm-thick Multimat Superlite 8 or pay to import a 3mm-thick Gossamer Gear Thinlight 1/8″. What…
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Review of Camping Mats
This article gives a detailed review of all the best sleeping pads and air mattresses. It is based on 17 years’ experience and has been used by tens of thousands of people. There is a detailed buyer’s guide, a series of comparison tables and further reading for the enthusiastic. However, if you’re in a hurry,…
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Guide to Camping Gas Canisters
An axplanation of all the different types of camping gas canisters, plus clever adaptors that let you use them all and special ‘dual fuel’ stoves Quick links: Types of gas canister | Gas canister adaptors | Dual fuel stoves Screw-on canisters | Easy-Clic canisters | Pierceable canisters | Aerosol canisters Introduction Having given two talks…
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MSR WindBurner Stove Review
I’ve been using an MSR WindBurner stove for almost two years now and, having tested many other all-in-one Jetboil style stoves, feel in a good position to write a review. MSR WindBurner Stove System (1.0-litre) Review [one_half] Pros Really fast Very small Windproof Innovative design [/one_half] [one_half_last] Cons No built-in lighter Feels unfinished [/one_half_last] [divide]…
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Comparison of Bikepacking Bags
Review of over 100 bikepacking bags and accessories Detailed information on over 100 pieces of bikepacking luggage including handlebar bags, saddle bags, custom frame bags, stem bags, top tube bags, fork bags and extendable bottle cages. Jump to: Overview | Handlebar Bags | Saddle Bags | Frame Bags | Accessories | Manufacturers | Spreadsheet [divide]…
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How To Make Your Own Ration Packs
A step-by-step guide to making your own ration packs plus four recommended recipes from food blogger Holly Davies. I recently conducted a review of all the different dehydrated rations on the market. Dehydrated meals are really convenient but they’re expensive and don’t taste as good as normal food. However, it is quite possible to have…
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The World’s Lightest Hooped Bivvy?
The Helium Bivy is the new ultralight hooped bivvy bag from Outdoor Research. Overall, it’s an excellent ultralight bivi that also happens to be cheap. At 510 grams (18oz), it’s the lightest hooped bivi on the UK market by a long stretch and, I suspect, the lightest in the world. Better still, at £145 in…